1. Blackout tattoos involve tattooing large areas of the body in ~solid~ black ink.
oddtattooer; Oracle Tattoo / Via instagram.com
"It takes a lot of patience and technical skills to pack solid black," Chester Lee, a 29-year-old tattoo artist at Oracle Tattoo in Singapore, told BuzzFeed. The scalloped chest piece above took Lee roughly 20 hours to complete.
2. The look is inspired by neo-tribal tattoos, which evolved from ancient sacred tribal markings, according to Lee.
oddtattooer; Oracle Tattoo / Via instagram.com
Over time, a lot of these tattoos borrow from the past to create new, trendier styles, Lee explained.
3. "People usually get blackout tattoos as cover-ups," Lee said.
Alex Santaloci; Tattoo Bill's / Via instagram.com
Look at that transformation.
4. If you want to cover up some tattoos and not others, you can just add blackout ink around your fave piece.
Terry James / Via instagram.com
Look at those flowers basking in a ray of light.
5. But some people LOVE blackout tats for their striking, graphic ~lewks~.
kylebigwood / Via Instagram: @kylebigwood
BAM.
6. Look at that textural black limb.
maxrathbone_tattooer; Second City Tattoo Club / Via instagram.com
Just WHOA.
7. And this strong ink that gently fades into the elbow and wrist.
Bryce Garnham; Rough Diamond Tattoo / Via instagram.com
Plus the tiny dots that compose the chevron cuff at the bottom.
8. Look at that bold leg.
oddtattooer / Oracle Tattoo / Via instagram.com
So architectural.
9. Or this memorable back.
adyfarrians; Benih Bumi Tattoo / Via instagram.com
That spine really does stand out.
10. What about this inky arm that ends in a bloom?
oddtattooer; Oracle Tattoo / Via instagram.com
So dark and romantic.
11. And then there's this HONEYCOMB BACK.
Neo Tattoos / Via instagram.com
Scintillating.
12. And this striated arm situation.
Roxx; 2 Spirit Tattoo / Via instagram.com
A nipple never did look better.
13. Let's not forget these blackout cuffs.
Sasha Masiuk / Via instagram.com
You don't have to go big to go home.
14. Or just go for it with these dimensional blackout sleeves.
nathanmouldtattoo / Via instagram.com
Damn.
15. Better yet, just commit already and cover your entire body.
Gakkin and Kenji Alucky / Via instagram.com
And become a beautiful mythical creature of your own doing.