Nico Bassill Tattoo

07/29/2026

Before they became tattoo imagery, skulls, hourglasses, and crossed bones were carved into memento mori gravestones throughout Britain, Scotland, and early colonial America during the 17th and 18th centuries. Their purpose wasn’t to glorify death, but to remind the living that time is fleeting and every life eventually comes to an end. Memento mori literally translates to “remember you must die,” a philosophy that encourages living deliberately rather than fearfully. Those centuries-old carvings became the inspiration for this piece. If you’re interested in the history behind it, along with the original references I studied, head over to my channel: Tattooing Done Here.

Thanks again Andrew for your trust!

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/21/2026

Stag head addition to an ongoing torso project for my friend Justin. Inspired by the emblem of the Independent Order of Foresters, a fraternal organization founded in 1874, which used the stag to symbolize strength, honor, self-reliance, and stewardship. I love drawing from these old Americana influences and giving them new life through tattooing. Looking forward to wrapping this one up in the coming weeks.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/13/2026

Tattooing has always been a conversation between generations. Every time I look through the work of Samuel O’Reilly (1890s–1900s), Charles Wagner (1900–1950s), Amund Dietzel (1910s–1960s), Percy Waters (1920s–1950s), and Bert Grimm (1920s–1980s), I’m reminded that these designs have endured because they’re timeless. Being able to reinterpret that history through my own work is one of the things I love most about tattooing.

This sleeve for Garrett is my way of carrying that tradition forward. From the rose and hawk to the buffalo, portraiture, and Liberty imagery, each piece draws from the visual language that helped define Western tattooing over a century ago while embracing modern composition and black-and-gray techniques. It’s a privilege to build on that foundation and contribute, in my own way, to a tradition that’s still evolving without ever losing sight of where it began.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/09/2026

Five consecutive days on Louise.

This sleeve was built around the old American tattoo vocabulary: the kind of imagery that runs from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, through dime museums, military tattooing, Bowery street shops, carnival flash, and the early electric tattoo era.

There’s a lot of classic Americana language in here: the eagle, shield, stars, Lady Columbia, revolvers, horseshoe, hammer, tiger, wolf, compass star, laurels, and flowers. Symbols of protection, luck, strength, labor, freedom, survival, and direction. All pieces of a visual tradition that shows up again and again in American tattooing.

I was thinking about the lineage of artists like Samuel O’Reilly, Charlie Wagner, Lew Alberts, Percy Waters, Cap Coleman, Bert Grimm, and the generations of flash painters who helped build this language before it ever became “vintage.” This isn’t a direct copy of any one sheet or one artist, but it’s very much in conversation with that world.

The goal was to make the sleeve feel collected, lived in, and timeless. Not overly polished, not overly modern. Just strong black and grey tattooing, classic imagery, and enough space between the pieces for everything to breathe.

Thank you Louise for sitting like a rock for five straight days and trusting the whole process.
Classic Americana, built one piece at a time.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

The Bhagavad Gita speaks of freedom from bo***ge through wisdom, discipline, and selfless action. This tiger breaking from its chains felt like the perfect representation for that idea: strength no longer restrained. Ones true inner strength unleashed. Thanks again for the trust Reg. Always a pleasure!

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/07/2026

Very loosely inspired by the classic butterfly lady-head designs from old American tattoo flash. It’s one of those timeless motifs that has been reworked by so many great tattooers over the years, from Ben Corday to Bert Grimm, Owen Jensen, and plenty of others.

For Renny’s piece, I didn’t want to do a straight reproduction. I wanted to take that old language and push it into something more personal for his ongoing front project. The butterfly shape is still there, but I changed it into more of a framed portrait, added the swallows, ornamental details, and leaves to make it feel like its own complete chest piece.

Really excited to keep building on this one. Big thanks to Renny for the trust.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

07/06/2026

Some recent swallows for Weston, thanks again man!

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

06/25/2026

Tall ship, classically composed for my man SD Dan. Directly inspired by the early greats’ placement and framing, seen in the examples of Zeis and Ed Smith flash. Fourth slide is the ship lithograph reference I used, and the rest are examples of Wagner & Alberts, Sailor George Fosdick, and other unknown tattooists, circa 1890s–1940s.

A prime example of how timeless design and composition will always remain relevant.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico

06/25/2026

Good ol’ desert devil for Dan, next to a ship I’ll be posting up here separately.

Ancient as time,
Modern as tomorrow

MADE IN LOS ANGELES
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒
Sombra Grays

-books always open-

Best Wishes
♥ Nico