Engraving / Etching at London's Glitch
Engraving and etching style tattooing borrows from print history — tone built entirely from hatched and cross-hatched line rather than smooth shading.
The result reads like an old plate illustration: graphic, textural and unusually durable because the structure is line, not gradient.
Tone comes from line density. Direction, spacing and weight of hatching decide whether a surface reads as light, shadow or texture.
Line direction describes form. Hatching follows the curve of the object so a flat mark set implies volume.
Subject matter leans allegorical — figures, hands, drapery, architecture, anatomy, animals and objects rendered like antique plates.
Spacing is planned for healing so hatching stays open and readable rather than filling in over time.
Scale is chosen carefully. Hatched detail needs enough room for the individual lines to remain distinct.
It combines well with solid blackwork or ornamental framing, using contrast to separate the etched areas from the rest of the design.
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