Snake Bites

Today’s tattoo of the day is this fun piece by the talented Zack Spurlock. Spurlock is best known for his solid color work in American traditional as well as traditional Japanese, as seen in today’s pick. As you can see above, his line work is always beautifully laid out and his color is always wonderfully saturated.

Today’s choice is a cool mixture of black and grey and color. Though dominated by color, it is the black and grey face that really pulls the viewer in. Whereas many tattoo artists will use color to highlight mainly black and grey pieces, Spurlock does the exact opposite. The face’s eyes, horns and mouth feature bold bright colors, but stand out more so due to the toned back nature of the black and grey. Then, the entire piece is rounded out by the coiling, colorful Japanese style snake.

Though this piece is rooted in the traditional Japanese style, the color palette and even the shading techniques feel a bit more on the American traditional side than straight Japanese. As the snake is a common image featured in both styles, Spurlock does a phenomenal job blending the creature to reflect his own inked aesthetic. Regardless, Spurlock’s fun and colorful style shines through making this a no brainer pick for today’s tattoo of the day.

Spurlock has been tattooing since 2001 and continuously furthering his technique. Currently based in Savannah, Georgia, you can take a look at more of his incredible portfolio right here on his artist page.