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Tony Mabee's
Tattoo Portfolio
At Mabee Ink, every tattoo is built as a story first and a design second—bold sleeves, meaningful large-scale pieces, and one-of-a-kind concepts crafted with over two decades of professional experience. From faith-inspired imagery and narrative back pieces to finely detailed custom work, Tony partners with each client to translate their life, beliefs, and milestones into rich, lasting artwork that feels personal and looks powerful from day one through a lifetime.
Wolf and Watcher
The client chose the armored figure and wolf to represent their protective side and the instincts that guide them. Detailed black and gray shading ties the character, animal, and moonlit forest into one framed scene on the thigh. I posed them shoulder to shoulder so it feels like a pact—logic and instinct standing guard together.
Winged Wildflower
The client connected with this wildflower and butterfly as a reminder that small changes can completely shift a life. Solid color packing in the petals and wings sits on top of soft black leaves so everything stays readable and bright. I posed the butterfly at rest instead of in flight, capturing that quiet moment right before it chooses a new direction.
Wildflower Side Vine
This flowing floral marks a period of growth, femininity, and reclaiming. Delicate lines and soft shading trail down the side, using negative space to keep the piece airy and wearable. I let the vine follow their natural curves so it feels like the flowers are growing with them, not just on them.
Watching Hamsa
This Hamsa was chosen as a protective symbol for a client who feels like they’re always looking out for others. Fine lines, dotwork, and balanced black fill make the eye and ornamental patterns crisp on the forearm. I centered the gaze and let the decoration drip downward so it feels like protection pouring over their hand.
Warrior’s Heart
A tiger’s face looms in the background while a geared‑up warrior stands in front, grounded by soft flowers at the bottom. It reads as raw protection and power—beauty, danger, and courage in one piece.
Wandering Octopus
The client wanted an octopus to represent adaptability and always finding a way through tight spots. Fine-line tentacles and stippled shading give the creature texture without overloading the skin. I posed it mid‑curl, like it’s deciding which direction to flow next, mirroring how their life keeps shifting.
Veiled Prayer
The client wanted this veiled figure as a reminder of quiet, personal faith that doesn’t always show on the surface. Soft, smoky shading and delicate linework create folds of fabric and rosary beads that sit naturally on the thigh. I framed the face in shadow so the focus is on posture and gesture, not identity, keeping the moment intimate.
Valkyrie Vision
The client connected with a convention poster design by tattoo artist Nekrixxx and wanted this piece as a tribute to that influence. Detailed helmet work, wings, and soft skin tones are balanced so the face stays the focal point on the upper arm. I approached it like translating a printed poster into skin, keeping the bold read of the original while pushing color and contrast to fit their body flow.
Tiger Fire
The client wanted this stylized tiger as a symbol of learning to move through chaos instead of running from it. Crisp linework, cloud scrolls, and a bold blue ribbon of energy wrap cleanly around the forearm. I posed the tiger mid‑turn so it feels like it’s dancing with the storm, not trapped inside it.
Throned Seraph
This piece is a dedication to the client’s wife, who passed and once wore the original version of this design. Crisp linework and layered black and gray keep the complex wings and anatomy clear while the geometry frames the figure on the forearm. I built it like a throne for a guardian, so it feels like her protector stepped off her skin and onto his to keep watch.
The Hex Code
The client wanted an abstract piece to symbolize how messy events in their life still fit into a larger pattern. Solid blacks, vivid reds, and precise hexagon outlines pop against the skin, with splatter work tying old tattoos into the new design. I treated the shapes like glitching code, breaking and reconnecting them to show chaos that still holds structure.
Sunflowers and Blue Butterflies
This forearm garden remembers a loved one who “sent signs” through sunflowers and butterflies. Textured black and gray flowers are contrasted with bold blue butterflies for instant readability and depth. I let the butterflies break the edges of the floral cluster so it feels like the memory is still in motion.
Sunflower and Roses Hip Piece
The client chose sunflowers for resilience and roses for love, building a garden for the people who keep them going. Dense black and gray with subtle texture gives each petal depth while keeping the overall read clean from across the room. I arranged the flowers like a bouquet caught in motion, letting the hip become the vase that holds it all together.
Storm and Sailor
This ship and figure were built around a love of the sea and a life spent navigating storms instead of avoiding them. Tight linework and rich shading stack waves, clouds, and fabric into one cohesive scene on the upper arm. I pushed the wind and hair to feel almost supernatural, turning the piece into a myth about enduring the elements.
Star Wars Scene
This piece transforms an old skull from the client’s youth into a Star Wars: The Last Jedi scene with a decayed Vader mask, marking how their fandom grew up with them. Strong blacks, neon reds and blues, and layered texture push the mask and environment forward while hiding the old work underneath. I treated it like a cinematic still from Rapture‑meets‑Star‑Wars, using color to show the tension between darkness and redemption.
Star Maps and Sigils
The client wanted their beliefs about energy, astrology, and sacred geometry mapped out like a cosmic blueprint. Fine lines, layered colors, and careful saturation keep the complex symbols readable across the entire sleeve. I built the composition like an unfolding star chart, with the central forms acting as a personal axis for their story.
Stained Glass Hip Mandala
The client wanted a stained glass rose-window to celebrate spiritual awakening and new color in their life. Crisp linework and layered watercolor tones create a glassy, luminous effect that hugs the hip and thigh. I designed it like a cathedral window cracked open, letting their personal light spill through the pattern.
Sierra Poppy Sunrise
This shoulder is a love letter to the mountains and wild places that helped the client reset their life. Saturated color transitions from sky to granite to forest to poppies, with smooth blends that follow the curve of the arm. I composed it like a cinematic wide shot, so every angle shows a different part of the place they call home.
Seraphic Guardian
The client wanted a multi‑winged angel to symbolize protection during spiritual warfare. Layered wings, smoke, and armor are built with smooth gradients that keep the chaos readable and cohesive. I framed the figure so it feels like it’s descending through clouds, a snapshot of impact rather than a static icon.
Saint of the Sword
The client sees this archangel figure as a symbol of standing firm when everything else is falling apart. Tight black and gray detailing with strong light sources make the wings, muscles, and sword read clearly on the leg. I pushed the rays and motion so the scene feels like a frozen clash, capturing the exact moment of victory.
Rose Garden Shoulder
These roses honor loved ones and the idea that beauty can grow out of hardship. Bold outlines with saturated reds and cool greens create a painterly, high‑contrast shoulder cap. I stacked the blooms to feel like they’re climbing upward, turning the arm into a living trellis.
Red Sun Raven
The client wanted a raven as a symbol of their voice finally cutting through the noise after years of staying quiet. Bold linework with heavy black and a solid red circle makes the design hit hard from across the room. I pushed the pose and the contrast so the bird reads like it’s mid‑cry, claiming space instead of perching.
Quiet Flamingo
The flamingo portrait honors the client’s connection to this bird as a symbol of grace and standing out without trying. Smooth black and gray texture builds the feathers, with rich contrast that keeps the pose clear even from far away. I tucked the head into the body so it feels introspective and calm, like a quiet moment of self‑reflection.
Memory Lane in Chrome
The client wanted a collage of the cars that shaped their life, from first beater to dream build. Clean linework and soft black and gray give each “photo” its own focus while overlapping them in a believable stack along the forearm. I arranged the frames like scattered snapshots, so the sleeve feels like flipping through their favorite memories.
Mandala Side Head Piece
The client wanted a sacred-geometry halo to mark a season of mental clarity and self‑ownership. Fine-line black and gray dotwork builds the mandala with clean edges that sit smoothly along the curve of the skull. I treated it like an inner compass on the outside, radiating out from the ear as if their thoughts are expanding.
Lion and the Sword
This tattoo marks a season where the client chose to fight for their values instead of staying passive. Bold black linework and controlled shading carve the lion and sword cleanly while the radiating halo keeps everything centered. I stacked the elements vertically so the lion reads as the heart and the sword as the action that follows.
Koi Ascension Sleeve
This koi represents pushing through struggle toward success, tying into the legend of the fish becoming a dragon. Bold lines and layered black and gray scales wrap the arm with smooth flow and strong readability at a distance. I staged the koi mid‑climb so the sleeve always feels like it’s moving upward, never sinking.
Haloed Portrait
This chest portrait keeps a loved one close, framed by the glow they brought into the client’s life. Smooth blends and carefully placed midtones preserve the likeness while the teal halo softens the edges into surrounding work. I used the color aura to hint at memory and spirit, so it feels like more than just a straightforward portrait.
Garden Window
This tattoo is a small portal back to the client’s happy place: fields of sunflowers under open sky, framed by roses that remind them of family. Bright color inside the circular scene contrasts with softer pinks and greens around it to keep the focal point strong. I treated it like a vignette on the skin, a tiny round window they can look through on hard days.
For Her, Always
These orchids were created as a memorial for the client’s mother, who loved delicate flowers more than bold ones. Soft gradients and fine lines let each bloom breathe while still flowing together down the arm. I shaped the composition to feel like a gentle cascade, so the piece reads more like a steady presence than a loud statement.
Fallout Mask
The client wanted a toxic-world gas mask as a nod to surviving chaos and carving out their own safe zone. High‑contrast blacks, neon greens, and tight texture work make the mask feel three ‑dimensional and grimy. I exaggerated the glow in the eyes and background so it reads like a radioactive guardian staring back.
Embrace of Grace
Hands and drapery wrap the upper arm, with smooth shading that feels sculpted rather than drawn. It’s all about protection and tenderness, like you’re being held even when your arm is at rest.
Dragonfire Sleeve
This dragon sleeve comes from a lifelong love of fantasy and the idea of guarding what matters most. Bold color packing in reds, oranges, and dark grays keeps the scales and flames crisp all the way around the arm. I wrapped the dragon so each turn of the limb reveals a new part of the beast, making the whole arm feel alive.
Desert Bloom Trio
The three blossoms mark the client’s personal milestones and the people who helped them grow in rough seasons. Clean lines, soft pastel color, and careful leaf placement keep the upper arm bright and airy. I stacked the flowers like a vertical timeline so each new bloom feels like the next chapter.
Depths of the Deep
This sleeve comes from a lifelong obsession with the ocean and the feeling of peace the client finds underwater. Layered grayscale textures—from sharks to dive helmet to fish schools—are stacked with smooth transitions so the whole arm reads as one scene. I designed the flow like a descent, so the viewer travels from surface light into darker water with every glance.
Deadly Rose
This rose with skull leaves represents the client’s belief that love and mortality are always intertwined. Clean shading in the petals contrasts with the sharper, hidden skull forms in the foliage, giving depth on a simple forearm layout. I built it to read as a classic rose at first, rewarding a closer look with the memento mori details.
Cub of the Wild
This piece tells the client’s story of growing from a soft, unsure kid into someone carrying real strength, reflected in the adult wolf beneath the surface. Fine black and gray shading keeps the forest, water, and fur readable while the reflection lines stay clean along the forearm. I used the vertical flow to show their journey as a timeline, innocence on top and destiny waiting just below.
Crowned Lion
This lion represents the client’s faith and the strength they found in sacrifice and second chances. Rich black and gray fur is contrasted with sharp thorn texture and piercing blue eyes that anchor the forearm. I focused the expression so the lion feels calm but unbreakable, like someone who’s been through the fire and stayed standing.
Covenant of Hands
This piece shows Mother Mary watching as her son is beaten and sent into danger, mirroring the client’s mom watching him race motocross around the world. Smooth black and gray blends sculpt the hands and drapery so they sit naturally on the upper arm and hold up well over time. I pushed the light on Mary’s face and the tension in the grip so the tattoo feels like a prayer for protection every time he lines up at the gate.
Classic Muse
The client wanted a timeless traditional lady head to honor classic tattoo culture and the strong women in their life. Bold lines, heavy black, and saturated color keep the design readable and punchy in any lighting. I pushed the tilt of her gaze upward so she feels hopeful and present, not just decorative flash.
BioShock Rosie
This Rosie variant was chosen as a tribute to countless hours spent in Rapture and a special connection with the quieter, rifle‑carrying Big Daddies. Saturated reds, brass tones, and tight panel work lock in the armored feel without losing readability in the smaller details. I approached it like a character portrait, posing Rosie in a ready stance so it feels like a frame pulled straight out of gameplay.
BioShock Big Daddy
The client wanted a BioShock Big Daddy to honor their love for the game and its haunting protectors of Rapture. Clean, illustrative linework and selective color hits keep the silhouette true to the original design while still reading clearly on the forearm. I treated it like a concept sketch brought to life, leaning into the long limbs and cables so it feels like he’s mid‑patrol in the depths.
Backpiece Lettering
This backpiece takes the client’s family name and turns it into a banner for loyalty and pride. Clean script structure, heavy black, and ornamental flourishes stretch evenly from shoulder to shoulder. I designed the letters to feel like old-world signage, so their name reads as a crest they wear for life.
Anonymous
This piece tells the story of hiding real emotion behind a calm face, pulled from the client’s own struggle to keep things together for everyone else. Smooth black and gray blends shape the mask, fingers, and fabric with enough contrast that every fold and knuckle reads clearly from a distance. I pushed the shadows around the mask and hand so it feels like the moment right before they finally let that mask drop.
Ancestral Compass
This forearm piece lets the client wear their Aztec heritage while covering old, forgotten work that no longer fit who they are. Dense black and gray linework and texture carve in the figure, stonework, and compass without turning muddy. I placed the compass where the arm naturally turns, so every movement feels like their past and present lining up.
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