Bio-Mechanical tattoos also known as "bio-mech" is one of the newest design styles in tattooing today. This style can be broken down into two subcategories: organic and mechanical.
The term bio means "life", and the ultimate goal of these styles is to forge the body with the piece of art and to accentuate the features of the body. They can be designed in several ways for several reasons, either to go underneath the skin to make something that looks anatomically pleasing or on top of the skin to enhance or give character to a muscle group or body part, such as a forearm.
This style of bio-mech uses more rough textures to create lifelike craters and bubbles. This style also uses thick lines to separate all the intertwining subject matter, as well as complimentary colors to distinguish certain areas from others. Using larger groupings of needles, such as the nine- or fourteen-round lining needle, really helps the eye navigate through what might seem like an overwhelming piece of art. Bright colors, such as yellow, orange, blues, and greens are most common in organic Bio-Mechanical tattoos. Many artists such as Guy Aitchison have revolutionized this style. Multiple light sources are also used to help give the tattoo flow and composition.
The next subcategory of the Bio-Mechanical tattoo style is mechanical.
This branch of this style of tattooing incorporates many more parts and pieces such as gears, cogs and springs, sprockets, nuts, bolts, or screws. All these pieces come together to forge with the body to create a tattoo that would seem fully functional with the body part it is associated with. Examples would include a hinge-like part on the elbows and knees, and wires to wrap around the muscle groups such as the biceps to give them a tendon-like look.
Artists such as Roman Abrego have made Bio-Mechanical art something completely new and exciting by using smooth textures and several parts and mechanical pieces.
The styles of Bio-Mechanical tattoos in both categories are very flexible with where you place them, and how they can be executed. Most biomechanical tattoos are completely customized to fit the client and their body. For instance, something with thinner lines and more swirls would create a more feminine design, and something with large blades and sharp angles would be more masculine.
Bio-Mechanical tattoos are also very good for covering existing unwanted tattoos like they were never even there. The ability to completely customize a tattoo in this style allows for a design that will cater to what will cover the existing tattoo. Because this style uses so many layers, is it highly recommended for most cover-ups. The ability to use several layers and colors will help separate and cover almost any existing tattoo. Sometimes, these layers may need to be touched up. Most artists will do this for free.