Full Process Tattoo Tutorial | Realism Portrait Tattoo Masterclass
Ben Tattoo
7,928 views
Realism Portrait Tattoo Masterclass |Full Process Tattoo Tutorial
Learn how to tattoo realistic portraits with smooth shading, proper gray wash techniques, realistic hair texture, facial features, and professional realism tattoo workflow.
In this complete Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial, I share my full process from stencil application to final details and contrast. You'll see the exact machine settings, gray wash setup, needle selection, and shading techniques I use to create smoother, cleaner, and more realistic portrait tattoos.
✅️ What You’ll Learn In This Video:
• Portrait Stencil Application
• Hair Shading Techniques
• Full-Face Soft Smooth Shading Techniques
• Gray Wash Cup Selection & Value Control
• Machine, Stroke, Voltage & Needle Hang Settings
• Eyebrow Density, Hair Direction & Layering
• Realistic Eye, Eyelid & Eyelash Techniques
• Lip Shading, Texture, Depth & Highlights
• Nose Shading & Facial Structure
• Building Soft Shadows Around the Eyes, Nose, Cheeks & Mouth
• Layering Values to Create Depth & Realistic Skin
• Needle Movement, Hand Speed & Machine Angle
• Creating Smooth Transitions Without Harsh Edges
• Building Darker Values & Controlling Contrast
• Using the Reference Design to Guide Every Value
• Knowing When to Add More Pigment & When to Stop
• Avoiding Overworking & Unnecessary Saturation
• Final Touches to Bring the Entire Portrait Together
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Subscribe for more tattoo tutorials:
@bentattooart
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
☕️🤝 Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee here 👇
☕️ https://buymeacoffee.com/bentattoo
Thank you for being here and supporting what I do! 🙏🤝🫡
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
🛒 Tattoo Equipment & Supplies I Use 👇
🎁 10% Discount Code: Bentattoo
Murostar Tattoo Supply: https://www.murostar.com?yt=ben
Tattoo Supply: https://linktr.ee/Bentattoo
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
👨💻 About Me
I’m Ben, a tattoo artist focused on 3D realism and portrait tattooing, sharing professional techniques and breakdowns to help artists improve their craft.
📩 Business Inquiries:
bentattoo.business@gmail.com
Your support is truly appreciated — thank you 🙏
👉 Got questions? Leave them in the comments — I’m happy to help.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
✅️ More Tattoo Shading Technique Tutorials:
Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Smooth Greywash Masterclass
Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Sm...
Smooth Greywash Shading Tutorial | Realistic Portrait Tattoos
Smooth Greywash Masterclass | Realim Portr...
Realistic Eye Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Smooth Portrait Tattoo Shading Techniques
Realistic Eye Tattoo Tutorial Soft Smooth ...
Soft Realism Tattoo Tutorial | Smooth & Natural Lip Shading Techniques
Soft Realism Tattoo Tutorial | Smooth & Na...
Hair Tattoo Tutorial for Realistic Portrait Tattoo
Hair Tattoo Tutorial | Realistic Portrait ...
Single Pass Perfection: Fine Line Tattoo Mastery & Mistakes | Tattoo Tutorial for Beginners
Single Pass Perfection: How to Master Fine...
Stipple Shading Tattoo Techniques + Full Process Tutorial
Stipple Shading Technique Mastery in One C...
Single Needle Realistic Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Stipple & Dotwork
Stippling Shading Masterclass | Realism Po...
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📲 Follow: Instagram / Facebook & Connect with Me:
https://linktr.ee/Bentattoo
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
#tattootutorial #portraittutorial #realismtattoo #tattootechniques
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📚 Chapters:
00:00 Realistic Portrait Tattoo Introduction
00:20 How to Apply a Portrait Tattoo Stencil
01:36 Grey Wash Mixing Formula for Realism Tattoos
02:32 Machine Settings for Realistic Hair
03:03 Building the Hair Road Map with a 3RL
11:26 Switching to a 5RM for Hair Shading
25:12 Jawline & Neck Soft Shading
26:59 Realistic Lip Shading with a 3RL
31:20 Realistic Eyebrow Tattooing with a 7RM
34:04 Realistic Eye Shading with a 5RS
37:10 Building Darker Lip Values
39:21 Soft Realism Face Shading with a 7RM
42:24 Soft Shading Around the Eye, Nose & Cheek
45:21 Facial Shadowing Around the Mouth & Nose
47:40 Lower Lip & Chin Shading
51:19 Upper Lip Structure & Shading
54:57 Realistic Nose Tip Shading
1:03:06 Final Details & Contrast
1:05:19 Final Realism Tattoo Tips
20 Comments
I share these tattoo tutorials completely FREE with you, and I explain everything in the simplest and easiest way possible, because I truly believe valuable tattoo knowledge should be accessible to everyone. For me, the value of this knowledge is greater than simply putting these tutorials behind a paywall or selling them as courses.
In every tutorial, I share a lot of my experience, practical techniques, and the small and big details I’ve learned throughout my years of tattooing. You’ll learn tips and techniques here that, honestly, are often not explained in this much detail even in many paid tattoo courses.
My goal is to help you improve your skills, understand the tattooing process on a deeper level, and become a more confident and professional tattoo artist without having to spend a lot of money buying multiple courses.
Your progress and success genuinely mean a lot to me, and I hope these tutorials can become a valuable part of your journey as a tattoo artist.
Thank you for being part of this community and for supporting my work. ❤️🙏🤝🫡
This video includes auto-dubbed audio tracks in more than 20 languages, making it easier for tattoo artists around the world to learn, follow along, and improve their skills.
🎧 To watch in your preferred language, open the video settings and select your preferred audio track.
▶️ Watch the full tutorial in your language:
🇺🇸 English | 🇦🇪 Arabic | 🇧🇩 Bangla | 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🇫🇷 French | 🇩🇪 German | 🇮🇱 Hebrew | 🇮🇳 Hindi | 🇮🇩 Indonesian | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇯🇵 Japanese | 🇰🇷 Korean | 🇮🇳 Malayalam | 🇧🇷 Portuguese | 🇮🇳 Punjabi | 🇷🇺 Russian | 🇪🇸 Spanish | 🇮🇳 Tamil | 🇮🇳 Telugu | 🇺🇦 Ukrainian
✅ What You'll Learn in This Video:
• Full-face soft, smooth shading techniques • Greywash cup selection and value control • Machine settings, stroke length, voltage, and needle hang • Eyebrow density, hair direction, and layering techniques • Realistic eye, eyelid, and eyelash tattooing methods • Lip shading, texture, depth, and highlights • Nose shading and facial structure development • Building soft shadows around the eyes, nose, cheeks, and mouth • Layering values to create depth and realistic skin tones • Needle movement, hand speed, and machine angle control • Creating smooth transitions without harsh edges • Building darker values while maintaining contrast control • Using the reference design to guide every stage of the tattoo • Knowing when to add more pigment and when to stop • Avoiding overworking and unnecessary saturation • Final details and finishing touches to bring the portrait together
🎯 Learn Realism Portrait Tattooing in the language you're most comfortable with and follow every step of the process with confidence.
💥 If this video helps you, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave a COMMENT. Your support helps me continue creating free tattoo masterclasses for the tattoo community.
🤝 Thank you for watching and being part of this journey.
00:20 Portrait Stencil Application
01:36 Grey Wash Mixing Formula
02:32 Machine Settings for Realistic Hair
03:03 Building the Hair Road Map with 3RL
04:28 Understanding Hair Structure & Volume
05:24 Avoiding Flat & Overworked Hair
06:06 Creating Depth in Realistic Hair
06:46 Building Realistic Hair Gradually
07:17 Why I Start with a 3RL
08:11 Hair Flow, Hand Movement & Machine Angle
08:59 Trusting Light Values
09:21 Building Darkness Without Pressure
09:52 Evaluating Hair Structure & Flow
10:20 Planning Highlights & Dark Values
11:26 Switching to a 5RM for Hair Shading
12:11 Building Hair Volume with a 5RM
13:18 Using the 5RM for Texture & Hair Strokes
14:45 Creating Natural Hair Variation
15:25 Preserving Light Values & Hair Detail
16:01 Using Negative Space for Realistic Hair
16:48 Hand Movement & Hair Direction
17:29 Creating Natural Hair Stroke Endings
18:33 Avoiding Uniform Hair Patterns
19:08 Controlled Variation vs Randomness
19:25 Balancing Hair with the Portrait
20:22 Pressure Control & Gradual Layering
21:14 Evaluating the Hair from a Distance
22:01 5RM Technique: Beyond Needle Configuration
23:24 Building Hair Masses & Fine Texture
24:01 Final Hair Structure & Preparing for the Next Layer
25:12 Jawline & Neck Soft Shading
26:59 Realistic Lip Shading with 3RL
27:38 Controlled Stippling for Lip Texture
28:40 Soft Transitions & Lip Separation
29:24 Preserving Highlights & Negative Space
30:34 Realistic Lip Texture: Spacing & Value
31:20 Realistic Eyebrow Shading with 7RM
32:32 Eyebrow Structure, Density & Hair Direction
33:49 Common Eyebrow Mistakes & Natural Variation
34:04 Realistic Eye Shading with 5RS
35:11 Building Soft Eye Shadows with Grey Wash
35:52 Upper Eyelid Shadow & Form
36:16 Edge Control for Realistic Eyes
37:10 Developing Darker Lip Values
38:18 Layering Lip Texture & Density
38:47 Creating Hierarchy in Lip Details
39:21 First Soft Shading Layer on the Face
40:01 Pendulum Shading for Smooth Transitions
40:20 Following Facial Anatomy with Shading
41:53 Overlapping Passes for Seamless Blending
42:24 Soft Shading Around the Eye, Nose & Cheek
43:06 Natural Nose-to-Cheek Transitions
43:23 Building Smooth Cheek Volume
44:20 Edge Control in Realism Shading
44:36 Comparing Values with the Reference
45:13 Preparing for Darker Shadows
45:21 Soft Shading Around the Mouth & Nose
45:43 Creating Facial Form with Value
46:25 Shaping the Cheek-to-Mouth Shadow
46:40 Building Gradual Shadow Transitions
47:08 Preserving Light Space Around the Lip
47:40 Lower Lip & Chin Soft Shading
49:57 Realistic Nose Shading with a 5RM
50:20 Building Nose Structure with Light & Shadow
50:48 Shaping the Nose Tip & Volume
51:05 Realistic Nostrils Without Hard Lines
51:22 Soft Pendulum Shading for the Nose
51:54 Building Eye Depth & Contrast with 5RS
52:23 Shading the Brow Bone for Eye Depth
52:41 Developing Natural Eye Corners
53:09 Balancing Eye Contrast & Highlights
53:36 Refining Hair with Darker Values
54:18 Building Hair Shadow Masses with a 5RM
54:29 Creating Depth with Light & Dark Layers
54:40 Controlling Contrast in Realistic Hair
55:07 Final Details & Refinements
55:31 Sharp Accents & Key Portrait Details
55:48 Using Pure Black for Maximum Contrast
56:16 Final Light & Dark Balance
56:28 Final Realism Check
56:49 Cleaning the Tattoo & Revealing the Skin
58:30 Checking the Healed vs Fresh Look
59:45 Applying Aftercare & Final Protection
01:01:12 Taking Final Photos & Lighting Angles
01:03:30 Final Thoughts & Outro
01:05:21 Important for Realism Portrait Tattoos
Your support really means a lot to me. 🙏🤝
Use my discount code "Bentattoo" to save 10% on all products you want on your first order
🛒Murostar Tattoo Supply:📦 https://www.murostar.com?yt=ben
This video includes auto-dubbed audio tracks in more than 20 languages, making it easier for tattoo artists around the world to learn, follow along, and improve their skills.
🎧 To watch in your preferred language, open the video settings and select your preferred audio track.
▶️ Watch the full tutorial in your language:
🇺🇸 English | 🇦🇪 Arabic | 🇧🇩 Bangla | 🇳🇱 Dutch | 🇫🇷 French | 🇩🇪 German | 🇮🇱 Hebrew | 🇮🇳 Hindi | 🇮🇩 Indonesian | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇯🇵 Japanese | 🇰🇷 Korean | 🇮🇳 Malayalam | 🇧🇷 Portuguese | 🇮🇳 Punjabi | 🇷🇺 Russian | 🇪🇸 Spanish | 🇮🇳 Tamil | 🇮🇳 Telugu | 🇺🇦 Ukrainian
✅ What You'll Learn in This Video:
✓ Full-face soft, smooth shading techniques
✓ Greywash cup selection and value control
✓ Machine settings, stroke length, voltage, and needle hang
✓ Eyebrow density, hair direction, and layering techniques
✓ Realistic eye, eyelid, and eyelash tattooing methods
✓ Lip shading, texture, depth, and highlights
✓ Nose shading and facial structure development
✓ Building soft shadows around the eyes, nose, cheeks, and mouth
✓ Layering values to create depth and realistic skin tones
✓ Needle movement, hand speed, and machine angle control
✓ Creating smooth transitions without harsh edges
✓ Building darker values while maintaining contrast control
✓ Using the reference design to guide every stage of the tattoo
✓ Knowing when to add more pigment and when to stop
✓ Avoiding overworking and unnecessary saturation
✓ Final details and finishing touches to bring the portrait together
🎯 Learn Realism Portrait Tattooing in the language you're most comfortable with and follow every step of the process with confidence.
💥 If this video helps you, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and leave a COMMENT. Your support helps me continue creating free tattoo masterclasses for the tattoo community.
🤝 Thank you for watching and being part of this journey.
🫡 DON'T Forget LIKE and SUBSCRIBE 🙏🤝💜
Full Process Tattoo Tutorial | Realism Portrait Tattoo Masterclass
Ben Tattoo
7,928 views
Realism Portrait Tattoo Masterclass |Full Process Tattoo Tutorial
Learn how to tattoo realistic portraits with smooth shading, proper gray wash techniques, realistic hair texture, facial features, and professional realism tattoo workflow.
In this complete Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial, I share my full process from stencil application to final details and contrast. You'll see the exact machine settings, gray wash setup, needle selection, and shading techniques I use to create smoother, cleaner, and more realistic portrait tattoos.
✅️ What You’ll Learn In This Video:
• Portrait Stencil Application
• Hair Shading Techniques
• Full-Face Soft Smooth Shading Techniques
• Gray Wash Cup Selection & Value Control
• Machine, Stroke, Voltage & Needle Hang Settings
• Eyebrow Density, Hair Direction & Layering
• Realistic Eye, Eyelid & Eyelash Techniques
• Lip Shading, Texture, Depth & Highlights
• Nose Shading & Facial Structure
• Building Soft Shadows Around the Eyes, Nose, Cheeks & Mouth
• Layering Values to Create Depth & Realistic Skin
• Needle Movement, Hand Speed & Machine Angle
• Creating Smooth Transitions Without Harsh Edges
• Building Darker Values & Controlling Contrast
• Using the Reference Design to Guide Every Value
• Knowing When to Add More Pigment & When to Stop
• Avoiding Overworking & Unnecessary Saturation
• Final Touches to Bring the Entire Portrait Together
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Subscribe for more tattoo tutorials:
@bentattooart
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
☕️🤝 Want to support the channel? Buy me a coffee here 👇
☕️ https://buymeacoffee.com/bentattoo
Thank you for being here and supporting what I do! 🙏🤝🫡
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
🛒 Tattoo Equipment & Supplies I Use 👇
🎁 10% Discount Code: Bentattoo
Murostar Tattoo Supply: https://www.murostar.com?yt=ben
Tattoo Supply: https://linktr.ee/Bentattoo
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
👨💻 About Me
I’m Ben, a tattoo artist focused on 3D realism and portrait tattooing, sharing professional techniques and breakdowns to help artists improve their craft.
📩 Business Inquiries:
bentattoo.business@gmail.com
Your support is truly appreciated — thank you 🙏
👉 Got questions? Leave them in the comments — I’m happy to help.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
✅️ More Tattoo Shading Technique Tutorials:
Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Smooth Greywash Masterclass
Realism Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Sm...
Smooth Greywash Shading Tutorial | Realistic Portrait Tattoos
Smooth Greywash Masterclass | Realim Portr...
Realistic Eye Tattoo Tutorial | Soft Smooth Portrait Tattoo Shading Techniques
Realistic Eye Tattoo Tutorial Soft Smooth ...
Soft Realism Tattoo Tutorial | Smooth & Natural Lip Shading Techniques
Soft Realism Tattoo Tutorial | Smooth & Na...
Hair Tattoo Tutorial for Realistic Portrait Tattoo
Hair Tattoo Tutorial | Realistic Portrait ...
Single Pass Perfection: Fine Line Tattoo Mastery & Mistakes | Tattoo Tutorial for Beginners
Single Pass Perfection: How to Master Fine...
Stipple Shading Tattoo Techniques + Full Process Tutorial
Stipple Shading Technique Mastery in One C...
Single Needle Realistic Portrait Tattoo Tutorial | Stipple & Dotwork
Stippling Shading Masterclass | Realism Po...
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📲 Follow: Instagram / Facebook & Connect with Me:
https://linktr.ee/Bentattoo
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
#tattootutorial #portraittutorial #realismtattoo #tattootechniques
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
📚 Chapters:
00:00 Realistic Portrait Tattoo Introduction
00:20 How to Apply a Portrait Tattoo Stencil
01:36 Grey Wash Mixing Formula for Realism Tattoos
02:32 Machine Settings for Realistic Hair
03:03 Building the Hair Road Map with a 3RL
11:26 Switching to a 5RM for Hair Shading
25:12 Jawline & Neck Soft Shading
26:59 Realistic Lip Shading with a 3RL
31:20 Realistic Eyebrow Tattooing with a 7RM
34:04 Realistic Eye Shading with a 5RS
37:10 Building Darker Lip Values
39:21 Soft Realism Face Shading with a 7RM
42:24 Soft Shading Around the Eye, Nose & Cheek
45:21 Facial Shadowing Around the Mouth & Nose
47:40 Lower Lip & Chin Shading
51:19 Upper Lip Structure & Shading
54:57 Realistic Nose Tip Shading
1:03:06 Final Details & Contrast
1:05:19 Final Realism Tattoo Tips
☕ Support the channel 👇
buymeacoffee.com/Bentattoo
Every coffee helps me create more free tattoo tutorials. Thanks! 🫡🤝