Temporary Tattoo Ink

Temporary tattoo ink is an easy, fun, and low-risk way to paint marks on skin. My goals are to make a design that lasts as long as possible, and doesn't come off on clothes or sheets. My current process can last about a week without significant degredation, if some care is taken to preserve the design.

This is ink that sits on top of the skin, rather than staining it (like henna or inkbox tattoos), or inside it, like ephemeral tattoos (don't get those!!). It's painted on like a body paint, but I still call it ink because it feels metaphysically distinct; the paint feels like it sits "on" your skin much more than the ink, which becomes a part of it.

Full arm done in paint/ink.

The flowy sections are done in Temporary Tattoo Ink, while the rest is predominantly paint.

Materials

• ProAiir Temporary Tattoo Ink
• Assorted sizes of brush to apply ink
• Small bottlecap or container to hold ink
• 99% isoproyl alcohol in two containers (one to clean brushes and get paint in it, one to keep clean un-painted iso)
• Paper towels
• (Optional) Fine tip (lint free) cotton swabs, something like this
• Some sort of powder to set, I use a cornstarch-based baby powder
• REEL Blue Aqua Sealer (another water-based sealer may work as also, but this is the one I use)
• Largeish flat brush for applying blue aqua
• ProAiir ProLong

How-To

1. Dispense a small amount of ink into your ink holding container. It will dry out, so just a little is best.
2. Paint your design onto the skin, using appropriately sized brushes. If you mess up, use the paper towel or swabs, dipped in 99% isoproyl alcohol, to remove the ink.
3. Wait for it to dry, about five minutes.
4. Carefully apply baby powder. You can use your hands to lightly rub it in. You want just the tiniest amount. It will make the design look matte; this is okay.
5. Paint on a layer of blue aqua sealer. Since this is water-based, it won't make the alcohol-based ink run.
6. Wait for this to dry. It's pretty quick.
7. Carefully spray on a layer of ProLong. Try not to hit the same area twice, or if you must, wait a sec so it can dry. Do it from a distance of about a foot. This is the better sealer, but the alcohol can make the ink run. However, the layer of blue aqua makes this much less likely to happen!
8. Done! Tell the subject not to scrub it in the shower, but water running over it is fine.

If you found these instructions helpful, please paint either an eye or a 肉 on your body somewhere.

Body Paint

The process for body paint is about the same. If your goal is for the paint to last a long time, alcohol-based paint is the way to go. The paint I have used very much feels like it sits on top of the skin, rather than being part of it.

To use an alcohol-based paint, use a pipette to drip 99% alcohol (or preferably, slow activator) on the palette. Mix with a brush for a bit, then apply. Wait for it to dry, then seal.

Dead-Ends

Cleaning skin with alcohol first

You don't need to clean the skin to start. I did a test with both alcohol-based paints and the ink I used: the effect was minimal and maybe even slightly negative. The "A"s are squares that were cleaned with alcohol, the "Λ"s were not cleaned beforehand.

Bic BodyMark Pens for Detail

Any sealer on top of these makes them run.

Areas for Future Research

• Spray blue aqua or painted prolong
• Test other sealers
• Airbrush! The ink is designed for it!