TIps on shades of grey

[Stryyf]

I am looking for some tips on shades of gray, I have heard the use 3 ink caps and do 1 drop 2 drops 3 drops and dilute with witch hazel. is this the standard?
or is hand speed? I notice I can get a decent shade with just hand speed at times but it is freaking impossible for me to recreate the same shade one I have to get more ink. Im still using fruit as a medium so its pretty tough to get decent ideas, and well being stationed in a Muslim country pigs are hard to come by.

Any advice or pointing me to another spot would be cool.
thanks again.

[Inkspressit]

I am looking for some tips on shades of gray, I have heard the use 3 ink caps and do 1 drop 2 drops 3 drops and dilute with witch hazel. is this the standard?

Any advice or pointing me to another spot would be cool.
thanks again.


Ima point you to another spot, go into the main section on BNG and use the search tool............thats what its there for, you'll find a shite load of old posts on cuts etc as well as the witchazel buzz.

Enjoy

[rudedog62]

I use 5 cups when I'm doing B-n-G Shading,I always start in the darker areas and work into the lighter areas,my mix is this and it works VERY well,,5 cups lined in a row,stuck to a styrofoam plate with white petroleum jelly,line up the 5 cups,fill the first cup w/soloid black inkQuality ink too guys,like kuro sumi)in the next cup I put 4 drops of ink,in the next cup,3 drops of ink,next 2 drops and 1 drop for the final cup,I the fill the 4 shader cups of ink with WITCH HAZEL,I've been using it for over 2 years now and really like it.I have been seeing some of the latino tattooist using GREEN SOAP for the same mixxing tech.and it gives a really nice hue to the smoke shading that is so popular in those type customers.But I'll keep using the witch hazel as it seems like the safest cutting medium out there so far.aslo,try using the larger ink cups when using this mixxing technique.Good Luck Guys and keep striving to improve

[L_Pease]

experience is the real answer here. The more you do it the more you'll understand it. Black and grey is something you develop not pick up right away. Start simple with small tattoos and avoid doing any big pieces that rely solely on shading. Build your skill on small simple stuff then slowly step it up as your abilities grow. Sometimes I works with just my black and the rinse cup...other times I'll use a couple of mixes of water and black. It is something that comes with time and experience. Pay close attention to your mix ratios and the effect it creates and you'll find what works for you in time.

[simplyjeff]

I use 5 cups when I'm doing B-n-G Shading,I always start in the darker areas and work into the lighter areas,my mix is this and it works VERY well,,5 cups lined in a row,stuck to a styrofoam plate with white petroleum jelly,line up the 5 cups,fill the first cup w/soloid black inkQuality ink too guys,like kuro sumi)in the next cup I put 4 drops of ink,in the next cup,3 drops of ink,next 2 drops and 1 drop for the final cup,I the fill the 4 shader cups of ink with WITCH HAZEL,I've been using it for over 2 years now and really like it.I have been seeing some of the latino tattooist using GREEN SOAP for the same mixxing tech.and it gives a really nice hue to the smoke shading that is so popular in those type customers.But I'll keep using the witch hazel as it seems like the safest cutting medium out there so far.aslo,try using the larger ink cups when using this mixxing technique.Good Luck Guys and keep striving to improve

Remember when useing this technique if you keep dipping into the next ink caps without rinsing the tips it will change the mix set up...... As in if you dip into 5 and then directly into 1, 1 will change and so fourth down the line, so if you are starting out rinse before each dip or all the shades will change on you sir...

[Rockabillytattoo]

experience is the real answer here. The more you do it the more you'll understand it. Black and grey is something you develop not pick up right away. Start simple with small tattoos and avoid doing any big pieces that rely solely on shading. Build your skill on small simple stuff then slowly step it up as your abilities grow. Sometimes I works with just my black and the rinse cup...other times I'll use a couple of mixes of water and black. It is something that comes with time and experience. Pay close attention to your mix ratios and the effect it creates and you'll find what works for you in time.
....well put!!

[Shaky Bill]

experience is the real answer here. The more you do it the more you'll understand it. Black and grey is something you develop not pick up right away. Start simple with small tattoos and avoid doing any big pieces that rely solely on shading. Build your skill on small simple stuff then slowly step it up as your abilities grow. Sometimes I works with just my black and the rinse cup...other times I'll use a couple of mixes of water and black. It is something that comes with time and experience. Pay close attention to your mix ratios and the effect it creates and you'll find what works for you in time.

I'd agree with that, I don't think there's an exact scientific formula/ratio mix of ink to dilutant that you can adhere too, bearing in mind that as you go from one cap to the other the stronger mix will make the weaker cap stronger too and vice versa.
For my own B&G pieces,(for what it's worth), I use 1 cap undiluted black. 1 cap 50% black+distilled water and 2 seperate caps of distilled water.
I usually start off with the undiluted black and just use hand speed and a very light touch, (think shading in with a dark pencil)for the darkest black to dark areas.
After that I'll use the 50% mix and go from that to the pure distilled water. Bear in mind that as I'm doing that the cap of water is getting more ink, albeit ony a 50% mix added to it. You can also vary the tones by the amount of time you dip in each cap so for me at least it's not a 100% scientific formula.
After that I will then use the cap that has been added to from the 50% mix and again go from that to the other pure water cap thus giving me an even more diluted mix for my lightest shades.
You can then top up the original 50%cap with the 50%mix, top up the other caps with just water and start again.
I jump around from one cap to another, use hand speed and touch/sensitivity and also how long I buzz the machine in each cap to vary the tones.
Not a real scientific method but it's easier to do than it appears as I've written it.
1 cap Black +1 cap 50% black and water + 2 caps of just distilled water.
Works for me but as L_Pease says just try it and you'll get it. As a general rule, if in doubt go lighter first. At least you can darken it later if needs be.

My 2 brass washers worth.
Oh yes, I've used the green soap too, not much difference as I can see except the soap mix sometimes gets a bit frothy around the tube tip so I stick to the distilled water. If it's good enough for Horiyoshi it's good enough for me :), then again I like Boog's B&G stuff and also the very underated El Chino too so each to their own.

[Shaky Bill]

Oh yes, I forgot to add that I also use a cup of water for rinsing out between mixes..........sometimes...just to confuse you further:)