People Are Getting 3D Tattoos And It's Trippy As Hell

Meet the mastermind behind the designs, Winston the Whale.

Portland-based tattoo artist Winston the Whale is becoming well-known for his incredible works of 3D art.

Winston the Whale

The pieces, which are inspired by vintage 3D glasses, use red and blue ink to make the images seemingly jump off the skin.

Winston The Whale

Winston said it all started when his friend asked him for a 3D skull tattoo. "It was totally experimental and I really wasn't sure how it would look, but it turned out awesome and the response from it on Instagram was phenomenal," he told BuzzFeed.

Instagram: @winstonthewhale

Immediately after he posted the photo, he became flooded with requests for more designs.

Winston the Whale

"It was really crazy how quickly people reacted to it," he said.

The former graffiti artist started tattooing as a "fluke" and said getting into the medium "happened super fast and I honestly didn't expect it to become a career path."

Erik Graham / Via Instagram: @t0a5t

"I was asked by a friend to do a stick 'n' poke tattoo and at first declined the offer, but he convinced me to just try it," he said. "I did a tiny planet and some stars and pretty much nailed it first try. I turned around and did another on my other friend, then another the next day, started posting [the tattoos] and boom! I was fully immersed in the medium and was booked doing stick 'n' poke tattoos within a month."

Since then, he's gained a major following due to his old-school tattooing style.

Winston the Whale

"I think [people] like [3D tattoos] so much because they are just for fun and very trippy to look at," he told BuzzFeed. "It's also very nostalgic. Everyone knows that classic red and blue 3D look and so it is something that is familiar for them."

Winston the Whale

Winston the Whale said his designs are stripped down to their most basic form, "which allows the viewer to react instantly to it."

Winston the Whale

"The internet is a place of short attention spans, and I think these tattoos offer something that delivers the viewer an image that they don't have to think about too much."

"Although there is a place for beauty and complexity, it's refreshing to see something that is simple and just for fun."

Winston the Whale