Bio
Art with elegance.
bio/poch-studio.jpgEdward "Poch" Best has spent his career chasing one thing: realism that holds up under close, uncomfortable scrutiny. Not just color realism — the harder discipline of black and grey, where every value has to earn its place with nothing to hide behind.
He works out of his studio in Yucaipa, California, taking on a limited number of custom pieces at a time so that every client gets the same level of attention a painting would — reference gathering, composition sketches, and enough conversation to understand not just what the piece looks like, but what it needs to mean.
"A tattoo is the one piece of art a person agrees to wear forever. That's not a small thing to be trusted with."
His work spans portraiture, large-scale black and grey pieces, and full color realism, with a growing focus on thoughtful cover-up and rework — turning pieces clients have outgrown into something they're proud of again.
View the galleryApproach
What a first session actually looks like.
Consultation
A conversation about placement, scale, and what the piece needs to carry — before anything is sketched.
Design
Custom composition built around your body and your reference, not pulled from a flash sheet.
The work
Sessions scheduled around the size of the piece, with honest timelines and aftercare guidance built in.