Tattoo Glossary — W
Wash
A diluted ink application technique creating soft, translucent tonal areas — like a watercolour wash. Used in black and grey shading and watercolour style tattoos.
Related styles
See also
Shading
The technique of creating tonal gradations in a tattoo — from dark to light — using diluted ink, dot spacing, or hatching techniques.
Watercolor
A tattoo style mimicking watercolour painting — loose, blended colour washes, soft edges, and minimal hard outlines. Visually striking but ages differently than structured styles.
Opacity
The degree to which tattoo ink covers the skin. Fully opaque ink shows the colour completely; diluted ink creates translucent washes used in watercolour and grey shading.