Della Hargrove
Tattoo Design Specialist
Tattoo artist and designer with 12+ years working across American traditional, Japanese, and modern minimalist styles. Della writes about design choices, placement, aftercare, and the meaning behind popular motifs.
Della Hargrove has been working in and writing about tattoo design for over a decade, across traditional American, Japanese (irezumi-influenced), and contemporary minimalist work. Della’s writing focuses on the practical decisions behind a good tattoo: design, placement, sizing, and the cultural context of motifs.
Areas of Expertise
- American traditional and neo-traditional design
- Japanese tattoo style and motif symbolism
- Minimalist, fine-line, and single-needle work
- Placement, sizing, and how designs age on the body
- Aftercare and healing through the first 4 weeks
Writing Approach
Della writes the way a tattooer talks across the chair, direct about what works, honest about what doesn’t. Every design article names a real placement, a real size range, and the cultural roots of the motif. Aftercare guidance comes with timelines, not vague “follow your artist’s instructions” platitudes.
Articles by Della Hargrove (206)
Elbow Tattoo Ideas for the Point and the Ditch
Near-zero fat over the olecranon leaves little margin for blowout, so elbow tattoos need design, depth, and healing rules the forearm never does.
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Stomach Tattoo Ideas for Upper, Lower and Side Zones
Stomach tattoo ideas for the upper, lower and side abdomen, how much the area hurts, and what pregnancy or weight change can do to the design.
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Hip Tattoo Ideas: 2 Zones, Pain and Aging Compared
Hip tattoo ideas by zone: front hip bone or outer side hip changes the pain, the canvas size and what clothing hides, plus a sun routine for healed ink.
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Foot Tattoo Ideas: Top vs. Side, Pain and Fade Risk
Shoe friction and sun, not time, are what fade a foot tattoo fastest; here's how placement, letter sizing and SPF 30 habits change the outcome.
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4 Zones to Place a Collarbone Tattoo on the Clavicle
A collarbone tattoo follows the clavicle's shallow S-curve: where it sits on the bone and how tall it runs decide how it reads, hurts and ages.
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Semi Permanent Tattoos: Jagua, Wear Time and Aftercare
A semi permanent tattoo lasts days, not months: Inkbox wears up to 10 days, EasyTatt 1-2 weeks. How jagua works, its allergy risks and how to plan.
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Sword Tattoo Designs Sized by Blade and Placement
One guide calls the sword the only weapon with no second use, so a sword tattoo reads as commitment. Blade, pairing and length then set the message.
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Leg Tattoos: Thigh, Calf or Shin, Which Hurts More?
A 1,092-person survey found body area didn't predict tattoo pain, so this leg tattoos guide matches thigh, calf and shin designs to their shape.
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What Makes Meaningful Tattoos Actually Meaningful?
Meaningful tattoos start with your reason, not the symbol: what the semicolon, lotus and Hamsa mean, where they come from, and how to test a design.
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What Are the Best Father Daughter Tattoos to Get?
Father daughter tattoos, from lock-and-key pairs to fingerprint ink: how to choose matching or complementary designs, size lettering and pick a placement.
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What Makes a Chicano Tattoo Style Authentic?
Chicano tattoo history from homemade prison machines to Good Time Charlie's in 1970s East LA, plus black-and-grey technique, motifs and lettering sizes.
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Blackwork Tattoo Guide: Patterns, Fills and Sleeve Planning
A blackwork tattoo hides nothing: patchy fills and closing negative space show for years. How to plan substyle, spacing, sleeve and healing so it reads.
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