7 Unique Old School Korean Tattoo Artists in Busan

Typically when people think of Korean tattoos, they think of delicate, fine line pieces or traditional Asian style brushstrokes and colors. However, Koreans also appreciate the classic aesthetic of old school tattoos’ thick, black linework and bold colors. Here are seven striking old school tattoo artists located in Busan.

1. Ari

What stands out to me about Ari’s work is her color palette. She largely uses earthy greens and oranges and contrasts them with cool reds. Sometimes, she throws in a turquoise that stands out against the other relatively more neutral shades. Ari also designs her tattoos to fit and harmonize with the clients’ other tattoos.

2. Baksa (Dr. 55555)

Baksa, or Dr. 55555, works with a wide range of old school styles. He does a pretty even mix of color and black and gray old school tattoos. However, he doesn’t limit himself to old school, he also does a fair share of clean lettering in various fonts.

Since this page is just about old school tattoos, I only chose to display his old school work, but you can find his lettering on his Instagram page.

3. Blue Pearl

Blue Pearl seems to be a relatively new account, and I think they’re going to become popular quickly. So far, they have drawn a variety of tattoo designs with unique subjects. Even their classic subjects, such as the tiger portrait, have a new twist to them. A lot of them include leaves that are shaded in earthy colors, rather than traditionally bold and saturated tones.

4. Hato

Hato mostly uses a cinnabar red and jade green or cyan, which are greatly contrasting colors that make each other pop more. What particularly stands out to me are his unique renditions of skulls and skeletons. Additionally, his works often draw inspiration from Irezumi, Japanese-style tattoos.

5. Monami

Monami mainly does black and gray old school tattoos, but sometimes does color as well. Her work is quite detailed for old school. You can see her careful attention to detail in tattoos like her scythe’s handle and stitches in the plague doctor mask, my personal favorite piece by her. Her tattooing style is more on the Western side, with influence from Irezumi in some of her tattoos.

6. Takii

What makes Takii’s work so identifiable is the way they use their colors, especially this cobalt blue color. Rather than blending their colors, they block them, almost like they’re cell-shading for an animation. In contrast, the extra thick linework has a subtly sketchy look to them, making the subject look more dynamic.

7. Teemo

Teemo’s tattoos can be identified by his frequent use of bright white highlights and outlines, as well as the way he stylizes animal characters. His signature character is a blue tiger that is often depicted wearing various costumes. Also, his animals don’t look like your conventional sharks and dragons. They often have more exaggerated mouths, which gives them a unique charm.

So these were seven Korean tattoo artists in Busan that put their own special twist on the classic old school style. Ready for your next ink? If you’re looking for inspiration or want to message an artist, click on those links and check out their bios for their contact information!