Get your favorite rockstar tattoo by one of these talented artists.
Musicians are often known for their tattoos, but they're not always known for being tattoos.
As it turns out, your favorite musical artists can also be wonderful references for some truly amazing tattoos. Some artists have taken their love for rock stars or rappers and turned them into incredible portraits for diehard fans. Here are eight of our favorite tattoos based on musicians.
Action Bronson
The great Bronsolini is a gorgeous man and he knows it. The model-esque rapper made for an amazing black and gray portrait piece by traveling artist Mistertroshin during Ink Mania Con in Florida. Don't lie, you wish you could have an artful portrait of the Queens legend too, we know.
Prince
Orange County's Rich Pineda is known for his unbelievable ability to do insanely realistic tattoos in colors that flawlessly match the actual subject matter. Although he's also knocked out awesome portraits of other musical legends like Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix, his Prince piece is both iconic and perfectly spot-on. As a rocker himself, Pineda knows plenty about the life of a musician, but it's in his tattoos that he's been able to share his incredible artistic talent with the world.
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein
Proof that a fantastic tattoo of a musician doesn't have to be a photorealistic portrait, this tattoo of the Misfits' famous guitarist puts a doll-like spin on the legendary punk rocker. From the proportions to the shading, everything about this eery take on a real musician fits perfectly. Unfortunately for most of us, you'll have to head all the way out to Germany if you want your own creepy take on your favorite musician by Tommy Lee Wendtner, but that plane flight might just be worth it to get a piece that'll last you a lifetime.
"Dimebag" Darrell
If you would honor your own deceased family member with a memorial portrait, why not do it for your favorite passed-away rock star? This Dimebag Darrell tribute is touching in the most metal way possible, and it captures the emotion and spirit that everyone loved so much about the late guitarist. Bob Tyrrell is a legend in his own right and might just be the best in the business when it comes to black and gray portraits (and other realistic colorless tattoos). Plus, he's going to be able to talk your ear off about everything rock 'n' roll for as long as you're in his chair (if not longer).
Tupac
Speaking of artists who are truly at the top of their game, Roman Abrego is consistently viewed as one of the very best in the world. Abrego may be known more for his biomechanical tattoos (a style which he's helped popularize around the world), but his color realism skills are also at the very peak of the entire industry. While there are countless 2pac portraits out there, few of them can capture everything from the light in his eyes to the moisture of the rapper's lips in the same way that Abrego does on this tattoo.
Ozzy Osbourne
It's impossible to do a list about portraits without including Nikko Hurtado at least once. Hurtado's completely changed the game on the level of detail and precision that goes into each portrait and has inspired many of the best young artists today. This tattoo of the Prince of Darkness himself is no different. From the wrinkles on Ozzy's fingers to the reflection in his glasses and shading on his forehead, it doesn't get better than this.
John Lennon
Imagine all the great John Lennon tattoos out there in the world, but this might be the best one. Capturing the beard-wearing Beatle as part of a music-based sleeve for a client, Hungarian tattoo artist Szalai Tibor Tibi nailed everything about this one.
Rap Legends
Don't know which iconic rapper you want inked on your arm? From Tupac to Biggie to DJ Premier, the Lithuanian tattooer included an incredible amount of detail while spanning a wide variety of imagery all in one piece. Now that's how you show respect to the rap game.
