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Fr like I came for some insight but I got what I already expected, like how tf can anybody think that a white tattoo will come out like magical white light? I judt want an artistic scar
I actually really love the way that white tattoos look like scars, and I'd think that small linework would minimize discoloration. But the knowledge on how sensitive it is to fading and everything else will at least make my decision to get one an informed one. Thanks!
I've done white tattoos on girls that wanted something small and not so noticeable. I've done letters, hearts, stars, just simple little stuff that was personal to them. At first I tried talking them out of it but the tattoos actually came out good. I did one girl and a week later all her friends wanted to get little white tattoos.
Titanium white pigment is titanium dioxide, so it's already oxidized. Therefore it's not likely that the discoloration is caused by the pigment oxidizing, because it's already oxidized. Titanium can exist in oxidation states other than +4, but these are less stable, and actually less oxidized than the form that appears in the white pigment.
Very good points you have here! Two of my tattoos are purely white, they are simple line work and i got them because i am very pale ( i am talking ghost white) and i wanted them look like scars. Also, i slather them with sunscreen every single day, multiple times a day
If I was to get a white ink tattoo, which I’m not opposed to at all, I’d think simple line work with the intention of having it look like a scar would be pretty cool.
Same here. Left wrist, simple symbol, looks like it is a burn scar. Which is exactly what I wanted. When people notice they think it’s the greatest thing, it appears to be a raised scar. I did it for me, not so much for others to notice, very subtle.... Doesn’t effect my employment. Easily covered with a watch or bracelet. Not something people notice unless they are specifically looking for markings. I’m very fair skinned. It was a bitch to do, and it felt like I had a burn for weeks. Lol Truly love it though!
Years ago I went to a tattoo artist about a white tattoo and he told me hell no, but i will do grey. I'm so glad i listened to my tattoo artist and went with the grey. Still my favorite tattoo ever. LISTEN TO YOUR TATTO ARTIST!
My oldest white tat is 8 yrs old and still solid. Choose your ink wisely. I use kurosumi samurai white. I have 4 large white tats 8yrs 6yrs 4 yrs and 2 mths old. I will say they are the brightest white in the winter when my arm hasn't seen the sun for some time. In the summer as I tan they do yellow a bit but it always goes away in the winter. The most yellowing happens in the first couple years. I recommend to test spot your ink for a year and see how your skin takes it. Only a couple spots on my wrist tat have faded a smidge where I have bend lines. I have been turned away from artist that dont want to put their name on white tats but finally convinced one that my skin will hold it and finally get to finish my sleeve.
but why am i watching? i dont have, or plan to have ink. am i just interested in the art factor of this? this was very informing anyways, enjoyed *thumbs up*
Well done. I've been tattooing for 23 years. I usually don't engage in ANY social media or other CZcams Etc "tattoo related banter". I work hard to keep my professional tattoo life from my personal life. However, you popped up in my stream today and I had to watch. Brilliant! Nicely done and well thought out. Pretty much checked every one of my "why not" boxes as you went down the line. I'll probably watch more of your videos and I may even subscribe (which says a lot as I've mentioned I have zero interest in bringing my "professional" tattoo world into my "personal" world). Well played good sir!
I have medium olive toned skin, my white ink tattoo looks like my skin tone, only lighter. It does get the patchy darker areas, which kind of makes it look like a scarification, but people love it. I get compliments all the time. I put it on the inside of my forearm so it doesn't get as much sun as the rest of my skin.
My white ink collection is now over a year old and has shocked us all by being bold, incredibly bright and unexpectedly very eye catching 🤦🏻♀️ Slight discolouration, no fallout.
I was always told to stay from white ink cause it rarely holds up. Whats your opinion about those hyper realistic tattoos where the artist uses alot of white for values against a very dark back round? It seems cool at first but i feel they will heal poorly.
i have mixed feelings about this. i think it really depends on the specific reference and also the skin type you're dealing with. if the skin is very pale, then the white will stain less and as long as there are other colors / values there to help it hold up in terms of legibility, the worst that can happen is some minor blotches in the white. in a color portrait often times leaving the skin empty instead of putting the white would like weirder than the blotches so putting the white is the lesser of two evils. if the skin is darker, then the blotches will be much more pronounced and happen more often, so it's better to leave empty skin. that can look strange with color realistic tattoos, so i feel like it's better to just go with black and grey in that case. hyper realistic bng tattoos can be done on anyone with skintone that is midtone and lighter. hyper realistic color tattoos should only be done on people that are on the way light end of the spectrum of possible skin tones. just my two cents. i just asked nikko hurtado about this at a seminar last sunday in NYC and he gave a little bit of insight
141johndo agreed I think it is a waste of money and it won’t hold up in 2 years, 5 years, 10years, etc. I’ve had a few folks come in and I told them straight up that I wouldn’t do it or that it wasn’t a good idea.
i wouldn't get one. i've seen a lot of skilled tattoo artists execute them well so that they glow and look even, but every time a client has come back it either doesn't glow at all anymore or does so in a patchy way. this has happened with multiple brands of ink so i think it's just a gimmick that isn't worth trying. as far as safety, i can't speak on it because i don't know what's in that stuff
James Withee any white tattoo should react under black light, so I wouldn't have thought one would need specialized inks. Perhaps that's the gimmick, given that it breaks down the same as the white, from what you said here.
i think that with the uv ink the appeal is that the tattoo doesn't show UNLESS it's under a black light. people get them because they want a "secret" tattoo. white ink tattoos are subtle but still very visible in regular lighting
uv freaks me out. I have a friend who got a tiger on one forearm, and a dragon on the other, with all UV ink. He blistered up so bad, and all of the skin on his arms came off and he was left with what appeared to be 3rd degree burns that never healed. So scary!
I've seen a white ink tattoo before that was linework. It looked ok up close, but from a distance... full disclosure... I thought it looked like a big burn scar on her arm.
My white ink tattoos are my favourite... but then the designs and body positions were carefully chosen. It was hard finding a good artist to apply the first design, but subsequently I have had less problems finding a great artist. I have a solid spiral encircled by an oroborous. Been there over 10 years, and I love it... and I am a professional person, can’t wear “visible” tattoos.. White ink can be beautiful but I agree with your points.
Spiral Python if they are in areas that get zero sun exposure they have less problems with staining / longevity, as I'm sure you've found out. That's a long time to wear a white ink tattoo. It would be interesting to see the way they aged in person
Titanium white is made using titanium dioxide TiO2. Titanium dioxide cannot be oxidized to a higher oxidation state in body conditions. TiO2 is extremely stable that’s why titanium is used when metal has to be implanted in your body.
nice. if you're gonna do it, do it right. if you aren't already, don't forget to put sunblock on them daily. it will help them last longer and stay whiter
ENJOY ALL YOUR VIDEOS....YOU REALLY DESCRIBE THINGS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND TATTOOS. ALSO ITS HELPED ME MAKE UP MY MIND ON SOME OF MY TATTOOS....THANKS AND KEEP IT UP
Freaking love my white tattoos. Love that they are subtle and no one notices them. 5 years and still no one has seen it without me pointing it out. I have “honesty” on my wrist and you can read it easily when I point it out. I want so many more. A also don’t mind that it’s slightly yellowed and matches my skin even more.
I'm probably like a 6 1/2 on the scale of darkness and I wanted a tattoo with white ink in it and my artist advised against it that because it would be unnecessary scarring. I really appreciated her input and I'm still very happy with my tattoo ☺
This has been so helpful! I had contemplated a white ink tattoo against my brown skin, but after listen to your experience, I will stick with black and grey.
Hi James! Could you do a video on white on black tattoos? I have some tattoos I wanna cover, but I don't know if going with white on black or lasering them. Thanks in advance
I have a white ink tattoo that is 2 years old now. It yellowed a bit (which is expected) but didn’t fade at all. My tattoo is big blocked in shapes rather than just linework tough, so I guess that helps on having it maintain shape through time, a lot of people ive seen complain about their white ink tattoos disappearing had really fine lined desings
late, but I just wanted to say I find your theory about melanin production being a main reason the white ink goes beige and patchy to be really interesting. I have white ink as highlights in a colour tattoo on my inner forearm. and I have a solid/only white ink script on my ribs. These are 2 and 3 years old, so still pretty "fresh" when it comes to tattoo standards. But the white in both of them are still bright and very visible, while I've talked to others where the white is gone before the tattoo is even healed. I do also not tan - my body does not produce a normal amount of melanin. I'm pretty light-skinned, and instead of becoming tan or darker, my skin goes straight to burnt - and even when healing the burn it does not darken. I did burn my forearm tattoo a bit, but luckily it did not mess up the white. Now I bathe in sun-lotion whenever outside lol
I think a good example of a white ink tattoo is the one Monami Frost has. Shes a youtuber who has a white snowflake on her face. It looks really cool. She often wears makeup, probably sun protection and lives in a country known for its lack of sun so maybe that helped preserve it haha. Great video by the way. I've been curious about this for awhile. 👍
My white ink and yellow is healing badly, it’s been 6 months and still bumpy and turned a brownish color, kind of like a scar. I did not leave it exposed to sunlight too btw...How to I remove the brownish color? Or can I blast over it with black ink?? Please help!
This was really helpful, thanks! Definitely noticed block white ink looks like crap, but for those of us who want line work and don't tan and don't mind about them not lasting until we're 90, I think they could be a good fit!
Hi, I couldn’t disagree with you more! I think it is unfair to make such blanket statement as you have. Also, there was just to much of “putting my name to work”... frankly unless you’re Picasso of the tattoo world, then maybe. Otherwise, it’s just a tattoo. So, all of my work is white and more than 10 years old. Every one is just as clean, clear and sharp as was originally. Number of reasons. Yes, I agree that the skin tone play a huge part - I’m very pale with cool skin tone which means that my veins are bluish or purplish. Because of my skin, I don’t sunbathe much as I burn so I use 50 sun blocker. I also had a fantastic artist who did all my work. Number of things that she does only apply to white ink. First stencil. She then goes over stencil with water in the machine to ensure no ink is mixed with stencil colour. Then she starts with ink. The BEST QUALITY of white ink is paramount! When done, she does it again. Now let me be clear, it bloody hurts as the same area has been gone over three times! I understood why and I’m ok with that. My work is mixture - graphics, lines, etc using scandi runic stuff, and illustrative items which are not totally linear. I absolutely look after my new tattoos - first week, cover with appropriate products three times a day, then reduce for the next couple of week. ALL perfectly healed. Tattooist prefer not to do it because they can’t be arsed to! So it’s so easy to dismiss it as - it’s a bad idea blah, blah, blah... finally, ALL ink fades. Fact. So don’t tell clients it’s a fact, when it’s simply just your preference. Also, it can look like branding especially when newish. If you want white ink tattoo for whatever your reasons are, explore, find the best in this field and go with it. Happy to be challenged but all I’ve said, I can prove from my perspective and on my body. Not sharing all tattoos for personal reasons but happy to share arms.
Love my white ink tattoos as much as my color and black & greyscale tattoos. After 6 years I'm still totally happy with them. Mine are all linework sigils. But I went in aware of the possible issues and fully accepting of any possible outcomes with them.
White oil paint will turn yellow over time if you keep it in a dark environment. I stored an oil painting in my closet for a long time and it turned yellow (this painting was made with primary titanium white paint) i put it in the sun for a day and it turned white again.
I am very pale and am thinking of getting a white ink tattoo to resemble the freeze brand of my late horse, just the letters "WHF". I'd like to get it pretty close to white because I want it to at least resemble his brand. Any ideas? This would be my first tattoo and on my hip.
I have two in white only and both are dedicated to my Brother.My Brother had sleeves on both arms and they were amazing . I wanted white to look almost like a scar and it totally does and I love them 🤍🤍🤍
I have a white half sleeve of line work only, it’s held up really well the last year, my skin isn’t dark or light so there’s a decent amount of contrast, pretty noticeable
I got a bunch of white ink tattoos (line work only) and they all look pretty good. They yellowed a bit, but my undertones are borderline jaundiced so they just look like neat scars. However, they’re all line work, all relatively small, and all always get sun protection so that probably has a lot to do with it.
4:00 The titanium used as a pigment is titanium dioxide, so it's allready oxidized. It might react with something, but it's probably not "oxidizing" any further. I agree it must have to do with melanin. It probably depends on wether the white pigment happens to end up above or below the melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin). Or maybe as you say, the skin reacts to the foreign pigment and maybe the skin wil develop melanocytes above the pigments. After all your skin randomly develops new pigmented patches all your life anyway. With dark pigments it doesn't matter if it happens to be below or above the melanin in the skin, since it the light will either be absorbed by the melanin or the tattoo pigment anyway, but with white the tattoo pigment tries to reflect the light while melanin absorbs it so the order of the layers is important.
I have had my white tattoo for 6 years now, done by a great artist, she went on it two times in a row. I came back to the same shop after some time and other artists told me it looks bad, altho' I really like the way it looks, a lil bit faded, but still in good form. People often ask me if those are scars, to their surprise it's not
you are most likely correct about the melanin being the reason the tattoo changed colour over time. titanium white is actually titanium dioxide so i don't think it would oxidise any further. i think this is dependent on the grade of titanium white too though due to contaminants.
Hi, so I wanted to ask about brown ink tattoos. Do you think it's a viable option for a more warm, soft looking tattoo without the greenish or blueish tones that black ink tattoos often have?
I have a small white bird on my wrist. Got it like 8 years ago now it looks kind of yellowish and one of the wings can’t even be seen. It will be a cover up in a few months but just wanted to share my experience. Don’t do white ink tattoos they almost look like scars after a few years
I've seen a healed all white tattoo that was nice. It was a large serpent in linework only. The girl was very pale and the tattoo was very subtle, but it was nice. But I've also seen a terrible one. It had a white filled area that healed like a raised darkish crusty skin... like she had a reaction to the ink AND it scarred..
I've got a very dark, bold solid black tattoo with some thin lines of negative space. My artist used white in the negative space, not for color, but to help protect the space from the black bleeding in over time. Within 6 months, the "white" was just skin tone. It just doesn't tan in the summer.
i'll do an aftercare video eventually. saniderm is a good product. i don't use it often but a lot of artists i know swear by it. it's especially good if you want to give the tattoo extra protection from friction that might occur for whatever reason shorty after it's completion
I have no idea how I got here or why I'm watching this, but I'm sooo intrigued by this information! Great video I even have 2 tabs open right now white ink tattoo before and after.
I'm black and I want a white (light brown, pink or whatever color it becomes) tattoo just out of curiosity. I see it as an act of actionism. It's not a finished piece on my body rather then a thing that's evolving. I don't care if it looks like a scar or a weird splash over time. the fact that it changes drastically over time makes it even more interesting for me. sucks that I can't find an artist who agrees on that mindset and is willing to do that on my body...
I have a black and grey tattoo with white in a few areas and my artist was even surprised as how well the white ink took to my skin as im fairly tanned year round let alone in the summer but i wouldnt get a full white tattoo as i feel it wouldnt look as good as the black amd grey
Hey James! Your videos are VERY insightful. Thank you for taking the time to produce them! I was interested in getting some white on black to cover something up... HOWEVER, I ran across this video and am now trying to re-envision my idea. I have (according to the skin color scale and base color palette you produced in your video post about dark skin) a reddish-orange base which falls between 4-6. Based on this info, what colors could possibly work on top of black BESIDES white if I decided to only do an outline of my idea? ON THE OTHER HAND THOUGH... if I went in the opposite direction and decided to try something with a lot of detail on top of all black ink, what would you suggest in terms of colors in relation to skin tone? Would the same rules apply; e.i. avoiding complimentary colors? ... after looking at the blue/green and yellow/green colors in yet ANOTHER tattoo I want to get covered up, I've a much better understanding of what you mean about avoiding certain complimentary colors in relation to the base color of ones' skin tone. You hit the nail on the head explaining what I've not quite been able to make sense of, as said tattoo has not aged well... it also doesn't help that I am colorblind 🤣 Thanks again for your time and effort!
I had some white sections of background and a pair of eyes done in white. Not entirely white art. Got pretty burned out working construction but you can still see it's there'ish. Just got a portrait of my dad done wearing his Marine Corps dress blues with a big white hat. White took good. Could maybe use a little more packed in. Don't think I would ever go with a solely white tattoo.
Guys, help me. I just recently got a white little cross tattoo in my forearm and I don't like it already. Will white ink fade over time? How fast or how long does white ink fade? I wanted it to fade because I wanted it to look like a scar but it never turned that way.
What you can do is design a white ink tattoo that is meant to become patchy and brown some day. I kind of like the idea of a tattoo that is meant to change over time. Not sure how practical it is though.
At least if a white ink tattoo fades and needs more contrast, it should be relatively easy to blast over... What do you think about using a faint contrast shade to counteract the yellow/brown staining? E.g. mixing in some blue or purple for shading and/or in the ink.
I’m brown skinned and would like a coloured butterfly, if I got an area white inked then let it heal and got the coloured butterfly tattooed on top of the healed white ink...would it stand out more or just look the same as if I got the coloured butterfly tattooed straight onto my brown skin?
i wouldn't do this. it'll look like you have a blotchy color tattoo on top of a scar/birthmark. it's better to just get it colored directly on the area without any white beforehand. it depends on your skin tone though. if it's pretty dark, you might just wanna do black and grey instead. unfortunately color tattoos don't look so great on dark brown skin and there isn't any special technique that can change that
Warning: White ink won't go away with laser. Removing white ink is impossible.
Andy Zaturno frs man
Not if you cut off the tattooed body part :D
Wait fr?!?!
Whewwww
so funny I forgot to laugh
I know your basic answer was “no” but all your points made me want to get one even more because those outcomes were exactly what I want
Fr like I came for some insight but I got what I already expected, like how tf can anybody think that a white tattoo will come out like magical white light?
I judt want an artistic scar
Elon Musk does tattoos now?
i'm actually working on a totally battery powered tattoo machine
James Withee yes please
his brother
Elon Musk is Asian now?
Ebon Musk*
I actually really love the way that white tattoos look like scars, and I'd think that small linework would minimize discoloration. But the knowledge on how sensitive it is to fading and everything else will at least make my decision to get one an informed one. Thanks!
I've done white tattoos on girls that wanted something small and not so noticeable. I've done letters, hearts, stars, just simple little stuff that was personal to them. At first I tried talking them out of it but the tattoos actually came out good. I did one girl and a week later all her friends wanted to get little white tattoos.
That's what I want! Small and I don't care if it fades. It's just for me.
Titanium white pigment is titanium dioxide, so it's already oxidized. Therefore it's not likely that the discoloration is caused by the pigment oxidizing, because it's already oxidized. Titanium can exist in oxidation states other than +4, but these are less stable, and actually less oxidized than the form that appears in the white pigment.
I love my white ink tattoo. People often mistake it for a scar
We didn’t ask
@@Benjamin.burrito
How edgy of you.
@@hineraable how corny of you
Very good points you have here! Two of my tattoos are purely white, they are simple line work and i got them because i am very pale ( i am talking ghost white) and i wanted them look like scars. Also, i slather them with sunscreen every single day, multiple times a day
Can you do a video explaining watercolor tattoos and how they age?
yep that's on the list
Fion Lin yess please
They age badly...you need to get it retouched more than one time if your'e planning to keep it like brand new
If I was to get a white ink tattoo, which I’m not opposed to at all, I’d think simple line work with the intention of having it look like a scar would be pretty cool.
soldierside365 yeah I agree I just want a small heart outline on the inside of my wrist
Same bro
Thats pretty much what I got, and I got it for that reason, people always ask if its burned on or a scar they never think its a tattoo
Same here. Left wrist, simple symbol, looks like it is a burn scar. Which is exactly what I wanted. When people notice they think it’s the greatest thing, it appears to be a raised scar. I did it for me, not so much for others to notice, very subtle.... Doesn’t effect my employment. Easily covered with a watch or bracelet. Not something people notice unless they are specifically looking for markings. I’m very fair skinned. It was a bitch to do, and it felt like I had a burn for weeks. Lol Truly love it though!
@@hillarybanks2773 im literally getting that exact white ink tattoo!!!!
You should actually show examples of what you’re discussing.
exactly idk wtf he's talkin about
Years ago I went to a tattoo artist about a white tattoo and he told me hell no, but i will do grey. I'm so glad i listened to my tattoo artist and went with the grey. Still my favorite tattoo ever. LISTEN TO YOUR TATTO ARTIST!
My oldest white tat is 8 yrs old and still solid. Choose your ink wisely. I use kurosumi samurai white. I have 4 large white tats 8yrs 6yrs 4 yrs and 2 mths old. I will say they are the brightest white in the winter when my arm hasn't seen the sun for some time. In the summer as I tan they do yellow a bit but it always goes away in the winter. The most yellowing happens in the first couple years. I recommend to test spot your ink for a year and see how your skin takes it. Only a couple spots on my wrist tat have faded a smidge where I have bend lines. I have been turned away from artist that dont want to put their name on white tats but finally convinced one that my skin will hold it and finally get to finish my sleeve.
but why am i watching? i dont have, or plan to have ink. am i just interested in the art factor of this?
this was very informing anyways, enjoyed *thumbs up*
Well done. I've been tattooing for 23 years. I usually don't engage in ANY social media or other CZcams Etc "tattoo related banter". I work hard to keep my professional tattoo life from my personal life. However, you popped up in my stream today and I had to watch. Brilliant! Nicely done and well thought out. Pretty much checked every one of my "why not" boxes as you went down the line. I'll probably watch more of your videos and I may even subscribe (which says a lot as I've mentioned I have zero interest in bringing my "professional" tattoo world into my "personal" world). Well played good sir!
I have medium olive toned skin, my white ink tattoo looks like my skin tone, only lighter. It does get the patchy darker areas, which kind of makes it look like a scarification, but people love it. I get compliments all the time. I put it on the inside of my forearm so it doesn't get as much sun as the rest of my skin.
Dude you're fucking good at this. I hope you continue to thrive cause your ability to explain things correctly through your experiences is fantastic.
My white ink collection is now over a year old and has shocked us all by being bold, incredibly bright and unexpectedly very eye catching 🤦🏻♀️ Slight discolouration, no fallout.
Could you make a follow up video of your tattoos so we can see how they've turned out? x
76 people have white ink tattoos
Make that 107
I was always told to stay from white ink cause it rarely holds up. Whats your opinion about those hyper realistic tattoos where the artist uses alot of white for values against a very dark back round? It seems cool at first but i feel they will heal poorly.
i have mixed feelings about this. i think it really depends on the specific reference and also the skin type you're dealing with. if the skin is very pale, then the white will stain less and as long as there are other colors / values there to help it hold up in terms of legibility, the worst that can happen is some minor blotches in the white. in a color portrait often times leaving the skin empty instead of putting the white would like weirder than the blotches so putting the white is the lesser of two evils. if the skin is darker, then the blotches will be much more pronounced and happen more often, so it's better to leave empty skin. that can look strange with color realistic tattoos, so i feel like it's better to just go with black and grey in that case. hyper realistic bng tattoos can be done on anyone with skintone that is midtone and lighter. hyper realistic color tattoos should only be done on people that are on the way light end of the spectrum of possible skin tones. just my two cents. i just asked nikko hurtado about this at a seminar last sunday in NYC and he gave a little bit of insight
141johndo agreed I think it is a waste of money and it won’t hold up in 2 years, 5 years, 10years, etc. I’ve had a few folks come in and I told them straight up that I wouldn’t do it or that it wasn’t a good idea.
What's your opinion on UV blacklight tattoos? Do they hold up well? Is the ink safe?
i wouldn't get one. i've seen a lot of skilled tattoo artists execute them well so that they glow and look even, but every time a client has come back it either doesn't glow at all anymore or does so in a patchy way. this has happened with multiple brands of ink so i think it's just a gimmick that isn't worth trying. as far as safety, i can't speak on it because i don't know what's in that stuff
James Withee any white tattoo should react under black light, so I wouldn't have thought one would need specialized inks. Perhaps that's the gimmick, given that it breaks down the same as the white, from what you said here.
i think that with the uv ink the appeal is that the tattoo doesn't show UNLESS it's under a black light. people get them because they want a "secret" tattoo. white ink tattoos are subtle but still very visible in regular lighting
uv freaks me out. I have a friend who got a tiger on one forearm, and a dragon on the other, with all UV ink. He blistered up so bad, and all of the skin on his arms came off and he was left with what appeared to be 3rd degree burns that never healed. So scary!
If you go to his video about uv tattoos there is a pinned comment with how they work and the safety
@9:05 This is why you clicked on the video, still packed with good info I watched 3-4 times
I've seen a white ink tattoo before that was linework. It looked ok up close, but from a distance... full disclosure... I thought it looked like a big burn scar on her arm.
My white ink tattoos are my favourite... but then the designs and body positions were carefully chosen. It was hard finding a good artist to apply the first design, but subsequently I have had less problems finding a great artist. I have a solid spiral encircled by an oroborous. Been there over 10 years, and I love it... and I am a professional person, can’t wear “visible” tattoos..
White ink can be beautiful but I agree with your points.
Spiral Python if they are in areas that get zero sun exposure they have less problems with staining / longevity, as I'm sure you've found out. That's a long time to wear a white ink tattoo. It would be interesting to see the way they aged in person
Titanium white is made using titanium dioxide TiO2. Titanium dioxide cannot be oxidized to a higher oxidation state in body conditions. TiO2 is extremely stable that’s why titanium is used when metal has to be implanted in your body.
I only have white ink tattoos, strictly line work, zero sun exposure 🖤
nice. if you're gonna do it, do it right. if you aren't already, don't forget to put sunblock on them daily. it will help them last longer and stay whiter
James Withee Definitely! I use 50+ UV A & B protective sunscreen - especially in Australia haha
I do too! I have both of my rib cages done. 🥰
ENJOY ALL YOUR VIDEOS....YOU REALLY DESCRIBE THINGS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND TATTOOS. ALSO ITS HELPED ME MAKE UP MY MIND ON SOME OF MY TATTOOS....THANKS AND KEEP IT UP
Freaking love my white tattoos. Love that they are subtle and no one notices them. 5 years and still no one has seen it without me pointing it out. I have “honesty” on my wrist and you can read it easily when I point it out. I want so many more. A also don’t mind that it’s slightly yellowed and matches my skin even more.
I’m thinking of getting one on my wrist too White and Blue letterings, I wonder if having olive skin would be a problem.
I was worried for a minute but the kind of white tattoo I would get is what you said would work. Just simple lineart.
I'm probably like a 6 1/2 on the scale of darkness and I wanted a tattoo with white ink in it and my artist advised against it that because it would be unnecessary scarring. I really appreciated her input and I'm still very happy with my tattoo ☺
This has been so helpful! I had contemplated a white ink tattoo against my brown skin, but after listen to your experience, I will stick with black and grey.
I have a white tattoo, it’s 15 years old and still looks lovely. I’m trying to find an artist to do more and no one in the world will 😢
Hi James! Could you do a video on white on black tattoos? I have some tattoos I wanna cover, but I don't know if going with white on black or lasering them. Thanks in advance
I have a white ink tattoo that is 2 years old now. It yellowed a bit (which is expected) but didn’t fade at all. My tattoo is big blocked in shapes rather than just linework tough, so I guess that helps on having it maintain shape through time, a lot of people ive seen complain about their white ink tattoos disappearing had really fine lined desings
late, but I just wanted to say I find your theory about melanin production being a main reason the white ink goes beige and patchy to be really interesting. I have white ink as highlights in a colour tattoo on my inner forearm. and I have a solid/only white ink script on my ribs. These are 2 and 3 years old, so still pretty "fresh" when it comes to tattoo standards. But the white in both of them are still bright and very visible, while I've talked to others where the white is gone before the tattoo is even healed. I do also not tan - my body does not produce a normal amount of melanin. I'm pretty light-skinned, and instead of becoming tan or darker, my skin goes straight to burnt - and even when healing the burn it does not darken. I did burn my forearm tattoo a bit, but luckily it did not mess up the white. Now I bathe in sun-lotion whenever outside lol
I’m still doing it, none of these really apply to what I’m getting. The general census seems to be “sunlight=damage”
I think a good example of a white ink tattoo is the one Monami Frost has. Shes a youtuber who has a white snowflake on her face. It looks really cool. She often wears makeup, probably sun protection and lives in a country known for its lack of sun so maybe that helped preserve it haha. Great video by the way. I've been curious about this for awhile. 👍
My white ink and yellow is healing badly, it’s been 6 months and still bumpy and turned a brownish color, kind of like a scar. I did not leave it exposed to sunlight too btw...How to I remove the brownish color? Or can I blast over it with black ink?? Please help!
I love it. It looks like scarification.
This was really helpful, thanks! Definitely noticed block white ink looks like crap, but for those of us who want line work and don't tan and don't mind about them not lasting until we're 90, I think they could be a good fit!
Hi, I couldn’t disagree with you more! I think it is unfair to make such blanket statement as you have. Also, there was just to much of “putting my name to work”... frankly unless you’re Picasso of the tattoo world, then maybe. Otherwise, it’s just a tattoo.
So, all of my work is white and more than 10 years old. Every one is just as clean, clear and sharp as was originally. Number of reasons. Yes, I agree that the skin tone play a huge part - I’m very pale with cool skin tone which means that my veins are bluish or purplish. Because of my skin, I don’t sunbathe much as I burn so I use 50 sun blocker. I also had a fantastic artist who did all my work. Number of things that she does only apply to white ink. First stencil. She then goes over stencil with water in the machine to ensure no ink is mixed with stencil colour. Then she starts with ink. The BEST QUALITY of white ink is paramount! When done, she does it again. Now let me be clear, it bloody hurts as the same area has been gone over three times! I understood why and I’m ok with that. My work is mixture - graphics, lines, etc using scandi runic stuff, and illustrative items which are not totally linear. I absolutely look after my new tattoos - first week, cover with appropriate products three times a day, then reduce for the next couple of week. ALL perfectly healed. Tattooist prefer not to do it because they can’t be arsed to! So it’s so easy to dismiss it as - it’s a bad idea blah, blah, blah... finally, ALL ink fades. Fact. So don’t tell clients it’s a fact, when it’s simply just your preference. Also, it can look like branding especially when newish.
If you want white ink tattoo for whatever your reasons are, explore, find the best in this field and go with it. Happy to be challenged but all I’ve said, I can prove from my perspective and on my body. Not sharing all tattoos for personal reasons but happy to share arms.
Love my white ink tattoos as much as my color and black & greyscale tattoos. After 6 years I'm still totally happy with them. Mine are all linework sigils. But I went in aware of the possible issues and fully accepting of any possible outcomes with them.
White oil paint will turn yellow over time if you keep it in a dark environment. I stored an oil painting in my closet for a long time and it turned yellow (this painting was made with primary titanium white paint) i put it in the sun for a day and it turned white again.
"Titanium" in the ink is actually titanium DIOXIDE - won't oxidize, because it is already an oxide.
I am very pale and am thinking of getting a white ink tattoo to resemble the freeze brand of my late horse, just the letters "WHF". I'd like to get it pretty close to white because I want it to at least resemble his brand. Any ideas? This would be my first tattoo and on my hip.
It definitely is down to the melanin in your skin that is the reason why the white will change
I have two in white only and both are dedicated to my Brother.My Brother had sleeves on both arms and they were amazing . I wanted white to look almost like a scar and it totally does and I love them 🤍🤍🤍
I have a white half sleeve of line work only, it’s held up really well the last year, my skin isn’t dark or light so there’s a decent amount of contrast, pretty noticeable
nice
I have seen white tattoos look orange after they are done
I got a bunch of white ink tattoos (line work only) and they all look pretty good. They yellowed a bit, but my undertones are borderline jaundiced so they just look like neat scars. However, they’re all line work, all relatively small, and all always get sun protection so that probably has a lot to do with it.
4:00 The titanium used as a pigment is titanium dioxide, so it's allready oxidized. It might react with something, but it's probably not "oxidizing" any further.
I agree it must have to do with melanin. It probably depends on wether the white pigment happens to end up above or below the melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin). Or maybe as you say, the skin reacts to the foreign pigment and maybe the skin wil develop melanocytes above the pigments. After all your skin randomly develops new pigmented patches all your life anyway.
With dark pigments it doesn't matter if it happens to be below or above the melanin in the skin, since it the light will either be absorbed by the melanin or the tattoo pigment anyway, but with white the tattoo pigment tries to reflect the light while melanin absorbs it so the order of the layers is important.
pretty much my thoughts exactly
I have had my white tattoo for 6 years now, done by a great artist, she went on it two times in a row. I came back to the same shop after some time and other artists told me it looks bad, altho' I really like the way it looks, a lil bit faded, but still in good form. People often ask me if those are scars, to their surprise it's not
you are most likely correct about the melanin being the reason the tattoo changed colour over time. titanium white is actually titanium dioxide so i don't think it would oxidise any further. i think this is dependent on the grade of titanium white too though due to contaminants.
Yeah, I’ll just keep my tattoos regular color ..thanks
If your body rejects white ink, or you are hesitant to have white highlights, a vibrant light blue is a great alternative.
As always thank you for taking time to explain all this in detail. Also it’s just good to see your face again.😊
I have a tattoo that's too black..if I let the artist do it over in white ink would that lighten it?
Is it normal for white highlights to look pink after 2 weeks?
man i wanted to get a white snow flake lol
Hi, so I wanted to ask about brown ink tattoos. Do you think it's a viable option for a more warm, soft looking tattoo without the greenish or blueish tones that black ink tattoos often have?
This is educational! Good content as always. Keep uploading to grow
I have a small white bird on my wrist. Got it like 8 years ago now it looks kind of yellowish and one of the wings can’t even be seen. It will be a cover up in a few months but just wanted to share my experience. Don’t do white ink tattoos they almost look like scars after a few years
White tattoos look amazing on black skin. At least from what I see online they do
Having got most of my tattoos over 20 years ago I can testify that white ink doesn't hold , every place that's white is gone .
true facts. gotta get it touched up once in a while
Anyone know why white ink hurts way more than normal black ink?
Hi sir. Which white ink is best for highlighting portrait. Examples : lips, eye balls ,nose & zeus beard.
I've seen a healed all white tattoo that was nice. It was a large serpent in linework only. The girl was very pale and the tattoo was very subtle, but it was nice. But I've also seen a terrible one. It had a white filled area that healed like a raised darkish crusty skin... like she had a reaction to the ink AND it scarred..
I hope your channel gets big.
Titanium white is literally Titanium Oxide. The pigment IS oxidation
I have a black tattoo and it goes "mild". If i would like i white on top if it, can i have a good contrast of that white?
So some white ink in a colorful tattoo should be OK?
I've got a very dark, bold solid black tattoo with some thin lines of negative space. My artist used white in the negative space, not for color, but to help protect the space from the black bleeding in over time.
Within 6 months, the "white" was just skin tone. It just doesn't tan in the summer.
Can you do a video explaining why your body rejects certain colors, like white, red or yellow?
just get scarification; it'll heal up paler than ur natural skin and looks way cooler :^)
yes it does look way better. i don't think it works too well on black ppl though. they keloid way easier
I'm high af right now and hearing you say melanin is "the shit that makes your skin brown" was too fucking funny
How do you feel on people getting white tattoo designs over a blackout area on the skin?
I love your videos! Can you explain/talk about aftercare? What are your thoughts on products like saniderm?
i'll do an aftercare video eventually. saniderm is a good product. i don't use it often but a lot of artists i know swear by it. it's especially good if you want to give the tattoo extra protection from friction that might occur for whatever reason shorty after it's completion
Thanks man! Looking forward to it.
I have no idea how I got here or why I'm watching this, but I'm sooo intrigued by this information! Great video I even have 2 tabs open right now white ink tattoo before and after.
I'm black and I want a white (light brown, pink or whatever color it becomes) tattoo just out of curiosity. I see it as an act of actionism. It's not a finished piece on my body rather then a thing that's evolving. I don't care if it looks like a scar or a weird splash over time. the fact that it changes drastically over time makes it even more interesting for me. sucks that I can't find an artist who agrees on that mindset and is willing to do that on my body...
I have a black and grey tattoo with white in a few areas and my artist was even surprised as how well the white ink took to my skin as im fairly tanned year round let alone in the summer but i wouldnt get a full white tattoo as i feel it wouldnt look as good as the black amd grey
Thanks for always giving such thorough information and professional analysis!
White ink never holds in my skin usually doesn’t survive the healing process my skin rejects the ink and scabs completely off
I have darker skin and he put white ink for my first tattoo and during the healing process it mainly all fell out
What about white ink over solid black ink ?
The answer to why it is NOT a good idea is at 2:50. I've had this question myself for a while.
Hey James! Your videos are VERY insightful. Thank you for taking the time to produce them!
I was interested in getting some white on black to cover something up... HOWEVER, I ran across this video and am now trying to re-envision my idea. I have (according to the skin color scale and base color palette you produced in your video post about dark skin) a reddish-orange base which falls between 4-6.
Based on this info, what colors could possibly work on top of black BESIDES white if I decided to only do an outline of my idea?
ON THE OTHER HAND THOUGH... if I went in the opposite direction and decided to try something with a lot of detail on top of all black ink, what would you suggest in terms of colors in relation to skin tone? Would the same rules apply; e.i. avoiding complimentary colors?
... after looking at the blue/green and yellow/green colors in yet ANOTHER tattoo I want to get covered up, I've a much better understanding of what you mean about avoiding certain complimentary colors in relation to the base color of ones' skin tone. You hit the nail on the head explaining what I've not quite been able to make sense of, as said tattoo has not aged well... it also doesn't help that I am colorblind 🤣
Thanks again for your time and effort!
I had some white sections of background and a pair of eyes done in white. Not entirely white art. Got pretty burned out working construction but you can still see it's there'ish. Just got a portrait of my dad done wearing his Marine Corps dress blues with a big white hat. White took good. Could maybe use a little more packed in. Don't think I would ever go with a solely white tattoo.
Guys, help me. I just recently got a white little cross tattoo in my forearm and I don't like it already. Will white ink fade over time? How fast or how long does white ink fade? I wanted it to fade because I wanted it to look like a scar but it never turned that way.
Can you lighten up black and grey tattoos with white ink? Thank you
What you can do is design a white ink tattoo that is meant to become patchy and brown some day. I kind of like the idea of a tattoo that is meant to change over time. Not sure how practical it is though.
Can white ink erase solid black ink? I had 4 tats,big ones and I only heard white ink in tattooing like pure white ink thing😅
I love my white ink tattoo! All of my “black” tattoos turned blue after a year… 🙄 I think that’s just the canvas and comes with the territory. 😅
My friend (whom has no experience with tattoos) recommended white tattoos and as beautiful as they look it’s difficult to get right
I love your videos man! Always waiting for the next one. And this video answers one question I always thought
Would a white star with a black outline be bad?
At least if a white ink tattoo fades and needs more contrast, it should be relatively easy to blast over... What do you think about using a faint contrast shade to counteract the yellow/brown staining? E.g. mixing in some blue or purple for shading and/or in the ink.
I know I definitely wouldn't wanna full white one due to that yellowing mine is beige about half the year even as highlights.
What if it's a white circle fully surrounded by black? Will it still disappear?
Any time he cusses it throws me off because he doesn't do often in his videos lol
I’m brown skinned and would like a coloured butterfly, if I got an area white inked then let it heal and got the coloured butterfly tattooed on top of the healed white ink...would it stand out more or just look the same as if I got the coloured butterfly tattooed straight onto my brown skin?
i wouldn't do this. it'll look like you have a blotchy color tattoo on top of a scar/birthmark. it's better to just get it colored directly on the area without any white beforehand. it depends on your skin tone though. if it's pretty dark, you might just wanna do black and grey instead. unfortunately color tattoos don't look so great on dark brown skin and there isn't any special technique that can change that
James Withee your help is much appreciated, keep up the good work.