Many tattoo artists create drawings and paintings off the skin, and Guga Scharf is an example of how the two worlds intersect. Borrowing imagery from his pencil and ink sketchbook, he translates the surrealist, minimal aesthetic into his tattoos. Erratic lines and squiggles decorate his characters, which are used as both a device for shading and adornment.

Scharf maintains a freelance illustration career and specializes in digital paintings. When he’s not illustrating, he holds a spot at Estúdio Galeria Teix in Curitiba, Brazil.

Images © Guaga Scharf