Jonny Hall calls this style “UVealism,” which refers to highlighting black-and-gray realism tattoos that are already striking with the ethereal glow of the UV-reactive ink.
Under normal lighting conditions, UV tattoos are almost invisible, but place them under an ultraviolet black bulb and you can see a completely different angle of the design. This UV reactive ink is a bit more difficult to apply than regular tattoo ink because it is so much thinner, but if applied correctly, the results are astounding.
Jonny Hall started an apprenticeship in Australia at the age of 23 as a tattoo artist. He was particularly attracted to black-and-gray realism, considered the first artist to introduce UV reactive art, a distinctive style of tattooing.
Hall says, ” The job is no different from getting a regular tattoo. However, the UV-reactive nature of the tattoo makes it come to life in light. The healing process is the same with tattoos,” says Hall. Normally, the tattoo will be wrapped for the first 24 hours, after which it will be ventilated, cleaned and moisturized daily. After a week or two, the skin will be completely stable. “
However, it takes quite a bit of experimentation to combine vintage and UV tattoos seamlessly. Despite thousands of tattoo purists, Jonny Hall’s style rating is nothing more than a gimmick. But he still sees it as a way to develop the craft, while remaining true to the original nature of the genre.
