From charcoal to ink
Before tattooing, there was drawing. Charcoal taught me what I now apply to skin: shaping volume with light, committing to deep blacks and protecting the highlights.
In 2014 my charcoal drawing Huérfanos de guerra (‘War Orphans’) won first prize at the XV Certamen Nacional de Dibujo ‘Felipe Orlando’ in Benalmádena, southern Spain. I have also drawn charcoal pieces on commission. You can see my drawings and paintings on @sergioduroart.
Twelve years in the trade
For several years I worked on the Costa del Sol, between Málaga and Benalmádena, including at Infinity Tattoo. In 2017 I tattooed at the Málaga Tattoo Convention. Some clients would travel from Seville, Córdoba or Barcelona for a session.
I then worked as a guest artist in Ålesund, Norway, in 2023. I am now based in Mulhouse, in southern Alsace, close to both the Swiss and German borders.
Black & grey realism and fine line
My two specialities are black & grey realism and fine line. In realism, that means portraits, animals (including memorial portraits of pets), nature and landscapes, religious and classical statues, and darker realism when the subject lends itself to it. You can see the range in my portfolio.
Fine line is about fine, precise linework: flowers, faces, memorial pieces, often lifted with delicate shading or dotwork, like this bouquet of peonies on the shoulder. I also tattoo floral designs, mandalas and ornamental work, blackwork and blackout (solid black, which also works for cover-ups), anime and other styles on request, and I occasionally add a touch of colour on a black & grey base. Cover-ups and reworks of older tattoos are part of my work too.
What I don’t do: colour realism, Māori or Polynesian work and neo-traditional, and I never copy another artist’s tattoo. If your idea calls for a style that isn’t mine, I would rather tell you from the start.
