On July 16, 2021, a 60-second video was posted on social media. Among them was a Sao Paulo tattoo artist who said that people often believe that he has the ability to replicate shadows and light in two-dimensional tattoos to make them look three-dimensional. , Not true. The video was produced by 60 Second Docs and translated from Portuguese to English with subtitles and includes a narration by artist Duda Lozano: 

Many people think it is fake or manipulated in some way. This is comforting because it means you are on the right path. [...] I do embroidery tattoos. For a long time, I have been looking for a style to differentiate myself from other tattoo artists. Three years ago, I had the idea of ​​a patch tattoo style. You must master shadow and light.

As you can see, the video contains multiple instances of hand rubbing or touching tattoos to prove that they are flat on someone's skin, rather than textured like actual embroidered patches.

To investigate further, we studied the artist’s Instagram and Facebook pages. He posted a large number of images and videos of “embroidered tattoos” within a few months.

A video of his being marked may show that his work is stretched onto someone's skin when rubbed, proving that the tattoo lacks the depth that makes them three-dimensional. Another clip apparently shows that he is using a standard tattoo machine and other tools for "embroidery tattoos" for permanent body modification.

Snopes also found a profile of INKED, a magazine that introduced industry trends, and My Modern Met, which focused on Lozano's work-which once again confirmed the authenticity and credibility of his art. The latter publication-according to its introduction, aims to promote "visually stunning images" on various platforms (e.g. photography and science)-said:

Just like real embroidered patches, Lozano's pop culture-inspired works have threads that mimic satin stitches and bindings to prevent fraying of the edges. [...]

Before starting his tattooing career, he used logos and embroidered shirts. Lozano thought this might be intersected with tattoos, so he experimented with Garfield's patch design. "On the same day, I improved my technique by making Courage a Cowardly Dog [tattoo]." He hasn't stopped since.

We contacted Lozano to learn more about how he creates optical illusions. If we receive a response, we will update this page.

Nevertheless, we did not find any evidence of digital manipulation or Lozano's use of practices that are not suitable for other types of tattoos, such as neorealism or traditional line work. (In fact, according to his social media pages, he also has these styles.)

For these reasons, and taking into account the above evidence, the so-called “embroidered tattoo” is a real body modification that looks like a 3-dimensional stitched patch, but actually fits flat on the human skin like all other tattoos. This is “correct” of".

John McAfee's "$WHACKD" tattoo provided material for the conspiracy

© 1995-2021 Snopes Media Group Inc.

This information may not be reproduced without permission.

Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com