Portrait tattoos are extremely popular. They are used to commemorate loved ones, both living and departed, or pay homage to celebrities, historical figures, fictional characters, or even pets who have had an impact on your life. A well-executed portrait tattoo can beautifully and permanently capture a person’s essence.
When seeking this type of body art, it is very important to research your artist before you commit to the project. Portrait tattoos can be done in a variety of styles, including color realism, black and grey, micro realism, and even more illustrative or surreal styles. Whatever style you select for the piece, the tattoo must still be accurate and capture the likeness of the person. Any error in the work will be immediately noticeable, especially when the body art is of a loved one or a well-known person such as a celebrity or historical figure.
Portrait tattoos take an immense amount of skill and experience to be successfully designed and executed. I have 20 years of experience in both tattooing and drawing/painting, and portrait tattoos are one of my favorite types of body art to do. I love finding the subtleties and expressions in a person’s image and capturing it through my techniques.
When seeking a portrait tattoo, please be sure to email or bring in quality reference photos to your consultation. A portrait tattoo’s quality and level of detail can only be as good as the reference image. Reference photos should be high-resolution with good lighting and preferably include shadows, as washed-out photographs reduce details. Tonal values are important in photo references for this type of project as well as the way shadow and light contour the face. Photo references serve as a “blueprint” for the artist to successfully execute the piece. The better the reference photo or photos, the more information that the artist will have in designing the work you are getting done. The artist can then take the information from the photo and translate it into the style that you desire for the project.
During your consultation, we can discuss the style of portrait tattoo you would like as well as placement and your photo references. If you have multiple references, I can help discern which is the most tattooable image that will give you the best results. Collaboration and communication between client and artist are critical for the success of any body art project but it is particularly important when the subject of the body art is so personal. With these key steps in place, you will have a beautifully applied piece of body art that will satisfy you for a lifetime.