Wearing Watercolors

Gene Coffey is an incredibly talented tattoo artist and way out-of-the-box thinker. Based in Brooklyn, New York at Tattoo Culture, Coffey’s signature style is one of the most recognizable around. Mixing realism with abstract images and watercolor techniques, Coffey’s tattoos are bright, beautiful, and even somewhat perplexing to look at. Needless to say, they are sure to always make a statement.

Take a look at this phenomenal bird back piece by Coffey above. In an almost trash polka-like style, Coffey creates a vibrant image through the use of minimal colors and detailing. From far away the colors and the wing placement of this raven seem to almost mimic fireworks in the sky. The lack of symmetry in the overall piece beautifully contrasts the symmetrical nature of the bird in the center. It’s a really cool way to make a statement piece but also keep it organic.

Another fun addition is the use of lettering towards the bottom. Many of the birds depicted are stylized to be reminiscent of ink blots and the added lettering helps carry that aesthetic throughout the piece. While the birds are seemingly styled after ink on paper, the colors and wings of the center raven uphold the watercolor effect that has become increasingly popular in the tattoo world. This whole mix of styles really helps bring about Coffey’s signature style and helps him stand out from many of the other tattoo artists hitting the scene today.

For more amazing water color tattoos, check out some of our favorites right here. And if you love ravens, we’ve got some amazing raven tattoos right this way.