How to Make a Tattoo Look Like it Is Sunken
The easiest way to make a tattoo look sunken into the skin is to shade around the design, rather than inside it. The most common color for shading is a 50/50 gray wash, meaning it is composed of half black ink, half water. This ink will ensure a sliding scale of depth, making the tattoo design appear on a different level than your skin. An even shade on all sides may appear a bit too boring, so consider making one side heavier on the shade than the other to create more of a contrast.
- Tattoo gun
- Tattoo needles
- Blank ink
- Water
- Paper towel
- Alcohol solution
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Instructions
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1
Fit the appropriate needles into the tip of the tattoo gun. The more needles you use, the thicker the lines will be. This results in better shading.
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2
Dip the needles into the ink and absorb it into the gun.
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3
Press the footswitch to bring the machine to life and angle your wrist.
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4
Apply the angled needles to the skin and make a brushing motion starting at the outside lines of the design and sweeping away from it.
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5
Wipe away blood and excess ink with a paper towel covered in an alcohol solution every time you pull the needles away from the skin, either to absorb more ink or just reset your position.