Owen Paulls is a tattoo artist from the south coast of England, now living and working in Washington State, USA. His name has become synonymous with immaculate black and grey realism, where every piece feels like a film still – filled with light and emotion.
Owen’s favorite subjects are characters from cinema and animation, as well as realistic portraits that carry deep emotional meaning. He is best known for his large-scale projects – sleeves, backs, and torso pieces that look not just like scenes, but like entire cinematic stories, capturing complex emotions and the inner drama of his characters.
Hi Owen! Your name is widely recognized in the tattoo community. How do you see yourself today – as a top artist already, or still on the way to new heights?
Owen: Hey! Thanks for asking me to interview! I’m still trying to push my skill set in every tattoo I do and I’m still working towards a couple of technique goals. It takes someone else’s comment on my career for me to take a look back at where I started and be happy with the progress.
"I’m a believer in success only being visible from the outside!"
Could you tell us how and where your journey into tattooing began?
Owen: Like most everyone else, I was always drawing and designing when I was growing up. After spending a few years playing music for a living, I was able to get myself into an apprenticeship in my hometown and start working towards becoming a full-time tattoo artist.
"Tattooing felt like a great club that I wanted to be part of, and the high bar for entry told me that this was going to be the right job for me."
I’d had a couple of studios look over my portfolio and turn me down for an apprenticeship at first, but this only reinforced my desire to do it even more!
Why did you choose black and grey realism in particular? Have you ever tried working in color?
Owen: The end goal for my first decade in tattooing was always to learn and develop a style in both color and black and gray, but when I moved to California, I saw that there wasn’t too much work being done with classic European full saturation. This helped me stand out a little more in the scene by sticking with black and gray and problem-solving the best healing methods and applications for California’s summer temperatures.
You’re well known for tattoos inspired by movies and animation. Do you still create custom portraits of people and animals for your clients?
Owen: I do! I always try to add a little of my and their personality into the design. Sometimes, something as sensitive as a family portrait for a lost loved one or a pet portrait with sentimental value won’t be posted, out of respect. It allows my page to remain light-hearted and fun.
Do you have favorite themes or subjects for tattoos that you feel most drawn to?
Owen: I’m reading about the old masters at the moment, so recently I’ve been drawn to classical references – things like the Bernini statues of Italy or the old masters of classical painting and still lifes. I do love when I get to do any movie or animation references though! I love the whimsy that comes from recreating the emotion of a scene we’ve used.
In your opinion, what makes your work stand out? What do clients value in you the most?
Owen: I’ve been told by a few clients over the past couple of years that they appreciate the fact that most sessions are single pass, single heal sessions. I’m all about trying to stick to time quotes with sleeves and back pieces.
"The more I can lock in with one session, healed first time, the more exciting the project becomes."
That, and large-scale layouts. In this day and age of micro-realism, it’s very important to consider what a small standalone tattoo is going to have surrounding it when the customer adds more to their collection.
Are there tattoos in your portfolio that you are especially proud of? Could you share the story of one or two favorites?
Owen: I hate to pick favorites! Of course they are all special, but ones that I’ve really enjoyed seeing come back fully healed lately have been a Medusa sleeve I’ve been working on, any Disney Parks tattoos that I’ve got to work on, and clients lixke Ben (alien leg sleeve and Terminator ribs) and Henry (collaboration torso, large mask on the thigh, and full back female empress tattoo) who have large pieces from me.
Both have some of my biggest works, and now they want me to add even more! It’s a true honor to be trusted to tattoo people over many years.
.jpg)
Many of your projects are large-scale sleeves and leg pieces. How long does it usually take to complete such works?
Owen: I’ll usually quote people anywhere between 8-15 sessions for a sleeve or a back piece, but it’s one of those “how long is a piece of string” questions. Every arm, leg, back, and torso is different, so I try to gather as much information about the client as I can before quoting the tattoo.
The large-scale work actually came from finding annoying gaps in my single hitter tattoo style when people wanted to add another one above or next to it. Over the years, I found it’s much better to plan ahead – even if the customer has only asked for a single tattoo – and prepare the makings of a sleeve anyway. I’m always building off of something instead of sealing it in nowadays.
You also paint. How does fine art connect with your tattooing – is it mutual influence or a separate outlet for creativity?
Owen: The skills learned from drawing and painting are totally transferable to the tattoo world! A lot of what we deal with as tattoo designers is borrowed from the old masters already – things like having strong silhouettes in a sleeve, having an equal amount of light in the design to counter the shadow sections, using complementary warm and cool tones, and applying shape language to the scene.
If you sit down to truly study these things and anatomy, then practice that skill set outside of tattooing, it only strengthens your bow and allows you to make better decisions.
"This is especially true if you’re using AI references, which can never get nostrils or the corners of the eyes right! You have to know how to fix those things before you tattoo them onto someone!"
You grew up on the south coast of England and later traveled and worked in different countries. What experience from those years do you value the most?
Owen: Sometimes it’s just the mundane little things that you look back on and think about more often than the bigger parts – walking along a river in Switzerland on my way to a gallery or seeing a giant moose on a trail in Colorado on a hike. At the time, I was just doing my tattoo thing and on a day off from a guest spot, but those are the little things that stick with me for the natural beauty of the landscapes I was in.
One of my Florida trips got me very close to being alligator food. The lack of health and safety at those kayak rental places is astounding! Basically a “try not to die” policy with them! But hey, now I know – don’t try to pet the dinosaurs in Florida.
Today you are based in Washington. Why did you choose this place, and how do you feel about the local tattoo scene?
Owen: The scene here is good. It’s not too far off from where I started in Portsmouth. Seattle’s a port town too, so there’s a good amount of American traditional and neo-traditional tattooing. There was a gap in the market for black and gray realistic tattooing, and I was happy to fill it!
There’s great nature up here and Vancouver’s only a stone’s throw away – best of all worlds for nature lovers and tattooers!
You often take part in tattoo conventions – both as an artist and as a judge. Which of these experiences has been the most memorable for you?
Owen: Judging is always fun. I’m always stoked to be asked to be part of it – you get to see the best work of the show up close and reverse-engineer some of it too! It’s awesome!
If I were to narrow down show memories over the years, it would again fall into the little things that count: slowly removing and hiding all the cigarettes out of a friend’s pack one by one each time he got up to judge a tattoo; getting taught to ride a one-wheel (that motorized single-wheel scooter thing with no handlebars) in the middle of a ski resort in Massachusetts; and generally getting to hang out and catch up with everyone.
The convention scenes in the U.S. and abroad are the same faces most years. It’s nice to hear about everyone’s year and get all the tea!
Do you have any upcoming projects, collaborations, or guest spots planned?
Owen: Currently, I’m working on a new collection of paintings which I’m going to display in LA next year.
"Each painting takes between 50–100 hours to complete, and I’m starting to paint larger and larger canvases this year too."
I’ve also just worked with HHG Drums on a Tron snare drum concept – it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time to get to design for them. Hopefully more in the future, so stay tuned! (Amazing snare drums and drum kits – please check them out! HHG DRUMS.
How can clients book with you at the moment — is your waiting list long?
Owen: I’m running around a three-month wait at the moment, but that’s not to say we can’t get started on your design and really get it dialed in before your first session. If you’re thinking of starting a large project or want more info, just drop me a message and we can talk over the process!They can head to: Instagram, Website or Email.
Finally, what do you see as the next step in your career and artistic growth?
Owen: Good question! I’d like to keep pushing my paintings and artwork to try and get a name for myself in the art world. I’ve had a goal of displaying at the LA Art Show one day, and I’m motivated enough to keep training until that reality opens up.
For tattooing, I just want to be the best artist I can be and to offer my customers something different and new. There are so many ways to tattoo, and we are in the golden age of design – so why not keep developing a unique style?! Thanks for having me!
Comments (0)