Freehand is a technique in which the artist draws the design directly on the skin instead of transferring a ready stencil. The drawing is usually done with a skin marker and then tattooed.
When is freehand used?
The technique works where the design has to fit the shape of the body perfectly. Examples include ornaments that follow the muscles, large compositions on the back and extensions of existing tattoos. Freehand also helps with cover-ups, where the new drawing has to be arranged around the old one.
Freehand versus stencil
Most designs are transferred to the skin as a stencil. A stencil gives repeatability and lets the client see the design before work begins. Freehand requires a lot of experience, because there is no room for corrections on skin. The choice of technique depends on the project and the artist.
You can see how a design moves from idea to skin on our process page.