Tattoo Color Theory | Color Harmony Tutorial in Procreate

Tattoo color theory will make or break your design. And if you use it correctly, it'll instantly improve the quality of your art.

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In this video, I walk you through my process for choosing color palettes for my tattoos. We'll talk about why it's so important to follow a triadic color harmony (and how to avoid breaking the harmony at all costs), and how to use that harmony to build out a complete palette so you can work with shades and hues that blend well together.

We'll also talk about how to build skin tone colors into your palette, as well as a few tricks to adjust them after the fact in case things start looking "off" - saving you hours of design time.

Important Note: This video teaches color theory for digital artwork, using the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color system. Tattoo pigments work differently and follow traditional color theory (Red, Yellow, Blue). Some colors seen on screen cannot be exactly matched in tattoo inks or on skin (like neon aqua or super bright purple). Always adjust your colors when planning tattoos to ensure they look good and heal properly.


How to Adjust Digital Colors for Tattooing (Quick Guide)

✅ Check your values (light vs. dark). Skin changes how bright colors look. Make sure there’s enough contrast between colors so the design stays readable.

✅ Think in pigments, not light. Digital mixing uses light (RGB), but tattooing mixes physical inks (RYB). For example, mixing red + green light makes yellow (digital). Mixing red + green pigment makes a muddy brown (tattoo inks).

✅ Keep skin tone in mind. Lighter colors might not show well on darker skin. Always adjust your palette for your client.

✅ Keep in mind that neon colors don't "glow" in the skin. Color can look bright in the skin, but nothing is going to recreate the glow that you see in a digital screen.


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00:00 Introduction
00:35 Digital vs Traditional Color Theory
01:20 Triadic Color Harmony: Picking the 3 Colors
02:46 Expanding Your Palette
05:48 Adding Your Neutrals
08:21 Tip For Quick Color Adjustments
10:50 Closing: iPad vs Skin


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