Some of the most popular tattoo designs, and the most beautiful and stunning body art out there, are in black and grey ink. While black and grey tattoos don’t rely on color to make the tattoo pop, that doesn’t mean they’re simple or ordinary by any means! This particular style of tattoo is one that dates back to the beginning of tattooing. For a long time, tattoos were primarily done with only black ink rather than colored ink. Black ink is often associated with more bold edges and classic, dark outlines, but this style can be so much more than that!

History of Black and Grey Tattoos

Tattoos with only black ink and grey shading are sometimes referred to as “jailhouse” tattoos because this style is thought to have originated in prison tattooing. Tattooing was simplistic in prison due to the materials available and the time available for sneaking in a tattoo. This meant that black and grey tattoos started out with smooth and clean designs that could be tattooed quickly and resulted in striking, uncomplicated imagery on the skin.

Since the origins of what we know as black and grey tattoos today, which actually date back as far as ancient Egypt, this style of tattooing has only increased in popularity and in the depth of designs available. While tattoos in this style can simply utilize bold, black ink to create vivid and striking designs, subtly and delicacy can come into play when grey is introduced into the tattoo.

Shading Makes for a Smooth and Breathtaking Design

Shading is what makes black and grey tattoos shine and can differentiate a mediocre tattoo artist from an expert tattooist like those we have here at Certified Tattoo Studios. Artists who are experienced in black and grey tattoos use different amounts of black ink to create ever-so-slight variations in the way the ink shows on the skin. When done well, this leaves a soft and faded effect that doesn’t come across as too jarring to the naked eye. Shading with black ink is used to create shadows and fill areas of a tattoo rather than outline the design like darker, solid black ink. The contrast and variation between the many different shades of black and grey that are used in a tattoo are what give an exquisite amount of detail to the art, creating a unique and visually striking design.

Black and grey tattoos take an incredible amount of skill on behalf of the tattoo artist due to the different shading techniques used to bring out all the detail of a tattoo design. Our artists who specialize in black and grey tattoos use shadowing, depth, and contrast to bring tattoos to life with just a little black ink and a lot of talent. Many portrait and realism tattoos are done in black and grey, giving the effect of having a black and white photograph on your skin. Black and grey tattoos are arguably the most in-demand tattoo style overall due to the fact that they look stunning on almost all skin types.

Now that you know all about black and grey tattoos, you can get one of your own! If you’ve been eyeing the black and grey tattoos you’ve seen out and about, or those done by our very own tattoo artists at Certified Tattoo Studios, take this as your sign to schedule a free consultation. We’ll help get you on your way to having your own amazing work of black and grey art on your skin.