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Rory Somerville

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Rory Somerville / San Diego

Dark work.
Built to last.

Gothic blackwork, dark realism, horror, and large-scale tattooing designed around the body.

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San Diego based / LA + NYC guest spots

Black-and-grey horror forearm sleeve with two stacked clown faces and a cracked-glass background, photographed healed about one year after completion.
Horror forearm sleeveForearm sleeveHealed

Follow the work at @rorystats

Portfolio

Selected work

All work
  • Black-and-grey horror forearm sleeve with two stacked clown faces and a cracked-glass background, photographed healed about one year after completion.
    Horror forearm sleeve/ Healed
  • Negative-space blackwork spreading from the shoulder across the chest, with heavy black shapes, red shading and torn organic edges.
    Negative-space blackwork shoulder and chest
  • Black-and-grey gothic castle rendered down the centre of the back, flanked by winged gargoyles and ornamental blackwork.
    Gothic castle back piece
  • Large gothic script lettering laid across the stomach in bold tapered black strokes that follow the curve of the torso.
    Gothic lettering stomach piece
  • Full back tattoo of falling figures and snarling creatures in dense black and grey, built across the whole back and shoulders.
    Full back composition
  • Freehand blackwork running up the side of the neck and out across the shoulder in long tapered strokes, photographed outdoors on a New York street.
    Neck and shoulder blackwork
  • Organic freehand blackwork covering the forearm in sweeping tapered strokes and scattered dots, wrapping with the muscle.
    Organic blackwork forearm

Every piece here was built for one person and one placement.

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Approach

Built around the body.
Not dropped on top of it.

Rory's work pulls from gothic form, horror imagery, black-and-grey realism, and aggressive freehand movement. Each project is shaped around placement, scale, and the way the piece should move.

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Specialties

What Rory builds

Process

From idea to appointment

  1. 01

    Send the project

    City, placement, size, concept, references, and timing.

  2. 02

    Rory reviews it

    Fit, scope, placement, and session needs are reviewed manually.

  3. 03

    Lock the date

    Rory or the studio follows up with next steps and deposit details.

  4. 04

    Build the piece

    Final composition is developed around the body and project direction.

Submitting a request does not guarantee acceptance, availability, price, or an appointment. Every request is read by hand before anyone follows up.

Full back tattoo of falling figures and snarling creatures in dense black and grey, built across the whole back and shoulders.

Large scale

One piece.
Full commitment.

Sleeves, backs, chests, and multi-session work need room to breathe. Start with the full idea, even if it will be built one session at a time.

Start a large-scale project

The artist

Rory Somerville

Rory is a San Diego-based tattoo artist focused on gothic blackwork, dark realism, horror, gothic lettering, and large-scale custom work. He works from Sanctum Tattoo Co. and regularly opens guest dates in Los Angeles and New York City.

More about RoryGuest dates

Questions

Before you send

  • How do I book with Rory?
    Send a project request through this site. It collects the city, placement, scale, concept, references, and timing Rory needs to review the project. Start a project.
  • What styles is Rory taking on?
    Gothic blackwork, dark realism, horror, gothic lettering, freehand and organic blackwork, and large-scale compositions. If you are not sure where your idea fits, send it anyway and say so in the request.
  • Where is Rory based?
    San Diego, working from Sanctum Tattoo Co.. Studio address and directions are confirmed directly once an appointment is scheduled.
  • Does Rory travel to Los Angeles or New York?
    Yes, Rory opens guest dates in Los Angeles and New York City. No dates are confirmed right now — the travel page shows anything currently booked, and you can send a travel request for a city at any time.
  • Can I request a cover-up or continuation?
    Yes. Cover-ups, reworks, and continuing an existing project are all reviewed by hand, so include clear photos of the current tattoo and any healing history you know about.
  • Can I send reference images?
    Yes. The request form takes up to four images, or you can paste links instead. Uploads are stored privately and are only used to review your project. See the privacy page.
  • How are rates and deposits handled?
    Contact Rory for current details. Rates, minimums, and deposit terms are confirmed directly and are never quoted from the request form.
  • Does submitting guarantee an appointment?
    No. A request is a request. It does not confirm an appointment, a date, a price, or that the project has been accepted.
  • What should I do before the appointment?
    Contact Rory for current details. Preparation and studio policies are confirmed with you once a date is set.
  • Where can I find aftercare guidance?
    General guidance is on the aftercare page. Always follow the instructions Rory and the studio give you for your specific tattoo.

If the idea won't leave you alone, send it.

Start a project@RORYSTATS on Instagram
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