It’s not just an artistic preference; it’s biology. From colour blindness to the realities of aging ink, here is why I exclusively tattoo in black and grey.
If you scroll through my portfolio, you’ll notice a theme: there isn’t a single drop of colour ink. No vibrant reds, no deep greens, just pure black and grey realism.
I get asked often if I can "just add a bit of colour" to a piece. The answer is always a hard no. This isn’t me being difficult, and it isn’t a limitation of my skill set. It is a deliberate choice based on two things: biology and longevity.
Here is why I am strictly a black and grey artist.
Let’s start with the fact you probably didn't expect. I am actually colour blind.
When it comes to certain pigments—specifically reds and greens—I literally cannot see the ink going into the skin. In a trade where precision is everything, that is a risk I am not willing to take. Realism requires absolute control over contrast and depth. If I can't see the tone settling into the dermis, I can't guarantee the quality. And if I can't guarantee it, I won't do it.
Even if I had perfect colour vision, I would still choose black and grey.
I have been in this game long enough to see how tattoos age. Colour tattoos can look incredible when they are fresh—vibrant, punchy, and bright. But fast forward 10 or 15 years. In my opinion, they rarely hold up. The pigments shift, fade at different rates, and lose that crisp definition. I have never seen an aged colour tattoo that I genuinely love.
Black and grey is different. It relies on contrast, shading, and value rather than hue.
I spent 18 years in construction project management. If you want a house built right, you don't hire a handyman to do the electrics, the plumbing, and the bricklaying. You hire specialists.
Tattooing is no different. I don't dabble. I don't do traditional, I don't do watercolour, and I don't do colour realism. I specialise entirely in black and grey realism here in Sheffield. By narrowing my focus, I’ve refined my technique to a level that generalists can't match.
My job is to give you a piece of art that looks as good in 20 years as it does the day you walk out of my studio in Chapeltown. For me, that means black and grey, every single time.
Looking for a realism piece that stands the test of time? Check my portfolio to see what black and grey can really do.