Telwin Thong

Teaches Round Liner Black & Gray Realism - Animal Portrait

About the Seminar

Seminar Curriculum

Part 1: Skin Prep & Client Setup

Telwin covers the importance of stretching the skin, stencil placement, and how to keep your work area clean so ink residue doesn’t obscure your progress as you go.

Part 2: Linework & Sectioning

Learn how using “broken lines” in your tattooing can create a more natural, realistic edge on animal portraits.

Part 3: Needles & Machine Control

Walk through Telwin’s needle lineup (0803RL, 1003RL, 1005M1, 1005RL) and understand when to switch between them and when to make voltage and speed adjustments at different stages of the tattoo

Part 4: Building Fur Texture

Understand how to build realistic fur texture through stippling and directional grain so each section of the tiger reads as individual pieces of fur rather than a flat block of shading.

Part 5: Layering for Depth

Learn how to work with the darkest values first and build toward the highlights. Telwin explains how establishing the depth first maps out the entire piece and makes every lighter layer easier to place accurately.

Part 6: Using Skin Tone to Show Light & Shadow

Learn how to read and preserve contrast across the piece. Telwin shows how to identify where skin tone acts as your lightest value, how to mark those zones before you start shading, and how to keep the balance between shadow and highlight as you work.

Part 7: Fine Detail

Understand how to make individual strands of fur, whiskers, and other fine details stand out using soft, deliberate passes that add subtle depth without overworking the skin.

Part 8: Shading Techniques

Telwin explains how he builds up subtle tones using round liners and multiple layers of stippling, as well as the “heavy hand” and “light hand” movements he uses to create transitions within a tattoo.”

Part 9: Working Bottom to Top

Get a clear explanation on how to work from the bottom to the top of a tattoo to protect the stencil and avoid staining completed sections. Telwin covers managing ink residue on the skin so you can avoid mistakes that muddle the sharpness of a realism tattoo.

Part 10: Finishing Touches

See how Telwin brings the piece together in the final stage by adding fine-line details, adjusting contrast where needed, and making the small refinements that elevate the tattoo.

In this seminar, artist Telwin Thong breaks down his approach to RL black and gray realism by tattooing a lifelike tiger portrait from start to finish.

Inside, you’ll learn how to create realistic fur texture, use layering to create depth and lighting effects, and control contrast across the entire piece – while primarily using Round Liner needles. Telwin walks you through his needle selection, machine settings, and the specific techniques he uses to get smooth transitions and sharp detail on every section of the tattoo.

You’ll leave the seminar with a clear, repeatable process for approaching black and gray animal realism from skin prep all the way through final touches.