Techniques

Packing

Depositing ink until an area reads as one continuous saturated plane rather than as visible individual passes. The cited education source defines it by hand motion: ““Packing” in ink means filling in a section of skin with a single color or pure black ink.” TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Whip Shading

A gradient made by entering the skin at depth and flicking the needle out of it, so ink density falls off along the stroke. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions. REGISTRY NOTE: technique_whip_shading exists as a one-line specimen row in the vendored specimen dataset. This is the seed corpus's own researched row; the specimen file is a shape demonstration and is not the corpus.

Pendulum Shading

A gradient made by swinging the needle so it enters deepest at the centre of the swing and lifts at both ends, producing a dark core with falloff on either side. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Stipple Shading

Tone built from discrete ink dots rather than continuous deposition, produced by outrunning the machine so consecutive needle strikes do not join into a line. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Brush Shading

The pendulum motion run at minimal depth, used to add tone on top of existing shading rather than to establish it. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Cross Hatching

Re-running a shading pass at a changed angle so the deposited texture reads as even in every direction instead of showing the direction of the first pass. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Grey Wash

Black ink diluted to a set of fixed lighter values, worked as a tonal ladder rather than as a single grey. TECHNIQUE, NOT STYLE: this row records how the mark is made, not a look a client asks for by name. The distinction is load-bearing in this file and the sources blur it constantly - see conflicts_or_cautions.

Lining

Depositing the outline that carries the design. The cited education source treats it as the load-bearing skill: “Your lines act as the basic shape or outline of your tattoo design, so if they aren’t good, then the entire tattoo will look amateur.”

Line Weight Variation

Deliberately using more than one line thickness in one design so the image reads as structured rather than flat. The source frames it as legibility, not decoration: “An important part of line work is making sure that your lines are “readable.””

Riding the Tube

Lining with the cartridge resting on the skin so the skin itself limits how deep the needle can reach. ““Riding the Tube” means pulling a line with the needle cartridge placed directly on the skin.”

Floating the Needle

Lining with a gap between cartridge and skin, so depth is controlled by the hand rather than by a stop. ““Floating the Needle” means hanging your needles out further and leaving a small space between the skin and the needle cartridge.”

Bloodlining

Running the machine with distilled water instead of ink to raise a temporary guide line that cannot be wiped off. ““Bloodlining” means running a tattoo needle along the skin as if you were using ink , but you’re only using distilled water.”

Graylining

The same guide-mark idea as bloodlining, made permanent enough to survive between sessions by using a very light wash instead of water. “Graylining is similar to bloodlining, but you use a very light gray wash instead of distilled water.”

Single-Needle Work

Lining and detailing with one needle rather than a grouping. “In order to get beautifully fine lines, the tattoo artist will use either a small needle grouping or even a single needle.” The source explicitly denies this is new: “Single-needle tattoos have been around for centuries, but are becoming more popular in recent years as people appreciate the subtle, refined look of the very thin lines they produce.”

Bugpin Needling

Using a thinner-gauge needle at a given grouping size, so a larger grouping behaves like a smaller one.

Three Points of Contact

A stabilisation posture that removes shake from linework by bracing elbow, hand and stretching hand. Not a mark; a precondition for making one cleanly.

Skin Stretching

Holding the skin taut with the non-tattooing hand, in the direction of travel, so the needle enters a stable surface. “You’ll use the thumb and forefinger of your stretching hand to stretch the skin in the direction of the line you’re tattooing.”

Dotwork

Building an image from deliberately placed points, where density rather than line does the tonal work. “Dotwork is a complex technique that creates intricate designs, usually geometric shapes, using dots, the density of which affects the contrast and intensity of the tattoo's color.”

Linework

A drawing built entirely from lines, in the narrow sense one Tier 2 source gives the word: “Linework is a modern technique that represents a drawing created from the finest broken lines, executed with precision.”

Multi-Dilution Greyscale

Working black-and-grey from a fixed ladder of several separate ink dilutions rather than from one wash, chosen against the individual client. Sourced from a working artist describing his own process.

White-Ink Highlighting

Adding white pigment as a final pass to lift contrast above what the base values reach. Sourced as a stage in a named artist's sequence rather than as a general rule.

Dark-to-Light Colour Order

Laying colour from the darkest value to the lightest so that wiping does not carry dark pigment across open lighter skin. “To avoid the “muddy” look, make sure to apply colors from darkest to lightest.”

Freehand

Drawing the design directly onto the skin instead of transferring a stencil, so the composition is built against the body it will sit on. An interviewed artist states both the practice and his reason: “I mostly do freehand, I prefer this technique because for me it works the best to fit perfectly with any kind of body lines and structures.”

Stencil Transfer

Putting a pre-drawn design onto the skin as a guide before any ink goes in. Registered as the opposite pole to technique_freehand. NOTE THE EVIDENCE IS INDIRECT: no fetched source in this batch defines stencilling; it is attested only by sources that assume it while discussing something else.

Voltage Control

Setting machine voltage as a deliberate variable rather than a fixed setting, because it trades needle speed against skin damage and is what makes several other techniques in this file possible.

Stroke Length Selection

Choosing the machine's stroke length to suit the mark being made, treated by the source as a shading versus lining decision rather than a preference.