milk.xyz

The following is a feature I wrote for the website milk.xyz, a part of the Milk Group Company.

5 3D Tattoos That Will Blow Your Mind

Gone are the days of the simple cross or butterfly tattoo, the next movement in body art is 3D tattoos. 3D tattoos push the boundaries of what is reality and what is ink. It all starts with the shadows. Once the artist adds in some depth, the tattoo takes on a new life – almost literally! Portraits and animals become more life-like, seeming to emerge from the canvas of skin. Other designs peel away or break through the skin to reveal something deeper, sometimes darker. These 3D images can range from the majestic to the gruesome. 3D tattoos are a real test of the artist’s talent with the needle. Due to the high quality and time-consuming nature of many of these designs, they usually cost quite a lot. However, if you are looking for a true statement piece of ink go for a 3D tattoo – they will blow your mind!

A Flock to Freedom -

The simplicity of this work is what makes it shine. Start with the birds, ordinary birds, but there is a depth to them. The artist has given them shadows. They have a life to them. They have found an opening in the skin and broken through to the other side. They are free.

The Mechanism Within -

Here the artist pulls and tears away the owner’s skin to reveal a bionic mechanism beneath. Gears, levers, and wires replace the sinews of muscle. The detail is unbelievable. From the seamless mesh of skin to ‘metal’ to the definition of the machine bulging beneath the skin, it almost makes you believe the owner is more machine than human. 

Planetary Force -

Unlike the previous examples, this work seems to have a force all its own. A hidden planetary system lurks beneath the owner’s skin pulling blocks of it away to reveal itself. The use of color and depth makes you believe you can almost reach for the stars.

Complex Corset -

This piece has so many elements it’s tough to know where to start…first the metallic structure catches your eye, then you realize it is barely being held together by an unraveling corset that is sprouting elegant flowers at its seams. Dive even further and you can pick out details like skulls and cracks in the metal backbone or the origin of the corset’s string.