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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.

10 pieces — Dark Realism

  • 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
  • Black-and-grey gothic castle rendered down the centre of the back, flanked by winged gargoyles and ornamental blackwork.
    Gothic castle back pieceBackSan Diego
  • 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
  • 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

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  • Black-and-grey realism eagle head filling the forearm, framed by smooth abstract ribbons of shading.
    Dark realism eagle sleeveForearm sleeveSan Diego

Send the full idea, even if it will take more than one session.

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