Tom Kelly

Black and grey realism and new school tattooing at The Widow’s Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania.

Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — black and grey cherubs on the ribs

Tattoo artist

Realism, and Then
the Opposite

Tom Kelly tattoos black and grey realism — portraits, animals, skulls, landscapes — and new school, which is about as far from realism as tattooing gets. Between the two he covers most of what people bring in that is not straight traditional.

Realism is built, not drawn on. It wants reference you can actually see detail in, a placement with enough room for the values to breathe, and usually more than one sitting. If you have a photograph of somebody or something that matters to you, bring it in daylight and bring the original file rather than a screenshot of a screenshot.

New school is the other gear: heavy outline, exaggerated shape, colour turned all the way up, and a piece that is supposed to make people grin. Tell him what the joke is and let him draw it.

  • Black and grey realism
  • New school
  • Portraits
  • Nature and animals
  • Script
  • Colour
Book With Tom @tomstatt2

Portfolio

Tom’s Work

Recent pieces. Tom posts new work to Instagram as it heals.

Instagram
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey dragon down a leg
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — black and grey cherubs on the ribs
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey angel among clouds
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a date in fine script on a forearm
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a feather, a sunflower and a date in black and grey
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a cat skull in heavy black outline
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a bare tree in red blossom with exposed roots
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey skeleton hand
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey skull in a helmet
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a heart built out of handwritten script
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — script and clouds with a verse reference
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey crocodile with lettering
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey dragon on an arm
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a skull inside a sunflower, in black and grey
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a horned skull with web work
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey dog portrait
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a rose in colour with leaves
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a sunflower and butterflies across a hand
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a wolf with Never Give Up lettering
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a commemorative football piece on an arm
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey Egyptian queen with a scarab
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — flowing script lettering on a forearm
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a name in outlined lettering across a hand
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey geometric piece
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a bumblebee in colour
Tattoo by Tom Kelly at The Widow's Son Tattoo Co. in Gilbertsville, PA — a black and grey skull on a hand

Come see us

Book a Session With Tom

Send your reference across and he will tell you what he can do with it.

610-323-4626
Get a Quote Find the Shop