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Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

Random question here that I just thought of...

Say you got a tattoo. In this case, the tattoo is going to be 2 parallel lines for the sake of making this easier to explain. Say you get the two lines relatively close to each other. First question is, what is the likely hood that the lines could over time blur to potentially "merge" together? Keep in mind, when they were originally tattooed, they were far enough apart to be completely separate (let's say by a milimeter or two).

Now, say they DO merge together. But you don't want them to. What can you do? Can you get a color that's close to skin color to tattoo in between to retain the straight/sharp lines? What if the tattoo is black? Can that still be done?

Just a random question...

Garyzda1 · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:51 pm Post subject:

This kind of stuff is case by case. It has to be seen and evaluated by the tattooist/artist to come with a plan that's going to work.

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

But is there such a thing as using a skin colored ink to tattoo in between the lines to reduce the merging of the lines, even if they are black? Is it even likely that such a thing could happen? I mean I know sometimes tattoos can fade if you don't take care of them and get a lot of sun, but is it possible for the ink in your skin to "bleed" enough to merge other objects together?

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

Okay so due to the lack of additional responses I was thinking about what I was trying to say.

Let's just put it this way.

I understand tattoos can fade, in which people say oh go get it touched up. Which essentially means getting it re-tattooed overtop of the existing one to therefore make it darker. K, good, we all know that.

But my question is... tattoos can fade. Fact. However, can tattoos "blur" by "bleeding" out to the sides? Like can my tattoo potentially get blurry, however, "spread out" during the process? Or do tattoos typically stay 100% stationary, and that they just simply become lighter, lighter, etc over time?

And also, still curious to know if you can use skin colored ink to lighten up an area of a tattoo...

mmm36 · Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject:

I think that is a yes to the tattoo's blur as you have put it, though I'm not sure if the term you are using is right. I have got now one old tattoo. when done the lines were thinner than now, so this is thae yes side of the blur or bleed.
The other part to your first question if you got the two lines just get them a little further apart so there is no way that they can blur< bleed inot one another.
And I do think that all tattoo's over time will fade even if they don't get direct sun light on them. But if they do well then you will find they will fade more than the ones that see no direct sunlight.
I had two old tattoo's one now is covered over with an new thing and I'm waiting to get the other one done soon. Both these had fine lines and colour but now they both were close enough to being just black and no colour, with thicker lines that in the beginning. But both have been in direct sunlight for most of their time on me, to.

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

So for those people who get incredibly detailed sleeves and whatnot, is there no helping them? Granted you can go in for touchups, but I thought you can't necessarily go over black. What then? If they have black in their sleeve, and they can't go over it, then it sounds like they're SOL...

I mean, there's no way to retain the exact size of your tattoo, is there? Like there's no way to actually prevent it from spreading out over time?

smc4312 · Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:37 am Post subject:

In my experience around the 10 year mark detailed tattoos, especially of peoples faces etc.. start to look blury and the eyes lose some fine detailing.

Skin stretches, colour tone is lost from sun exposure. That sort of stuff is going to happen. Get touchups regularly, care for your tattoo (put sunscreen on just the tattoo when you go out in the sun - leaving the skin around it to tan) and you'll get the best time out of it.

Personally faded tattoos dont look bad to me, just different. Theyve got character.

SMC4312

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

I agree. Some faded tattoos look good. It's just when you get that strange color effect with some styles of fading that make it look like it's in need of a touch up.

Like I said, I was just curious. I mean, with those people who get barcode tattoos on their wrist/neck (which there's quite a few where I work) I was always just curious how it'll look when they're older. I drew my tattoo with keeping in mind that it may stretch and change a bit over time, so I designed it with enough "leeway room" to allow that. With a barcode, the lines are just so close and fine that I wondered what an aged look of it was like.

smc4312 · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:27 am Post subject:

Lets just say - You won't scan at the checkout anymore. Smile

SMC4312

rowdy · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:06 am Post subject:

The till girl will be shouting PRICE CHECK AISLE THREE.

how do you spell aisle ill ile heil .

Hey obe spell aiesle for me please mate. Smile

oh_bugger · Tattoo addict Joined: 13 Sep 2006 Posts: 518

[quote="rowdy"]The till girl will be shouting PRICE CHECK AISLE THREE.

how do you spell aisle ill ile heil .

Hey obe spell aiesle for me please mate. Smile

[/quote]

Nurse Rowdy needs his meds

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

I guess my point is, when it comes to keeping lines sharp and vivid, you have to get it touched up. Well, over time, you guys say that the ink in your skin can "bleed out" a bit.

So what do you do is there's two lines close together and they merge together from the bleeding out effect? Is there anything you can do to keep that from happening?

smc4312 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:58 am Post subject:

Get a touchup, with white/skin color ink where-ever you think it needs it?

SMC4312

Roasted · Tattoo lover Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 24

Would that work? Could that color go over top of a faded black color? Or would it look milky and get messed up?

smc4312 · Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:52 am Post subject:

It looks kind of milky but ive only ever seen it when its been used as the skin of a portrait of a person.

Its hardly noticeable, best that you ask your artist if thats a good idea or not.

smc4312

P.S Im extremely drunk on jack daniels right now.

robertz · Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:11 pm Post subject:

lol jack daniels, lovely drink Very Happy

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