Blackwork tattoos in Porto.

Blackwork works in two values: skin and ink. There is no colour to separate one shape from another, so the composition carries everything. Where the black sits, where the skin is left open, and how the two meet decides whether a piece reads at arm's length or closes into a smudge.

That is a drawing problem before it is a tattooing problem. Lex came to tattooing from painting, and blackwork is where that shows most: contrast, negative space and weight distribution are planned on paper first.

Blackwork rewards size. A demon mask half sleeve, a bull skull across the back, an octopus wrapped around the forearm: these are pieces where the black has room to build depth through texture and line weight rather than shading.

Large work starts from €500 and usually runs across more than one session. Medium single pieces, 5 to 15 cm, start at €250. A firm quote is given on the call, based on the actual drawing rather than a rate card.

No flash, no replication. Every blackwork piece begins as a fresh drawing, refined through conversation until it is right, then mapped to your body and your placement. You approve the design before the session.

Lex works with a deliberately small number of clients at a time. Large blackwork is not a volume business. It needs planning time and a client who is committed to the work.