Extended Rules

Eligibility: All participating artists must have a registered booth at the International Antwerp Tattoo Convention to enter the competition.
Registration: Artists must register their entries for each category by 16:00 on the day of the respective competition.
Best of day/show: Categorie winners are always in best of day/show and do not need to register. Tattoos that did not enter any categorie can also enter best of day and best of show.
Note:
– best of day can be more then only the categorie winners.
– best of show is NOT ONLY between the best of days!
Judging Criteria: The competition is a token system. Tattoos will be judged on creativity, execution (line work, shading), color, placement, and overall impact.
Entry Limit: Each artist may register up to 1 tattoo per category.
Display: Tattoos must be easily accessible for judging and photography during the competition. Note: A wet tattoo is difficult to judge due to the lights of the stages. Dep you tattoo’s dry just before entering the stage.
Convention Work: All tattoos entered into the competition must be completed entirely at the convention, with the exception of the “Best Healed” category.

Start Time: Saturday 19:00

Best Small Color:
- Tattoo size must not exceed 200 mm x 200 mm (7.8 inches x 7.8 inches).
- Must be predominantly color-based.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Small Black & Grey:
- Tattoo size must not exceed 200 mm x 200 mm (7.8 inches x 7.8 inches).
- Primarily black and grey with up to 15% color.
- Black & Grey is only grey washed, pastels are not counted as grey.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Neotraditional & Traditional:
- Covers neotraditional and traditional styles.
- Must showcase traditional tattoo characteristics or modern adaptations.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Healed:
- Open to any tattoo that is fully healed (at least three months old).
- Artists can submit up to two models.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best of Saturday:
- Selected from the winners of all categories from Sunday and tattoo’s that did not compete any of the competition can enter the best of show.

Start Time: Sunday 18:00

Best Color:
- Judged on the vibrancy, variety, and application of color.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Black & Grey:
- Focused on shading techniques and depth created with black and grey tones. Grey pastels will not be considered as black and grey.
- Primarily black and grey with up to 15% color.
- Black & Grey is only grey washed, pastels are not counted as grey.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Realistic:
- Tattoos replicating subjects realistically, in color and/or black and grey.
- Judged on accuracy and life-like quality and of course composition/placement.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Fineline:
- Tattoos created with fine lines and minimal shading.
- Judged on accuracy, quality and of course composition/placement.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best Ornamental:
- Designs featuring decorative and intricate patterns.
- Judged on accuracy, quality and of course composition/placement.
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards.
Best of Sunday:
- Selected from the winners of all categories from Sunday and tattoo’s that did not compete any of the competition can enter the best of show.
Best of Show:
- Awarded to the best tattoo of the entire convention, selected from the winners of all categories (excluding “Best Healed”) and tattoo’s that did not compete any of the competition can enter the best of show.

Preliminary Round: Each entry will be pre-judged to confirm adherence to category rules. A token system will be used for judging.
Final Judging: A panel of judges will evaluate entries based on predefined criteria. The decision of the judges is final. A token system will be used for judging.
Awards Ceremony: Winners will be announced at the end of each competition day during the awards ceremony.

Consent and Aftercare: Artists must ensure their models consent to participate and are provided with aftercare instructions post-tattoo.
Photography: Tattoos entered in the competition may be photographed and used for promotional purposes by IATC.
Disputes: Any disputes regarding competition rules or results must be addressed to the event organizers immediately. During and after the competition rules cannot be disputed.
Rule Changes: Rules may be modified up until the competition.

Tattoo & piercing