One design style that has caught attention of many tattoo enthusiasts within the last few years is watercolor tattoos. It is known to have the same characteristics of a watercolor painting, which is where the style gets its name from. As beautiful as they sound, it takes a fully trained tattoo artist to pull off a watercolor tattoo as they are simple yet very hard to make.
Popular for having very little to no black outlines, this style of tattooing goes against the majority of conventional tattoos. But if they do have outlines, the colors are sometimes made to extend outside of the lines to give off a dripping effect, depending from artists to artists. Although, without a strong outline, touch-ups may be difficult down the road. The designs usually range from splatter patterns to full-on copies of watercolor paintings, and that’s how they usually catch other people’s eyes. However, before getting a watercolor tattoo, here’s all that you need to know about it!
Since there is a wide variety of watercolor tattoos, we’ll use a simpler classification to define the types of watercolor tattoos.
- Watercolor tattoos with a black base
- Watercolor tattoos without a black base
1. WATERCOLOR TATTOOS WITH A BLACK BASE
Usually, in these kinds of tattoos there is a border or an outline made to define the tattoo. It helps in giving the tattoo a more explained look, colors are then added afterwards to fill in the blank spaces. Sometimes it is made in such a way that the colors are intentionally smeared outside the border to give off a splatter look, in those cases the outline of the tattoo is done with black ink and the rest of the colors are used in shading.
Since black ink stays longer, it is believed that watercolor tattoos with a black base stay a little longer.
2. WATERCOLOR TATTOOS WITHOUT A BLACK BASE
These types of tattoos don’t have an outline or border. Their edges can hardly be noticed as the colors usually fade into the skin. Due to the absence of black in the tattoo, they end up having a better defined watercolor look.
IDEAL PLACEMENT
The placement of the watercolor tattoo depends on where you can afford to put it. Other than that here’s something that you should keep in mind, some professions don’t allow inkwork to be shown in prominent parts of the body like, neck region, fingers, wrist etc. So, make sure you choose your place accordingly.
Secondly, watercolor tattoos without bold outlines tend to fade quickly than with them. To make sure that your tattoos stay longer, it is advised to keep it protected from the sun since sunlight fades tattoo ink.
Another thing that should be kept in mind is that watercolor color tattoos look better on light skins. That is because on a lighter skin shade, the colors don’t completely fade into the skin and give off a more vibrant look.
DO WATERCOLOR TATTOOS REQUIRE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENTS?
Same tools that are used for regular tattoos are also used for watercolor tattoos, the only difference being that they are more dependent on gradual shading and subtle shifts in color. Apart from that, an artist must learn different techniques which include- blurs, bleeds, fades, and runs to obtain a watercolor look, which makes it more important to find an experienced and trained artist. High levels of work and detail go into the process of creating a beautiful looking watercolor tattoo.
Proper steps you need to follow before getting a tattoo done :
- 1. Make sure you’re not empty stomach. Your body needs energy to get through the process of getting a tattoo.
- 2. Wear comfortable clothes so that you don’t have to move a lot .Also because some tattoos require a long sitting, so you may have to sit in one place for hours and on. Wear something that you can pull up easily, like a button up shirt or maybe baggy pants if it’s a leg/foot tattoo.
- 3. Ask your tattoo artist in advance about how long the session is going to be so you can come prepared.
- 4. Make sure to ask the tattoo artist about the aftercare of the tattoo, whether or not you have to bring the required materials yourself.
- 5. This is optional but, you can bring along a friend for support!
- 6. Make sure you talk to your tattoo artist about the cost of the tattoo prior to getting the tattoo done so that there is no misunderstanding later.
AFTERCARE TIPS!
Since the process of tattooing includes piercing a needle through your skin, it leaves your skin open to infections. That’s why it is important to follow aftercare tips properly.
As soon as your tattoo is finished, a layer of petroleum is applied over your skin and is covered with bandage or plastic wrap. This is done to make sure no foreign particle enters your skin through the open pores. This can be removed after a few hours, giving time for the leaked ink to get absorbed or only fluid.
- Make sure before going out you tattoo isn’t exposed to the sun as it can fade the ink and also hurt your skin but also, don’t use any creams without consulting your tattoo artist.
- Don’t scratch on or near the area where the tattoo is done
- Avoid using towels or harsh clothes to wipe you tattoos, it can cause irritation and hurt your skin
- Don’t wear tight clothes over your tattoo
- Don’t indulge in activities that include getting wet. It is advised to keep the tattoo away from water until it heals.
After care tips for after your tattoo heals :
- You should keep the tattoo clean and make sure to not use scented soaps.
- Stay hydrated so that your skin remains moisturized
- Avoid excess weight gain or loss, that might stretch your tattoo out!
- Baby oil can also be used in some situations as it is known to help protect the tattoo from infections and other harmful things. It also helps in the process of healing of the tattoo.
If at any point you feel like your tattoo might be infected or if any of the instructions given are unclear to you, make sure you contact your tattoo artist and follow the advice given by them. Don’t change your tattoo artist too often as working with one that knows your skin well, is going to be best and safe for you!
The Ink Boy Tattoo Studio is known to be one of Delhi’s best tattoo studios. From hygiene to the environment in the studio, everything is known to be taken care of perfectly. They have some of Delhi’s best tattoo artists, too. According to their clients and other reviewers, they make sure everyone present in the studio feels comfortable and good. Before and after care of tattoos is also taken care of by the whole team. Their tattoos are very pocket friendly and they have special offers for college students as well. So, don’t wait any longer and visit the studio to double check these facts yourself!