Does dark skin make a difference with tattoos?

There is plenty of advice out there for getting a tattoo if you're white, there’s not much out there for those with darker skin.

People from African, Indian and Pacifica backgrounds are often forgotten about when it comes to basic information and advice, that's why we’ve put together this short article to explain a couple of things about getting ink when you’ve a higher melanin content.

Talk to your artist first

Good advice for anyone getting a tattoo, regardless of skin colour. Talking to your tattoo artist before going under the needle is always a good idea.

By booking a consultation, you can get a better feeling of what’s possible and understand the limitations involved.

If you have darker skin, your initial idea might not be plausible, or won’t come out as you’re expecting. Talk to your tattoo artist first, they are the ones with the experience and know what they're doing. Let them help you make the right choice.

Avoid lighter colours

Despite what bullshit you may read on the internet, there are NO special inks for dark skin. Tattoo ink isn’t made for skin types, but the quality of the ink can vary widely.

Tattoo ink is generally translucent, so the skin underneath will show through. This means, the darker your skin, then less lighter-colours will show.

Black or grey ink usually works best on darker skin, evidenced by this cool MF.

Genetics can affect scar tissue

If you're of African ancestry, your skin may be prone to keloids, which is an overgrowth of scar tissue.

Knowing whether or not you are prone to keloids can help before getting a tattoo, as your artist may need to use different techniques to limit the scar tissue, including reducing power to the tattoo gun, and not going over the same area twice.

Call us today at Sunset Tattoo, and we can help you with your first tattoo.

Latest news from Sunset Tattoo

As an ever-expanding business, we’re constantly changing, so here’s what’s going on at Sunset Tattoo Studio this month!

Welcome Capilli!

Sunset Tattoo is really excited to welcome Capilli Tupou permanently to the family. Capilli has been working alongside us all year, and we are honoured to have him! He will be disbanding his Ten tigers to concentrate on work, family and his hectic international travel schedule.

Capilli Tupou is an artist specialising in old school traditional style tattooing. As a New Zealander of Maori (Te Rarawa) and American Samoan heritage, Capilli brings his own unique Polynesian slant to the style. 

Contact us or Capilli to book your session in with him now.

We are also stoked to welcome Milky to the Sunset Tattoo crew! Milky is your go to man for top class traditional tattoos and has tons of classic flash designs ready to go! 

If you are looking for world-class, American-traditional, electric tattoos, look no further. Milky's no-nonsense, bright and bold style has it's roots firmly in American-traditional tattooing history.

Guest artists popping in

We’re also delighted to have two very special guest tattooists joining us at the end of the month, all the way from Sydney.

Ben Hastings and Chris Martin from Hunter & Fox Tattoo will be hanging out at studio November 29th and 30th, so contact us for bookings!

New Zealand Tattoo Festival

The last weekend of November sees Australasia’s biggest tattoo festival kick off in New Plymouth, and of course Sunset will be there!

Now in its seventh year, the festival sees over 250 artists and models attending, making it the biggest event in the New Zealand calendar.

Tattoo appointments can be made by pre-booking with one of our artists today! Simply email info@sunsettattoo.co.nz or call us to find out more.

The 100 year old Filipino tattoo legend

Hailing from a remote mountain tribe in the hills, legendary tattoo master Whang-Od was transported (with help from the Philippine Air Force) from her tribal village of Buscalan to Manila for the FAME trade show.

Whang-Od is believed to be the country's oldest traditional tattoo artist, with the centenarian performing her ancient craft of hand-tapped Filipino tattoos at the weekend event.

According to an article in the New York Times, she has been responsible for single-handedly keeping an ancient tradition alive.

Using just a few simple tools (thorns from a pomelo tree, bamboo sticks and coal), she has spent the past 80 fucking years inking not only headhunting warriors and women of her tribe but a new wave of "tattoo tourists" – people who travel to her remote village to be tattoo by her.

Controversy over Whang-Od’s involvement

Many people felt that Whang-Od’s invitation to the event was solely for publicity purposes, and nothing to do with respect.

Thousands of people became angry at a photo of the elderly woman falling asleep at the festival, calling it exploitive and degrading.

"Whang Od is 100, a national treasure. And you made her go to Manila to tattoo 200 people for profit? This is sick and inhumane," said one person on the official site.

The organisers fired back, stating that the institution wanted to support her uniquely traditional art.

"She symbolises the pure talent of Filipinos," organising director Clayton Tugonon said in a statement to the BBC, adding that her invitation was "sought through proper channels", which included village elders and indigenous committees.

Filipino tattoos

The Spanish conquistadors who landed in 1521 dubbed the Philippines the “Islands of the Painted Ones” after the heavily tattooed locals.

The tradition goes back thousands of years, using the familiar “tapping” style; hammering ink into the skin using basic tools and charcoal.

The simple designs are evocative of nature around the country- outlines of centipedes, trees and snakes or basic geometric patterns such as diamonds and squares.

Sunset now proud distributors of Anchored Tattoo Stencil Solution

Every artist will tell you that all good tattoos begin with a good stencil, and we now stock the very best.

Sunset Tattoo are excited to announce that we are now proud distributors of Anchored Stencil Solution, by world-renowned artist Nikko Hurtado.

Nikko Hurtado

Born in California in 1981 to Hispanic heritage, Nikko Hurtado grew up in the high desert drawing cartoons and characters for fun.

He went to the Art Centre of Pasadena for a few years in his teens, but it wasn’t until his early 20s when Nikko’s career changed. After calling in to see a friend in his tattoo studio, he was offered an apprenticeship.

He started tattooing the next day.

Experience brings perfection

After years of development, testing, trial and error, Nikko Hurtado has perfected a tattoo stencil solution.

With his own unique formula, the respected tattoo artist has created an effective solution, producing crisp, clear lines which last for hours.

Guaranteed to be loved by tattoo artists around the world, this special tattoo stencil solution provides an even truer representation of the original drawing.

The long-lasting formula will stay crisp for hours, allowing you to work from start to finish without having to worry about fading or missing parts of the design.

Talk to us for all your tattoo supplies

Sunset Tattoo have also been in the game a long time, and we’ve discovered what works and what doesn’t.

That’s why we started our own Tattoo Supply store, Tattoo Station with all the equipment and essentials that we use ourselves for our work.

We sell everything from our own special range of Botan Needles, through to the world famous Eternal Ink, and now we’re delighted to add Anchored Tattoo Stencil solution to the list.

Contact us today if you have any questions about our range.

Only 6 weeks until the New Zealand Tattoo Festival!

The biggest tattoo event in Australasia is back for its 7th year! The New Zealand Tattoo & Art Festival will be held at the TSB Stadium in New Plymouth on the 25 & 26 November 2017, and of course the team at Sunset will be there!

The best artists in every style of tattooing are coming to New Plymouth to tattoo you! Tattoo appointments can be made by contacting the artists direct - once announced, make sure you include the following in your email, size of tattoo, placement on body, any reference pics you have & your budget, lots artists will also be doing walk up tattoos all weekend long.

THE FESTIVAL

In only six short years, the festival has become Australasia’s biggest tattoo show, with over 250 artists and models attending. As usual, the standard of the artists attending is world class, with the likes of Ryan Ashley Malarkey, Tommy Helm, and Dan Smith coming over from the USA.

Entertainment highlights include Head Like A Hole live on Saturday night, 3 shows a day from FMX superstar Levi Sherwood, BMX, live performances from U.K fire dancer Cervena Fox & aerialist Venus Starr.

Buy your tickets now and make sure you get a place at the biggest tattoo festival in New Zealand!

By buying through Ticketek now, you can save money rather than paying at the gate. An adult 2-day pass is only $45, 10 bucks cheaper than paying on the day.

An adult day pass is $30, compared to 35 on the day, and kids 14 and under are free.

If you’re heading to New Plymouth for the festival, pre-book with one of our artists today! Simply email info@sunsettattoo.co.nz