realistic skull with traditional wings

I fused the two styles. I focused on the realistic color skull and used traditional elements to accent the tattoo. It was done in one session on a client who i now consider a friend. She told me to do whatever I wanted to with the skull, and this is what she got. I used a lot of muted colors and only a few brighter pigments at key points. She traveled to my shop , Epoch Tattoo in Houston, Texas , from Arkansas I believe. It was a fun piece and I want to do more of these.

By Nate Beavers