Dip the tattoo needle in the ink. The type of design you are creating will determine what color or colors to use. If you are trying to achieve a vibrant shade or dark black shading, apply the non-diluted ink to the skin. For lighter and more subdued shades, lightly dip your needle in sterile water or witch hazel to minimize coloring.
Hold the needle at a sideways tilt. For neat and accurate shading, the tattoo gun needles should be moved across the skin as if you were painting. The darker the color desired, the slower the needle should be moved. For lighter-colored shading, move the needle faster.
Adjust the depth and pressure of your needle. The tattoo needle must be applied with pressure levels corresponding to the desired effect. Darker shading requires slightly deeper penetration, while lighter shading calls for a lighter amount of pressing.
Clean off the flesh before re-dipping your needle. When shading tattoos, a considerable amount of excess ink will be left at the surface of the skin. In order to clearly see your outlines, be sure to wipe the skin with a damp cloth periodically throughout the tattooing process, and before each time you dip the needle in fresh ink.
Add white ink to create highlighting effects. Adding a small amount of white ink to other tattoo colors can help to bring out the shading effects of the artwork. A small amount of white ink to black shading may add gray effects; adding it to colored shading may brighten or lighten the artistic effect.