About this series​​

Written June 19th, 2026, by Derek Schultz

Blackwork tattoos are a tradition from the dawn of time, and they are the original source of a lot of my aesthetics.

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I became interested in blackwork (all-black) tattoos while I was studying art at UC Santa Cruz; in particular, when I took a class on Chinese calligraphy which encompassed the beginnings of written language by humans, and its cultural roots in divination magic through the use of animal remains, plant dyes, and other natural materials.

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Many cultures have adopted the use of animal and plant materials into a very specific expression of written language: the inscription of cultural designs onto the human body.

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Because bold shapes and lines age better and hold their form more clearly when inked under the surface of the skin, the medium itself dictates some of the aesthetic principles of blackwork tattooing. Over the course of many years, I started drawing my favorite animals in a blackwork tattoo style. The style evolved as my understanding and sense of taste grew. It morphed into color paintings and back to blackwork tattoos again, several times. Now I continue to work in this aesthetic lineage to express the themes that have become meaningful to me in my questing through my multimedia art projects.

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This particular showcase of tattoo designs fixates on the shapes and proportions that naturally emerge in marine environments: sinuous curves, rounded shapes, streamlined dynamics, pulsing rhythms, ragged eroded edges, and the emotional tenor of hunger and a need for safety within a landscape that is simultaneously cold and harsh and nourishing and enriching.

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Currently these designs are not available for purchase.

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Please respect the fact that I have these tattooed on my own body: do not use them for your own tattoo designs. These images are part of my personal story.

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If you'd like me to design a tattoo image for you, I'd be happy to discuss it. Please contact me directly.