We had the pleasure of visiting Clarke Dudley at the One22 Tattoo Club in Nuneaton where we watched him create an incredible black and grey surrealism tattoo.
When dealing with complex textures, shading, and depth in realism tattoos, it can feel overwhelming but in this tutorial, Clarke breaks it down into manageable steps.
Watch the full video to see him bring this masterpiece to life!
Techniques For Creating A Surrealism Tattoo
Clarke talked us through his surrealist tattoo techniques including defining edges with lining needles or round shaders depending on how crisp you want the edges. Plus, using:
- Pendulum motions
- Cross hatching
- Packing black
- Blending tones
Go-to Supplies For Black and Grey Tattooing
- Bishop Power Wand: Available in different stroke lengths, including 4.2 mm as the Packer and 3.5 mm as the Shader, which Clarke used in this tutorial. The Shader offers a softer hit that’s perfect for black and grey work as well as creating realistic grey tones. The Packer is ideal for realism tattooing as well as colour packing and creating bold lines.
- Raw Ink: The greywash set that Clarke uses features five cool gray shades with blue undertones, designed for seamless blends and bold contrasts.
- Peak Stellar Cartridges: Super sharp, stable, and precise, these cartridges are available in a range of configurations, ideal for a range of techniques and styles.
Product Highlights
Check out all the tattoo supplies Clarke used to create his black and grey tattoo below: