Some tattoo artists are warning their clients against a new ink trend — here's why

Social media has made it easier than ever to share cool tattoo ideas. Instagram and Pinterest are great sources of inspiration, especially given how contemporary tattoo artists are getting more creative than ever with the medium.

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But is there a danger in the quick spread of new styles?

One particular trend has taken off in the last five years: "watercolor" tattoos.

Watercolor Tattoo
TorriPhoto/Getty

This aesthetically pleasing body art greatly resembles free form watercolor paintings, with bright colors and abstract inspirations.

But before you add a watercolor tattoo to your "must-have" list, it is important to recognize a broiling debate among the tattoo community.

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Scroll down to learn more about watercolor tattoos, and the arguments on either side of the discussion around the trend.

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Here's an example of watercolor tattooing. The colors are vibrant and often smoothly blend with one another just as paint would.

A photo posted by Rodrigo Tas (@rodrigotas)

This piece is by Rodrigo Tas. Another tattoo by him made it to the front page of the /r/tattoos subreddit. A debate began in the comments, starting with, "That does not look like it will age well."

But what exactly does that mean?

When tattoos age, often the ink begins to spread a bit, blurring previously sharp lines. This is an example of the before and after of a 15-year-old tattoo.

Celtic Tattoo before and after
inkregret.wordpress.com

You can see how much the black ink has spread, blurring the previously crisp lines.

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The concern with watercolor tattoos is the lack of dark and defined lines. Once the ink begins to fade and blur, will the abstract image become a big blob of indiscernible color?

A photo posted by Aleksandra Katsan (@dopeindulgence)

Many internet users express this concern, especially on Reddit. The debate about Rodrigo Tas' piece carried on with comments like "in ten years it won't look so great" and "It seems pretty apparent that the colors will fade/blur together."

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Watercolor tattoos have only been in style for about five years. It's hard to find one aged enough to settle the argument, but there are tattoo artists who have publicly defended the style. Joel Wright is one of them.

A photo posted by Joel Wright (@wrightzen)

Wright took to his blog in 2013, explaining that "if you have a tattoo that is almost all shaded coloring with very little black then you have tattoo that could fade a little quicker. That does not mean it will."

He goes on to explain the many factors that can affect a tattoo's longevity. Sun exposure and skin damage can do a lot of harm.

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In his blog post, Wright essentially concluded that anyone seeking a tattoo shouldn't be overly concerned with how it will look in 20-plus years. After all, touching up a tattoo down the road isn't atypical. Another artist, Deanna Wardin, has a different argument.

A photo posted by Deanna Wardin (@graphicward)

Wardin believes watercolor tattoos can absolutely last a lifetime — if they had a strong black line base. In a 2014 blog post, Wardin said:

It is true that watercolor tattoos with little to no black, and all soft colors will probably fade much quicker than a traditional tattoo, but here is the kicker… watercolor tattoos can and should use high contrast and a black base. That way if some of the colors begin to fade, there is still a skeleton to the piece and it will still read well as it ages.

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Gene Coffey is a skilled watercolor tattoo artist who often designs his work with lots of dark linework. It's possible that his approach to watercolor may be the longer-lasting one. But not every artist has the skill to pull it off.

A photo posted by Gene Coffey (@mrcoffeybean)

In a 2014 interview with Tattrx's Morgan English, Coffey admitted he was getting "turned off from the 'watercolor tattoos.' Mostly because they seem to have become an excuse for just doing bad tattoos. If you search Instagram for #watercolortattoo, it's filled with badly done, poorly conceived tattoos that are going to stay out there in the world forever."

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Coffey explained how the trendiness of watercolor tattoos meant "every shop has people coming in and asking for it. But [many tattooers] can't do it." Fads inherently mean that copycats will spring up. Here's an example of a master watercolor tattoo:

A photo posted by @ondrashtattoo

Source: Tattrx
Ondrash is in the Czech Republic. Those who can't travel to get inked may turn to alternative artists with less experience in tattooing. This lion piece is one of his best — originally posted in late 2012.

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This is an example found under #watercolorlion on Instagram. It's one of many that are similar in coloring and composition to Ondrash's work.

A photo posted by Kaitlyn Teressa (@kaitlynteressa)

As Gene Coffey said, "It's just like anything else, if you haven't done it and aren't familiar with it, you aren't going to do a good job."

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Another watercolor master is Sasha Unisex, the highly sought-after Russian tattoo artist who specializes in tightly composed watercolors.

A photo posted by Sasha Unisex © (@sashaunisex)

This is an example of her work, freshly photographed.

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Here's what the tattoo looked like about 14 weeks later. You can see the color already fading a little, which is normal, but overall there has been no loss of detail.

A photo posted by ●we make wooden brooches (@wafwafgoods)

This is only a matter of months, though. The true test will be more than 10 years down the road, and unfortunately fans of this style will have to wait to see the results.

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The takeaway lesson from the debate about watercolor tattoos is not as simple as "don't do it." Instead, it all boils down to education. The most important thing a first-timer can do is learn about the art they are seeking out.

A photo posted by Gene Coffey (@mrcoffeybean)

This is more of Gene Coffey's stunning work, which incorporates lots of black to hold the image together.

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Find an experienced artist who specializes in watercolor tattoos, and know that the artwork may fade faster, requiring more frequent touch-ups.

A photo posted by @ondrashtattoo

In the end, body modification is always a highly personal choice, but knowing the pros and cons behind any modern trend — one so new that future outcomes are unpredictable — is an essential part of making that choice. 

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