Purple Lily

A bit too soft for my taste, but she wanted it super soft. I usually do black shading under my colors. Also, I hate purple. I rarely see it done right in a tattoo so it's always struck me as a 'dull & blah' color. It looks so flat and boring, but I have seen it on rare occasions done nicely and I always find it cool to see someone make the gross color actually look good.
This tattoo to me looks bland. Most realism artists that I've watched videos about say they never use black in their work. At the most they'll dip the color they're using in black to make a darker shade of it. To me, that's using black. Because if you took those tattoos and removed all the colors from it, there would still be a black and gray tattoo left over cuz of all the black they mixed with their colors. I prefer to do a total black and gray tattoo then color over it. it helps shape it better and makes blending easier to me. Also there's not as much solid tattooing that way, it's all done by just brushing shades over each other rather than dipping in black to darken a spot then back into white or another lighter color to lighten again. I always said let the gray tones in the black and gray work do the lights and darks to the color layed over top of it. I used to always get pissed off though cuz I could never do a super soft tattoo cuz of all the black I use, but now that I did the no black thing in this flower, I don't care for that technique with no black shading. Thats just me though, others might think the opposite. But I've always done the black shading cuz of words that were said to me when I was apprenticing, "If all the color falls out 20 years from now, atleast they'll still have a nice black and gray tattoo.' These were words from a very wise man who accomplished alot. Until I have accomplished more than he ever did, I will always take the advise he always gave me and i'll always tattoo that way with those words in mind.
Without the black undertones a tattoo might either turn to mush, or be super light and hard to read 20-30 years from now. A little black might help it hold it's shape, if not be the last color standing giving the person something they can still make out.
I tried the no black way of realism, and sorry, I don't like it. There's not as much seperation and the depth isn't there as much either. But Thats just my opinion. I can tone down the black and make them softer, I will be keeping the black.
It Doesn't make the other way wrong, it just doesn't work as well for me. But I've seen it work wonders for others.
I did do black shading in the leaves, the bud, and a bit in one pedal and to me those stand out way more in this piece than the rest of the flower does.

My Tattoo and Drawing Gallery is Here - [link]