Lars Frederiksen’s tattoos are hard to miss. The Rancid guitarist and vocalist has ink across his arms, hands, neck and face. SKUNX, written across his forehead, is the mark people tend to recognize first; the collection fits the punk look he’s worn for years.
The photos show both sleeves from different angles, along with the lettering on his hands and neck and smaller marks on his face. A separate portrait gives you a clear look at Lars, so the featured image isn’t a repeat of one of the tattoo shots.
Lars Frederiksen tattoos at a glance
His tattoos have grown into a dense collection rather than a matched sleeve. Heavy outlines, dark shading, lettering and traditional-style images sit close together across both arms, then continue over his hands and up his neck. There’s also a small mark near his eye, easy to miss beside the larger pieces.
The pieces don’t read like one planned design. They look like tattoos added over time, in the familiar shop style of bold lines, shading and separate images. That gives the sleeves a worn-in feel; they aren’t color-matched or arranged like a polished social media reveal.
The SKUNX forehead tattoo
The large block letters run across his forehead, making SKUNX one of the first details you notice in interviews, portraits and concert photos.
The word is tied to his punk and skinhead roots. In an interview about music and tattoos, Lars said “skunx” made sense for his crew because it brought skins and punks together. The name reflects the mix of people around him at the time.
Getting words tattooed on your face takes a lot of thought. In Lars’s case, SKUNX connects to his music and the culture he came from. Copying the placement alone would leave out that history.
Face and neck tattoos
Smaller marks sit near his eyes and along the side of his face, while larger shapes and lettering cover his neck down toward the collar. The face pieces are less obvious at a distance; the neck ink shows more clearly in close concert photos, especially when he’s not wearing a jacket.
The Nova Rock photos show how much the view can change with the angle. Under his jaw, the tattoo reads as a dark band; along the side of his neck, more of the design is visible. Looking at more than one view helps when sketching a neck piece, since a shape that seems simple from the front can wrap around in a less obvious way.
The full-arm sleeves
Both arms are covered from upper arm to wrist. The photos show bold color, black shading and old-school images packed together. The left sleeve has dense outlines; the right is just as full, but the shapes come into view differently as he turns.
When he plays, the designs move with his forearms as they bend around the guitar. That’s useful to keep in mind when planning a sleeve: it has to work on a moving arm, not only on a flat sheet. Lars’s larger shapes stay legible from a distance, and the smaller details reward a closer look.
Black and grey shading keeps the crowded sleeve readable. Dark areas separate the images, and lighter patches stop the arm from becoming one solid block. There isn’t much bright color, so the contrast matters under concert lights.
Hand tattoos and smaller details
Lettering and small symbols cover his fingers and the backs of his hands. They show whenever he holds a microphone or guitar. Hand tattoos tend to blur and fade sooner than ink on the upper arm, so the bold lines and simple shapes remain legible even in motion.
A closer look turns up more small designs around the arms. Some resemble traditional flash; others look more personal. The sleeve feels collected over time, with the different pieces keeping their own character.
What Lars has said about his ink
In the interview below, Lars says his first tattoo was an “Oi” tattoo, which he got at 11. That’s an early start, and the design already points to the punk scene that runs through the rest of his collection.
In the video, he talks about that first tattoo, tattoos fans have gotten for him and his newer work. He also answers what he would say if one of his sons wanted a tattoo. It’s a chance to hear him explain those choices in his own words.
The older pieces look softer and more worn; newer work has darker edges and stronger contrast. The difference makes it clear this collection took shape over years.
The punk and Oi! thread
Rancid’s mix of punk, street punk, reggae and rockabilly gives some context for the tattoos. The SKUNX lettering, Oi! reference and heavy sleeves share that old-school edge without turning the collection into a matching set.
The photos can give you ideas for placement and style, but copying a whole sleeve would miss what makes his ink personal. Build yours around music, people, places or memories that matter to you. For two other rock looks, compare the darker shapes in Duff McKagan’s tattoos or the bold coverage in Frank Carter’s tattoos.
How to borrow the look without copying it
A punk-inspired sleeve can use thick outlines, limited color and lettering, but choose subjects with a tie to your own life. Keep the larger shapes clear, leave room between pieces and watch what happens to the design when your arm bends.
Face and neck work takes extra thought; both spots are difficult to hide or cover later. A small symbol that means something to you may age better than a large word picked because it looks tough in a photo. Lars’s SKUNX has a history for him; your choice needs its own.
For more lettering and symbols, look at the collections of Andy Biersack’s tattoos, Corey Taylor’s tattoos and Scott Ian’s tattoos. They show different ways lettering and symbols can sit within a larger collection.
Final take on Lars Frederiksen’s tattoos
The SKUNX lettering is the most obvious piece; the sleeves, hands, neck and marks around his eyes make the collection more than one tattoo. Across the photos, it has a worn-in punk look.
If you’re drawn to the style, use the photos to study where the ink sits, how much space separates designs, the line weight and the way a sleeve follows the arm. Then shape your own design around what matters to you. For another approach, see Chad Smith’s tattoos, Maggie Lindemann’s tattoos and Brantley Gilbert’s tattoos.
Watch Lars talk about his tattoos
The interview below gives a little more context: Lars talks about his first tattoo, fan tattoos and newer pieces.