I usually prefer tattoos before coloring.

[Omi]

Whenever someone gets a complicated piece, I find it nicer before it's colored.

Here's the tattoo a girl I know got on her thigh. I liked it a lot at the first stage. Then it seems to me the colors have blurred the original artwork and lessened its "impact".

I guess I prefer simplicity.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/Omi-san/beforeandafter.jpg

[Billy Klubb]

Whenever someone gets a complicated piece, I find it nicer before it's colored.

Here's the tattoo a girl I know got on her thigh. I liked it a lot at the first stage. Then it seems to me the colors have blurred the original artwork and lessened its "impact".

I guess I prefer simplicity.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/Omi-san/beforeandafter.jpg
I can see what you're saying, but the color work is damn good too. one of the artists I go to has Iron Maidens Trooper done on his gut. if it wasn't for the color, you'd see only a few lines. sometimes color is very important to the work being done. just look at the color transitions in the flower. it might as well not exsist if the color wasn't there.

[Johnny Rebel]

I know what your saying; I've seen that happen to a really good looking piece. However I've also seen some colored in ones where the linework is still visible and enhanced by the color rather than hindered.

[Truth]

I can see what you're saying, but the color work is damn good too. one of the artists I go to has Iron Maidens Trooper done on his gut. if it wasn't for the color, you'd see only a few lines. sometimes color is very important to the work being done. just look at the color transitions in the flower. it might as well not exsist if the color wasn't there.

True. The flower is much better with the color.

But in general...

I think the piece would've been better if the fox wasn't colored. There are so many bright colors together that it at first looks like a blur. There's no focal point or nothing.

The clouds in the back look awesome though.

[Billy Klubb]

True. The flower is much better with the color.

But in general...

I think the piece would've been better if the fox wasn't colored. There are so many bright colors together that it at first looks like a blur. There's no focal point or nothing.

The clouds in the back look awesome though.
I disagree. the point I see right away is the foxes head. besides, she'd have color and highlights on everything but the fox? the consistancy looks too important to leave out.

[Skones]

There's no focal point or nothing.

Look north a ways...is that? Could it be?? It is!!!

[magnetmaz]

I'm getting mine colored on tuesday ...and i'm a bit concerned as to whether i will like it better as just linework or filled in. I just figure that for as good as my artist is with linework, he's probably going to amaze me when he shades it.

[weknowhowtolive]

I agree...i like tattoo's with minimal color...black, grey, blue, dark green, dark brown/reds...they look alright...brighter colors...eh..not my thing unless its a small detail.

[militarymite]

It's the composition that makes a work good. Color or absence of it are only elements of the composition. It should be up to the artist to decide which elements he or she needs to communicate their idea.

[Pride and Loyalty]

I tend to think that color is part of the composition of the tattoo. For instance, if you really want to get it to pop, you dont put a lot of the same color values together. You need a good variation f lights, darks, and midtones to really make a tattoo or any art in general look good. Too much of one thing makes the piece boring and it tends to wash itself out.

[Pride and Loyalty]

also, it's a personal opinion, but i think there's more tone variation on the fox piece when it was just black and grey. would would have really looked sweet is if you kept everything black and grey and just did that flower at the top left in different shades of red ink only (no black outline.)

[PUNISHER]

Sometimes I think colour is gay, sometimes it works... but most of the time I think it's gay... It's a caveman thing.

[Oz.]

Whenever someone gets a complicated piece, I find it nicer before it's colored.

Here's the tattoo a girl I know got on her thigh. I liked it a lot at the first stage. Then it seems to me the colors have blurred the original artwork and lessened its "impact".

I guess I prefer simplicity.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/Omi-san/beforeandafter.jpg

I see exactly where you're coming from. The thing that jumps out at me is the lack of black underlying the colours. You see that more and more these days. Beautiful colourbombs without a solid foundation. The flower, for example, will look like shit in a decade. Black holds shit together. If you're not gonna push it in with the colours, you're better off sticking with outlines. That's my two bits.