CUSTOM BLACK AND GREY REALISM TATTOOS
Pet Portrait Tattoos
Brian Parrillo specializes in custom black and grey pet portrait tattoos that capture the heart and soul of your animal companion. Known across North Carolina for his detailed, lifelike realism, Brian brings years of experience and a personal touch to every piece.
Whether you're commemorating a beloved pet or celebrating the bond you share with one now, you're in good hands.
Click here to explore Brian’s pet portrait tattoo portfolio and learn more.
Portrait Tattoos
Brian Parrillo is a portrait tattoo artist specializing in black and grey realism, known for creating lifelike tattoos that capture expression, lighting, and fine detail. His portrait work includes memorial portraits, celebrity portraits, family portraits, and meaningful commemorative pieces, all carefully designed from reference images.
Portrait tattoos are among the most technically demanding forms of tattooing, requiring precise shading and anatomical accuracy to achieve a convincing likeness.
Click here to explore Brian’s portrait tattoo portfolio and learn more.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Brian Parrillo is a tattoo artist specializing in fine line black and grey realism, known for creating lifelike tattoos that capture expression, lighting, and fine detail. With 11+ years of tattooing experience, his portrait work includes memorial portraits, animals, pet portraits, celebrity portraits, family portraits, and meaningful commemorative pieces, all carefully designed from reference images. Brian’s background in fine art and portrait painting—along with formal art school training—strongly informs his approach to tattooing, and he continues to work as an oil painter specializing in portraiture. This foundation in fine art gives him a deep understanding of anatomy, light, and composition, which translates directly into the precision and realism of his tattoo work. Portrait tattoos are among the most technically demanding forms of tattooing, and Brian focuses on creating pieces that remain clear, readable, and emotionally powerful on the skin for years to come.
Based at Ethereal Tattoo Gallery in Durham, North Carolina, Brian works with clients from across the state and throughout the East Coast who seek out his work for lifelike portrait tattoos—including celebrity portraits, family portraits, memorial portraits, and animal portraits. His portfolio includes a wide range of subjects, from human faces and hands to wildlife, pets, and symbolic animal imagery, all designed to translate realistically to the skin while aging well over time. Collectors regularly travel to Durham from states such as Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, and most recently Vermont to work with Brian on custom portrait and animal tattoos, and Brian has also traveled internationally to tattoo clients in places including Amsterdam, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, among other destinations.
Client Reviews
“Brian did an amazing job memorializing our puppy and made my first tattoo experience easy! After years of trying to decide what to get for my first tattoo, losing our 18 month old puppy made it easy. Brian and Annika were super helpful in designing, preparing and explaining what to expect. Brian is incredibly talented!”
-Brian
★★★★★
“For high quality tattoos, I highly recommend Brian Parrillo of Ethereal Tattoo. His artwork is phenomenal and his attention to detail is stellar. He completed a portrait of my soul dog on my arm that is absolutely stunning. Brian is professional, kind, and incredibly passionate about his work. The shop is very clean, beautiful, and tranquil.”
-Joelle
★★★★★
“Brian is amazing. Pictures don't do it justice.
Update: Thought id share an update since i know a lot of people are concerned about the longevity of micro portrait tattoos. It's been 2 years and my tattoo looks as beautiful and crisp as the day I got it. It's worth every penny 🩵”
-Abby
★★★★★
“***THE ONLY PLACE YOU’LL EVER GO AGAIN***
Brian did my very first tattoo a few days ago! It was an ambitious 6 hour tattoo but it went by so fast!
First, Brian is insanely talented. The tattoo turned out better than I could have even imagined. His realism style is UNMATCHED! His was the first portfolio I saw and thought “he could literally throw my design away and tattoo whatever he wanted and it would still be the coolest thing ever”. (He didn’t throw my design away! Lol). But this was the level of confidence that made me so comfortable getting my first tattoo with him. He was very considerate of my pain tolerance and bounced around the design to keep from focusing on any one spot for too long. We took breaks whenever needed and I felt heard the entire time.
Second, Annika (the manager) was so welcoming and cool. She checked in on me occasionally during the session and made me feel so comfortable. We chatted about her tattoo journey and she showed me some of her new pieces.
Third, as a gay man, I was worried about the “vibe” because tattoo places can have a reputation for being “macho” but it was sooo LGBTQ+ friendly! None of my over-the-top, gay humor fazed anyone. I have already submitted my next tattoo idea and can’t wait to schedule it!
Seriously… if you’re on the fence, just SCHEDULE IT! You’ll never go anywhere else again!
-Caleb
★★★★★
BROWSE PRE-DRAWN TATTOO DESIGNS
Pre-drawn designs are original, one-of-one tattoos created from Brian’s imagination and built around what he does best. Choosing one means you’re getting a piece he’s extra excited to tattoo, at a lower rate than his normal pricing.
These are not repeatable flash. Each design is tattooed only once.
If you know you want a tattoo and want to work with Brian but aren’t sure what you want yet, this is an ideal place to start. You can also use these designs as inspiration. If something stands out, Brian can create a variation based on it.
Brian is always open to custom work, but checking available pre-drawns first is encouraged; you may find exactly what you didn’t know you were looking for!
based in Durham, NC
Brian Parrillo is a tattoo artist specializing in human and animal portrait tattoos and fine line black and grey realism.
Ethereal Tattoo Gallery
Est. 2018 Durham, NC