Its a NO NO and every once and a while I run across someone who has this tattoo on them that looks like a big blob of smeared ink. Unable to make out what the tattoo is, I then notice why. Something is missing ....an outline and shading...then after talking with the person I find out how this monstrosity got under there skin...it was the brainchild of some up and coming tattoo artist. The tattooist thought that he would break all rules of tattooing and create a tattoo without an outline and without shading....great idea...but it just don't work...YOU NEED AN OUTLINE AND SHADING !!!!....unless you are one of the great tattooist who have total command of the tattoo medium...or you are doing background or negative space tattooing, or special effects....a outline and shading is needed........OR IT WILL LOOK LIKE THIS and in five years it will look like a big blob of ink.