tattooing on dark skin tones
i offer complimentary colour consultations and colour test tattoos for people with melanated skin, free with any colour tattoo. colour tattoos can feel inaccessible for clients with dark skin tones, and racist views within the culture of tattooing have influenced what people believe it is possible to tattoo. you might be quite pleasantly surprised by what we can achieve, and i’d love to work with you to pick the best colours and make a really beautiful tattoo for you!
tattoo ink is deposited into the middle layers of the skin, and the layer of melanin heals on top. it’s similar to applying a filter to a photograph, which will mute certain colours. if you have a lighter skin tone, you have more flexibility in terms of tattooing pastel colours, yellows etc. dark skin tones require more consideration as to how visible the colours will be, how to work with your undertone, and how the overall contrast will work.
if you already have some colour tattoos and have an idea of what works with your skin, we can do an in-person or email consult in advance of the tattoo, where we chat about colours suited to your skin tone and look at examples. if you haven't had a colour tattoo before, or if you want to try a colour you don't already have, we can do a free small colour test tattoo around 3 weeks before the tattoo appointment, using the colours that you hope to have present in your final tattoo. 3 weeks later at your actual tattoo appointment, we can we evaluate how the colours have healed in your skin, and choose which colours we use for your tattoo. this can also help alert you to any ink allergies and tell us which colours to avoid.
you shouldn’t have to get a tattoo of a bunch of lines and dots that you might not want! i have designed my colour test flash to be cute and intentional, and you’re welcome to suggest your own small design.
