Paul Klein’s tattoos read like a collection gathered over time. There’s a number tied to an old LANY apartment, a whale connected with childhood, tally marks for John Mayer shows, family lettering, and a few spare words. Most use thin black lines and sit apart rather than forming one continuous sleeve.
In GQ’s Tattoo Tour, Klein points out the number 9, a heart, seven tally marks, the LA finger tattoo, a magnet, a whale, the date tattoo he got with Halsey, and several smaller symbols. The pieces share a scale more than a single theme.
That loose layout keeps each design easy to read. The stories are different, and some details are personal.
Paul Klein’s tattoo style in one look
The flower and “Your Loss” lettering on Klein’s upper arm make one of the clearest pairings in the collection. The flower is an open black outline with rounded petals and a narrow stem. The words sit above it in loose handwriting; neither design relies on dense shading.
GQ describes the flower as part of LANY’s visual language. In the photo, the two pieces remain separate and readable. The image shows what the phrase looks like, but doesn’t establish a personal story behind it.
Paul Klein’s small black-line tattoos
A wider portrait shows small marks across both arms, including the flower, lettering and several compact outlines. The photo isn’t clear enough to identify every shape, but it shows how Klein leaves space between the pieces.
The whale is drawn with a fine outline; the LA tattoo and heart are small, simple marks. Klein told GQ that the whale is his favorite animal and connects to childhood memories of Free Willy and a Michael Jackson song. He described the magnet as a reminder that people had called him magnetic, and as a symbol of drawing good things toward him.
Paul Klein’s 9, whale, and simple black-ink tattoos
In this seated portrait, the gaps between the tattoos are easier to see. Klein told GQ that the number 9 refers to the apartment where LANY lived and wrote some of its early EPs. It’s a small mark with a clear link to the band’s early years.
The seven tally marks record seven John Mayer arena dates. Klein also has a tiny LA tattoo on one finger. He said the original faded after too much sun exposure in Malibu and had to be redone. Finger tattoos get plenty of sunlight, washing and friction, so their placement can mean more upkeep than a larger arm design.
The Buddy tattoo and the personal pieces
Klein told GQ that “BUDDY,” lettered on his forearm, honors an uncle who served as a stand-in grandfather. The word is direct and easy to read, leaving the relationship at the center of the tattoo.
Another piece reads “thx” in Klein’s own cursive. He described it as a gratitude tattoo; the handwriting makes it look like a short note rather than set lettering. If you’re considering a word tattoo, writing it by hand first can give an artist a more personal reference than a stock font.
Klein and Halsey also got matching date tattoos connected to a November 5 show; they got the tattoos on the sixth. The numbers mark a specific shared event.
Paul Klein’s flower and “Your Loss” tattoos
An outdoor portrait offers another view of the layout. The 9 sits near Klein’s wrist, with a small whale-like outline farther up his forearm. The flower and “Your Loss” are visible too, but the photo adds little about their meaning; it mainly shows how the separate designs sit on the arm.
What makes Paul Klein’s collection work
The tattoos don’t need matching subjects to feel related. Their modest scale, open black lines and spacing give them a loose patchwork look. A number, animal, handwritten word and flower can each keep its own character without filling the whole arm.
That space is part of the design. It lets a new piece sit beside the older ones without turning them into one crowded image.
Ideas to borrow without copying
Klein’s tattoos are better used as references for approach than as designs to copy. Start with a detail that belongs to your own life: a place, a family nickname, a stretch of time or an animal tied to a memory. A short word in your handwriting can feel different from the same word in a typeface.
Think about placement after you know what the design needs. A finger is exposed and can fade; the inner wrist moves and catches sun; the upper arm gives an artist more room and is easy to cover. A tattooer can help set the size, but you can decide whether you want a quiet detail or something you’ll see often.
If a celebrity tattoo catches your eye, borrow the quality you like—the spare line, simple shape, handwriting or open space—and build a design around your own reason for getting it.
The simple takeaway
Klein’s collection holds together through its small scale and open linework, while each tattoo keeps a separate story. The space between the pieces is as much a part of the look as the ink itself.