How to tattoo color portraits?
Hello everyone! I’ve been tattooing for almost 2 years now and I’m really passionate about drawing portraits, so I want to specialize in color portrait tattoos.
I have a question about skin tones. When I tried tattooing on myself, the skin tone looked quite patchy and dark. How do you usually approach skin tone in color portraits? Do you build it up with layers, or use a specific palette or technique to keep it smooth and natural?
In the photo I uploaded, I used stipple shading as an undertone on synthetic skin. Do you think this approach is transferable to real skin as well? Would the stipple shaded version look “empty” or unfinished on human skin if it’s not supported with a peachy or neutral base tone packing?
I’d really appreciate any advice or insight. Thank you!