Watercolor Tattoos

What are watercolor tattoos?

Watercolor tattoos are tattoos that are meant to look like watercolor paint would on paper. They can include paint splashes, smears, spills, strokes, and otherwise abstract art techniques. These types of tattoos use a lot of color layering, blending, and hand-made texturing using different types of needles (liners, shaders, and mags). Watercolor tattoos are unique because each artist and style is slightly different in their own way. There is sketch-style watercolor, neo traditional watercolor, color realism watercolor, watercolor as a background, watercolor as abstract art, galaxy and space watercolor, and a mixture between all of the above.

Are watercolor tattoos more water than ink?

Some tattoo artists "water down" their ink, purchase ink that is waterier, or dunk their needles in their wash cup to create the watercolor effect in a tattoo. I do not do that process for my tattoos. I use full color saturation with multiple color steps (for example, I could use between 4 to 6 different pink inks to create one pink watercolor splash). By using a full color saturation, your color lasts longer, looks less washed out and patchy as it ages, and heals as any other normal, full color tattoo would heal. Unless a different desired look is requested by my clients, my normal process is packing color through multiple layers of ink to create beautiful color blends.

Do watercolor tattoos fade faster than other tattoos?

To be completely transparent and honest, it depends on the artist you go to. If an artist waters down their ink or uses a very water-based ink as a whole then, yes. That will fade faster than a denser ink that is color-packed in. However, if an artist uses a more solid pigment, and layers in color, then you are less likely to have a tattoo fade quickly. Lighter pigments in general (whites, yellows, oranges) will fade faster than darker colors (blacks, dark blues, dark purples, dark reds, dark greens). Like all ink, it is best to avoid UV rays (sun exposure, tanning, hair removal procedures) to preserve your tattoos over time. Keep your skin hydrated and moisturized to maintain your color as your skin ages.

I have a darker skin tone; can I get a watercolor tattoo?

Individuals with more melanin in their skin are still able to get watercolor tattoos, they just will look and heal differently than someone who has very fair skin. It is always recommended to do a color patch test on the area you intend on tattooing to see what colors will heal like if you are unsure. Some skin tones display lighter colors better (whites, lime greens, light reds), while others display darker tones better (blacks, greys, dark greens, dark reds, dark blues). An individual with an olive skin tone may want to avoid yellows (or light greens) because those may not show up well, or at all. It is all on a case-by-case basis.

A skilled artist will offer a patch test for free if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. After 4-6 weeks of heal time, you will get an idea of how the color settles into your skin and will age over time. Individuals with darker skin are more susceptible to scar tissue and keloids. Always consult with a dermatologist prior to getting tattooed so that you can make an educated decision about your health and skincare before jumping in feet-first.

What subjects look best as a watercolor tattoo?

Watercolor can be a great addition as a background to any kind of tattoo. It can be added as a layer to any neo traditional stand-alone design, any linework-only tattoo design, or color realism tattoo design. My personal go-to, is a basic black linework design with a watercolor background. This allows for a strong contrast between the subject (black ink) and the background (color ink) and creates a beautiful harmony. My second recommendation is to use a color realism design (flowers are great for this) and using it as a splash or splatter effect in the background to add an extra layer of depth and dimension to the piece.

Flower tattoos (ex: roses, peonies, lilies, hibiscus, lily pads, lotus flowers, chrysanthemums, sunflowers)
Insect tattoos (ex: butterflies, dragonflies, moths, bees, ladybugs)
Nature tattoos (ex: trees, leaves, ferns, dandelions, feathers)
Animal tattoos (ex: foxes, wolves, lions, bears, elephants, turtles, giraffes, horses, fish)
Paw print tattoos and pet portraits (ex: dogs, cats)
Symbols or icons (ex: astrology/star sign/horoscope/zodiac sign, anime, cultural (Celtic, tribal, Chinese), magic)
Any black outline (ex: camera, world map, music notes, compass, anchor, arrows)
Lettering (coordinates, simple words/phrases, names)
Galaxy and space tattoos
Geometric tattoos (ex: geometric animals, circles/lines/dashes)
Silhouette tattoos (ex: mom and daughter shadows walking hand in hand)

View Available Watercolor Designs

Watercolor "Looks" You Can Achieve

Rainbow watercolor blue bird with neon flowers color realism tattoo on a forearm.

Green, teal, blue, and pink watercolor chameleon tattoo on a woman's shoulder.

Rainbow cheetah print watercolor tattoo from hip to knee.

Red, pink, and orange watercolor heart cat paw prints by Tyranicorn.

Watercolor galaxy sunflower tattoo on a man's forearm.

Purple ghost face from the movie, Scream, tattoo on a thigh with blood splatter watercolor.

Galaxy phoenix tattoo on a shoulder, three session rework of an old tattoo.

Rainbow color realism lemur tattoo with pink, purple, and blue galaxy on a woman's calf.

Black and grey neo traditional crow skull with red flame watercolor on a man's forearm.

Rainbow watercolor cat paw prints tattoo on a forearm.

Watercolor bird feather tattoo by Tyranicorn.

Rainbow watercolor dog Patronus and Deathly Hallows symbol.

Rainbow watercolor dog face pet memorial tattoo on a woman's upper arm.

Watercolor dogs from child's sketches, tattoo on a woman's forearm.

Pink, purple, blue, and green galaxy tattoo cover up on a lower leg.

Black and grey watercolor background with neo traditional Ichigo Hollow mask from Bleach anime.

Watercolor lavender flowers tattoo on a woman's ankle.

Pink, purple, and blue pansexual pride watercolor dreamcatcher tattoo on a leg.

Yellow and blue watercolor eye of Horus Egyptian tattoo on a man's forearm.

Pink and purple watercolor galaxy ghost tattoo on a woman's forearm.

Pink watercolor Mew Pokémon tattoo on a woman's leg.

Rainbow watercolor endorphin molecular complex tattoo on an outer thigh.

Rainbow watercolor shiny Eevee Pokémon tattoo with a flower crown on a woman's lower leg.

Rainbow watercolor paw prints for pets on a forearm.

Rainbow watercolor Cubone Pokémon tattoo on an arm.

Rainbow watercolor DNA strand with flowers and bees on a forearm.

Rainbow watercolor Fry and Leela from Futurama.

Blue and purple watercolor phoenix tattoo on a woman's forearm.

Pink, orange, and purple watercolor flower tattoo on a lower calf.

Green and grey watercolor Gir from Invader Zim on a leg.

Invader Zim watercolor tattoo from my premade designs on a calf.

Blue watercolor Stitch tattoo on an arm.

Green and blue watercolor stuffed giraffe tattoo on an outer arm.

Rainbow highland cow with sunflowers with watercolor splashes.

Healed watercolor cat tattoo by Tyranicorn.

Watercolor Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian Little Mermaid tattoo design on a forearm.

Starmie Pokémon tattoo with a trippy watercolor background.

Custom rainbow watercolor half sleeve tattoo.

Green dinosaur holding a purple duck, watercolor tattoo.

Blue and green mushroom watercolor tattoo

Trippy watercolor yellow submarine tattoo.

Single line watercolor mom holding daughter's hand.

Custom realism paw prints of my client's dog's paws.

Rainbow watercolor hibiscus flower tattoo on an ankle.

Gen 2 Pokemon Starters dressed as their evolutions, watercolor tattoo.

Book Your Next Watercolor Tattoo

Watercolor Tattoos

Watercolor "Looks" You Can Achieve

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