Japanese Tattoo on Dark Skin

George • 3 January 2019

Experience is necessary for doing Japanese Tattoo on Dark Skin, as it requires a careful approach to maintain contrast between the skin and the tattoo after healing. The darker the skin, the more challenging it is to achieve this contrast.


Unlike drawing on toned paper, where the medium remains on the surface, tattoo ink stays beneath the skin. Therefore, using white ink, for example, would not make sense as it may not be visible over time or could even appear like a scar.


The highest contrast we can achieve is with black ink. Therefore, in my opinion, using any other colors would not be logical when working on dark skin.


Additionally, for clarity and visibility, the details in the tattoo should be large and bold.


In the specific project mentioned, lightly shaded lotuses were used to create a contrast with dark backgrounds. Unfortunately, the images provided after the touch-up session may not clearly show the lotuses due to irritation and redness. However, the intention is to keep the objects separate and maintain minimal shading.


Updates on healed shots will be shared soon. For more of our work and in-

progress videos, follow us on @Bardadim.

Let the Way flow onward:

from The Symbolic Way

“Symbols speak where words fall silent.”

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