How These Real Tattoo Artists Designed The Fake Ink In Sons Of Anarchy

"Sons of Anarchy" enlisted a real tattoo artist to create the authentic look of the characters' ink. In a behind-the-scenes look, tattoo artist Freddy Corbin broke down the iconic ink and the inspiration he drew from real-life sources. "We did a little research and looked up different outlaw biker gangs and we wanted it to look authentic but at the same time we couldn't copy anyone's logo," Corbin said (via YouTube). The end result is immediately arresting, particularly the attention to detail and commitment to scale. 

In the same video, actor Theo Rossi broke down the importance of the skull's symbolism and its consistent use throughout the series. "This is our symbol exactly. This is our symbol that's on our cut, this is the one you know everywhere. All our symbol is, basically, with the SAMCRO symbol the Sons of Anarchy is based around the skull. T-shirts, clothing, everything has to do with the skull representing the reaper." The reaper is a towering symbolic figure in "Sons of Anarchy" as a constant reminder of the finality of death.

Corbin continued, adding, "But I wanted it to be edgy. I didn't want it to be really clean and fancy. I wanted to have some guts." This critical point gives the tattoo's design a necessary distinguishing factor that highlights the series' originality. Viewers can now stream the entire "Sons of Anarchy" series on Hulu, witnessing the uniquely-created tattoo artwork for themselves.