An AI-generated tattoo project that blends macabre imagery with decorative line work in grayscale, this design centers on a skull perched above a melting candle. The candle’s wax streams downward and merges with curling filigree vines that wrap around the forearm, while a circular halo behind the skull provides a structured focal point and a sense of balance. Rendered in black and grey with subtle fine-line shading, the piece relies on high-contrast shadows to carve depth into the eye sockets, teeth, and nasal cavity, and uses crisp edge lines to delineate the candle wick, drips, and the glassy surface of the candle. The ornamentation is not mere decoration but a patterned frame that reinforces the motif, giving the composition a cohesive rhythm that can wrap around the limb. The candle’s wax is treated as a tactile element with enamel-like highlights that contrast against the matte shading of the skull and scrollwork, producing a sense of weight and volume, while the surrounding scrolls and tendrils function as a tattoo pattern, guiding the eye through the design and enabling easy adaptation for larger canvases or curved surfaces. In terms of symbolism, the skull connotes mortality while the candle embodies time’s fleeting nature, a classic pairing in tattoo design that invites personal interpretation and meaning. The composition’s density, bold silhouette, and meticulous linework make it suitable for a cover-up, as the dense black areas can obscure older ink while the new grayscale shading preserves legibility and detail. This concept demonstrates how AI-generated workflows can inform traditional body art, delivering a refined, realistic tattoo design that remains versatile for clients seeking meaningful tattoos, fine line work, black and grey realism, rose or lotus alternatives, or Japanese-inspired motifs. The piece integrates style, pattern, and symbolism into a unified body art statement, capable of translating across sizes from wrist to forearm and beyond, while maintaining clarity of skull anatomy, candle geometry, and ornamental filigree.