Black and Grey or Colour? How to Choose the Style for Your Pet Portrait Tattoo

Oct 29

3 min read

Updated: Oct 31

Almost everyone who books a pet portrait asks the same thing before anything else: should it be black and grey, or colour? There is no single right answer. It depends on your pet's coat, on what you love most about them, on your skin tone, and on any tattoos you already have.

This guide walks through how I think about it, so you can arrive with an idea and we can fine-tune it together.

What black and grey does best

Black and grey is the style I would call the classic choice. It handles fur texture beautifully, because soft tonal shifts from light to dark are exactly what fur is made of.

Black and grey realism pet portrait tattoos of dog faces stacked on the forearm, done in Singapore

It suits black dogs, grey and silver cats, and pets whose character lives in their expression and structure rather than their colouring. It is also a quiet choice. A black and grey portrait sits on the skin like a well-printed photograph, and it pairs easily with names, dates or small details if you want them.

Black and grey realism pet portrait tattoo of a sitting poodle on the lower leg, 6cm, by a Singapore pet tattoo artist

When colour earns its place

Colour is worth considering when the colouring is part of who your pet is. A ginger cat, a golden coat, a distinctive eye colour, a white blaze that you would recognise anywhere. In those cases, a black and grey version can feel like a drawing of a similar animal rather than yours.

Colour pet portrait tattoo of a Shiba Inu and a cat with soft wildflowers on a forearm, by Onuby Ink in Singapore

Colour also lets a portrait carry more of your pet's personality, such as the warmth of a ginger coat or the exact green of a cat's eyes.

Full-body colour pet portrait tattoo of a small dog with its favourite toy and food, done in Singapore

Neither style is better than the other. It comes down to which one suits your pet, and your skin, best.

How to decide between the two

If you are stuck, these questions usually settle it.

What do people notice first about your pet?

If the answer is the colouring, such as "that orange fluff" or "those bright eyes", colour is probably worth it. If the answer is the face, the expression or the way they look at you, black and grey will serve you well.

What is your skin tone?

Skin tone matters a lot. Ink sits under the skin, so your skin tone is the background every colour is seen against. The fairer your skin, the better colour shows up. On deeper skin tones, only more saturated or darker colours will stand out clearly, so I choose the palette with that in mind. Send me a photo of the area and I will tell you honestly which style, and which colours, will show up best on you.

Do you have other tattoos?

Look at the tattoos around the spot you have in mind. If they are black and grey, a colour portrait will stand out from them. If the tattoos nearby are in colour, a black and grey portrait will stand out instead. Neither is wrong. It depends on whether you want the portrait to blend in or be the first thing people notice.

Not sure? Tell me about your pet

I do both black and grey and colour, so there is no pressure to know the answer in advance. Send me a few photos and tell me what you love most about your pet, and I will say honestly which one I think will suit them best. Message me on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram (@onubyink) to start. Sessions at my private studio in Singapore are by appointment only.