Realism Tattoos

Black and Grey or Colour

If you've ever looked at a tattoo and thought it looked more like a photograph than a drawing, you've probably seen a realism tattoo. Unlike American Traditional Tattoos that rely on bold outlines or bright colours, or artistic interpretations of Fine Line Illustrative Tattoos, Realism focuses is on soft shading, contrast, and fine detail to replicate a subject exactly as it appears in real life.

Black and grey realism uses only black ink and varying shades of grey to create lifelike images. Rather than relying on colour, the focus is on smooth shading, contrast, and fine detail to recreate the way light and shadow naturally fall on a subject.

Colour realism follows the same principles but incorporates a full spectrum of colour to capture the richness and vibrancy of an original image.