Purple linework phoenix tattoo, shoulder

by Liz Cook

Published June 10, 2026

Source

Liz Cook

13 pieces

Liz Cook Page

I don't blast linework and I'm not the artist putting it in every piece. But if I'm gonna use it, I still have to be efficient and it has to pass. So here's how I fake it.

If your single pass looks like shit, let the ego go. Get in with a small 3 liner and softly shade the edges of your lines to sculpt them clean.

Fast pass your proportions gently first with a 3 round liner and gray wash or color wash. Do your color or shading. Let it heal and then sculpt and polish your linework in a second session so the linework stays crispy.

Don't expect to move through color linework as fast as black. The color has a totally different physical property. It takes a minute to get over the time blindness (that gap between how long you think it should take and how long it actually takes when you're not used to it yet).

If it doesn't look clean, fix it before it leaves. If it heals and still doesn't look clean, get it back in. And if that's not possible, make sure the next new tattoo has these fixes.