Realism
Realism is one of those styles that is always trending. Realism can lend itself to anything and when done well it is incredibly striking. So it’s not surprising that it’s always popular. Recently I have had lots of requests for booking realism which makes it a great time to explore this style more and learn what it’s all about.
To accomplish realism the artist uses lighting and shadows to create an image. This is different from something non-realistic because of linework. Tattooers use lighting and shading to elevate any style but with realism, as is real life, there are very few hard lines. When doing a realistic portrait an artist wouldn’t outline where the cheeks are but use shading to sculpt a cheek utilizing the lighting and shadows of the reference photo or the light source of the piece.
There are sub-categories to realism. Chris really enjoys illustrative realism. This is basically realism with some linework for structure, the linework gives it that illustrative look, while the focus on lighting and shadow still creates that realistic quality. Realism like anything can be in black and grey or colour.
Colour takes a lot more focus and time, you’d be surprised how much colour theory goes into colour realism, your artist is applying knowledge about undertones, and how colours interact to create realistic colour. Check out this portrait of Chris’ late dog Toomie by Bryan. She was a grey Weimaraner but look how many colours went into creating that realistic fur look. He used yellows, blues, purples, and more but the overall look is still grey.
Realism like any style has it’s pros and cons. A con can be how long it takes, realism is usually a greater commitment to time. Whether it’s a longer session or more sessions you can expect a realistic piece to be time consuming. With this can come a higher bill, and I understand why people ask for realism quotes but these pieces are really difficult to quote which I’ll get more into at the end. Though they can be pricey, you’re paying for the artist’s skills, expertise, and to get that really striking realism. That brings us to the pro, they look amazing! Well done realism is so cool to see and even more exciting to wear.
I get asked a lot about quotes for realism and I don’t really have an answer for you. Since realism is more complex than something with linework it’s hard to say how long it may take an artist to sculpt out all those little details that truly make a piece look realistic. This is the case especially for portraits, when an artist is trying to capture a person perfectly and make them look like who you know there’s no way to tell beforehand how long it might take, to make the tattoo look like that person. Since we charge hourly it’s close to impossible to give a near quote on realism, at best you’d get a broad estimate.
So there you have it, a brief overview of realism, what to expect, and how it works. If you’re looking to book realism we do require a consult beforehand so get at me via The Sterling Skull social media or by phone to get set up for a free consult!
