The history of blackwork tattoos goes back to the inception of body art. The first dye people extracted was black, so the first tattoos were performed exclusively in dark colors.
Then Polynesian tribes began to use tattoos as amulets or as a way to communicate with the gods. They used small patterns and geometric figures, which in turn became one of the styles of blackwork tattoos.
In 1769, navigator James Cook visited Tahiti. On his return home, he revealed to the world such a phenomenon as the tattoo. It quickly became widespread and many styles of tattoos began to appear.
However, black tattoos have not lost their popularity and even gained distinctive features and later became a separate trend which is called blackwork.
At this point, we invite you to move on to a detailed introduction to the blackwork style, learn its distinctive features and types, choose one of the 60+ blackwork tattoo designs, and compare this style to black and gray tattoos.
😎 Let’s get started!
Blackwork Tattoo Must-Known Distinctive Features
The blackwork tattoo style is easy to distinguish from others. Of course, its main feature is the ubiquitous use of black. Even though now popular Japanese subjects use other colors, black is still dominant. Below we will list all the distinctive features of blackwork tattoos.
| Negative space is the space around or inside the tattoo which is not filled with ink. |  |
Most subjects (except Japanese ones) use only black color, which can be complemented by halftones. |
| Simple geometric figures 💠 |  |
The basis of all the subjects of the classic blackwork is the use of simple geometric shapes, which are often filled with black. |
| Different subjects 🌉 |  |
Blackwork has no strict rules in the choice of plot. You can embody any idea you like. |
| Big size ⛰ |  |
Usually, blackwork tattoos are performed in large sizes, and you can often find both sleeves and full body. |
What Does Blackwork Tattoo Mean?
At first glance, it may seem that blackwork is any black tattoo. However, this is not correct. The blackwork style has distinctive features. Also, this style can be called not just a tattoo, but a certain way of creating an image.
A blackwork tattoo is an image that is applied in solid patches of black ink and characterized by the use of . A tattoo artist, when making such a drawing, deliberately darkens certain areas of the skin and leaves some of them untouched. Due to this, the figure acquires outlines and empty spaces become a part of the plot.
Blackwork Tattoo Styles
Blackwork has four main styles, which are often intertwined with each other.
| Ornament/Geometric |  |
The main subjects and elements of this direction are ornaments and geometric figures. Most often such tattoos are made in the form of sleeves on the arms and legs. |
| Dotwork/Graphics |  |
Dotwork is a style of tattooing that forms a picture from dots without using lines, and graphics use lines, strokes, and strokes. Often they are combined to make a unique picture. |
| Japan |  |
This style differs from the others by its subjects related to Japanese folklore and the use of other colors. However, black is still dominant. |
| Classic blackwork |  |
This style differs from others by simply covering the whole body (or most of it) in black. |
Top 8 Blackwork Tattoo Artists
At first glance, it may seem that blackwork tattoos are very easy to apply. However, this is not entirely true. The tattoo artist needs a long and painstaking process to fill an area of skin with a layer of black.
Also worth considering is the fact that blackwork tattoos are often large and can have a lot to do (if they are geometric designs).
So below we list you a list of 8 highly qualified tattoo artists who work in the blackwork style. Each of the tattoo artists is from a different city, so we hope you can find someone nearby.
 Jenpa Konchok Cartier |
Styles Blackwork Location Boston See more examples of work |
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 Brücius Von Xylander |
Styles Blackwork Custom Designs Linework tattoo Location San Francisco See more examples of work |
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 Elle Webb |
Styles Blackwork Neo-traditional Location Oakland See more examples of work |
 Elle Webb  Elle Webb  Elle Webb |
 Kenneth Neubert |
Styles Blackwork Color Animals Location Seattle See more examples of work |
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 Diana DeAugustine |
Styles Blackwork Neo-traditional Location San Diego See more examples of work |
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 Kaitlin Green |
Styles Blackwork Dotwork Black and grey Realism Location Denver See more examples of work |
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 Jordan Cole Wright |
Styles Fineline Blackwork Location San Francisco See more examples of work |
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 Jennifer Rahman |
Styles Fineline Blackwork Location Philadelphia See more examples of work |
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💡 Note:
If you haven’t found a tattoo artist near you, you can check out the
full list of artistswho work in the blackwork style.
Blackwork Tattoo Ideas
We have already become very familiar with the blackwork tattoo style and it’s time to move on to reviewing and selecting ideas. Below we have gathered for you more than 60 blackwork tattoo designs for men and women.
Full Sleeve Designs
One of the most popular blackwork tattoo designs is the full sleeve. It is applied to the arms and legs. Traditional geometric figures, ornaments, or tribal designs are used as ideas.
Such ideas allow you to fully emphasize the distinctive features of the blackwork tattoo and make a stylish, concise, and eye-catching design.
On Arms
On Legs
