Pirate Tattoo Photo #8595

Common motifs include ships, compasses, skulls, anchors, and maps. This guide covers style, placement, and practical design choices for ships and compasses.

By placing thousands of tiny dots at controlled spacing, dotwork artists achieve smooth gradients and intricate patterns. This labor-intensive method gives tattoos a unique texture that stands apart from traditional line-based work.

The collarbone's clean horizontal line provides a natural guide for elongated designs. This placement adds a subtle accent to the upper body and works especially well with fine-line and minimalist styles.