Smells Like Tattoo Spirit

Today’s tattoo of the day is this amazing portrait by Mikko. Mikko is a highly talented artist based at Precious Tattoo in Tampere, Finland. He is best known for his work in realism and can render pieces equally well in both color and black and grey.

Today’s pick showcases the incredible work Mikko has been able to accomplish since he began tattooing back in 2006. In the piece above we get a glimpse at a portrait of the iconic grunge star, Kurt Cobain. Mikko frequently inks figures from pop culture, like the vocalist of Nirvana, finding fun and creative ways to depict them. Opting to use a less common image of the rock legend, Mikko instantly puts his work ahead of the path by tattooing a more scruffy and unrefined portrait that still perfectly captures Cobain’s countenance. We love the wispy hair and the solemn eyes created in this piece and how well they stand out compared to the contrast of the bright blue background.

As Cobain is one of the most inked faces out there, it’s always nice to see a tattoo artist step out of the box and go after a new way to depict an icon while keeping the tattoo well executed all the while. Apart from choosing such a rad photo, Mikko also executed great shading, light contrasts, and color saturation to really make this piece last a lifetime.

To see more incredible work from Mikko like his image of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” singer, take a look at his artist page right here.