Book Tattoo
Full blackout coverage and with a pointed scalloped border at

Blackout Tattoo

Heavy blackout coverage terminating in a shaped pointed border at the lower edge. The lower border is the design here. Instead of cutting straight across, I let the black drop into pointed scallops that follow the underlying bone, which gives the piece a graphic terminus rather than a hard line. This is blackwork at its most reductive.

Saturating this much skin evenly is technical work. The surface needs to lay flat and consistent across every curve for the blackout to read as one continuous field, with no patchiness or banding. I often plan a blackout like this as a base for future whitework, or as a counterpoint to a contrasting traditional collection. Blackouts work hardest when they're paired against other styles. The scalloped border in particular gives the eye a clear stopping point so the piece reads as deliberate.

Wellington, @pokestaytattoo or pokestaytattoo@gmail.com.

Book Similar PieceSee All Blackwork

By Rhys Thomas at Whitetail Tattoo, Level 3, 41–47 Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand

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Common Questions About Blackwork in Wellington

Does blackwork hold up better than colour?
Generally yes. Solid black ink stays denser and more legible over decades than colour, which can soften and shift. If you want something that still reads clearly in twenty years, blackwork is the safest long-term bet.
How long does a blackwork piece take?
Small blackwork pieces run one to two hours. A palm-sized graphic piece is usually a single sitting of two to three hours. Larger panels (forearm, calf, back placements) are typically booked across multiple sessions.
Can blackwork cover an old tattoo?
Often yes. Bold blackwork is one of the strongest cover-up languages going, especially over faded line work. Send me a clear photo of the existing piece in your DM and I can plan around it.