Colt 45

[Randy5]

I’d been tattooing around 6 months when I did this one. Used a 10 wrap machine, kuro sumi ink, 8 round tight and 7 flat. This was before I learned about cut back shaders.

[Atchitol]

Looking good.

[Viper65]

LOoks great..what do you mean about the cut backs though??

[Randy5]

I recently learned to tune my shader a little faster when working black and gray so that it provides smoother more consistant shading when working over a large area. Basically your width between your contact point and spring is a little smaller than a nickel but not quite a dime’s width. Then turn up your power till your machine sounds like a model airplane, but dont turn it up so much that it sounds like shit. So now when you work gray wash over a large area fast your needles are going to hit skin more often and provide a smoother gray.

[Randy5]

Josh Carlton has some good info in ” In the studio with Josh Carlton”. It has video’s and a book called “Advanced tattooing techniques a guide to realism”. The book explains how to tune a cut back shader.

[cjmahone66]

i always thought that “cut back” refered to liners that had a shortened or “cut back” spring, allowing for stiffer and faster action.

your method for shading sounds like it’s worth a try. i wonder if there is another name for it that might gather more search info? this method doesn’t seem to have anything to do with cutting springs.

[Author]

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