Davide Bortolami

Style & Approach

Davide Bortolami works across four interconnected styles: newschool, illustrative, neotraditional, and anime. What ties them together is a graphic sensibility rooted in bold outlines, saturated color, and exaggerated proportions. Newschool tattooing grew out of the American traditional framework but swapped rigid iconography for cartoonish distortion and pop-culture energy. Bortolami leans hard into that lineage. His illustrative work pulls from comic book paneling and manga framing, giving pieces a narrative quality that goes beyond a single image. The neotraditional influence shows up in his shading technique, where layered gradients add depth without softening the punch of the line work. Anime, his most distinctive specialty, is still relatively uncommon in Western tattoo directories. Bortolami treats anime source material with the same structural discipline as traditional motifs, which keeps the work from looking like a sticker on skin. The result is tattoos that feel intentional, not derivative.

Defining Characteristics

Scroll through Bortolami's Instagram and a few patterns emerge fast. First, the linework is consistent and confident. He uses thick outlines to anchor the design, then builds interior detail with thinner strokes that create depth without clutter. Second, his color palette runs warm and saturated. Reds, oranges, and yellows dominate, punctuated by deep blues and greens for contrast. This is a deliberate newschool choice. Muted tones rarely appear in his feed. Third, composition matters. His pieces fill their allotted space with purpose. Negative space exists because he chose it, not because he ran out of ideas. The illustrative influence shows in how he frames subjects. Characters often break the border of their background elements, creating a sense of motion. Neotraditional dotwork and whip shading appear in backgrounds and secondary elements, adding texture without competing with the focal point. Quick tip: if you want a tattoo that reads clearly from across a room, this approach delivers.

Popular Motifs & Subjects

Anime and manga characters dominate Bortolami's portfolio. He tattoos recognizable figures from series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece, but he also works with lesser-known titles and original character designs. Beyond anime, his newschool approach lends itself to classic tattoo subjects refracted through a graphic lens. Animals, flowers, and mythological creatures appear frequently, rendered with exaggerated features and bold color choices that push them toward caricature rather than realism. Portraits show up too, often stylized with halftone shading that references comic book printing. Skulls and traditional flash imagery get the newschool treatment, with warped proportions and unexpected color fills. What most people miss about anime tattooing is the translation problem. A screenshot from a show is flat and rectangular. A tattoo wraps a three-dimensional body part. Bortolami solves this by redesigning the composition for the limb or torso, preserving the character's energy while making it work as a permanent image on skin.

Placement & Sizing

Bortolami's work scales well because his linework hierarchy holds up at different sizes. Large pieces, full sleeves and back panels, give him room to layer backgrounds, secondary characters, and environmental detail. These are where his illustrative instincts shine. A full anime sleeve might include a central character, a setting rendered in neotraditional shading, and accent elements pulled from the series' visual language. Smaller pieces, forearm gems and calf wraps, still carry visual weight because the bold outlines and saturated color read clearly even at reduced scale. Here's the thing about newschool and anime work: going too small risks losing the detail that makes the style recognizable. Bortolami's sweet spot appears to be medium to large work where the composition can breathe. For first-time clients, a forearm or outer bicep piece in the 4 to 6 inch range is a solid starting point. It gives the artist enough canvas to include signature elements without committing to a full sleeve.

How to Book Davide Bortolami

Bortolami's primary booking channel is Instagram. With nearly 90,000 followers, his DMs likely fill up fast, so keep your message clear and specific. Include the style you want, the subject matter, approximate size, and your preferred placement. Reference images help, especially for anime pieces where a specific character or scene matters. Attach a photo of the body part you want tattooed so he can assess the canvas. Pricing and deposit requirements are not publicly listed, so contact the artist directly to confirm. If you are traveling to Padua for a session, factor in the Veneto region's tattoo scene. Padua sits between Venice and Verona, both of which host reputable studios and artists. Bortolami may also take guest spots at conventions or other studios. Check his Instagram stories and highlights for announcements. For design ideas before your consultation, browse tattoo ideas or try the AI tattoo generator to rough out concepts you can bring to the conversation.