Book Tattoo
Solid black tattoo running from down to the sock with a faint skull showing

Blackout Tattoo

Saturated blackwork fill running the length of the canvas, photographed during the healing period. An older skull and snake piece stays partly visible at the top, the existing tattoo carried forward rather than buried under the new fill. Keeping old work readable inside a blackout is a planning choice I make on purpose, not a happy accident.

Large blackouts are a long-term project. I break each sitting around what the skin can take and rebuild the colour over multiple passes until the field reads as one even black. Trying to power through a piece this large in one go usually leaves blown-out patches that need correcting later. Large blackwork projects in Wellington go through @pokestaytattoo or my Whitetail Tattoo studio.

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.