25 Mashkow Tattoos That Show Why Instagram-Famous Tattooer, Alexey Mashkov, Is One of the Best Working Today

Alexey Mashkov, also known as Mashkow, has built a huge following on Instagram with his unique and captivating tattoos. His distinct style blends elements of neo-traditional, realism, and western traditional tattooing, resulting in an incredible body of work that has captured the attention of many tattoo enthusiasts worldwide.

In this post, we will be showcasing 25 of Mashkow’s best tattoos that illustrate why he is one of the most talented tattoo artists working today. From lifelike pop culture portraits and vibrant graffiti-inspired lettering to traditional motifs with a modern twist, his tattoos exemplify his skill and creativity as an artist. Whether you’re a tattoo enthusiast seeking inspiration or simply a fan of incredible artistry, read on to discover the magic of Mashkow’s tattooing.

Not in Kansas Anymore

Hallmarks of Mashkv’s style include hyperrealism for pop culture figures along with graffiti-like lettering for words that get plastered on the face like they would a wall. We’ve never seen Dorothy quite like this.

Greetings from Bikini Bottom

While most of Mashkov’s tattoos are portraits of real people, he sometimes veers into animated territory reproducing beloved toons in creative and offbeat ways. SpongeBob and Patrick look like they’ve been through it!

Beetlejuice

Sometimes Mashkov revisits characters from the same movie more than once. This is the first set of Beetlejuice-inspired tattoos we share with you but it won’t be the last.

Bruce Lee

Mashkov really leans into the catchphrases and sayings that the famous people he is portraying often say and uses them for the graffiti bits.

Happy Accidents

An artist on an artist for this portrait of Bob Ross who seems to have rainbow-colored paint dripping from his mouth. How about that lovely landscape in his hair?

Stranger Things

Say “hello” to Steve Harrington, your fave from Stranger Things. Isn’t this a fun one? Our favorite part is “the hair.” Hilarious!

The Lost Boy

Kiefer Sutherland looks rather diabolical here in this tattoo inspired by the movie The Lost Boys. A real “creature of the night” indeed.

More Lydia Deetz

As promised, here’s another Mashkov tattoo inspired by Beetlejuice. For fans of the movie, this tattoo is sure to delight.

John Wick

Sometimes you have to look hard for it, but Mashkov always “signs” his tattoos with his Mashkow handle. You will find it on Keanu Reeve’s collar in this example.

Medusa

Here’s a more conceptual example of Mashkov’s work, a tattoo of Medusa the likes of which we have never seen. Take a look at that Greek decorative detail at the bottom of the neck. Genius!

Pet Detective

Try as many of us might to forget Ace Ventura Pet Detective, someone has clearly still got some love for it. Alrighty then!

The Fifth Element

Mila Jovovich‘s likeness is great in this Mashkov tattoo inspired by the sci-fi movie The Fifth Element. We love the inclusion of the flying taxi cab here.

The Goonies

Many of Mashkov’s tattoos are nostalgic love letters to our inner child. 1985’s The Goonies has inspired this design that finds friends, Sloth and Chunk paired together.

Barker

Blink 182 drummer, Travis Barker, a person who personally has a ton of tattoos, has inspired this one. There is so much energy and movement in this one.

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Judge Doom

Who Framed Roger Rabbit has some iconic imagery and one has always stuck with us. It’s the. bulging eyes of Judge Doom that really spooked us as kids.

Spider-Man

Part Spider-Man portrait, part love letter to New York City, this fun superhero Mashkov tattoo is a masterpiece of light and shadow. Which superhero would you get a tattoo of?

Blade

Here’s another Mashkov tattoo of a beloved comic turned film. We think Wesley Snipes looks utterly fantastic here.

Rick

As we mentioned, Mashkov sometimes tattoos characters from animated properties. Fans of Rick and Morty, eat your heart out.

Kid Cudi

We find multi-hyphenate Kid Cudi lovingly tattooed in this example. His music has inspired the words plastered all over his face.

A Mutant Ninja Turtle

Cowabunga, dude! Here’s a blast from the past that likely takes you back to your childhood, Mashkov-style. Now, we’re craving pizza.

Kevin

This has to be one of our favorite Mashkov tattoos as it really nails Macaulay Culkin‘s likeness. It’s Kevin from Home Alone like we’ve never seen him before.

Flubber

The Flubber reboot was a complete flop for Disney but we always had a soft spot for it thanks to the comedic genius of Robin Williams. It gets a boost from the hopeful quote, “Words can change the world.”

Casino

Casino is one of the best movies set in Las Vegas. Martin Scorsese really did the thing! We love this portrait of Robert De Niro complete with Aces on his lapels.

Tommy Shelby

Fans of Peaky Blinders are some of the most dedicated out there. We stumble across tattoos inspired by the series all the time. But, we’ve never seen anything like this. Tommy Shelby looks as tough as nails.

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Dolly

How about a little Dolly Parton? The icon has gotten a Mashkov makeover that has her looking like she’s had a rough night but we feel the design is from a place of love. So fun!

We hope that this showcase of 25 Mashkow tattoos has given you a deeper appreciation for his incredible skill and creativity as a tattoo artist. Alexey Mashkov’s unique style combines various tattooing techniques in a way that results in mesmerizing pieces of art that are truly one-of-a-kind.

From bold, bright colors to intricate detail work, Mashkow’s tattoos capture the beauty and essence of his subjects.. It’s clear to see why so many people have fallen in love with his work and continue to follow his journey as an artist. We’re excited to see what Mashkow will create next and can’t wait for his future works to inspire and delight us all.

For more tattoo inspiration, keep reading. We’ve got dozens of designs to share with you.

Shark Abduction

The aliens are mining the depths of our seas in this UFO tattoo with a shark being abducted. Most UFO tattoos will show some sort of abduction so it’s fun to see what creatures each one features.

Kawaii Goodness

We are big fans of cute kawaii tattoos, and this one is delightful. It features every color of the rainbow, along with sparkles, tiny hearts, shooting stars, and cake!

The Love UFO Tattoo

Here’s a unique option for a UFO tattoo in black and grey ink. It takes a neo-traditional approach with simple yet clean lines and stippling to shade the objects. The little heart on top is the icing on the proverbial cake.

They’ve Come for the Coffee

Here’s a UFO tattoo that all coffee lovers can get behind. After all, wouldn’t aliens come for the most delicious and beloved human export?

UFO Meets Arcade Carpet

Style over substance for the win. In this UFO tattoo, we find fun and celebratory shapes in bright colors trapped inside the beam of a UFO. It’s proof that any tattoo can be made using your aesthetic, no matter how “out there” it may seem.

Sure, Why Not?

A blue frog playing an electric guitar? Here for it! This is true for any design, but UFO tattoos lend themselves to wonderfully weird concepts and subject matter. You get to make the rules!

Not the Cat!

Okay, we have a secret about UFO tattoos to share with you. For whatever reason, the ones with cats are the best. We saw dozens of UFO designs with furry felines and could have dedicated an entire list to their existence. This heart shape is filled with celestial imagery and a friendly-looking alien and one scared cat. Bravo!

A Delicate One

We’ve seen a lot of big and bold UFO tattoos thus far, and that’s because they are the most popular. However, you can choose a smaller, more delicate design if that’s your style. Fine lines and a light touch are all it takes.

We Do Too

“I want to believe,” this tattoo proclaims, featuring an image made famous by The X-Files. If you loved that show and all the alien shenanigans it featured, you could do no better for inspiration for that UFO tattoo.

Do You Agree?

“Aliens exist,” says a banner draped over a pyramid scene. We imagine this design speaks to fans of Ancient Aliens.

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Oops, There Goes Another Cat

As promised, here’s another cat being abducted. This one is super stylish with a strict gold, green, and purple color scheme. Find an artist who can help realize your vision and you could walk away with something equally as singular.

Radical Color

We love the color application for this dazzling UFO tattoo that features one adorable cow. Green and pink contrast beautifully here, giving the design some balance.

A Minimalist Approach

Again, if you want a small UFO tattoo, go for it! It can be as simple as this. With just a few lines, you’ll have a design that’s instantly recognizable.

A Big Piece

On the other hand, a maximalist approach is also fun. If you’ve got the time, pain threshold, and money for such a commitment, an aliene scene that covers all or part of your arm could be fun.

Puppy Love

This is precious! While cat UFO tattoos are more popular, pups are also getting abducted. This cartoonish style is just the sweetest one yet.

Micro

Micro tattoos are a big trend today. Take a look at that teeny-tiny character being sucked into the UFO. Isn’t this so exciting? Proof that the smaller details make the biggest impressions.

A Wild One

If you’re going to do the thing, do the thing. We find an absolutely bonkers UFO tattoo with a human skull being pried open to release the brain.

What Happened to the Dinosaurs?

Another popular character for UFO tattoos is dinosaurs. It’s a fun concept because it imagines our ancient ancestors having some connection to the alien world. We find a sort of silhouette style for this one that looks brilliant.

Jellyfish UFO

We mean it when we tell you that UFO tattoos are on a whole other level. A UFO is a jellyfish in this gorgeous but bizarre design. If you can dream it, a tattoo artist can make it real.

Okay…

Just do you, folks. We’ve got a glitter-specked UFO tattoo inside a mouth for this example. It’s the kind of offbeat weirdness we live for.

Bob Ross and a Happy Tree

It just keeps getting more and more surreal, doesn’t it? We find Bob Ross‘s head as the canvas for this UFO tattoo that features a spacecraft abducting a “happy tree.” How do we get on this level?

Retro

If you are a fan of classic sci-fi, a UFO tattoo inspired by old movies, comics, and literature could be the right direction to take your design. This reminds us of old-school Lost in Space.

Wonderfully Weird

Black ink is all it takes to bring a trippy UFO tattoo to life. We get a standard spacecraft here, but the object oozing from the port is surreal. How cool is that?

Haunting

Due to their fantastical nature, we did not see many UFO tattoos concerned with realism. That makes this design really stand out as it features expert shading and technique. We’re here for the Metropolis vibes this tattoo is sending out.

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Lucky Ducky

Finally, we leave you with a cute rubber duck being sucked into a UFO. Any object you adore will work in this sort of application. The sky’s the limit!

There you go! We hope you fell in love with these UFO tattoos and got some ideas for your next design. You can really lean into your weird side for these sorts of designs, as the more offbeat and fantastical, the better.