OUR ARTISTS - EMILY
Emily is our resident fine line black and grey tattoo artist, originally from the South Coast of New South Wales.
She loves working closely with her clients to transform an idea into something personal, considered, and unique. For Emily, a great tattoo is about finding the perfect balance between strong artistic design and the meaning behind it, creating something that feels true to you, while still allowing her own artistic style and creativity to shine through.
Just as important to Emily is the experience of getting tattooed. She wants her clients to feel comfortable, welcomed and completely at ease throughout their appointment. Whether it's your first tattoo or you're adding to a growing collection, she believes the process should be enjoyable and the time spent in the studio should be part of the memory.
Understanding Black and Grey Tattooing
Black and grey tattooing is a style built around black ink, fine linework and different levels of shading to create depth, contrast and detail without the use of colour.
The style has a fascinating history. Its modern roots can be traced back to California in the 1970s and 1980s, including early tattooing in American prisons where artists worked with makeshift tools and limited materials. From there, black and grey became closely connected with Hispanic and Chicano communities in Los Angeles, developing alongside the city's lowrider culture and eventually making its way into professional tattoo studios.
The imagery associated with traditional Chicano and lowrider tattooing was often deeply connected to Mexican and Hispanic culture, identity and life in Los Angeles. Classic designs included portraits of women, religious imagery, money, cars and other symbols that reflected the culture and experiences of the communities where the style developed.
Artists such as Jack Rudy and Freddy Negrete played an important role in bringing these techniques and aesthetics into the wider tattoo world, helping establish black and grey as a recognised style beyond its original cultural setting.
Today, black and grey has evolved considerably and is used across a huge range of tattoo styles and subject matter. It can be delicate and illustrative, bold and graphic, or highly detailed and realistic.
Emily's approach sits on the more delicate and refined side of black and grey. She combines fine line work with subtle shading and carefully considered detail, creating pieces that can feel soft and understated while still having depth and character.
Although the names can sound similar, black and grey tattooing and blackwork have some important differences.
Blackwork traditionally relies on bold areas of solid black, strong shapes and silhouettes to create contrast and impact. Black and grey, on the other hand, uses different tones and levels of shading alongside black ink, allowing for softer transitions, more subtle detail and a greater sense of depth.
Neither style is better than the other, they simply create very different results.
For clients drawn to a softer, more detailed or dimensional look, black and grey can be a beautiful choice. Emily's fine line approach adds another layer of delicacy, allowing her to create tattoos that have detail and visual interest without relying on large areas of solid black.
Black & Grey vs.
Blackwork
The Technique Behind Black and Grey Tattoos
Black and grey tattooing uses black ink, shading, and different levels of dilution to create depth, dimension, and contrast without the use of colour. The technique can range from soft, subtle shading to stronger areas of contrast, depending on the subject and the overall style of the tattoo.
One of the key elements of black and grey tattooing is finding the right balance between light and dark. Fine details can add definition and character, while carefully placed shading helps create depth and give the design a sense of form. Subtle changes in tone can create dimension without relying on heavy areas of black, resulting in a softer and more refined finish.
Contrast is also important. Too little contrast can cause a tattoo to lose definition, while too much can make a design feel heavy or crowded. Thoughtful use of highlights, shadows, and negative space helps keep the tattoo clear and visually balanced.
Scale and placement play an equally important role, particularly when a design contains a lot of detail. A tattoo needs enough space for fine details and tonal transitions to work effectively. Considering the size and shape of the area being tattooed helps ensure the design sits naturally with the body and remains balanced as it ages.
Ultimately, black and grey tattooing is about more than simply working without colour. It’s the careful combination of shading, contrast, detail, and negative space that gives a tattoo its depth and character. When these elements are thoughtfully considered, the result can be a tattoo that feels detailed and expressive while still appearing soft, balanced, and timeless.