And once again, the hero of our article is a representative of realism, a style that remains the most popular trend in the world of tattoo culture to this day. Dario, a tattoo artist from Chile, skillfully plays with a minimal set of pigments, creating works based solely on the interplay of light and shadow.

Dario started his career in 2009. After moving to Sydney, Australia, he spent several years practicing black and gray realism with a team of professional artists to further refine his work.

Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

Like many other tattoo artists, Dario spent years searching for his own style, studying and practicing almost all main directions of tattooing, such as new school, bioorganics, lettering, tribal, etc. He also explored many oriental styles, gaining an understanding of how to work with larger compositions and adapt them to body shapes.


Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

Now, Dario is attempting to blend black and gray realism with geometric dot work and other styles and techniques to develop his original signature style. According to the artist, most of his attention is focused on the harmony of elements in one composition. Instead of adding many elements (which can make the tattoo look more like a collage), Dario aims to concentrate on three main elements in his tattoos, achieving their maximum realism and detail.

In his latest works, Dario strives to saturate them with black as much as possible, taking the main area of the tattoo into a negative space. He tries not to overuse white color, ensuring the image retains its saturation and density for as long as possible.

Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

«I feel that the more love, time and dedication I give to tattooing, the more it rewards me. Being a tattoo artist is incredible. The fact of the opportunity to travel, meet people, new countries and tattoo studios, and the thought that right now my work is scattered across many countries of the world, makes me very happy» - said Dario.

At the very beginning of his career as a tattoo artist, Dario could not have imagined that he would achieve such a result, initially aiming to make a name for himself only within Chile. Now, he travels all over the world, participating in and winning awards at the most prestigious international tattoo conventions.

Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

«My visit to Medellin, Colombia in 2015 was amazing. I was at an international tattoo convention. I have never heard of so many tattoo machines working at the same time. It was stunning, like an energy shot, and something told me that this is exactly where I should be.» - artist said.

Dario has now earned more than 20 international awards, proving his professionalism. Over the years of his career, he has worked in Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Easter Island, Australia, and other countries. However, the importance of creating quality tattoos continues to motivate him to explore the art of tattooing with the same passion he had from day one.


Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

In the work of a tattoo artist, as in other professions related to communication and interaction with people, there are many amazing and sometimes funny cases. Dario shared one of these cases with us.

«Once I was giving a tattoo to a client and we stopped for a break. Suddenly I heard the ringing of a tattoo machine, I did not understand anything, because there were only two of us. As I got closer, I found that my client was “fixing an old tattoo she had on her tummy.” I must add that she had no experience in tattooing, absolutely zero. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It's hard to even imagine something like that, but it's real (laughs)»

Currently, Dario works in Sydney, Australia. Like most of us, he is eagerly awaiting the end of this pandemic when he will be able to travel and attend international conventions again. He also plans to travel to Chile to visit his family. Therefore, black and gray tattoo fans from this country have the opportunity to book a session with Dario in advance to get a stunning tattoo from a true professional.

Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism
Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism

Tattoo artist Dario, tattoo in Sydney, tattoo Australia, black and gray realism