Watercolor
Soft washes, splashes and bleeds of color, usually anchored by a drawn subject so the piece keeps its shape as it ages.
The style
Paint on skin, with a plan
Watercolor tattoos imitate the medium: translucent washes, drips, splatter and color that fades at the edges instead of stopping at a line. The look is light and painterly.
The honest part: color without black fades faster. The pieces that still look good years on pair the washes with a drawn subject or linework that gives the eye a structure to hold.
Work
Watercolor work from the shops
What to expect
Who to ask for watercolor
Roger Solis
Floral · Black and grey · Neo traditional
Roger's lane
Roger does the watercolor work here, usually around a floral, animal or geometric subject. The consultation is about which part of the piece is line and which part is wash, and where on the body it will stay out of the sun.
Most watercolor pieces are one sitting. Plan on a touch-up down the road to refresh the lightest colors, and on a frank talk at the consultation about which parts are line and which are wash, because that decides how it ages.
At a glance
- Look
- Washes, drips, splatter
- Anchor
- A drawn subject or linework
- Sessions
- One
- Ageing
- Good with an anchor and sunblock
- Artist
- Roger
Questions people ask
Will it really fade?
The lightest washes soften sooner than bold color, yes. With a black anchor, sunblock and a touch-up when needed, the piece stays readable for decades.
Can watercolor be done without any black?
It can. The artist will show you what that looks like after some years and let you decide.
Where should it go?
Places that see little sun and little friction: upper arm, shoulder blade, thigh, ribs.
