Tattoo Techniques: White Ink In Greywash 3 Minutes to Better Tattooing
White Ink In Greywash? | 3 Minutes to Better Tattooing
Have you ever tried using a couple drops of white ink in your greywashes to get a smoother consistency? We have heard of this trick over the years and decided to put it to the test. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you have had any experience using this whitewash method.
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This episode was made possible thanks to:
Interview by By Jake Meeks —
Writing By Daniel Pushcarich —
Topics: Tattoo, Gray wash, White ink, Premixed gray wash, Drop method, Whitewash series, Empire Inks, Milky texture, Light gray, Dark gray, Medium gray, Silky consistency, Tattoo process, Healed result, Tattooer tool, Smoother blends, Skin redness, Tattoo sleeve, Light washes, Opacity, Tattoo ink comparison, Fireside Tattoo Network, Tattoo consistency
Why use White Tattoo Ink in Gray Washes
“If you use a couple of drops of white ink in your gray wash, it gives a silkier, milkier kind of consistency with better blends.”
-Jake Meeks
What might some of the benefits to adding a little bit of white into your greywash be? Well, some suggest that It may help a little with blending or transitioning between values. Others may say that it helps the ink go in just a little smoother due to the added body and opaqueness of the white.
Though both of these ideas may be a valid use for the concept, later in this write up you might find an entirely different use for it.
Side note! If you wanted to give this a shot you could do this by just adding a couple drops of white to whatever method you’re using for greywashes. Either the “drop method” or buying premixed greywash sets. Additionally, because these did become a little more popular after this episode you may be able to find a few different sets of greywash sets premixed with the white already in them, like the Empire Inks (not affiliated) set Jake talked about in the video.
Results from Testing White Ink Washes & The Tattoo Process Benefits
“The point of these white wash inks isn’t to look different when settled and healed, but for the benefit of the tattoo artist during the tattoo process.”
-Jake Meeks
So, after a little bit of experimentation Jake hadn’t found all that much of a difference between the “whitewash” inks and a regular greywash in the darker tones. Where the difference did actually come in was in the light and extra light inks.
The lighter toned inks did seem to go into the skin a little bit smoother, and the blends seemed to transition a little smoother and softer as well. When it was fresh you could definitely tell that the textures were a little smoother and a little more milky than normal.
About 4 years ago, Jake had previously done a greywash sleeve on the client's other arm, so after about 3 months of healing the client returned for a comparison. There didn’t really seem to be any actual difference in values between the healed 4 year tattoo and the 3 month tattoo. There may have been a slight smoothing in the lighter tones and background washes, but otherwise they both seem to be comparable.
As a side note, the client had mentioned that the tattoo stayed darker for a longer period of time than normal, so that’s something to consider.
Conclusion on Usage Recommendations
“If you struggle to put in smooth, consistent grays, especially light grays, this might be worth a shot.”
-Jake Meeks
So, what’s the deal? If there’s no comparative difference between greywash and whitewash as far as healed work is concerned then why would you use something like this?
We mentioned before that the only real difference Jake could see was while actively tattooing. The opaqueness in the lighter tones did make a difference in visibility and smoothness. There was less redness and visible trauma to the skin, so it made the areas easier to work on. Even though trauma and swelling was still happening the white in the greywash seemed to make the tattooing process a little bit easier.
Maybe the best use case for this whitewash would be for tattooers who are getting inconsistent results with their black and grey work. So, if you’re having trouble getting really smooth blends, your work is coming back splotchy and inconsistent, or you’re having trouble reading the skin due to redness and swelling then this might just be a game changer for you.
This episode was made possible thanks to:
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