The Reaper’s Angel

Guardian angels and grim reapers are very common subject matters in tattoo imagery, but every so often, a client comes along who wants to have both an angel and a reaper inked forever together in their skin. This beautiful back piece by Tomas Vaitkunas creates a gorgeous contrast, both visually and thematically, between a skeletal grim reaper reaching for what we can only assume is the viewer’s soul and the onlooking ornate angel. We love the placement of the angel’s wing as it extends over the client’s shoulder blade creating the illusion that the wing could be his as well The clock in the background is another awesome touch as it carries the cool theme of time running out. This large-scale back piece packs a tremendous amount of detail showcasing how much thought and effort Vaitkunas put into the overall layout and composition of this piece. This Lithuanian artist is best known for his black and grey realism, and this back piece is a perfect excerpt from his portfolio to show why. For more incredible full back pieces check out some of our favorites right here. And, if the battle between the forces of good and evil is more your style, check out some of our top picks for tattoos of angels and demons, too!