As the art of tattoo gains popularity with more and more people, it's only natural that a wider variety of artists will get in the game and take it places it's never gone before. Today, people seeking to get inked have more choices than ever for a hot, cutting edge design:

5. Photo Realism Tattoo

Tattooing techniques are so advanced that the sky's the limit as far as how life-like you might want your image.

4. 3D Tattoo

What's realler than realism?  3D designs that give a sense of depth or of the image coming right off the body at you.

3. Dotted Tattoo

Dotted tattoos are made up of intricate, repeating patterns, where the entire tattoo is the same pattern multiplied over and over. Shading can also be done to create 3D effects with this technique.

2. White Ink Tattoo

People are going crazy for these designs, though they come with a degree of  risk and some artists will not attempt them. Fans of the technique love the subltey and delicate quality they can achieve, while opponents note that it is easy to make mistakes due to the lightness of the ink, it sometimes heals yellow or it's otherwise hard to keep the ink pure white, and they need frequent touch-ups to stay visible.

1. Watercolor Tattoo

Popularized by the work of Amanda Watchob, these tattoos that look like brushstroke paintings are catching the eye of many tattoo enthusiasts. Many times, people can't believe these images are actually tattoos!