Healed Mark Catesby Magnolia on A

Healed side

Healed front

The original Mark Catesby piece, c. 1722

Healed

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing lots of repeat clients lately. Here are some of the healed pieces I’ve gotten to see!

Fade to Fall, healed on N

Hellebores, healed on L

Quercus, healed on G

STEM, healed on M

Metamorphosis, healed on L

Apples, healed on L

August Healers, healed on G

Thank you, thank you, thank you for these photos, G! This shoot is EXACTLY what healed photo dreams are made of.

Layered color: healed vs. fresh

P.J. Redoute’s Rein Claude Franche Plums (1802)

Healed two years on S.

These plums were rendered in two sessions of layered color, where we tattoo the midtones in the first session and then the darks and lights over the top of the healed midtones to enhance the contrast and detail we can achieve. S has taken immaculate care of their piece, which looks nearly identical healed (left) as it did fresh (right). Thanks for taking such great care of your piece, S!

Grey wash: healed vs. fresh

Fresh vs. Healed

Blackwork + grey wash

Many of my pieces are black ink only, but if we need a softer gradient or a finer line, I will bring in grey wash (black ink diluted with water). Grey washes look darker, sometimes even black, when the piece is fresh, but lighten up throughout the healing process, resulting in a gradient that resembles graphite.

This piece is a perfect example of how grey wash heals.

The darkest bits are black ink, but note the difference in value fresh vs. healed among the lighter areas (the ribbon is a very easy place to see the difference). A few different concentrations of grey wash were used here, so some greys are darker than others. Results will vary depending on the client’s individual skin and the dilution of the wash, but if your artist mentions grey wash, you can expect to see the area lighten up during healing as this piece illustrates.

Thanks, T, for the great healed photo! Piece based on Nicholas Robert’s Anemones from Sketchbook A, c. 1650