White Ink Tattoos

[iradney]

Hey guys

Just a question - anyone here ever heard about white ink tattoos and how they look/last??
I'm thinking of getting one on my wrist, as they don't seem to be very visible, so it LOOKS work safe...

[Bella_Vixen]

I could have sworn I saw a thread about this sometime ago.

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[Amina516]

The only white ink tattoos I have seen are UV sensitive ones that shine in blacklight. (which look awesome, but how often are you in blacklight? lol )

They would be very work safe if you work in a place thats not fond of them. But since theyre hard to see,that would make me think twice on spending money on something thats barely visible.

That being said, Im also debating whether or not to tattoo my (very visible) arms, I too have a "professional" job, but the only tattoo restricition is that they not be offensive.. So far I just have a bunch on my back.

Good luck!

[persephone]

My sister has a white ink tattoo and I'm thinking about getting one on my wrist after Baby is born.

My sister's is on the back of her neck. She works as a teacher and has her hair up a lot. Unless you are right up near her and looking directly at it, most people do not realize she even has the tattoo.

And that's how she likes it. She didn't get the tattoo to show off. It's a star with her best friend's name in it (he passed away when they were freshmen in college). It's her way of paying memory to him.

So if you want a tattoo for people to notice, I would not suggest a white ink one. However, if you want it more for you, it looks really nice. It's faint, but if you know where it is and what you're looking for, it's very pretty. The darker your skin is (tan wise -- I don't know if you tan easily or not), the more it will show up.

Though I'm sure you've done this, I did a yahoo search for pictures. There's some pretty good representations on there, so you'll be able to see what it looks like to different skin tones.

You could also try talking to a tattoo artist and just getting one close to your skin tone?

[Spiffy McMoron]

Without knowing the design or any info about your skin tone, what are the chanced ti could go somewhere less conspicuous?

Inside of your arm (close to your armpit), ankle, your shoulder, the back of your neck, or the side of your ribcage are all alternatives to your wrist, and you have the bonus of having it in a normal (read: dark) coloured ink.

[Slytovhand]

The problem with white, as a fill colour, so I've been told (since there's a white tattoo I'm thinking of) is that it fades faster on white skin, so it needs to be redone on a regular basis.

[iradney]

Re my skin tone: I'm pale. Not VERY pale, but I've been ordered to stay clear of the Day Star, so I have very light toasty colour on my outer arms, and pale veiny goodness on my inner arms. My wrists very rarely see the light of day, and I want something in White Ink for my sister (to commemorate her passing in '01). I don't want something that's easily visible that could prompt for questions. I'm thinking small angel wings with her DOB and DOD between them, and her name at the bottom, on my left wrist above my watch, about 2 inches by 2 inches...

[Slytovhand]

I presume you're framing them with a darker colour?

I'm after a White Horse of Uffington tattoo... white horse on green background. But not so sure now, after what I've been told

[Spiffy McMoron]

I'm thinking small angel wings with her DOB and DOD between them, and her name at the bottom, on my left wrist above my watch, about 2 inches by 2 inches...

Hmmm...that's a fairly big tattoo to put on your wrist. If it was something simple and small (ie: a single word like "love" or "hope", or an Asian character) then white ink would be the way to go. It wouldn't need any shading or outlining, and you could further hide it with a watch or bracelet.

However--and I say this not as a professional, but as an enthusiast--your design might be better served in a darker colour in another spot. All of the wing designs I have seen have been completed with a degree of shading to give the tattoo more depth, complexity, and beauty. As well, the size of the tattoo means that you wouldn't be able to easily hide it by anything other than a long-sleeved shirt.

Some suggestions on better spots for that design might be the shoulder (either on the shoulder blade or on the upper arm by the shoulder), the hip, near the pelvic bone, the lower back, the ankle, the top part of your foot, the upper back (safely hidden by collars/work attire--as well, if your mental design morphs into something larger, there are plenty of designs out there with angel wings as larger backpieces) or the back of your calves--have one wing and the DOB on one calf, and the other wing and DOD on the other calf. However, I suggest you consult your local tattooist, not a dude on the internet (especially this one).

Would this be your first one?

[RetailWorkhorse]

about 2 inches by 2 inches...

On me, that tattoo would be massive, as that's the width of my wrist.

I've looked up white ink Tattoos, and boy are they pretty. I don't think I'd ever be able to have one on account of my skin colour, though (yes, that "lily-yellow" tone).

It is a lovely memorial piece, though.

[sixums]

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/White_Ink

It didn't have as much info as I had hoped, but it's fairly good. A lot of complaints I've heard from the body mod community as far as white ink is concerned is that it can discolor somewhat. Usually to a yellowish color. It will be pretty much invisible. I doubt anyone that doesn't know it's there will see it. It will be somewhat obvious when you first get it because the skin is raised due to the tattooing process, but once the skin heals and the excess ink comes away, it'll be fairly faded.

Some artists don't like using white ink for a variety of reasons. It doesn't have as good results as other inks, it's hard to work with, it fades rather quickly. But if you can find an artist in a professional shop who's experienced with white ink, I'd say you're good to go.

[iradney]

Boy, so many to respond to


Re the size: I suck at eyeballing measurements. It might be closer to 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches (I have SUPAH TINY wrists).

Spiffy: Nope, this would be my third one, and it's gonna be a while before I get it as I gotta get the funds together to do it. My first two are standard black chinese symbols on my spine, just below my neck. (Dragon and Courage).

I'd also have to find a tat artist who has worked it with, that is true, but there is a tat shop down the road from work that looks pretty good.

The location may change, but it needs to be on my left side (for the heart). TTO isn't too keen on me getting another tattoo, but he understands the reasoning behind it. I might get a fourth one when/if we get engaged (love in binary around the ring finger - we met on the internet, it makes sense ).

I KNOW my parents wouldn't really like it, they weren't too chuffed with my first two tattoos, but I figure this one will be white, it will most likely fade pretty quickly but the thought is there.

Sixums: Thanks for the link! White tattoos really do look lovely, and it's something that can be done, but kept personal, if you know what I mean.

I generally tend to think about things for a LOOOONG time before I do em. The Dragon Tat I thought about for 6 years before getting it done. The courage one I thought about for a couple months. They haven't really faded (still black) as I don't really spend much time in the sun. So maybe my left shoulderblade would be the most logical place to do it...

[sixums]

Sixums: Thanks for the link! White tattoos really do look lovely, and it's something that can be done, but kept personal, if you know what I mean.

I generally tend to think about things for a LOOOONG time before I do em. The Dragon Tat I thought about for 6 years before getting it done. The courage one I thought about for a couple months. They haven't really faded (still black) as I don't really spend much time in the sun. So maybe my left shoulderblade would be the most logical place to do it...

I definitely understand the personal thing.

I've got three tattoos; a shoulder cap on my left arm, a large piece running down the inside of my left bicep, and a pendant around my ankle. Each time I spent sufficient time thinking about it. My first tattoo, the shoulder cap, I actually waited for 4 years to do (I started thinking about it when I was 14, got it done on my 18th birthday). I think it's pretty important to at least take a month or two to really think over a tattoo before you put it on your body, mostly because... well, it's permanent. I don't regret any of my tattoos in anyway, and actually I feel more like me for getting them.

I generally don't see myself as spending a lot of time in the sun, but my shouldercap has faded somewhat. However, there's a lot of yellow in it, and the fading has actually toned it down to look good. I don't think your wrists are prone to fading, however you might not get as good coverage because wrists are somewhat notorious for not holding ink well. However, that can be easily fixed with touch ups. Your shoulder would be a good place to do it because it's an easy area to heal as long as your bra straps don't get in the way if you're a girl, and the fading wouldn't be too bad because it would be covered up most of the time. I find placement can be tricky, but often times my tattoo artist has helped me with it because he knows better what looks good where on the body. If you're going to the person who's done your others, pop in and ask them about it. It may be a while until you get the monies to do it, but I'm sure they'd be able to give you some advice.

[Ljt09863]

im glad i ran across this thread. ive been considering a tattoo, but im too afraid because of how they contrast with a the skin, and the fact that they are permament. but iver wanted something with my sons name for awhile.

i tihnk white ink would be perfect for me. they are VERY light, and sounds like they fade with time. i think that would be perfect for me.

[Animae]

I've always wanted to get white angel wings on my back, for the fact that it would be so light that you could barely see it.