TPC’s Tattoo Artist Challenge Series
- Mia Parziale
- Dec 9, 2025
- 1 min read
Week Five: The Negative Space Dagger Challenge
This week's tattoo artist challenge is about how negative space can completely change the way a tattoo reads. A dagger works well for this because the blade, handle, and any decorative elements all react differently depending on whether you use shading or leave them open.
🗡 The Negative Space Dagger Challenge
Here’s how it works:
Draw one dagger design. Keep the structure clean, nothing too complex.
Create two versions of that same dagger:
Version 1: traditional shading or solid blacks
Version 2: built mostly with negative space (minimal shading, shapes defined by what's left empty)
Keep the linework and overall shape identical.
Under each dagger, write down:
how the readability changes
which one would heal cleaner
which one might hold up better over time
Post both versions as a carousel or short video so people can see them side by side.
A lot of clients assume shading means more detail. This challenge shows how negative space can create shape, movement, and contrast without leaning on heavy blacks.
It also shows your control. Knowing when not to shade matters just as much as knowing how.
