Snowy owl in white??

MadameA23 · 22 Aug 2019

I did a snowy owl outline for a client a few weeks ago. Originally he wanted just the lines and main features which I did. He loves it alot but Now he has decided he wants the lot filled in to look more...snowy.. so now I'm abit stuck. I know doing a whole fill in white is a bad idea. What's going to work? Any suggestions how to go about this?

Mr_Carr81 · 22 Aug 2019

I'd use opaque greys to white personally. White on a big fill is a mare. Plus nothing is ever pure white

BlackBuddha · 22 Aug 2019

Pure white will turn yellowish after some time. Try working with real light grey colors and tell your client that he will shurely have to come back to whiten in up. If he agrees all is fine.

MalligaMallan · 22 Aug 2019

Hmmm. I experimented with opaque grey on my leg a little. It gets very dull if you ask me, not something I would use for a snowy owl.

Don't look at my patchy technique, it's atrocious, but have a look at the grey. And this is the lightest opaque grey in the eternal set ?

White is definitely not an option, if it shows at all it will be as a nicotineish tint. Terrible. Like in this rose I did on my thigh for example :

Yack.

I actually did a snowy owl on a client a while ago, and used only shading:

It has no white and no opaque grey in it, but I think when you shade it, the negative space gives an impression of being lighter, sort of? I don't know if you could convince your client to choose that. Just a suggestion ?

Let us know what happens! ??

fylfot · 22 Aug 2019

Yep, mention in passing that you've done a few 'snowy' owls on girls in the past, then say 'hey, have you ever thought about making it a tawny owl'? pound to a pinch he'll bite your arm off.

Mr_Carr81 · 22 Aug 2019

I have an eternal opaque grey scent. 80 60 20 and white. You obviously have go dark to light to get the white to show. Look for a Joshua Carlton video where he shows you how he makes his tints and shades I think

Chopper20 · 22 Aug 2019

The guy that done this told me for the face he had a full cap of white and put one drop of blue in it and another cap with white and one drop of grey. He has a lot of experience though so could be risky trying it out for the first time on a piece that will only be white? ?‍

MalligaMallan · 22 Aug 2019

Chopper20 said:
The guy that done this told me for the face he had a full cap of white and put one drop of blue in it and another cap with white and one drop of grey. He has a lot of experience though so could be risky trying it out for the first time on a piece that will only be white? ?‍

View attachment 22096

Most important, is it healed? My rose was very white when fresh. It all disappeared after healing.

MadameA23 · 22 Aug 2019

fylfot said:
Yep, mention in passing that you've done a few 'snowy' owls on girls in the past, then say 'hey, have you ever thought about making it a tawny owl'? pound to a pinch he'll bite your arm off.

An owl upgrade?? Hahaha

MadameA23 · 22 Aug 2019

Chopper20 said:
The guy that done this told me for the face he had a full cap of white and put one drop of blue in it and another cap with white and one drop of grey. He has a lot of experience though so could be risky trying it out for the first time on a piece that will only be white? ?‍

View attachment 22096

Ohhhh that's stunning! Maybe adding a touch of blue and grey to white makes a difference? I still dont really know what I will do. I mean his freckles make it look even more empty than I imagined

MalligaMallan said:
Hmmm. I experimented with opaque grey on my leg a little. It gets very dull if you ask me, not something I would use for a snowy owl.

View attachment 22086

Don't look at my patchy technique, it's atrocious, but have a look at the grey. And this is the lightest opaque grey in the eternal set ?

White is definitely not an option, if it shows at all it will be as a nicotineish tint. Terrible. Like in this rose I did on my thigh for example :

View attachment 22087

Yack.

I actually did a snowy owl on a client a while ago, and used only shading:

View attachment 22088

It has no white and no opaque grey in it, but I think when you shade it, the negative space gives an impression of being lighter, sort of? I don't know if you could convince your client to choose that. Just a suggestion ?

Let us know what happens! ??

The varied grays work really well for making the light parts look as if they are white.

Chopper20 · 23 Aug 2019

MalligaMallan said:
Most important, is it healed? My rose was very white when fresh. It all disappeared after healing.

Good point. I’m not sure to be honest.

Chopper20 · 23 Aug 2019

MadameA23 said:
Ohhhh that's stunning! Maybe adding a touch of blue and grey to white makes a difference? I still dont really know what I will do. I mean his freckles make it look even more empty than I imagined

I think it does somehow. No idea why though? It’s a bit of a gamble ?

MalligaMallan · 23 Aug 2019

Yes, blue is often recommended in white. But even for a very experienced tattooer white/ opaque grey/ white with a tad blue is a bitch.

This portrait Andy shows is made by a pro in a shop, I remember he's shown it before, and in 90% convinced its not healed, which makes all the difference, blue or no blue. The white in my rose on my thigh looked beautiful (if I may say so) when fresh:

What are you're previous experiences and results of working with colour? I don't want to be a downer, but there's a big risk you really make a mess of the owl, rather than improve it. Have you worked at all with white before?

MadameA23 · 23 Aug 2019

MalligaMallan said:
Yes, blue is often recommended in white. But even for a very experienced tattooer white/ opaque grey/ white with a tad blue is a bitch.

This portrait Andy shows is made by a pro in a shop, I remember he's shown it before, and in 90% convinced its not healed, which makes all the difference, blue or no blue. The white in my rose on my thigh looked beautiful (if I may say so) when fresh:

View attachment 22103

What are you're previous experiences and results of working with colour? I don't want to be a downer, but there's a big risk you really make a mess of the owl, rather than improve it. Have you worked at all with white before?

Your rose is beautiful work. Shame it's fading :/
No I have no experience with white at all.

fylfot · 23 Aug 2019

MadameA23 said:
Your rose is beautiful work. Shame it's fading :/
No I have no experience with white at all.

I think the upshot of all these post is, don't do it.

Snowy owl in white??

MadameA23

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