Early Beginnings Rooted in Art
At just 33 years old, Australian tattoo artist Zach Roberts has already built an impressive international career grounded in discipline, creativity, and relentless self-improvement. Born in Sydney, Australia, Zach’s artistic journey began long before he ever picked up a tattoo machine. Art was already a central part of his life from the age of four, when he started taking art classes and developing the foundations that would later shape his tattooing career.
By the time he was eight years old, Zach had already discovered tattooing and knew it was what he wanted to pursue professionally. Outside of art, his childhood revolved around sports and cars. He played rugby throughout high school and developed a strong passion for hockey, football, and automotive culture — interests that still remain part of his personality today.
A Family Surrounded by Creativity
Creativity was deeply embedded within Zach’s family environment. His grandfather, an artist working across multiple artistic mediums, became one of his biggest inspirations. More importantly, he taught Zach a philosophy that continues to guide his approach today: if you are going to do something, do it to the absolute best of your ability.
His mother also played a major role in shaping his mindset. Growing up around her stained glass business exposed Zach to the realities of professionalism and work ethic within a creative industry from an early age.
The Journey Into Tattooing
After returning to Australia at the age of 18, Zach explored different jobs while continuing to focus on his long-term ambition of becoming a tattoo artist. Determined to pursue tattooing seriously, he spent roughly a year building a strong art portfolio before securing an apprenticeship relatively quickly.
The first years of his career were spent refining his technical foundation at his first studio. Later, wanting to push his realism work further, he transitioned to a studio specialized in realism tattooing, where he dedicated himself to improving his craft even more.
His career would eventually take him far beyond Australia. After traveling throughout the UK and Europe, Zach relocated to Canada, where he has now lived for over a decade. In 2019, he opened his first tattoo studio — an experience that, despite its challenges, ultimately helped him understand exactly what kind of studio culture and environment he wanted to build.
That vision became reality in 2022 when he launched his own brand, Low Life Studios, a project he describes as one of the most rewarding achievements of his career.
Realism, Surrealism, and Large-Scale Storytelling
Zach’s tattoo style is heavily focused on realism and surrealism, particularly in large-scale projects where composition and storytelling can fully come to life.
Among his favourite projects are leg sleeves, where he enjoys combining multiple subjects and characters into one cohesive composition that flows naturally with the body. His goal is always to create tattoos where every element works together visually rather than feeling disconnected.
Portrait work remains one of his favourite subjects to tattoo, especially iconic and instantly recognizable imagery. He is also particularly drawn toward horror-themed work, appreciating the strong character design and detail that translate perfectly into realism tattooing.
The Importance of Composition and Originality
For Zach, composition is the foundation of every successful tattoo. He believes that placement, readability, and visual balance are what ultimately determine whether a tattoo stands out.
Rather than overcrowding designs with unnecessary details, he prefers focusing on strong central subjects that allow the tattoo to breathe visually while still maintaining impact. According to Zach, the best tattoos are the ones that instantly capture attention and communicate the artwork clearly from the very first glance.
Originality is another principle he takes extremely seriously. Zach never reproduces the exact same artwork twice, believing every client deserves a design created specifically for them.
A Constant Drive to Improve
Although Zach primarily works in black and grey realism, he openly admits that colour packing has been one of the most technically challenging aspects for him to master. Still, he views every challenge as an opportunity to improve further.
That mindset of continuous evolution is something he carries throughout every aspect of his career. He strongly believes tattoo artists should never become complacent, explaining that the moment an artist thinks they have perfected tattooing is the moment they stop growing creatively and technically.
Zach spends a great deal of time studying the work of other artists, analyzing both design and technical execution to continue pushing his own standards higher. The competitive mindset he developed earlier in life continues to fuel his artistic growth today.
Finding Satisfaction in the Final Reveal
While Zach enjoys every stage of the tattooing process, the most rewarding moment for him comes at the very end — seeing the client’s reaction once the piece is complete.
For him, tattooing is ultimately about creating something personal, unique, and meaningful that exceeds expectations. Watching clients leave with confidence and excitement after the final reveal is what continues to motivate him after all these years.
Through realism, originality, and an uncompromising dedication to improvement, Zach Roberts continues to establish himself as an artist constantly evolving — one tattoo at a time.
Written by Tom Vansteeland 26/05/2026
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