13 ready-made designs

Watercolor tattoo flash

Watercolor tattoos borrow the language of paint rather than ink. Translucent washes, colour running past its own edges, splatter and drips left deliberately unresolved. Most designs pair a light line drawing — a bird, a bloom, a moon — with colour that behaves like it is still wet. It is the most painterly style in tattooing and the least forgiving of a hurried artist.

What to know about watercolor work

  • This is the style that ages hardest. With little or no black outline there is nothing holding the shape as the colour softens, so a watercolour piece needs touching up sooner than almost anything else.
  • Many artists now lay a subtle black or dark underlayer beneath the wash. It costs a little of the floating look and buys years of legibility — worth asking for.
  • Sun is the enemy. Pale pinks, yellows and pastels fade first, so factor sunscreen and placement into the decision, not just the drawing.

Where it sits best

Inner arms, thighs and shoulders keep watercolour looking its best, mostly because they see less sun than an outer forearm. Give the design room — the washes and splatter need space around the subject to read as paint rather than a smudge.

Browse other styles

Fine Line (153) Illustrative (51) Blackwork (36) Neo-Traditional (16) Realism (13) Traditional (12) Ornamental (10) Surrealism (10) Geometric (9) Anime (9) Biomechanical (9) Minimalist (9) Japanese (8) Tribal (8) Chicano (8) Trash Polka (8) Cybersigilism (8) Lettering (6)