[Lonnie]

One thing I have seen a lot of in recent years due to the trend in pre-diluted black inks, is that a lot of new tattooers don't shade anymore. There is a sort of coloring mentality with different ratios of water/black. Nothing can replace good technique. Work on hand motions with the lighter mix ratios and develop good shading technique. After a bit of practice you should be able to get smooth transition from black to skin with straight uncut black.

Fast machine allows for smooth softer shading with fast hand motions and none of the choppy look that comes with fast hand motions and a slow machine. Tuning your machine soft and turning the voltage down to the point the machine bogs a little will allow just about anything you want to do with it.

In the end it comes down to feel though. No amount of info passed along on the internet will give you the look you're after without practice and gaining a feel for the skin.