Black and Grey Realism Tattoo Artists in Los Angeles
KAZENTATTOO is a black and grey realism studio at 7224 Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. Five of its resident artists work in the style, and each one specialises in a different subject - the useful question is not who is best, it is which of them fits what you want tattooed.
Meet Vladimir, a baroque and religious black and grey realism artist in Los Angeles
Vladimir founded KAZENTATTOO and works almost entirely in dark baroque and religious imagery - skulls whose eye sockets open onto angels, saints and classical colonnades, praying hands with a rosary, gothic architecture and hyper-real eyes. He works in deep blacks and heavy contrast, using untouched skin as the only source of light, and prefers large formats carrying one continuous composition.
Specialises in: large-scale black and grey, baroque and religious compositions, multi-session projects
See Vladimir's portfolioMeet Adam, an animal and classical sculpture realism artist in Los Angeles
Adam's portfolio is built on two things: animals and marble. Gorillas, rhinos, tigers, panthers and a full jungle sleeve sit alongside classical sculpture - bearded Greek busts, a marble lion, the arches of the Colosseum. He frames the realistic subject in stylised smoke and cloud ornament, which gives a sleeve a clear silhouette instead of a crowded collage, and keeps his greywash soft and open.
Specialises in: animal realism, sculptural and classical motifs, full sleeves and leg pieces
See Adam's portfolioMeet Sam, a mythological black and grey realism artist in Los Angeles
Sam works in sculptural, mythological black and grey - Heracles wrestling Cerberus, Medusa with living snakes. Anatomy is treated like carved stone, and his signature is solid black negative space: large flat black shapes frame the realism and give each piece a hard silhouette on the skin. He also works with religious motifs and script.
Specialises in: mythology, dark portraiture, forearm and calf pieces with strong contrast
See Sam's portfolioMeet Marko, a photorealistic portrait artist in Los Angeles
Marko is the studio's portrait specialist. His likenesses are cinematic - Norse and religious scenes, female faces layered with graffiti scribbles and paint drips. Skin, eyes and lips carry an unusual amount of detail and the transitions stay extremely smooth, so the portrait reads as a photograph rather than a drawing.
Specialises in: portraits from photographs, memorial pieces, religious portraits, large upper-arm and thigh compositions
See Marko's portfolioMeet Nihat, a dark art and horror realism artist in Los Angeles
Nihat works at the dark end of realism. Voodoo dolls in a clawed hand, a horned creature in a spiked crown, a shrouded figure with bone beads across the face - his sleeves are dense, textured and unapologetically grotesque, with very heavy blacks and a great deal of surface detail. Alongside the horror work he builds narrative portrait pieces with restrained colour.
Specialises in: dark art, horror and creature design, portrait compositions with a story
See Nihat's portfolioStudio: KAZENTATTOO, 7224 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Hours: daily, 12:00-20:00
Phone: (213) 393-7713
Languages: English, Russian, Serbian
Consultation: by text message, by phone, or in person at the studio
Minimum age: 18, with no exceptions
Planning Your Visit
Age
We tattoo and pierce adults only - 18 and over, no exceptions. California law makes tattooing anyone under 18 a misdemeanour (Penal Code 653) and the Safe Body Art Act sets the same limit (Health and Safety Code 119302). The state does allow piercing a minor with a parent or guardian present, and bans nipple and genital piercing on minors outright, but our own rule is simply 18 and over.
Consultation
Free. Text us, call the studio, or come in - the front desk answers the practical questions and the artist takes the design ones.
Booking and deposit
A deposit secures your date and comes off the final price. Some artists take walk-ins for small work; large projects are booked with a specific artist and often months ahead. Guest artists from other states and countries work here through the year.
Sessions
A working day usually runs from noon to around 6pm, sometimes 7pm, with breaks; artists set their own pace and their own day.
Touch-ups
A touch-up after healing is free when the artist judges the piece needs one - they will tell you at the end of the session or when you send healed photos.
Languages
Russian, English and Serbian are spoken in the studio.
Finding us
7224 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles. Street parking on Melrose, plus a paid all-day lot across the road; the studio has no lot of its own. The entrance is on Melrose with no step, and the restroom is wheelchair accessible. Open 12pm to 8pm, seven days.
Payment
Credit and debit cards, cash, Zelle, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Standards
The studio works under the California Safe Body Art Act and Los Angeles County Public Health rules for body art.
Black and Grey Realism Artist Questions
Which artist should I book for a portrait?
Marko for photorealistic likenesses from a photograph, Sam if the portrait is mythological or high-contrast, Nihat if it is a character or horror piece.
Which artist should I book for a religious piece?
Vladimir for baroque and architectural compositions, Marko for religious portraits, Sam for hands, rosary and script.
Do all of them take large multi-session projects?
Yes. Large work is planned as one composition from the start and tattooed in sections with full healing between sessions.
What if I do not know which style I want?
Bring your references to a consultation - by text, by phone or in person - and the studio will match the project to an artist.