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Rory Somerville

Portfolio

The work

Black-and-grey realism, gothic form, horror, lettering, and freehand blackwork built around placement and scale. Healed work is labelled where it is shown.

25 pieces

  • Black-and-grey horror forearm sleeve with two stacked clown faces and a cracked-glass background, photographed healed about one year after completion.Healed
    Horror forearm sleeveForearm sleeveSan Diego
  • Full back tattoo of falling figures and snarling creatures in dense black and grey, built across the whole back and shoulders.
    Full back compositionFull backSan Diego
  • Negative-space blackwork spreading from the shoulder across the chest, with heavy black shapes, red shading and torn organic edges.
    Negative-space blackwork shoulder and chestShoulder and chestSan Diego
  • Freehand blackwork running up the side of the neck and out across the shoulder in long tapered strokes, photographed outdoors on a New York street.
    Neck and shoulder blackworkNeck and shoulderNew York City
  • Organic freehand blackwork covering the forearm in sweeping tapered strokes and scattered dots, wrapping with the muscle.
    Organic blackwork forearmForearmSan Diego
  • Black-and-grey gothic castle rendered down the centre of the back, flanked by winged gargoyles and ornamental blackwork.
    Gothic castle back pieceBackSan Diego
  • Large gothic script lettering laid across the stomach in bold tapered black strokes that follow the curve of the torso.
    Gothic lettering stomach pieceStomachNew York City
  • Freehand gothic lettering wrapping the shoulder and upper arm in heavy black strokes with fine hairline flourishes.
    Freehand gothic lettering shoulderShoulder and upper armNew York City
  • Dense gothic lettering and thorn-like blackwork covering the upper back and shoulder, shot in low light.
    Gothic lettering back and shoulderUpper back and shoulderSan Diego

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  • Black-and-grey gothic cathedral spire tattooed down the calf with smoke and ink-wash texture around the architecture.
    Gothic cathedral calfCalfSan Diego
  • Black-and-grey horror half sleeve centred on a hooded, grinning face with deep shadow and high contrast highlights.
    Horror half sleeveForearmSan Diego
  • Black-and-grey realism portrait on the thigh with long hair, an open mouth and dripping lettering beneath it.
    Black-and-grey portrait, thighThighSan Diego
  • Black-and-grey sleeve running from elbow to hand with three stitched, button-eyed characters stacked down the forearm.
    Dark realism sleeve and handForearm sleeve and handSan Diego
  • Side-by-side comparison of the same black-and-grey portrait tattoo, labelled healed on the left and fresh on the right.Healed
    Healed and fresh comparisonCalfSan Diego
  • Heavy freehand blackwork blasted over an existing full sleeve, with solid black masses breaking around the older tattoos underneath.
    Blackwork blastover sleeveFull sleeveSan Diego
  • First session of a gothic blackwork sleeve continuing across the back of the hand and fingers in branching black strokes.
    Gothic blackwork sleeve and handsForearm and handSan Diego
  • Matching gothic blackwork finger sleeves across both hands, with tapered black claws and soft dotted shading over each finger.
    Gothic finger sleevesHands and fingersSan Diego
  • Two views of an organic blackwork quarter sleeve made of segmented shapes and thin whipped lines running onto the hand.
    Organic blackwork forearm and handForearm and handSan Diego
  • Finished full back cover-up in black and grey, with falling figures and creatures composed over previous tattoos.
    Back piece cover-up, finishedFull backSan Diego
  • Negative-space blackwork on the forearm where solid black shapes leave bare skin reading as the design, shot in low light.
    Negative-space blackwork forearmForearmSan Diego
  • Gothic script lettering tattooed across both upper legs in long tapered strokes that follow the shape of each thigh.
    Gothic lettering, both legsThighsSan Diego
  • Gothic blackwork blastover on the forearm, with a solid black field and flowing outlines laid over faded older tattoos.
    Gothic blackwork blastover forearmForearmSan Diego
  • Black-and-grey realism eagle head filling the forearm, framed by smooth abstract ribbons of shading.
    Dark realism eagle sleeveForearm sleeveSan Diego
  • Repeating typewriter-style lettering on the thigh with a single bold red gothic mark slashed across it.
    Limited red over typed letteringThighSan Diego
  • Gothic blackwork and lettering covering the chest and stomach, with a large solid black mass anchoring the centre.
    Blackwork chest and stomachChest and stomachSan Diego

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