I had a friend ask me this week if white tattoo ink is used because they don’t see white tattoos anywhere, while white ink is rarely a focal point of a tattoo it is one of the most important parts. White is most commonly used as a highlight to make a piece really pop! There are certain styles that don’t use white highlights; blackwork for example.
White can be used for colour blocking when the design calls for it but it is rare. Rather than white an artist would ordinarily use negative space in the tattoo and the contrast of skin tone with the other colours or black, rather than filling in with white. Depending on the design of course, adding a white border to the inside of that negative space can amplify it even more. Unless packing the white is important to the design it is hardly used.
While white is a great tool to use in all art, and by extension tattoos, it behaves uniquely and isn’t ideal for filling. White tends to fade faster than other ink, especially black; and as it does it often fades unevenly. White highlights are held by the black and usually do better than white fill but it all depends on your skin. Some skin holds white incredibly and some skin just doesn’t take to white. An article by Healthline puts it well saying white is used to change the tone of other colours but is not usually a standalone colour. The tone they mention can be caused by mixing white into the coloured ink prior to tattooing it to change the hue of the colour. Tone can also be achieved by where the artist places those white highlights and how they use them to create atmosphere.
This tattoo by Chris really showcases how white is used to highlight a piece. This one is unique because the white gives the illusion of the fish being glass.
White line art tattoos are also something we see sometimes. Again without the black holding it in place they do tend to fade but there is a subtlety to them that is appreciated. Personally I love white line art face tattoos, they’re subtle but out there all at the same time.
All in all white is a very versatile and important part of tattooing though it may not be as obvious as black or in every tattoo. The use of white sets the tone of the piece. It’s crazy to see the difference in a tattoo before and after white, it can really breathe life into the art.
Sources:
Related
