Blackwork tattoo
A style in depth: the rules that define it, how durable it is and how to plan one.
A blackwork tattoo uses solid black areas as the design itself rather than as an outline around something else. Because it contains no fine line, no gradient and no colour, it is the most durable style in common use and the easiest to plan around large surfaces.
Size guide
Solid shape: 8–20 cm. Back piece: 30–60 cm. Full sleeve blackwork: 20–40 cm wide.
Why is solid black the most durable ink?
Because durability in a tattoo comes from pigment density, and solid black is the densest application available. A fully saturated black area has enough pigment left after spreading to still read as black in ten years, where a 30% grey wash in the same area would have flattened to almost nothing.
How large a solid black area is safe?
Very large, but it needs more sessions rather than longer ones. A solid black back piece is often worked in sections across several appointments, because tattooing a wide saturated area in one long sitting causes more trauma and more healing time than dividing it up.
Frequently asked questions
Blackwork tattoo designs to browse
These motifs commonly appear in this style. Open one for its meaning and size guide.
Preview these placements
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Sample designs
