Brian Parrillo is a tattoo artist with 11+ years of experience, specializing in black and grey realism, portrait tattoos, and pet portrait tattoos. He holds a fine art degree and continues to work as an oil painter alongside his full-time tattoo schedule. His work has been featured in the Raleigh News & Observer. He tattoos at Ethereal Tattoo Gallery in Durham, NC, and travels internationally to work with clients.

Brian's client roster includes professional athletes and public figures. His work appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2023—tattoos he applied to the hands and wrists of two-time FIFA World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe. He has also tattooed NWSL and USWNT player Merritt Mathias, two-time NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, and Liga MX and Mexico National Team soccer player Diana Ordóñez.

Favorite things to tattoo:

I specialize in photorealistic/surrealistic portraits, especially women’s faces—there’s something timeless and powerful about these images. I got into tattooing because of my fine art background. My style is heavily influenced by classical art and the Old Masters, focusing on strong light and shadow to create depth. The terminator line—where light transitions into shadow on a curve, like a cheekbone—is one of my favorite details to execute. I also love doing close-ups of individual features: eyes, lips, or hands.

Beyond faces, I enjoy tattooing animals, particularly pet portraits. Figural and sculptural work appeals to me too—the human body offers so much shape and movement to play with. Bigger pieces are ideal because they let me focus on the details that make realism shine. At the end of the day, I just love tattooing things that look real, with depth and dimension. It’s what I’ve always been drawn to, both on paper and on skin.

“Tattooing things that people love and miss is really special. It’s hard to express how it makes you feel that people are choosing you to document these things that mean so much to them.”

At the end of 2025, I did a Pet Portrait Tattoo fundraiser with Hope Animal Rescue. Read more of my interview feature with Raleigh News & Observer: Pet tattoos offered at discount rate in Durham charity event aimed at dog shelter

Favorite placements:

The inner forearm is one of my favorite places to tattoo. It’s a smooth, flat canvas, making it perfect for portraits and detailed realism. The natural shape of the arm also frames the piece nicely.

Favorite artist:

Gustav Klimt, specifically his realistic portraits

Some of my other favorite things:

Oil painting, the Philadelphia Eagles, and my cat Eddie