Solid Black Work Tattoos in Las Vegas Done Right

What's Covered on This Page

• Solid Black Work Tattoos in Las Vegas Done Right
• What Solid Black Work Tattoos Actually Are
• The Best Candidates for Solid Black Work Tattoos in Las Vegas
• Aftercare for a Solid Black Tattoo
• How do I prepare for a solid black work tattoo session in Las Vegas?
• Is solid black work harder to do than other tattoo styles?
• Can solid black work cover up an old tattoo?
• Does solid black work look good on all skin tones?
• How does Las Vegas heat and sun affect a solid black tattoo?
• What should I look for when booking a solid black work tattoo in Las Vegas?

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Solid Black Work Tattoos in Las Vegas Done Right

After years of doing solid black work in Las Vegas, the difference between a piece that's clean, dark, and even and something that looks streaky and patchy six months later. This page will give you what you need to know: what the style is, who should choose it, how to prep, what to expect in the chair, and how to care for it so it stays sharp. If you're looking for solid black done right, this is where you start.

What Solid Black Work Tattoos Actually Are

Like the name suggests, solid black work tattoos are just that: solid black ink. No gray washes, no color work, no gradation shading. Just thick, saturated black to fill in a shape on the skin. Simple definition. And? These can also be the hardest tattoos to do well.

We get asked this a lot: isn't black tattoo work "simple"? It sounds logical. But laying down even and fully dark solid black across a larger area of body surface requires steady control. And every single pass of your tattoo needle is going to count. Even one uneven patch can make for a patchy looking tattoo you can see from the other side of the room. We've been in this tattoo shop so long, the difference between "looks easy" and "is easy." This style falls into the former.

So what does this style of tattoo actually include? Black work is a wide umbrella for several tattoo styles: geometric patterns with filled-in sections, ornamental and traditional tribal-inspired designs that include blackwork elements, full or partial "blackout" sleeves, silhouette tattoos and shapes, mandala tattoos, and black illustrative tattoo designs that contain no grey wash shading. Some people in downtown Las Vegas might only want a single blackband tattoo on their arm. Other might want an entire backpiece of interlocking geometric shapes, like a puzzle. It can all be called "blackwork."

What sets solid blackwork apart from other bold ink designs is that it relies 100% on density. There's nowhere to hide in black tattoos. A realistic tattoo can use gradation shading to soften a harsh line. Color work can use white to lighten and create variation in the background or foreground. But solid black tattoos have to be either even and dense... or not. And everyone will be able to see the difference in quality.

The style has long roots in history and art. Tattoo historians believe that solid black tattoos are one of the oldest types of body art, according to research published by Smithsonian Magazine on the Iceman known as Ötzi.

And many of our clients are attracted to solid black ink, in part because of the long history of tattooing. They aren't interested in the latest trend; they want something that connects to the many centuries of human expression, and they want to do it right. And they want to do it permanently. And they want to do it with someone who treats it as an art form.

Whether you're getting your first tattoo or your fifteenth, solid black work tattoos always pack a punch. It's bold and it's unapologetic.

The Best Candidates for Solid Black Work Tattoos in Las Vegas

Most everyone we encounter makes a great candidate for a solid black tattoo. But some people are just made for blackwork.

People who want something bold that can be read from across the room. This is what we hear most often.

No, you don't want it to be something that blends in with your skin color in a few years; you want it to look meaningful. Solid black work is the best way to make sure it does, which we've learned in our seventeen years of tattooing in Las Vegas.

Cover-ups. We get this at least once a week. Someone comes to the studio to find a solution for a previous tattoo that they got randomly, perhaps at a wild party or bar crawl around Fremont Street, and has since faded out or lost its personal meaning. Solid black work is one of the most effective ways to completely turn around an old tattoo and give it a whole new purpose, because it has the ability to cover over the work that couldn't be covered by the lighter ink densities of other styles.

The most specific first-timers who have a clear idea of what they want to have done. This is very specific, but that happens, too. People are looking online at all-day long at photos of geometric blackout sleeves or ornamental pattern tattoos; they are saving images of them on their phone. We love first-timers in our shop, and we're even more excited when they arrive with ideas for solid black work saved on their phone. They already know what they want; there's no need to wait for inspiration or a new idea.

People with darker skin. Not a lot of shops like to admit this out loud, but we like to be the honest ones: solid color doesn't look as good when tattooed onto people with deeper skin tones. This is a widely known fact in the tattoo community and the reason why solid black ink looks so fantastic on all skin colors, period. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the tone of your skin influences how much the ink from a tattoo is actually going to be seen once it's all healed up, which means that solid black ink is truly the most inclusive and most effective style for any tattoo style you might have. Our customers here in Las Vegas and beyond, from Summerlin to the Westside, already know this.

Those who have an affinity with clean lines and lots of white space on the skin. Not sold on this concept yet? Here's how you can determine if it is right for you: do you like architecture? Do you like patterns? Do you like how the shadows of the light look? Then solid black work is just the thing for you.

Those who seek the most lasting ink. It is simply true that solid black ink is going to age the best of all tattoo colors. So if you are looking to find a style to stick with for decades, this is your best bet.

How do you prepare for a solid black work tattoo session at Love Bite Tattoo? The more time and consideration you put into preparing for a session, the better it will go. It will be more comfortable for you in the chair, the tattoo will heal better, and the lines will come out cleaner. There are three things we recommend to every one of our first-time customers and they are straightforward to follow, because they really matter.

First, moisturize the skin for a few days in advance. Make sure that you don't put lotion on the skin on the day of the tattoo, and certainly not if you happen to have a fresh sunburn that day (or even last week's sunburn). If you show up to a Las Vegas tattoo session with a fresh tan after a pool day along the Strip, we're liable to have to reschedule, because a sunburn is not great for tattooing, and if you're already sensitive to touch, the tattooing process is not going to feel much less painful.

Second, come with a good meal already inside of you. Solid black work sessions are longer than your typical small tattoo, since we're focusing on full saturation, and you'll be sitting for a long time. Be sure to stay well-hydrated with plenty of water, in the days leading up to, and on the day of the tattoo. Skin that's properly hydrated accepts ink so much better.

Wear appropriate clothing that allows for easy access to where you are getting tattooed. For leg work, loose-fitting shorts; arm work, something that can be pulled up easily. It's surprising how many clients come to us in skin-tight jeans for a tattoo on their upper thigh. Also consider how long you'll be sitting for, and come prepared accordingly; bring a warm sweatshirt if you tend to feel cold when sitting, since our South Main Street shop, in itself, can get a little chill.

Please do not drink alcohol the night before. Alcohol thins blood, meaning you can bleed more, pushing out any ink we try to deposit. Similarly, you should take care not to use aspirin and ibuprofen for a few days before the appointment. If you have medical necessity for use of blood thinners, please let us know beforehand so we can be mindful of that.

Bring music or a book or whatever keeps you calm. Some clients like to watch movies or podcasts through the appointment, while some others like to chat the whole time, and that's fine. The calmer and more relaxed you can be, the more evenly we can pack in that ink and the steadier your arm sits. Need to go over anything ahead of time? Just give us a call.

What happens when you arrive to us, and during the tattoo appointment itself? As soon as you walk through the door, the sound of the record player starts, and maybe a little nervous. That is totally okay! We love new tattoos, but we also enjoy when experienced collectors come into us, so even the most tattoo-savvy folks can get just a little twinge of anxiety before the big black work sessions.

We begin by walking you through the design. We can look over any reference images you bring. Or if you don't have specific ones yet, that is fine. Talk through the design details and how they'll fit into the composition, and we'll offer suggestions regarding placement and size to the design and your body's shape work together in harmony. The more you understand the placement, the better your tattoo is likely to look in the end, and the less it will be distorted over time and movement. If you've got an image of a blackwork arm tattoo on your computer that looks great, don't be surprised if that translates poorly when it moves with you as your arm turns and flexes. It takes experience to make this decision, and our artists have created thousands of tattoos. We'll be happy to point you to what we think will work best for you.

After that comes the stencil. We will apply the stencil, step back, assess the positioning from different angles, and adjust as many times as it takes to get you comfortable and satisfied, before we start the tattoo. Once you're comfortable with the design placement, we prepare, sterilizing and cleaning the tattooing area. All of our ink cups and needles are single-use and sterile, in accordance with the strict health inspections set by the Southern Nevada Health District. And we appreciate that!

Then, tattooing occurs! As a rule of thumb, black and grey tattoos require ink being deposited to be packed deeper and with greater full coverage over a much larger area of skin than, say, a small line or shading tattoo. We may go slower in certain areas, for example the elbow or the inner arm near the Fremont East district. As our regulars always joke, it hurts the most here, which is fine! We divide the work into manageable chunks so you can take short breaks for water, a snack, and to move around. We don't need any heroes.

So, what's it like? Overwhelming? Not really, it's manageable and quite intense. Most clients call it a hot pressure, and in some cases a buzzing sensation. Sometimes it does hurt a bit, but that depends on where we are doing the tattoo. We will guide you through the entire process. Before you leave, we photograph the result, take good care of the tattoo, and explain how to look after it in a few steps. No pamphlet in your hands. It is more of a dialogue. You know the care instructions and you know what to avoid during the following two weeks.

Need help with solid black work tattoos?

(702) 817-6217

Call now to reserve a chair. Love Bite Tattoo is ready to help.

Aftercare for a Solid Black Tattoo

This is what you have to remember. Tattooing is simple to get done, the important thing is how well you look after it. This means keeping it dark, clean and unharmed.

We send a paper home with each of our clients, but let me explain the care right now so that you know what to expect. A brand new blackwork tattoo is basically an open wound, so treat it like one. For the first two to three hours it should be wrapped with a bandage. You can't look, and show your friends. You just can't. Once you unwrap the tattoo, wash it gently with lukewarm water and soap that doesn't contain any scent. Dry it with a clean paper towel, not a towel hanging in the bathroom and not a bath towel. For the next two weeks, put on a little thin layer of an unscented ointment or cream on the tattoo two to three times a day. We mean a thin layer because we don't spread icing on a cake and because too much ointment can make the skin feel suffocated and the ink may come off from the skin during healing process. We have clients tell us that they are not aware of this, particularly for those who are working on a big tattoo, such as their full sleeve tattoo, and a chest tattoo. For a deeper look at what the healing process involves day by day, proper tattoo aftercare tips from Healthline walk through exactly what to expect and how to protect your investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about solid black work tattoos services in NV

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