Black is the most common color for tattoo ink. It’s used in almost every form of tattooing, whether it be for bold outlines, black and grey pieces, or just shading. So when it comes to various styles of blackwork tattooing, it should come as no surprise that many artists are finding new ways and methods to vary blackwork tattoos. Take a look at Pierluigi Deliperi, for example. This amazing artist is based at Tattoo Crew Production all the way in Sassari, Italy. Deliperi has been killing it in the blackwork and geometric styles lately with his fun crossovers between black and grey realism, dot work, geometric patterning, and color blocking.

Check out the incredible neck, chest and sternum piece above, which was done on fellow tattooist, Diamante Murru. Deliperi was able to flawlessly blend dot work with patterning and then throw in two major instances of black and grey realism without disturbing the overall flow of the piece. We adore Deliperi’s use of negative space to capture the natural curvature of Murru’s body, thus making the piece feel organic rather than forced on. The same can be said of Deliperi’s subtle use of dot work. From far away, the piece looks like it could be sold black and line work, but up close the dots become more visible, allowing for softer shades and a more feminine aesthetic.

Check out more incredible tattoos in blackwork right here along with some of our all time favorite female chest pieces and sternum tattoos, too!