Round shaders for color work?

[Caleb's Addiction]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/06/da9uhy9e.jpg

So I just did this piece last night in 4.5 hours! Which, if you knew me, you'd be like... WTF?!?! Dude you on meth or what?

I used a 5RL to line, and had set up an 8rs (textured envy) for power lining and a couple mags for the color work.

Thing is, I was diggin the power lining so much, that I just kept trucking with it for the color. Shit was going in so fast and saturated.

Anyone else use round shaders for color?

[OwlsDen]

I use a lot of loose round needles for black and grey. Even more so I use a lot of tight rounds for detail shading. I do the same with color too, but I tend to work more in black ad grey. At some point there was a crossroads and everyone started saying that mags were the only way to do color and shading. But at one time everything was done with rounds. It is just what works best for you.

There is a forum member Otto that does killer color work all with rounds.

[Patrick]

They can be a little more time consuming. But rounds pack detail color like nothing else.
I've worked with a few artists who use nothing but semi-tight 7's for everything. With some pretty amazing results.

[FreeJole]

Dude its crazy i was JUST about to post about this. I am on the verge of going exclusively round shaders for everything. Personally i find they are MUCH more consistent with far less skin trauma than mags. For me, in a sense i guess you work slower as in you cover less area but it goes in perfect on the first pass so i tend to be able to "move on" to the next area quicker and overall complete a tattoo in the same time or less when compared to using mags. I will still use mags here and there but i am definitely using majority round shaders. Great post man

[CajunDave]

tattoo came out nice !

[slicksteel]

rounds were really popular in a lot walk-in flash shops in the 80s- throw one semi loose 7 and do it all with it-cut your needle costs and tube cleaning time in half! :)

[Caleb's Addiction]

I've done two more full color pieces since this post using only 8 and 14 round shaders for the color. I'm way faster now, and getting colors a lot more saturated. These are both pieces in a sleeve design so don't have background yet and are still in progress...http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/08/u2y2ypyb.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/08/6upude8e.jpg

The timepiece is 4 hours total before he tapped and the skull, which I had already lined in a previous session was only 3 1/2 hours to color!

Loving life with these round shaders. Oh and I kicked my mentor in the balls for never having taught me about these during my apprenticeship!

[serial1313]

It may be going in faster for you, but I think the blue in the water & the crown could be a lot smoother if you used mag's. I think your mentor might be kicking you back in the balls. I guess I'll be the bad guy here. Nobody else is saying anything.

[Caleb's Addiction]

I kick way fucking harder!! ;)

Not going to debate the smoothness issue with you serial. Smooth consistent color saturation is hard, and I've got a long ways to go, what I'm saying is I'm getting better results using the rounds than I was using mags. I still had smoothness issues, and was taking twice as long.

[otto]

smooth and consistent can be achived with a round shader even with a liner,it takes some time to learn the trick but it works very good,everything stays in the hand movement

[serial1313]

smooth and consistent can be achived with a round shader even with a liner,it takes some time to learn the trick but it works very good,everything stays in the hand movement I don't doubt it for a second.

[Caleb's Addiction]

I intend to keep at it!

[slicksteel]

It think you should try some smaller pieces first caleb and get the style down first that you want achieve with rounds-.. Do some simple work that will let you get your lines down, and basic fills/blends with rounds first-then you can start to work line thickness and more advanced details with those rounds.
It all depends on what type of work your try to do-it seem like your style is more in the cartoon vein-so what speeds/machines/handmotions etc will be something different then say, for example otto work.

[Caleb's Addiction]

You mean something like this?http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/09/yvajeheg.jpg

Look Slick, I didn't start this thread to trumpet my tattooing mastery. Hell, this isn't even the critique section. But rather to discuss the round shaders and color packing that I've recently discovered.

I've only been tattooing full time since Sep 2012, I know my lines aren't perfect, color saturation and smoothness need improvement. That's why I joined this forum in the first place.

[biggboy]

smooth and consistent can be achived with a round shader even with a liner,it takes some time to learn the trick but it works very good,everything stays in the hand movement

I totally agree,either it be mags or round shaders,everything is in hand movements..:cool:

[serial1313]

That piece looks great Caleb! Slick & I are trying to help you. We are both actually taking the time to try to help. That is why you joined right? Just say thanks & try to put the advise to use. Nobody is trying to come down on you.

[Caleb's Addiction]

You're right Serial. Thanks.

[peter clements]

To say you've only been full time for just less than a year you're doing well. Regarding needle groupings ,I look at it this way, if you walk into an artists' studio ,how many different brushes do you see in how many jars? I use a multitude of needle groupings and they all have their specific use. I use quite a lot of RSs on various jobs especially something like coloring all the individual scales on a dragon or koi, if you used magnums to do things like that you'll send yourself nuts, then I'll probably drop onto a magnum for bigger areas, but then again I've also had great results with big rounds. You have to try to master everything, I've been in this game since 78 ,recently I overheard someone say "that twat could tattoo with a six inch nail" I'm not gonna claim that, but will accept the compliment.

[crabink]

I've done two more full color pieces since this post using only 8 and 14 round shaders for the color. I'm way faster now, and getting colors a lot more saturated. These are both pieces in a sleeve design so don't have background yet and are still in progress...http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/08/u2y2ypyb.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/08/6upude8e.jpg

The timepiece is 4 hours total before he tapped and the skull, which I had already lined in a previous session was only 3 1/2 hours to color!

Loving life with these round shaders. Oh and I kicked my mentor in the balls for never having taught me about these during my apprenticeship!

mags are made for large areas of smooth color.. these tattoos need a second pass badly

[Caleb's Addiction]

Yeah they do! Hence why I said "in progress" "tapped" and part of sleeve so they'll get hit again.