If you are not ready for the long term commitment that a real tattoo entails or you are too young, you can still have a beautiful design on your skin! A temporary tattoo also allows you to understand how much you like the final design you would like to do. With a little inspiration and some basic cosmetics, you can make one that looks authentic, whatever the motive that prompts you to design it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Design
Step 1. Find a drawing
The internet is a never-ending source of tattoo ideas. If you don't want to draw freehand, you can search for "stencils", "templates" or "flash tattoos" to find images that inspire you or to copy.
- Find images of your favorite cartoon characters, symbols, phrases, food and more; any object can become a new and beautiful temporary tattoo.
- Embroidery patterns are perfect templates for body art; generally, they are simple, cute and small, all of which allow you to easily transfer them to the skin.
- Avoid drawings that are too complex or detailed. Simple images with well-defined lines usually turn into better tattoos; those with intricate shading or lines do not look good on the skin.
Step 2. Choose your body area
If you have decided to design your own fist tattoo, define an easy-to-reach spot. However, you can always ask an artistic friend to "tattoo" you, so that you have a wider choice of drawing locations. Avoid having to assume uncomfortable or abnormal positions to decorate the skin; if you start shaking while applying the ink, you ruin the tattoo.
- Tattoos placed on areas of contact between skin and clothing can fade quickly; the friction caused by continued friction could ruin the design over time. The forearm or calf are great places to perform them on.
- Remember that the skin moves and stretches constantly, in some areas this movement is greater than in others (for example the back of the hand) and causes the design to crack or discolour very quickly.
Step 3. Choose an eyeliner as ink
The liquid one allows you to draw more obvious lines and gives a realistic look. Pencil is especially good for freehand tattoos, even if the end result looks more like a drawing with crayons. You should opt for liquid eyeliners with felt-tip applicators to define the contours of the tattoo and use pencil cosmetics for coloring and shading.
- Water-resistant cosmetics are probably the best solutions for a temporary tattoo; this ink lasts longer and is less likely to melt if you sweat or get wet.
- When using pencils you can vary the pressure to create shading; after defining the contours with the liquid eyeliner, you can switch to the pencil one to customize the design.
Part 2 of 3: Apply the Temporary Tattoo
Step 1. Draw or print the image on a sheet of paper
It represents the model for the tattoo, so make sure it is clear to be able to trace it easily; it should be the exact size you want to put on the skin. If you have chosen a non-symmetrical image, you have to print it or draw it in mirror image to transfer it in the right way on the skin.
- If it is too difficult to draw the mirror image freehand, you can use the computer to "flip" it; copy the tattoo into an image editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint, and rotate it along the horizontal axis.
- If you have an artistic streak or a friend can help you, you can trace the outline directly on the skin using a waterproof liquid eyeliner or a fine-tipped pencil for the eyes; if you plan to tattoo yourself in this way, once the outline is made you can add colors or shadows.
Step 2. Draw the outer border
To make sure that it matches that of the template, you have to fix the tracing paper on the printed sheet using adhesive tape; in this way, the lines always remain perfectly overlapped even if the tracing paper remains stuck to the hand or is suddenly moved. Parchment paper and wax paper are perfect for this operation; overlap a piece of it on the drawing, fix it with adhesive tape and use a marker to trace the outline of the image.
The outer lines must be thick and dark; this way, it is easier to trace them with eyeliner and transfer them to the skin later
Step 3. Cut out the design area for an easier-to-handle piece of paper
If the sheet of waxed or parchment paper is too large, you may encounter many difficulties when applying it to the skin; cut it out with a pair of scissors, so that only the drawing and a small surrounding border remain.
At this stage you can check and evaluate the effect of the design on the part of the body you want to tattoo. Place the sheet on the skin with the drawn face facing down; you should be able to see a "preview" of the finished work through the material
Step 4. Apply liquid eyeliner to the contour
You have to proceed quickly as the cosmetic dries quickly; follow the lines of the design by spreading a generous amount of product until you have retraced them all.
You can also use an eyebrow pencil for this; remember to apply a thick layer of cosmetic when you go over the contours. The greater the quantity of cosmetic, the better the resulting design
Step 5. Transfer the tattoo to the skin
Place the side with the still wet liquid eyeliner (or the pencil layer) on the part of the body you want to tattoo; press it carefully to the body and gently wipe the back of the paper with a wet cloth or rag for at least 10 seconds. The heat helps the liquid eyeliner to transfer to the epidermis.
When you remove the sheet of paper as a film, the outline of the tattoo should have transferred to the skin; wait for the area to air dry
Step 6. Darken the outline with black eyeliner
For this operation you should use a liquid and waterproof product; by doing so, you get a long lasting, realistic and smudge resistant tattoo. Proceed carefully, but don't worry if you make mistakes as you can always fix them.
- If you don't have liquid eyeliner, check that the eyeliner is sharply pointed to get defined and perfect lines.
- If you want to draw thin, light lines or details, you can use a toothpick; dip the tip into the cosmetic and use it to trace the smaller parts of the tattoo.
- If you make a mistake, wet a cotton swab with oil-based make-up remover (necessary to remove water-repellent cosmetics); squeeze it to get rid of excess liquid and scrub away any wrong lines. Wait for the skin to air dry before drawing over the area if necessary.
Step 7. Add colors or shades when the edge is dry
You can use a colored eyeliner to add a touch of vibrancy to the tattoo or a blunt eye pencil to define the shadows. You can achieve the same effect by blending the colors with a makeup brush.
- If you want to get a realistic, black and non-spoiled tattoo, use a black, waterproof liquid eyeliner to fill in the areas of the design; you should get an impressive and very noticeable result.
- If you prefer a colored tattoo, try eyeliners or even eye shadows of various shades; any glitter cosmetic does not give a very natural result, but it can liven up the design.
Step 8. Apply translucent powder to the dry tattoo
In this way, you fix the color to the skin and protect it further during the day; if you don't have this type of powder, you can use talcum powder or baby powder.
Step 9. Protect the tattoo by applying hairspray or a spray patch
By doing this, you prevent moisture from deteriorating the ink and preventing the color from peeling off. Aerosol sprays are the easiest to use, but if you only have a liquid patch that can be applied with a brush, you can use it safely.
- The protective layer can make the temporary tattoo shine; if so, apply more translucent powder or talcum powder.
- Try not to exercise, swim or sweat excessively; the tattoo probably won't last more than a day, but you should avoid these activities to make it last as long as possible.
Part 3 of 3: Remove the Tattoo
Step 1. Use the makeup remover to remove the eyeliner from the skin
In some cases, soap and water are sufficient, but some cosmetics are more resistant or leave faded traces; generally, you need to use an oil-based makeup remover to perfectly erase the waterproof eyeliner.
- If you don't have this cleaner, you can try other commonly used products; among the effective ones you can consider olive oil, coconut oil or petroleum jelly.
- When washing off a temporary tattoo, use kitchen paper, a paper towel, or a disposable cotton pad, otherwise you run the risk of staining a cloth or towel.
Step 2. Rinse and moisturize the area
After applying the make-up remover, some eyeliner residues may remain; if you can't get rid of it easily with water, you need to apply the cleaner again. After cleaning, rinse and moisturize your skin thoroughly.
The substances contained in cosmetics can be aggressive, especially if you leave them on the skin for a long time; nourish your skin with a moisturizer after washing
Step 3. Remove the tattoo before going to sleep
If you leave it on overnight, it could irritate or damage your skin. also, during sleep you may rub it on fabrics and stain the sheets.
