Getting a tattoo has almost become
a rite of passage.
But for people with black and brown skin tones,
getting that perfect ink can be stressful.
For darker complexions,
tattoos that fade and muddy over time are common,
and the ink doesn't always come out
like the sketches on the parlor walls.
Jacci Gresham: Brown skin's a bit of study, because,
I'm telling you, we have been brainwashed
with this flash on a white paper.
When you work on darker skin,
you have to adjust your design to the color of the skin.
Narrator: Tattoo flashes are some of the earliest
depictions of tattoo art.
They were almost always done on white paper
and still are today.
These images are plastered all over tattoo shops
and, more modernly, on Instagram accounts.
In the age of Instagram,
white skin is a real-life substitute for flash paper.
The colors pop, and the lines are strong.
Because hardly any flashes are done against brown paper
or skin, this can cause a huge problem
for customers of darker complexions
because the tattoos they select
might not always come out like the flash indicates.
Tattoos can fade or misshapen over time.
Even top tattoo artists shy away from darker canvases
because of this.
Steve Tefft: I don't want the dark canvases.
They take away half your skill sets.
My stuff is dark and creepy.
I don't wanna go that dark on dark skin.
This is not the canvas for me.
Narrator: In 2016, tattoo artist Caitlin Thomas
told NPR that she edits her photos
to make her clients' skin tone appear lighter
and that this was part of her branding strategy.
She said that while she does tattoo clients
of darker complexions, it's:
When Insider reached out for comment,
Thomas told us that her views in 2016 were naive,
noting that her privilege prevented her from seeing
her tattoo photos as anything more than advertisement.
And "everyone is responsible for promoting diversity."
And while Thomas said she never intended to exclude
any group, she does admit that her account
isn't very diverse.
Which she told Insider is a result of her building
a certain type of clientele over the years.
But there's a rising community of tattoo artists
in the United States who are making sure
all of their clients get a long-lasting tat,
no matter their shade.
Christopher Mensah: When I first got started, I happened to
come across the shop which I did my apprenticeship under.
Was another black artist.
The other artists in the area,
pretty much predominantly white, wouldn't give me a chance.
Narrator: Christopher Mensah is a tattoo artist
at Signature Art Studios in College Park, Maryland.
For color pieces on darker complexions,
Mensah goes over the area several times
to get the blending just right
and to prevent fading down the line.
Mensah: One thing is bigger is better.
The amount of detail that's in something smaller,
on brown skin, in order for it to translate
and be visual years down the road,
you gotta do it larger.
The misconception is to put a lot of detail.
Having that translate on brown skin in the long term,
kind of gets fuzzy and muddied up,
but if you kind of give it more of that fuzzier look
to begin with, I think it will translate better.
Narrator: Mensah works one-on-one with customers
to create the right tattoo for
their desired style and skin tone.
Melissa Stallings: So, I was born and raised in DC,
and, honestly, like, who doesn't know Chris?
He's, like, a known person,
a known tattoo artist in this area.
He's inspired, I think, by tattooing people of color.
He's, like, my tattoo artist for life.
Narrator: He's inspired by other prominent black
tattoo artists, like Zulu and Miya Bailey.
Mensah: As far as other artists that, you know, I admire
in the industry, I have to start off with Jacci Gresham.
She was a big inspiration flipping through magazines
back in the day, because I didn't see anybody of color.
Gresham: I started tattooing in 1972.
What actually made me start tattooing is
I felt that women were getting a bad shake on the tattoos.
When I got into the business, women were only getting roses,
butterflies, and the guys that were doing it
would only do two colors when I would do, like, six colors
when I got in the business.
It was difficult for me to break into the industry.
It helped that I was a woman wearing short shorts
back then, but how I really learned to tattoo
is I went to the best artists in the business at the time
and paid to get tattoos.
Narrator: When she started, Jacci Gresham,
who is now in her 70s, was one of the first
African American female tattoo artists in the United States.
She also runs Aart Accent Tattoos,
the oldest tattoo shop in New Orleans.
After losing her home in Hurricane Katrina,
Gresham now commutes 50 miles to her shop
about three times a week
for her appointment-only sessions.
Gresham draws and customizes pieces by hand.
Gresham: I will look on the computer for reference,
but, generally, I hand-draw everything
because I wanna keep the art flowing.
For a lot of the people, I mean, they just print out
a design, and I feel that's like cheating.
A part of me has to be in every tattoo.
Narrator: When it comes to brown skin, the tattoo artist
says that even the greatest can get it wrong.
Gresham: Ed Hardy did this piece,
and look at how tight it is.
The problem with that tattoo was it was too small
for the amount of detail that's in it.
So, if you're a darker-skin person, you want a bolder line.
And a lot of times I'll highlight it with white,
and it'll help pop it out.
Narrator: As for color, Gresham suggests picking
or substituting a hue that stands out on your complexion.
Gresham: A lot of them don't work on brown skin.
If you're using a darker tone of it,
you know, like a purple,
people always want purple.
Purple is a great color, but you better
put some white in there to help pop it out.
Narrator: Both Gresham and Mensah tattoo
and showcase work on all complexions.
But their experience with darker tones
make them a viable asset to the tattoo world.
Gresham: I think, if they don't have brown skin
in their portfolio,
then maybe they shouldn't be tattooing brown skin.
What I see is people come in, and they want the money,
but they don't have the ability to do the job.
Mensah: Honestly, I really don't have anything to say
to those who don't wanna showcase brown skin
in their portfolio.
If that's not their niche, then that's not their niche.
You know, you can leave that for the people
who do want to do it.
And, you know, I'll gladly take them.
[laughs]