Home
Latest
Why some tattoo artists are warning their clients against this new ink trend

Why some tattoo artists are warning their clients against this new ink trend

Here is an example of watercolor tattooing. The colors are vibrant, and often smoothly blend with one another just as paint would.

When tattoos age, often the ink begins to spread a bit, blurring previously sharp lines. This is an example of the before and after of a 15-year-old old tattoo.

You can see how much the black ink has spread, blurring the previously crisp lines.

The concern with watercolor tattoos is the lack of dark and defined lines. Once the ink begins to fade and blur, will the abstract image become a big blob of indiscernible color?

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/5ZSC5pgIww/embed/
Width: 658px

Many internet users express this concern, especially on Reddit. The debate about Rodrigo Tas' piece carried on with comments like "in ten years it won't look so great" and "It seems pretty apparent that the colors will fade/blur together."

Watercolor tattoos have only been in style for about five years. It's hard to find one aged enough to settle the argument, but there are tattoo artists who have publicly defended the style. Joel Wright is one of them.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/5SdrIGOq76/embed/
Width: 658px

Wright took to his blog in 2013, explaining "if you have a tattoo that is almost all shaded coloring with very little black then you have tattoo that could fade a little quicker. That does not mean it will." He goes on to explain the many factors that can effect a tattoo's longevity. Sun exposure and skin damage can do a lot of harm.

In his blog post, Wright essentially concluded that anyone seeking a tattoo shouldn't be overly concerned with how it will look in 20+ years. After all, touching up a tattoo down the road isn't atypical. Another artist, Deanna Wardin, has a different argument.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/6Y8vk0BopD/embed/
Width: 658px

Wardin believes watercolor tattoos can absolutely last a lifetime — if they had a strong black line base. In a 2014 blog post, Wardin stated:

It is true that watercolor tattoos with little to no black, and all soft colors will probably fade much quicker than a traditional tattoo, but here is the kicker… watercolor tattoos can and should use high contrast and a black base. That way if some of the colors begin to fade, there is still a skeleton to the piece and it will still read well as it ages.

Gene Coffey is a skilled watercolor tattoo artist who often designs his work with lots of dark linework. It's possible that his approach to watercolor may be the longer lasting one. But not every artist has the skill to pull it off.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/y7wCZ3SM0O/embed/
Width: 658px

In a 2014 interview, Coffey admitted he was getting "turned off from the 'watercolor tattoos.' Mostly because they seem to have become an excuse for just doing bad tattoos. If you search Instagram for #watercolortattoo, it's filled with badly done, poorly conceived tattoos that are going to stay out there in the world forever."

Coffey explained how the trendiness of watercolor tattoos meant "every shop has people coming in and asking for it. But [many tattooers] can't do it." Fads inherently mean that copycats will spring up. Here's an example of a master watercolor tattoo:

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/4_HkZmBfZ7/embed/
Width: 658px

Ondrash is located in the Czech Republic. Those who can't travel to get inked may turn to alternative artists with less experience in tattooing. This lion piece is one of his best — originally posted in late 2012.

This is an example found under #watercolorlion on Instagram. It is one of many that are similar in coloring and composition to Ondrash's work.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/tbjwGjSSY2/embed/
Width: 658px

As Gene Coffey said, "it's just like anything else, if you haven't done it and aren't familiar with it, you aren't going to do a good job."

Another watercolor master is Sasha Unisex, the highly sought-after Russian tattoo artist who specializes in tightly composed watercolors.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/nGE5bFTG4_/embed/
Width: 658px

This is an example of her work, freshly photographed.

Here's what the tattoo looked like about 14 weeks later. You can see the color already fading a little, which is normal, but overall there's been no loss of detail.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/sJebsZCRU-/embed/
Width: 658px

This is only a matter of months, though. The true test will be more than 10 years down the road, and unfortunately fans of this style will have to wait and see the results.

The takeaway lesson from the debate about watercolor tattoos is not as simple as "don't do it." Instead, it all boils down to education. The most important thing a first-timer can do is learn about the art they are seeking out.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/omaIgHSMym/embed/
Width: 658px

This is more of Gene Coffey's stunning work, which incorporates lots of black to hold the image together.

Find an experienced artist who specializes in watercolor tattoos, and know the artwork may fade faster, requiring more frequent touch-ups.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/5NMxbPhfe2/embed/
Width: 658px

In the end, body modification is always a highly personal choice. But knowing the pros and cons behind any modern trend, one so new that future outcomes are unpredictable, is an essential part of making that choice.

View Other Slidelists