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Black and grey realism tattoos

Black ink watered down into every grey there is, until the piece reads like a photo or a charcoal drawing. Faces, skulls, clocks, smoke.

Book this styleAll the work
Black and grey cracked, glowing face beneath a black hole and stars, on the upper arm.
Cosmic face and black hole, by Joey Malia

It is Joey Malia's whole lane and a big part of Tommy Solace's. Joey goes for portraits, clocks, skulls and surreal compositions, usually from a theme with full creative freedom. Tommy moves between realism and illustrative work and designs most pieces with you on the day. Sarah Jane Zow does black and grey too, with a neo-traditional and horror edge.

Planning one

  • Give it room. Faces, fur and texture need size to read, which is why forearms, calves, thighs and upper arms show up so much in the portfolio.
  • Bring sharp references. Clear light and shadow beat blurry screenshots every time.
  • Think in sessions. Tommy books by the hour, half day or full day. Joey books by the session. Big pieces take more than one.
Portfolio

Black & Grey Realism

39 pieces, each credited to whoever tattooed it.

Black and grey angel with a halo kneeling on a staircase of light, on the arm.
Angel on the stairs, by Joey Malia
Black and grey memorial on the shoulder: a cross of baseball bats over home plate reading Dad, sun rays, a sailboat and the words A hero's heart is safe at home.
Baseball memorial for Dad, black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey largemouth bass under rippling water and sunbeams, above a compass, on the forearm.
Bass and compass forearm, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey bull head with long horns on the chest.
Bull head chest piece, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey calf piece of three crosses on a hill under lightning, with the Earth and reaching hands below.
Calvary under lightning, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey sleeve of an old compass, a Viking ship on a dark sea and a tree carved with glowing runes.
Compass, ship and rune tree, by Joey Malia
Black and grey cracked, glowing face beneath a black hole and stars, on the upper arm.
Cosmic face and black hole, by Joey Malia
Black and grey Jesus with a crown of thorns and red drops of blood, on the calf.
Crown of thorns, black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey Ghostface mask from Scream on the forearm.
Ghostface in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey deep-sea creature with glowing teal light and a small fish above it, on the arm.
Glowing deep-sea piece, by Joey Malia
Black and grey Medusa with golden eyes and a crown of snakes, on the shoulder blade.
Medusa with golden eyes, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey Michael Myers face with red highlights above silhouetted trick-or-treaters, on the shoulder.
Michael Myers and the trick-or-treaters, by Sarah Jane Zow
Black and grey Our Lady of Guadalupe with roses at her feet, on the forearm.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey praying Virgin Mary with a red rosary and lilies, on the forearm.
Praying Mary with a red rosary, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey roaring tiger with red eyes above a rose, on the upper arm.
Red-eyed tiger and rose, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey sea god with a scallop shell crown, octopus suckers in his beard and scales on his cheek, on the inner arm.
Sea god portrait in black and grey, by Sarah Jane Zow
Black and grey portrait of a woman with teal eyes and her hand at her lips, wrapped in glowing teal ribbons, on the arm.
Teal-eyed portrait, by Joey Malia
Black and grey crumbling stone chess king against blue smoke, on the chest.
Crumbling chess king, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey anime portrait of Naruto with a red glow behind him, on the shoulder.
Naruto in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey dripping eye on the chest, between color hummingbird and flower work.
Dripping eye on the chest, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey full sleeve on a woman's arm: a woman's portrait, flowers and a masked face running down to the wrist.
Black and grey full sleeve, front, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey realistic eye inside a clock face, with hands reaching up from below, on the forearm.
Eye and clock, by Joey Malia
Black and grey realism leopard above a stepped stone pyramid and a decorative pattern, on the upper arm.
Leopard and stepped pyramid, by Joey Malia
Black and grey lioness walking above her cub, on the forearm.
Lioness and cub in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey realism of a woman in a lace masquerade mask under a rose, on the thigh.
Masquerade portrait, by Joey Malia
Black and grey back piece of Michael Myers' mask with a curling ribbon across the shoulder blade.
Michael Myers back piece in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey realism of a helmeted soldier with a tank behind him, on the forearm.
Soldier and tank, by Joey Malia
Black and grey realism of a woman's face merging with a skull, wrapped in smoke, on the forearm.
Woman and skull in black and grey, by Joey Malia
Black and grey half sleeve of the jackal-headed Egyptian god Anubis surrounded by smoke.
Anubis half sleeve in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Outer side of the same black and grey sleeve, with flowers and a lone figure walking near the wrist.
The same sleeve from the outside, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey realism sleeve with a woman's face, a large eye and reaching hands, on a woman's arm.
Black and grey realism sleeve, by Joey Malia
Black and grey realism farm scene of a tractor pulling a planter while a figure walks the field, shown beside the client's reference photo.
Farm tractor scene from a reference photo, by Joey Malia
Black and grey sleeve with a mandala inside an eye on the shoulder, falling into hexagons and a checkered optical pattern.
Mandala eye and geometric sleeve, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey skull inside an hourglass under a Memento Mori banner, with a rose below, on the shoulder.
Memento mori skull and hourglass, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey roses around an antique pocket watch on the forearm.
Roses and pocket watch, by Joey Malia
Black and grey realistic skull above a hand holding a pocket watch, on the forearm.
Skull and pocket watch, by Joey Malia
Black and grey stacked skulls with octopus tentacles on the top of the foot.
Skulls and tentacles foot piece, by Sarah Jane Zow
Black and grey surreal eye above crashing waves and a rose, on the shoulder and upper arm.
Surreal eye, waves and rose in black and grey, by Tommy Solace
Black and grey realism leg sleeve of the Wrigley Field marquee above a crowded street scene.
Wrigley Field marquee leg sleeve, by Joey Malia
Book it

Who to book

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Questions

Can you tattoo a portrait from my photo?

Yes. Send the clearest photo you've got with your request, and your artist will tell you if there's enough detail to work from.

Black and grey or color?

Both work. Black and grey suits smooth, tonal realism. For color, see the color page.

Other styles

Got an idea that won't leave you alone?

Pick your artist and send it over. Questions first? Email artsolstudios@gmail.com or DM @artandsolstudio.

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