The Stripped Issue_1

What are the most important tips you’d give to both artists tattooing
dark skin and clients with dark skin?
Malka X: Just like you would want your client to educate themselves
and do their research before they sit in your chair, make sure you do
them the same favor. Listen rst, then provide your advice! But don't do
it in such a way that makes the client feel as though their power is
being taken. Avoid absolutes like “always” or “never.” The world
changes everyday and so does the range of options darker skin clients
have when it comes to tattoos. The only thing I would be careful of is
how high you run your tattoo machine — people of color sometimes
have softer skin and you can easily burn them or cause healing issues if
you run your machine too high.
Angel Rose: The most important thing, as with any tattoo consultation
is that the artist and the client are both eager to nd common ground.
As much as I preach that tattooers should be able to handle anything —
there are limits to tattooing no matter what. Clients, listen to your
artist. Artists, listen to your clients. Further than that, I like to suggest
that people explore fun ways to punch in a ton of contrast into their
tattoos simply because that’s how I like to do tattoos and I think it looks
great on any skin tone! Also, X is right about the texture of dark skin. It
tends to be much much softer and easier to scar, so starting o slow
and being a little more gentle will bene t a tattoo artist greatly with
their process. I personally really love tattooing dark skin, because the
ink tends to saturate with very little e ort and one pass is usually more
than enough to make it shine.
This idea that a tattoo needs to “pop” in order to be well done is popular
in the industry, and puts whiter skin on a pedestal. What are your
individual thoughts on that notion? How can we ensure that “pop”
doesn’t take precedence over equality?
Malka X: Whew! Well, I’m glad you said it. The issue is simply how we
have decided to score what a well-done tattoo looks like. Tattooing in
the 1840s didn’t include people of color because slavery wasn’t
abolished until 1865! So, we were never a part of the conversation. I
think that if we consider “pop” to only include bright color then we are
perpetuating a non-inclusive (whispers: racist) way of thinking. Maybe
we can redesign the score sheet! Let's make pop mean: clean lines,
smooth shading, sharp design, etc.