The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Fake Tattoos

“My body is my journal and my tattoos are my story.” Tattoos tell stories, express personalities, attract attention, and provoke conversation. Love them or hate them, they’re a form of body art that have been around for centuries. If you love tattoos but don’t want to permanently mark your skin, temporary tattoos are a great option. I’m going to share with you my experiences of testing out tools for drawing fake tattoos to create tasteful temporary body art!

Fake Tattoos for Adults

When you think about fake tattoos you are probably reminded of those little transfers you used to get in crisp packets as a child. Luckily, fake tattoos have improved significantly since then. There is now a wide choice of transfer patterns available and if you fancy drawing fake tattoos freehand, there are special tools that make the job much easier. Just like with real tattoos, you can create multicoloured or plain, black faux tattoos that appear just as authentic as real ones. Once you’ve gathered the right kit for drawing fake tattoos, you can "get inked" wherever and whenever you like.

Fake Tattoos versus Real Tattoos

Some people are very decisive when getting a tattoo, whereas others decide they want one but can’t decide what or where. If tattoos weren’t permanent or so painful and expensive to get removed, I’m sure more people would have them. A common issue that often prevents some people from getting a permanent tattoo is the ingredients used. Tattoo manufacturers are not required to disclose the exact ingredients in their inks, but it’s not uncommon for tattoo ink to consist of anything from blood, lead, iron, plastic, soot, to name a few. If you don’t like needles or pain, you probably also dislike the idea of your skin being pierced 50 to 3000 times per minute by the tattoo machine. And let’s not forget the price. It is reported that in the USA alone, Americans spend $1.65 billion a year on tattoos!
With this in mind, it is understandable why so many prefer to opt for temporary tattoos. Temporary tattoos are ideal for those concerned by the points listed above about permanent tattoos. Fake tattoos are also a great initial option for those who want to “try before they buy”. If you know that you want a real tattoo but want to try it out first, I think getting a fake tattoo first is a wise move! Fake tattoos are fun and you don’t need to put too much effort into perfecting them or choosing where on your body to apply them because they are easy to remove. They’re a cool option for festivals and for differentiating your everyday style.

What Can You Use for Drawing Fake Tattoos?

What can you use for drawing fake tattoos? If you look around you will find endless ways to achieve temporary body art. I’ve tried quite a few methods and have found these four to be the best.
Tattoo markers: These are great because they come in a variety of different colours. You can use these fake tattoo markers with stencils if you’re not confident to draw freehand. Even if you’re not a great artist, body art markers are good for touching up faded fake tattoos and for drawing on small, simple tattoos.
Eyeliner: Yes, just the eyeliner you have in your makeup bag. I often use my Kat Von D eyeliner to draw on DIY body art. Admittedly, eyeliner isn’t the best tool on this list. If you’re looking to create something that looks neat and truly authentic then I would recommend any of the other 3 tools. Eyeliner is on my list because most women own an eyeliner of some kind and secondly, it’s obvious that it is eyeliner when on the skin (which some people actually prefer). Eyeliner, whether kohl pencils, marker-style pens, gel, or liquid liner, don’t dry into the skin in the same way that proper temporary tattoo inks do, but they are good to practice with.
Tattoo transfers: These are like what you probably used as a child but the grown-up version. When I tried these I was really impressed and certainly fooled people into thinking that my tattoos were real! These are fast and simple to use, requiring absolutely no artistic capabilities. You can’t really go wrong with these, which is why they are so popular. As you will see here, there are so many patterns available so there is something to suit everybody’s taste!
Body art stamps: body art stamps are just as easy to apply as fake tattoo transfers. All you need to do is figure out where you want your body art and then stamp it on to your skin. These are easy to apply and just as easy to wash off. The texture of body art stamps often replicas a consistency similar to that of eyeliner pens. Just like with eyeliner, these stamps don’t absorb into the skin as well as the marker pens or transfers. I’d recommend these to those of you who are looking to achieve the appearance of something somewhere between makeup and a tattoo.
 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me in your pictures if you try out drawing fake tattoos yourself!