How to Set a Tattoo Gun for a Shader

Shading in tattoo art makes for a more sophisticated creation.

Shading techniques in a tattoo give a perspective and depth to the artwork. These techniques are necessary for certain types of tattoos such as portraits and give the tattoo more dimension than a flat, two-color creation. The techniques for shading are learned over time and include setting up the tattoo gun correctly to do shading as opposed to outlining or fill. Needle depth and good working knowledge of your tattoo gun are critical to learning the fine art of tattoo shading.

Instructions

1. Load a new needle into your tattoo gun. In professional, licensed tattoo shops, needles are packaged in sterile blister packs and are used only for the specific client and tattoo. The parts of the gun that house the needles are sterilized in an autoclave for sanitary purposes. Shading needles come in a variety of styles, from a single needle to several needles mounted together in a bar shape. It is the artist's choice which style to use, and often each artist has a particular way to set up the tattoo gun.

2. Adjust the depth of the needle. Shading is dependent on the variation of dark and light ink tones, and the depth of the needle can create less or more ink put into the skin. For deeper shading, the needle is set longer for more depth, and for lighter the reverse.

3. Use a sterile-water and ink combination when shading lighter areas. Some artists prepare a wash, or diluted ink solution, ahead of the tattoo process. Others prefer to dip in ink, then the sterile water. Other solutions, such as witch hazel, are used by some tattoo artists, but the main result desired in this step is to create a thinner ink so the shading appears faded. The ink can be thinned at different rates as well to create a fadeout effect, going from darker to nearly invisible at the outer edges where the tattoo ends.

4. Lubricate the skin before shading to allow the needle to slide more smoothly. This helps reduce needle dragging and helps keep the ink from being applied darker in some areas. It also assists in controlling the flow of ink from the gun as the area is shaded.

5. Hold the gun on an angle when applying the ink. Tilt the gun slightly so you are using a painting motion to create a less-heavy ink effect.

Tips & Warnings

• Tattoo artists always wear latex or sterile non-latex gloves when setting up the equipment and working on the skin.

References

• How to Tattoo: Tattoo Shading Techniques
• K Ink: Tattoo Needles

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish