We got to visit Julien, also known as Stabby Places Tattoo, at the Blank Collective in London to watch him create a striking sketch-style anime tattoo.
Known for specialising in raw sketch anime, Julien transforms anime designs into tattoos that look like they were drawn directly onto the skin.
Watch the full video to see him bring this demon anime girl to life!
What Is A Sketch Tattoo?
A sketch tattoo is a tattoo style that mimics the look of a freehand sketch, often featuring broken lines, visible brush strokes, and shadow and light effects created with cross-hatching and stippling techniques. It’s a style that lends itself well when creating anime tattoos where emotion, motion, and texture are key.
Techniques For Creating A Sketch-Style Anime Tattoo
Julien uses a range of techniques to create his sketch-style anime tattoo, including:
- A signature hatching technique
- Stipple shading for soft gradients
- Hatching over stipple to add contrast
- Fine detailing that heals clean and lasts
What Supplies Do You Need For An Anime Tattoo?
The tattoo supplies you need to create an anime tattoo will vary depending on what you want the final design to look like. For this design, Julien used:
Tattoo Machines
- FK Irons Flux Max – 4.0 stroke: A perfect all-rounder.
- Critical Torque Wireless Machine – 4.2 stroke: Specifically for stipple shading and linework on difficult placements where a harder hit is needed.
- Dragonhawk Mast Archer 2 – 3.5mm stroke: For soft skin texture stipple shading and facial details using permanent makeup cartridges.
Tattoo Cartridges
- EMALLA Eliot: For solid linework.
- Magic Moon: For constructed linework, stipple shading, and hatching.
- Killer Beauty: For detail work, soft stipple shading, and tighter hatching.
Tattoo Inks
- Dynamic Black: A high intensity black ink.
- Empire Ink Greywash Series: A collection of 4 pre-mixed greywash inks.
Product Highlights
Shop the set-up Julien used to create his incredible sketch-style anime tattoo below: