This South Korean Tattoo Artist Turns Pet Portraits Into Cartoon-Like Tattoos

Horrible idea: Getting your significant other’s name tatted on you, especially if you met just a few weeks ago on Tinder.

Great idea: Getting an adorable, cartoon-like image of your pet tattooed on you, even if it’s still puppy love. Hey, they don’t call dogs man’s best friend for no reason. Pets are loyal, loving and ridiculously adorable.

It’s a little silly, though, to get a serious, portrait-like tattoo of your dog or cat, is it not? After all, this is an animal who likes to chase his own tail, or who’s obsessed with yarn, or who enjoys sabotaging Christmas trees. That’s where Jiran, a South Korean tattoo artist, comes into the picture. Jiran has been gaining a lot of popularity on Instagram lately for creating animated tattoo designs that replicate an animal’s likeness and seem to capture pets’ personalities, without focusing too much on details. And so, silly? Maybe. But also amazing.

Just look at this cat tatt featuring a trio of furry, four-legged friends and their unique markings.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJhzIz6gaw7/?taken-by=jiran__

Then, there’s this adorable pup that could actually be a real-life cartoon, with that fluffy hair, button nose and neckerchief.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIsH4MYArs2/?taken-by=jiran__

Rather than focusing on replicating every detail, Jiran is a master at capturing key features. Case-in-point, how about the furrowed, chestnut brows on this cute dog that were replicated in tattoo form?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOExNXQgfkP/?taken-by=jiran__

And Jiran, thankfully, couldn’t let this quirky little underbite go unnoticed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMoTV8XgUa5/?taken-by=jiran__

And how about this dog that’s smiling for a photo, and who gets a cartoon bubble included in the tattoo?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ5YteTA3pb/?taken-by=jiran__

The artist known as Jiran appears to be part of a burgeoning, quasi-underground tattoo scene in South Korea. Tattooing, while not illegal in South Korea, can only be done by a licensed medical doctor, according to the Daily Mail. Health officials in South Korea consider it an invasive procedure.

Love your pet, but not ready for something so permanent? Here’s how you can get a plush, stuffed animal clone of your pet instead.

[h/t: Bored Panda]