9 Blackwork Tattoo Artists You Should Have Already Emailed
In honor of my recent offer for an internship position at the Internet's viral vestibule BuzzFeed, I've decided to write a post in the style of a BuzzFeed list. This post is going to highlight a number incredible tattoo artists that focus exclusively on blackwork. The title of this article stems from the fact that nearly all of these artists book 6+ months in advance, so if you're interested in any of them be prepared to wait.
Disclaimer: I have received tattoo work from some of the artists presented in this list. However, this blog post was not paid for or sponsored by any parties, in any way.
1. SupaKitch (@supakitch_)
I've been obsessed with SupaKitch's art ever since I laid eyes on the clothing he designed in collaboration with KidRobot. It wasn't until years later that I discovered he does tattoos, and that they are just as beautiful as I would have imagined. His style seems to focus heavily on thin, crisp linework and he incorporates feathers and flowers into a lot of his pieces.
2. Houston Patton (@castlebasas)
There isn't a whole lot that needs to be said about Houston Patton, a.k.a. Castlebasas (and previously known as @thievesoftower). He focuses on large-scale pieces, several of which I believe to be the best, most unique tattoos in existence. Although that's just my opinion, it's not an exaggeration. I'd recommend simply browsing his Instagram. It won't disappoint.
3. Dom Wiley (@domwileyart)
Dom Wiley is an artist I recently discovered and immediately had to email. His attention to detail in his pieces along with his use of shadows makes him stand out amongst similar blackwork artists. His animal pieces show off his intricate shading and linework such as in bear fur or jaguar spots. Like many artists on this list, a lot of his pieces are centered around flora/fauna.
4. Lawrence Edwards (@ledwardstattoo)
Lawrence Edwards is an all-around awesome blackworker. He does a lot of pieces that combine flora and fauna and his dotwork-style shading is extremely clean and consistent.
5. @hugotattoer
I unfortunately couldn't find this artist's real name, but his adorable work speaks for itself. Most of his pieces are relatively small but they are some of the cutest tattoos I've seen. Be sure to check him out if you're into cute tattoos starring cats, dogs, fish, or other animals.
6. Kelly Violet (@kellyviolence)
Kelly is the best example of an artist that you should have already emailed months ago if you are interested in getting a piece done. She books months in advance and for good reason. Her work heavily emphasis the "black" in blackwork with thick shading and shadows. She uses both dot and traditional shading techniques and works really well with the gray aspect of "black and gray".
7. Landon Morgan (@tattoosbylandon)
I don't understand how Landon Morgan isn't more popular than he is. He can draw just about anything in a unique and outlandish way and uses a combination of line and dot shading to create some really detailed and memorable pieces. I've had two tattoos done by him and I can say that he is one of the nicest and most genuine dudes I've ever been acquainted with. He also gives great hugs. Reach out to him soon before the masses realize how badass this artist is.
8. Lee Stewart (@_leestewart)
Like Landon, I can't figure out how this artist hasn't blown up yet. I've come across a number of tattoo artists now that aim to capture this paintbrush style of tattooing and Lee Stewart is the best I've found. This style is too cool to not include an artist like Lee in this list.
9. Kris Davidson (@kris_davidson_)
Kris's unique style of blackwork has earned him a spot in this list. Kris does a lot of large pieces with an emphasis on short lines and circles. His leg and arm sleeves often capture a geometric, almost Aztec style and feature a lot of clean linework and dot-shading.
Wrapping Up
This is but a small portion of the many blackwork tattoo artist that I admire. The nine artists listed here were the first that came to mind for this post and the numbers in this list are not a ranking in any way. If you want to see more posts like this on my blog let me know via Twitter @brodan_. Thanks for reading!