Black and Grey Tattoos: The Ultimate Guide in 2022 (2024)

Here you'll find the ultimate guide to black and grey tattoos, their origins as well as alternate names and benefits. Black and Grey Tattooing (also known as Black and Gray with an “a” and synonymous with Black and White tattooing) is a practice that has spread through all of the world's cultures as a source of tremendous fascination for aficionados. For the best black and grey tattoo artists, black & grey tattoos are a way of life. Because of the enthusiasm, passion, and dedication of professional tattoo artists, the art of black and gray tattooing is continuing to expand in creativity and excellence. Read along to learn everything you want to know about Black and Grey Tattoos, their benefits, and discover inspiring black and grey tattoo ideas.

Book Your Tattoo

What Are Some Favorite Black and Grey Tattoo Styles?

Black and Grey Realism Tattoos, also called photorealism tattoos, are tattoos with elaborate and meticulous depictions of real people and situations with truth and accuracy to their actual image. The art movement that birthed realism began in France in the 1840s, in response and rejection of the subject matter of the Romantic Art Movement which focused on exotic emotional and dramatic representations. Realism tattoos seek to create an image that is representative of exactly what the human eye sees, without doctoring the image or exaggerating any aspect of the person or subject. When done well, black and grey realism tattoos are the exact representation of the subject, scenery, photograph, drawing or painting from which they are inspired.

Portrait Black and Grey Realism Tattoos are the most popular style of black and grey tattoos, and often depict a portrait of someone significant to the tattooee (children, family members, mythological or movie characters, pop culture icons, etc), or favorite hobbies, objects, and natural scenery (sports, books, cars, motorcycles, nature, flowers, animals, etc). A portrait black and grey realism tattoo is also flexible because it can be blended with surrealistic elements combining the literal and the imaginary.

Traditional black and grey tattoos are known also as Old School Tattoos, and they are defined by heavy outlines and more minimal shading--a blend of boldness and intricacy--that often carry nautical themes (ships, anchors, lighthouses, compasses with flowers, knives, sea creatures, message in a bottle etc). Black and grey traditional tattoo flash is common in many tattoo parlors, to help clients visualize an already existing tattoo design on the walls of the tattoo studio or in binders at the front desk. Sometimes these old school tattoo themes overlap with their close cousin borrowing imagery from American Black and Grey Tattoos (including Eagles, fighting barechested sailers, sirens, traditional pin up girls, etc).

A very similar and often synonymous style to Traditional black and grey tattoos is Western and American black and grey tattoos. What defines these black and grey tattoo styles differently is mostly thematic, as Western black and grey tattoos cover the western genre (cowboys, saloons, trains, the gold rush, pistols, Clint Eastwood, horseback riders, etc), and American black and grey tattoos cover the symbolism of traditional American culture (Native Americans, Eagles, United States Flag), as well as capturing American Zoomorphic black and grey tattoo themes (bears, wolves, owls, snakes, butterflies, panthers, tigers, cats, lions, etc).

Fine line black and grey tattoos are also known as thin line tattoos; and are extremely popular with millennials and Generation Z. Black and Grey fine line tattooing uses single needles (and 3RL needles) to create thinner lines then traditional black and grey tattoos. The goal of fine line tattoos is to create a detailed work of art that is as subtle as it is remarkable. Fine line and thin line tattoos are described as delicate, intricate, precise, and they are hyper-focused on detail, which makes every stroke of the tattoo pen more consequential. Whereas traditional black and grey tattoos pay more attention to shading, fine line tattoos require a very steady hand for fewer bold lines and more attentive line work. One style of fine line tattoos is a single line tattoo (also called a simple line tattoo), where your tattoo artist appears to have composed your black and grey fine line tattoo with one continuous line. Fine line tattoos are thought to be less painful than traditional styles of black and grey tattoos, and they tend to heal faster, though they also fade more aggressively.

Color Tattoo vs Black and Grey Tattoos?

Neo Traditional tattoos, New School tattoos, Watercolor tattoos and Japanese tattoos are all styles that lend well to color tattooing, while black and grey tattoos are better for old School and traditional tattoos, western and American tattoos, and realism and surrealism tattoos, which rely more on soft shading, fine outline details, a full range of black, and many shades of gray. With color tattoos the scale of your tattoo is more important, as a smaller tattoo with multiple colors can become muddy and undefined over time. We'd echo tattoo artist Nick Solomon, who wrote that black and grey tattoos are often better for smaller tattoos because "tighter and more detailed work tends to look better in black and grey." That said, larger pieces with colorwork can be beautiful, but not all tattoo artists are equal. You'll want to do your research to find the best color tattoo artists who incorporate brightness, hue, color integrity, and a simplified color palette, so that your ideal design is never in danger of becoming dirty.

The longevity of great black and grey tattoo work is generally agreed to be superior to the colorwork of a color tattoo because the best black and grey tattoos can last a lifetime, and most go 15 years without any sign of fading. Black and grey tattoos--when done right--are said to age like fine wine because they naturally become a part of your skin over time, while standing out simultaneously. That said, it is not uncommon for tattoos--black and grey or color--to need a touch up over time.

The main downside of color tattoos is their colors tend to fade more quickly over time, especially depending on the placement of your tattoo and whether it is exposed more often to the sun. In these cases, fading can occur 5-6 years after inking, or even more rapidly with watercolors. That said a great color tattoo artist may brighten your initial tattoo with more intensity at first, so that as it fades you'll achieve the natural color you want for the long haul, and with this technique alongside limited sun exposure, many report 10-20+ years of satisfaction with their color tattoos. Note: Some vibrant and pastel colors tend to dim more aggressively like watercolors, green, light blue, pink, and yellow. Nonetheless, both color tattoos and black and grey tattoos can experience priceless longevity when you're working with the best tattooers, who have foresight for the vitality of meticulous inking.

Can You Get A Black and Grey Tattoo Colored?

Bottom Line on Black and Grey Ink