Intenze Tattoo Ink - 7 Deadly Sins Of Working Color

 

When working color into the skin, there are certain rules that, when kept in mind, can significantly improve the outcome of your color tattoos.

As artists, we try to bend rules and push the envelope. But regardless of this, there will always be the same issues we come across while tattooing. These rules serve as a reference on how to deal with some of these common issues.

 

Sin #1 - Mixing Brands

Do not, under any circumstances, mix brands of pigments. Using different brands is fine, but because you do not know the composition between different pigments, the outcome of the mixture will be unpredictable and the risk of your client having a reaction is dangerously high. And, if there is a reaction, tracing the exact cause is made all the more difficult when you use multiple brands. Always blend your pigments within the same brand for the simplest workflow and the safest outcome.

 

Sin #2 - Inconsistent Filling

Avoid leaving imbalanced or inconsistent colors in your tattoos. In the image above, you can see patches where the color is weaker or absent. These were once known as "holidays" because it was said that the artist didn't finish the work and just went on vacation at some point during the piece. To help avoid this, try not to overwork certain areas of your tattoo, and concentrate on filling your work in consistently throughout.

 

Sin #3 - Lack of Highlights & Value / Contrats

A tattoo that doesn't get a sufficient amount of highlights and contrast will look flat and weathered. The colors won't pop and will appear weak. Focus on having strong value and contrast in your work, otherwise your tattoo will look average.

 

Sin #4 - Poor Safety Procedures

When your work station is not organized and clean, you create the risk of your client's skin getting infected or pigments getting mixed with dust particles. Always keep your station looking organized and follow common procedures for maintaining your equipment. Your clients will also feel more confident in choosing you as their artist.

 

Sin #5 - Poor Equipment and Setup

You need good equipment - not necessarily expensive equipment, but equipment that is well maintained, clean, that you know how to set up, with new springs on, new rubber bands on, all brand new needles, and tubes that aren't run down.

You should triple check your equipment before every tattoo. Tubes that are too thin for the needle you want to use can bend the needle and tear up your tattoo, regardless of your technique. Machines should always be tuned; if you don't use a noiseless machine, and your machine sounds like it is rattling or is erratic, you need to tune it.

Purchase your equipment from reputable suppliers. Before you order from a company, make a service call or email to them and see how fast you get a response. If you don't hear back on their service time within 48 hours, it is possible the company will not be trustworthy in a state of crisis.

 

Sin #6 - Improper Stretching

This is one of the most vital lessons you can learn in tattooing. If you do not have a proper skin stretching technique, the ink will not lay evenly in the skin, and you also run the risk of cutting your client's skin. In the above image, the blue ribbons represent where the pigment is laying based on your stretching technique.

The best way to stretch the skin is to do a triple stretch - stretch at three different points around the area you are tattooing, and stretch the skin away from the area. Having a proper stretching technique will help you get color into the skin easier, especially for those tougher areas on the body such as an elbow.

 

Sin #7 - Overworking The Skin

While this is usually an effect of improper stretching, it is a sin all on its own. If you do not stretch the skin properly, your needle will be grazing the top of the skin, and the pigment will not enter the skin properly. This can sometimes lead you to think that you need to put more pigment into an area of the skin, when it is really that the pigment is just not going in right - thus you put in too much, and you overwork the skin.

When skin is overworked, it will get sore and red. Certain spots which are soft or flexible and tricky to work into, like the ankle area, are often more overworked than other areas of the body because it is harder to stretch the skin properly. Always keep in mind where the tattoo is, and adapt your stretching technique accordingly, so that you do not hurt your client.

Keeping these 7 Sins in mind and training yourself to look out for and avoid these common issues when you tattoo will make a huge difference in your work. It can be the difference between the left tattoo and the right tattoo in the above image, including your artistic interpretation of tattoo work.

Once you have these under your belt and you can apply these techniques properly, you will be faster in your work and you will encounter less challenges, allowing you to focus more on your artistic expression.

Through hard work, you can absolutely come out tattooing the left piece and eventually work your way to tattooing the right piece.

 

 

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