The tattoo machines will vary in size and they look very different.
Some are smaller, some are larger, some are heavier, and some are lighter.
You'll have an 8 wrap, a 10 wrap, and even beyond that, your liners, your shader, and
even a magnet.
The basic workings of the tattoo machine are as follows.
This one for example.
An electrical current runs through the two coils.
The coils then become magnetized.
And as the coils become magnetized, they pull on the armature bar.
And when this action happens, it breaks the contact between the contact point and the
contact screw.
And when the contact is broke, it shuts the machine down.
So as it shuts the machine down, the coils become demagnetized and releases the armature
bar, which in turn goes back to where the contact screw and the contact point have made
another complete electrical circuit.
And this happens very, very quickly.
So thus, it gets your pull and your thrust on your needle.
Now this happens so quickly, all you hear is a buzz.
Again, an electrical current runs through the coils, pulls on the armature bar, breaks
contact between the contact point and the contact screw, thus shutting the machine down,
releasing the armature bar, making contact, completing an electrical circuit, and pulling
on the armature bar again.
You have your needle tube, your needle bar, your machine frame.
This is your needle bar clasp that tightens down and holds the tube in place.
This is a capacitor, your armature bar, armature bar grommet, contact screw, contact point.
We have a lower spring, an upper spring, a locking screw that locks your contact screw
in place as to keep it from vibrating and loosening and shutting your machine down.
We have a binding post, and then we have your clip cord attachments being a post and then
to the frame itself.
Of course, this will vary between artists and their own preference on what speeds they
prefer to achieve different effects.
Also, machines may require different settings to run properly.
Thus, this liner machine runs better on a setting of 12 compared to this one that runs
better on a setting of 8.
When purchasing a machine, always make sure that you purchase it from a reputable supplier.
Most suppliers will send information on how they set the machines up to run, and most
will ask information from you as far as what you want, your liner, your shader, so on and
so forth, but most of them will come with the required or the recommended settings.
Adjust accordingly or by any manufacturer's suggestions.
Most of this comes with practice and getting to know your tattoo machines.
There is some practical knowledge that should be learned about the tattoo machine before
attempting to do repairs.
I do recommend that before you tear into your machine and start messing with the contact
points and the contact screw and the springs, is to make sure that you do know your machine
properly.
I guess the best way is just to jump in there, but when you're first starting out, if you
mess up your setting, your machine isn't going to run properly and it's going to be very
difficult for you to get it back to prime, per se.
So before you tear into it and you start doing all the fine adjustments, make sure that you
do know the basic workings of the machine and what one turn will do compared to two
turns.
The gap between the contact point and the contact screw for a liner, for a lining machine,
and when I say the gap, the gap between the contact point and the contact screw.
This is the gap.
Now a normal setting or a normal gap on a liner machine should be approximately the
width of a dime, one thin dime.
This gap tells you your stroke on your needle bar.
If you don't have a lot of gap, then your machine's going to run tight and you're not
going to get a lot of stroke.
It's just going to be real short ones.
You don't, of course, want it to be real long because then you slow down the RPMs of the
machine itself.
There is that fine area that the machine's going to run properly and give you the best
stroke possible.
Again, this is one's own personal preference.
Again, the liner machine, the gap should be about the width of a dime.
Again, that adjusts the stroke of your needle bar.
For your shading machine, again, the gap adjusts the stroke of the needle bar.
If you have this contact screw screwed out too far, then you're not going to have a very
good contact between the point net and your machine may run badly or even miss.
Just like an engine, miss fire because the gap's too far apart.
This you want to make sure.
Your shaders are usually ran at a slower speed.
You might notice here that the gap between the contact screw and the contact point on
your upper spring is a little bit wider than what the liner machine was.
On your shader, you want that to be, you want more of a deeper stroke and you are running
at a slower speed.
This should be about the width of a nickel.
These are just guidelines.
Nobody says that they have to be the width of a nickel.
Nobody says it has to be the width of a dime.
These are just common, basic, knowledgeable tattoo trivia.
Again, the width of a nickel between the contact point and the contact screw.
For more precise adjustments, and you need to remember that your contact screw adjusts
the stroke on your needle bar.
Your power supply should be used to adjust the speed.
Let's take this machine for example.
Now, it needs tuned, so hooking up your clip cord, and of course, when working with this
and with the needle in the tube, be very careful.
I will be talking a little louder over the noise of the machine.
You can tell by the sound that it is not properly running.
Again, this is a liner machine.
The gap between the contact screw and the contact point is way too much.
You can see there that's way over the size of a nickel.
To adjust the machine, I'm going to turn it on, first loosen the locking screw.
I want to try to get that smooth sounding stroke through this machine, just like a good
running motor.
These adjustments are very, very small.
Now that sounds pretty good, it sounds strong, and it sounds smooth, so be sure to tighten
your locking screw to keep the contact screw from vibrating out.
You should adjust the stroke of your machine with the contact screw.
That's the speed of the machine to your power supply, you can turn it down, or you can turn
it up.
You need a good stroke for proper penetration of the needle through the skin.
If you have very little stroke, you're not going to get proper penetration.
Again, adjust the stroke through your contact screw, adjust the speed of the machine through
your power source.
There is one thing that I wanted to show you today, and that's a little trick.
You can measure your stroke, I want you to notice the black on the grommet, as I press
on the foot feet, you'll notice the gray, the gray tells you what your stroke is.
As you adjust on your contact screw, you'll notice that the gray gets smaller, so that
tells you that your strokes get shorter.
So adjust out to where you have a nice stroke and a nice smooth sound, you don't want it
idling too high, in reference to an engine, but a nice, steady, smooth stroke.
When you achieve that, tighten your set screw to prevent the contact screw from vibrating
out.
In time, you will learn what works well for you and your own personal machines.
So you want to keep your machines clean and sterile at all times.
Other than that, there's not really a lot of maintenance involved, other than cleaning
and keeping them in a proper storage container when not in use.
But a few things you might look for and watch for is certainly the performance of your machine.
If you notice, no matter what I do with the contact screw, the machine just still doesn't
run right, no matter what I do with the power source, the machine still doesn't run right.
Well, a few things you might look for is carbon buildup on the contact point.
This could be taken care of with a nail file, a nail board, and very lightly cleaning the
surface of the contact point.
Now these are silver and they are fairly soft, so if you rub too hard, you're going to wear
it away fairly quickly.
So very lightly with a fingernail board or a very fine piece of sandpaper.
Another thing you'll look for is your lower and your upper springs may be wearing out.
And then you want to change those out.
But that, your springs last a whole lot longer than say your contact point might last or
the tip of your contact screw.
So it's not too often or very often that they do wear out.
But they do occasionally and they do need replaced.
Make sure all your wires and your solder points are intact.
Make sure that your contact screw is contacting the contact point and your spring.
Rubber bands may be worn out and need replaced.
Make sure that all screws and binding posts are properly tightened and in place.
Another little thing that happens is people put the needle bar on backwards or upside
down to where the needle is higher than what the bar is and it should be flipped.
The crease of your needle bar should always run to the right of you.
The opening of the needle bar, right there, should always run to the right of you.
Make sure that your needle bar is lined up properly with the needle tube.
If this is off then it can drag and scrape along the side of the tube and in that case
your needle point is going to be off down at your needle tip.
So if it's your liner, big trouble.
Alignment, you want to make sure that your contact screw is aligned well with your contact
point as well as your armature bar should be aligned with the springs.
If your springs are off and your armature bar is one way then you're not going to have
good contact and you're not going to have good stroke because everything else is off.
So make sure that everything runs parallel and is centered throughout.
Centered in the spring, centered on the coils, centered through the tube.
Again, this has all become second nature once you get the practice and the knowledge under
you.
I'm not saying don't tear into an old machine and figure out how it works.
What I am saying is if it's the machine that you're using to work, don't tear into it
unless you know what you're doing.
For your safety and your clients safety, I recommend that you always wear surgical gloves
to prevent any cross contamination.
It also shows your client that you care and it looks much more sterile as well as professional.
You want to always make sure that your tattoo field is clean and sterile.
Your tattooing field being your countertops, your trays, your chair, anything that you
may come in contact to with during the tattooing procedure.
I recommend that you use an antibacterial spray.
Before you start any tattooing, clean your countertops, clean your bottles, wipe your
chair down, anything again that you may come in contact with, your trays, your cap holder,
even your machines you can wipe down with this antibacterial spray.
Safety again to prevent any cross contaminations, your spray bottles should be bagged, your
alcohol and your antibacterial soap mix should be bagged and disposed of immediately after
each use.
Your machines should be bagged again to prevent any cross contamination.
The Hibicline is for, I use it to sterilize and clean the skin area that I'm about to
tattoo.
I also use it to transfer my carbon outlines.
After every use, I suggest that you dispose of the needles used on that individual.
The cost of a needle today is very reasonably priced, they're certainly worth the dollar
or two that you pay for a piece and they're probably a little more than that.
Just to keep from the frustration and the time consumption that making your own needles
will cause you, especially when you're first starting out.
So again, wipe down your tattoo field, your tattoo field being your tabletops, your countertops,
your chair, your trays, your machines, your bottles, just anything that you're going to
come in contact with.
Your light you may want to spray down after using, just anything you can think of actually.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
I do recommend that when sterilizing, that you date and label each package of what size
needle and tube you have in it and the date that you sterilize.
As far as myself, I re-sterilize after anywhere from five to ten days of shelf life.
I'm sure that once you get busy, you'll use them up in no time.
But after ten days, if something sits on that shelf for longer than ten days, I tear it
out and wipe it down with alcohol and re-sterilize.
Now you will want to check with your Board of Health for any stipulations or regulations
that they may have on their sterilization procedures or what they require.
Always use a quality pouch and the proper pouch for the sterilization that you're using,
whether it be a dry heat sterilization or a autoclave sterilization.
These pouches have indicators on them that change from green to brown when properly sterilized.
This is a good indication that the utensils or the parts that's in this package has been
properly sterilized.
This is an autoclave and if you are not using one of these for your sterilization procedures,
then I believe you are taking too much of a risk.
Again, the proper pouches for the proper equipment.
There are other pouches, tubing is what it's called, for the dry heat sterilization.
Dry heat is extreme heat as in an oven and basically that's what it is.
I do suggest that you buy and purchase pre-made needles.
Again, these pre-made needles, two or three bucks a piece, included in the cost of their
tattoo.
It's much more, it's worth that little bit of money for safety and quality work as well
as the frustration and the time consumption that making your own is going to occupy, believe
me.
If you're just starting out, you don't want to make your own needles.
These pre-packaged or pre-made needles do not come sterilized, so you remove the silicone
tip coverings, protective coverings off of them, wipe them down with alcohol, put them
in a proper sterilization pouch with the proper tube size, label and date it and put it into
the proper sterilization equipment.
The proper time for an autoplay sterilization and this will vary from state to state and
from Board of Health to Board of Health.
Be sure to check with these people to make sure if they have any stipulations or regulations
for their part of the country.
But usually 350 degrees at 25 to 30 minutes is more than enough to sterilize and sterilize
safely.
Again, an autoplay is sterilization under steam and pressure.
This dial here is the temperature and it also tells you the pounds of pressure that's in
it.
So again, it's sterilization under steam and pressure, somewhat of a double whammy as far
as killing any bacteria or infectionist type microbes that might be in it.
Again, if you're not using this type of equipment, you're taking too much of a chance.
Another thing I might mention before moving on is whenever you remove a tube and needle
from a package or even before you package them to sterilize, be sure to check the needle
points for any damage, whether it be dullness, barbed or bent needle points.
If there is any sign of any damage, discard it immediately in a proper sharps container.
Using damaged or old needles will hurt your reputation as well as your heart and most
of all, it'll cause unnecessary pain and excessive bleeding for your client.
Once you get a bad reputation, as far as doing sloppy work or you may want to stretch that
three dollar needle just a little bit more, that three dollar needle is going to end up
hurting your heart and your reputation.
And once you get this reputation, you're fighting an uphill battle.
So again, be sure to check all needles before use, after use and discard them immediately,
if any sign of damage.
Well this will depend on the person receiving the tattoo and exactly where on the body the
tattoo is being placed.
Certain parts of your body will have thicker skin than another part of your body.
For example, the skin on your arms are thicker than the skin on your chest.
The skin on your legs is thicker than the skin on your lower back.
Again, it depends on where you place it at the body.
What you're looking at now is a schematic of the skin, the epidermis layer and the dermis
layer.
Now to get a tattoo to be permanent, that's going to be anywhere from 1 16th to an eighth
of an inch, eighth of an inch being on the deep side.
This should be sufficient to penetrate the epidermis layer.
You do not have to really go deep to get a tattoo to be permanent or to stay and look
well.
If you can sufficiently penetrate the epidermis layer, that will hold a nice thin line and
as well as any tattoo can become permanent through that layer and that layer only.
Now I'm not saying that if you happen to penetrate into the dermis you're going to ruin everything,
you're not.
But as you can see, skin, under the skin, epidermis layer, dermis layer and beyond that
is fat tissue and muscle tissue.
What you're looking at here and I'm going to hazard a guess to say that this may be
about anywhere between a 16th of an inch to an eighth of an inch in thickness, this schematic
and it's just a guess.
But again, you do not have to really go deep to get the tattoo to be permanent.
As a matter of fact, the deeper you go, you're more apt to have spreading of the dye and
over a period of time this will work toward the surface of the skin and blot out any definition
or art value that the tattoo had at one time or another.
Again the best way I can tell you is to assume that this is the tattoo needle and you're
penetrating the epidermis layer.
That's sufficient to hold that ink nice and tight.
Now as you go and you penetrate the dermis layer and maybe even a little further, I want
you to notice the consistency of the tissue.
Now as you go through the skin layer and then below the skin layer you get into the softer
epidermis layer and then you get into the dermis layer.
Now you see here as it changes the consistency between the tissue.
If you go and penetrate into the dermis layer, this tissue is going to act like a sponge
and this is the best way I can explain it.
So as you penetrate from here you've got a nice, nice line and then you get into the
dermis layer.
This acts like a sponge and is going to spread.
That ink is going to spread on you as soon as it hits that layer.
Why is because of the consistency of the tissue.
This tissue is going to act like a sponge and the ink is just going to spread on you.
Now over the years as your skin heals and is being replaced and flakes off and regenerates,
well this spreading tends to come toward the surface of the skin, toward the surface again
and pretty soon you're getting what your grandpa's tattoo looked like which is something that
you really can't distinguish what it is anymore because of the spreading of the ink has worked
its way toward the surface of the skin.
But if you get and stay in the vicinity of the epidermis layer, you're going to keep
that nice thin line.
Yes, there will be some spreading but minimal compared to the dermis layer.
So you do not have to go and penetrate really.
You get down into this, you run into a lot more blood vessels, a lot more bleeding is
going to happen, a lot more leakage will happen.
And if you can penetrate the epidermis layer and that will come on the stroke and the depth
of your needle, you're going to find that you're going to have a much nicer tattoo,
a much nicer tattoo line or even color for that matter and your definition and your art
value will stay much, much longer.
Again just notice the condensity between the two tissue masses.
Very weak condensity, a little stronger and solid.
Again your skin tissue is what holds all this other tissue inside.
This is our armor per se, what little bit there is and this tissue holds this tissue
in place.
Again here is another diagram or schematic of the human skin.
As you can see the hair follicle.
The depth of the epidermis is here and then you get down into the dermis layer which is
here and then this is the fat tissue which again holds a lot more vessels and veins and
this is going to increase your bleeding toward the surface of the skin.
So a tattoo doesn't have to bleed a lot to be good or permanent.
As a matter of fact very little bleeding in most cases is normal in today's art.
This being because everything is done with such a finesse and a fine line and artistic
value instead of a pack it in and get them out sort of thing.
This diagram I wanted to show you again the depth that you really have to penetrate to
get the tattoo permanent and the depth that a lot of people, I shouldn't say a lot of
people but some people penetrate which is much more than you actually have to.
The tattoo today if done properly can last without the spreading of the dye.
It will help, it will hold the fine line indefinitely provided that there is no damage through improper
care, negligence in healing or an abrasion of any other type.
One more time, penetrate the epidermis layer only.
Very little bleeding, still holding a very permanent line.
Penetrate the epidermis layer, the dermis layer and into the fat tissue you're going
to increase your bleeding as well as more scar tissue.
Because as you go into the dermis layer you're damaging a lot more tissue.
So common sense says if you're damaging more tissue then you're going to have more
chance of infection as well as scarring.
But if you penetrate the epidermis layer then you're going to hold that nice fine line less
and less bleeding.
It's going to heal a lot quicker because you're only penetrating this far instead of this
far.
It's just much better all the way around if you don't try to pile drive it or drill for
oil so to speak.
So again, you don't have to go deep to make the tattoo permanent or to make the tattoo
good.
Before beginning any tattooing procedure you need to make sure that your tattooing field
is clean and sterile.
I cannot emphasize enough stress on this part of the tattooing operation.
You need to prevent any cross contamination.
If at any time that a client of yours gets infection from the neglect on your part of
either not using clean or sterile needles or tubes or just a dirty operation then again
you're not going to do the business any good and you're certainly not going to do your
reputation any good.
And before beginning any tattooing procedure make sure that the tattoo field being your
countertops, your chair, your trays, your bottles are all bagged, your cap holder is
bagged and all precautions are taken to prevent any contamination.
You need to start by making sure everything is clean, organized and in its place.
The first step is to prep the skin in the area where the tattoo is to be centered.
I suggest you take your anti-bacterial soap mix and spray the area.
With a single use disposable razor remove any hair follicles that may be in the area
that is to be tattooed.
And I suggest that you go at least a couple inches on either side of the design that is
to be transferred as to eliminate any obstruction that may occur during the tattooing procedure.
Removing the hair from the area is to prevent any unwanted hair follicles holding inks or
dye to obstruct your view or the hair itself can get infected from the abuse of the tattooing
procedure.
So again, remove any unwanted hair as soon as you have done this disposal the single
use razor immediately.
And after doing this take your alcohol bottle, spray the area again with a sterile cotton
swab, clean the area thoroughly, fan the area dry.
Now your skin area that is to be tattooed is clean, sterile and free of any obstructive
hair and any bacteria that might have been there.
After sterilizing the skin in the area that the tattoo is to be performed you need to
either draw in a design or apply a stencil.
And there are many different kinds of stencils.
Today we'll be using the most commonly used today which is a infrared transparency carbon
stencil.
And what this machine does is through heat and light is transfer your desired design
onto a piece of paper in carbon form.
Now to apply this type of stencil I recommend that you use a Hibiclin solution which is
more commonly used for ear piercings and any other small skin abrasions.
With a sterile cotton ball apply a liberal amount of solution covering an area that is
larger than the design being transferred.
Your Board of Health would rather you use this type of sterile solution than a speed
stick or deodorant stick as this can cause the transfer of unwanted bacteria from person
to person.
Now with very light pressure center your design in the desired area that you want the transfer
to be.
With light pressure hold for several seconds, twenty to thirty, and you always want to make
sure that the design is centered in the area to be applied.
You don't want it off to the left, you don't want it off to the right.
You want to make sure that it is centered.
Very gently take the paper and peel it away revealing your desired outline.
Allow this to dry before proceeding with the tattoo procedure.
When tattooing any design you need to keep the skin tight and toned as to allow proper
penetration of the needle.
If the skin is not tight then the needle is going to tend to bounce off the surface rather
than penetrate.
So you need to make sure that your skin is tight throughout the procedure.
And there are different ways of stretching the skin and I'm going to show you the most
commonly.
Certainly when doing larger areas as chest, back, stomach, and so on it's always wise
to have an individual around to help in this process.
A husband, a wife, an apprentice, or just their husband or wife, get them involved.
You need to keep the skin tight at all times.
Now the most commonly used stretching technique is bringing your hand to the back side of
the area that is to be tattooed with your thumb and your forefinger.
Grab and pull together, keeping that skin tight.
Another one is that you're going to find that you're going to be doing a lot with is between
your thumb and your forefinger.
Taking your thumb, your finger on one side, your thumb on the other and stretch it and
then working in between the two.
Wherever that may be.
Another one is your thumb and pulling down, pulling left, pulling right, pushing up, again
pulling down.
You have to keep the skin tight so whatever way it may call for you need to keep the skin
tight to allow proper penetration.
Good lining the tattoo is probably the most important part of the tattooing procedure.
Good lining leads to good tattooing.
In the business of tattooing there is no room for mistakes, therefore it is wise to get
it right the first time.
As in life you will have your good days and your bad days.
A word of advice, if for some reason you don't feel like tattooing, don't.
Take the day off.
All your concentration needs to be on tattooing.
Try to leave your other problems aside.
Also when outlining the tattoo you need to be very careful as not to let your machine
run out of dye as this will cause you to do a dark line into a very light line.
This increases your chances of double lining because you have to go back and darken in
the line to get it even.
Be very careful when dipping your machine into the cap of dye as if you hit the sides
of the cap or the bottom of the cap this is going to damage the needle tip and damage
your tattooing right from the start.
So be very careful and inspect your needles and needle tips periodically for any damage.
For instructional purposes I will be using a stencil on paper.
I will be using colored pencils and pens to demonstrate on how to properly outline and
shade a tattoo design.
It all basically works the same only on human skin you cannot wrinkle it up and throw it
into the waste paper basket.
So again you need to make sure that it's properly done the first time around.
Now let's proceed.
In the tattoo you always want to start at the bottom of the tattoo and work your way
sideways or forward.
Do not start at the top and work your way down.
If you do this as you're working you're going to smudge and distort your design as you move.
Now before doing any tattooing procedure after applying the stencil allowing time for it
to dry apply a very thin coat of Vaseline.
Now this is for the purpose of keeping the skin soft and supple allowing the needle to
penetrate a little easier and it also allows you to maybe slide a little easier.
Now what you do not want to do is when I say apply a thin coat of Vaseline over the stencil
is on the stencil itself not off to the side too far off to the left or to the right too
far as this will compromise your grip and stretching of the skin for allowing your fingers
to slip and slide.
So just the tattoo design only and being very careful not to put too much Vaseline on there.
Okay proceeding with the outline.
Now again starting at the bottom of the design and not necessarily the bottom but the bottom
of the design working to the left or to the right and this will vary left hand or right
hand.
Your start point your stop point and for instructional purposes please imagine that the tip of this
pin is your tattooing machine.
You would find your start point and your stop point wherever that may be.
Here myself I would start here and I might mention before I start marking you need to
move at a steady pace not too fast not too slow just a nice smooth steady stroke.
So again imagine that the pin is the machine and it works basically the same start point
stop point start stop start stop.
And again you don't want to stop in between your start points and your stop points as
it's going to make it very difficult to match the lines again.
Say that I started at the tip of this thorn and was going down to the bottom of the stem
and I stopped halfway.
So at this point if I went from here to here and stopped now I've got to match exactly
where I stopped here and that's going to be very difficult and most likely as you come
around and you stop you're going to go off this way and it's going to be very difficult
to match lines again.
Again start point stop point start stop and again it's very important not to stop and
allow your machine to run as this is going to cause puddling.
If you start and stop and keep your machine running at that point well what do you get?
You get these puddles and if you start and you let your machine run before again you're
going to get these puddles.
So when you start let your machine before touching the skin let your machine run and
as soon as you touch that skin you be ready to go from your start point to your stop point.
Again start stop start stop being very careful not to stop and allow your machine to puddle.
Double lining again is the most important part because if you do bad lines then you're
going to have to go back and touch all that stuff up which is going to lead to double
lining heavier lines, heavier lines through part of the design and lighter lines through
the rest of the design.
So again all this is going to come with practice and knowing your equipment and the proper
speeds to operate at.
Basically that's the outlining knowing your start point your stop point do not allow your
machine to puddle meaning again as soon as you touch that skin with that machine move
a nice smooth steady stroke not too fast not too slow.
Start point stop point.
Most likely you're going to use a larger needle being a 14 round or even a six or seven round.
You want to be very careful not to overwork the skin and a proper way to pack in color
is using very very small circles.
And again this is the point of your machine using very small circles left or right circles
it really doesn't matter and you can actually go back in different directions if you choose.
Very very small circles.
Now as you look at this design you think wow that's an awful large area to color and yes
it is and most likely if we was tattooing this on an individual it would be smaller
than this but for taping purposes I've enlarged it and for instructional purposes the design
is larger than normal but the aspect of filling in and coloring in and packing in is basically
work the same.
Very very small circles and I'll try to get you to and when coloring large areas take
and cut it off in small increments little small squares and finish an area and move
on cut you out another square.
Very small circles.
As you watch this and we're moving in very small circles I'm holding the pencil just
as I would my machine.
I'm a little awkward for taping purposes but it's still held the same way.
Again very very small circles.
Finish this up and move on.
Now I'll show you what happens when you try to do too large of an area or if you get in
a hurry trying to hurry through the tattoo trying to hurry and get it done whether you
be bored with it or the person seems to be in a hurry whatever you know don't ever get
in a hurry when doing a tattoo.
Take your time and remember that this is your reputation at stake.
So now you're using a 14 needle round and you're trying to hurry and you're using maybe
a little bit better bigger strokes or circles than you would.
Well what are you going to get just like I showed you here light coloring you're going
to have open skin areas all through the colored pattern.
You do not and this is going to lead to you going back and doing it some more.
Still with the big circles not using the small tight circles yeah you're getting it in and
yeah it's getting better but guess what by this time you've just damaged all that skin
in that area and nine out of ten times that's going to turn into scar tissue because you've
just damaged the tissue that holds a nice tight solid color pattern.
You've turned it into hamburger by going over this one from using the larger circles you've
just turned this into hamburger and not it won't heal properly.
Then it's going to be scar tissue and you're going to try to come back later well why is
this like this and you're going to try to color it in again and scar tissue is never
going to hold the ink or dye as a good solid healthy tissue will.
It's going to bleed more it's going to be a heck of a lot more sensitive and the client's
going to be reluctant to have you do any more work because of this.
Now again using very tight circles it may take a little longer but you're going to notice
that the colors are going in the skin is receiving it much much better and I might mention through
this you're you're working these very tight circles you're working these very tight circles
and you're wiping you're doing a little bit and then you're going to wipe okay now as
you wipe and you wipe and you wipe this is going to get sore so periodically another
very thin coat of Vaseline over the the area that you're tattooing it doesn't have to be
on the whole pattern.
So it may take a little longer to get that packed in there but it's going to be a heck
of a lot better than going you know going you may go over it once with the small circles
you may have to go over it three or four times with the the large circles and this in turn
is going to increase damage and scar tissue.
So very tight small circles squaring off areas don't try to take and color in you know maybe
half at one time because that's just going to lead to that light spotty insufficient
coloring and more damage and more dissatisfied clients then then moving a little slower and
doing a proper fill as you should and of course always making sure that your equipment is
quality top-notch and that your needles and your machines are tip-top shape.
That's the key factor if your equipment your needles aren't quality or are up to par then
your tattooing and your coloring and your lining nothing else is going to be up to par.
So the main thing make sure you have the quality equipment knowing how to use it and how to
do it properly.
Again working this pencil as if it was my shader or my liner and in this instance I
it's my shader so I want to give this petal shape and definition.
I want to make that petal look as real as possible okay.
First off I wouldn't try to color it solid and as I look at it at a flower I know there's
shine parts on it I know there's a lighter parts compared to darker parts I know that
there's shadows and depth throughout the flower itself.
So acting as if this is my tattoo machine again my bridges I'm holding it just as I
would and probably in the length that the tip might be.
So at this point I'm going to go in a directional flow and I'll try to allow you to see it through
the taping.
Okay notice the flipping the flipping action.
Before I touch that skin I know where that needle is going to drop okay and I do not
allow the needle to set on the skin and then start.
Your needle is away from the skin your machine is running and then you just kind of flip
it right up there.
Being careful of course just like in any coloring aspect not going outside the line.
Now you would not do this much work without wiping I would do a little bit wipe do a little
bit wipe.
Now I'm not trying to make this solid as I was the heart okay.
I want this to gradient color.
I want this to be light so I can go back and darken the edges to the proper tones once
I go too dark I can't go back.
So it's best when doing this type of shading and coloring to do it in a light form and
then you can always go back and darken the areas that you prefer to be dark.
Now again in the directional flow okay the directional we know that this flower this
petal is running this way that it's dropping down and we know that this end is flowing
up so in whatever direction that you're that these petals are going try to work in that
direction that's what's going to give you shape definition and the artistic depth if
that's the word I'm looking for okay now as you've worked up now you want to go into
here and work down.
Again this is your machine running you're wiping you're working you're wiping.
Now we've we've almost give this petal it's it's a start we've almost give this petal
shape and in a directional flow for that matter again going back and darkening up the areas
the edges and whatever we know that this might be a little darker in through here because
it folds into the center of the flower but again if you go too dark then it's too late
and you can't go back and lighten that up and we know that underneath this petal that
there should be a shadow as this petal flows over the top of this petal so you just come
back just darken a little shadow underneath there again working this pen or this pencil
as if it's my machine and you do not have to as you do with a pencil you might press
a little harder with your machine you do not press harder okay all you're going to do is
just damage that way you're just going to damage the skin cause the needle to drag cause
the needle to hook up stop and and possibly rip the skin so with your point and with your
needle to darken you're continuously going over the same area again being very aware
not to overwork the skin
speeding up the process again you'll see that I went ahead and shaded the petals of the
flower again as you see this action with the pencil you can achieve the same sort of effect
with your shading machine again starting out lightly working in the directional flow from
edge flipping and lightly lifting as you work it going back darkening in the areas that
need to be darker for shadows and depth of the tattoo a few other things we need to be
touching on is properly coloring the tattoo when it's time to now you should always do
your black and gray work first now make sure your outline is completely done as you work
and if you have to go back and do more black work well then you're going to wipe that black
dye off and then it's going to run over the surface of your color which is going to color
distort the color as well as dye the skin that's already perforated and open so it's
going to change the color especially yellows oranges and even reds and blues so you need
to be very careful and very aware that your black work is done first now you can come
back and do a little black and gray work to enhance the depth of the petals by this I
would suggest by either letting it heal first and coming back and doing some more gray work
or diluting your red with a little black you're going to see a big difference as far as depth
once we get this other color mixed in with it again this is your machine your machine
tip and needle tip is the point of this pencil so being very careful and still working in
the directional flow think where them shadows would be think where the 3d effect should
come into play and you don't have to cover the whole design again just where it may be
a little darker and depth again this is your needle being very careful to watch and pay
attention to the skin as not to damage it but I would prefer when I do stuff like this
that I've diluted my red to almost black so it's not going to be that difficult to accept
or even go over the area again a lot of your clients will be one-time drive-through clients
so it's going to be difficult that if you want them to leave with the proper is to make
sure that this great work was done prior to your color your shading your shadow
that is basically your your shading and shadowing technique again moving very slow not overworking
the skin not not trying to pack it in in large circles but very very small tight circles
your shading is done with the flipping motion start flip start flip start flip you do not
want to stand here and work and work and work in a tight circle or you're defeating your
purpose of any definition and art through that design so be very careful not to go too
dark at the start to where you can't go back and lighten the area now let's review one
thing that I didn't touch on that I should have is your start point your stop point you
want to be very careful as not to what I call crossover your crossover would be start stop
your start point your stop points down here and you start and you stop that's the way
it should be but there's this chance of going a little further or this way that's what I
call crossover and this can be very minute at times so as you start a line make sure
you stop and get your machine out of there before you go to that point a crossover again
start point stop point get your machine out start stop again double lining is going to
lead to when you have to go back and darken in a line because it's too light well as for
example if this line is too light and you have to go back to where this side is thicker
that's thicker then you're going to go back and you're going to try to darken this one
in well and it's not hard to do to do this number but now you've got double lines so
then you got to go back and fill that in and pretty soon you've got something that is nothing
like it should be so start point stop point do not allow your machine to run on the skin
have your machine running before you touch the skin as soon as you touch the machine
the skin with the machine move in a slow steady stroke not too fast not too slow again if
you're moving too slow and if you stop you're going to get your puddling effect and if you
stop between the lines instead of your start point and your stop point then you're going
to wind up with this being a line that you cannot most generally match up again
and finishing the final steps of the tattoo clean the tattoo thoroughly with your antibacterial
soap mix after that I recommend that you spray the tattoo with a little alcohol now this
will sting and but it's very important to kill any any bacteria or germs that may have
been left behind pat the area dry with a paper towel and apply a very thin coat of ointment
now a proper tattoo will not be will not bleed excessively a proper tattoo does not have
to have big thick scabs on it a proper tattoo a good tattoo bleeds minimally and if properly
taken care of bandaging can come off in a few hours or less apply a very thin coat of
ointment you do not need a large amount adhere a good quality nonstick gauze bandage now
most likely as soon as they walk out the door they're ripping it off and throwing it away
hopefully they don't and when they do they dispose of it properly but for your sake for
your own conscience bandage them up with a good quality bandage when they walk out the
door this will keep it from sticking to the tattoo it will look professional as they walk
out the door and they'll know that you cared enough to put a quality bandage on them instead
of just some piece of paper towel before leaving you should thoroughly go over the care instructions
with them make sure that they understand exactly what they're supposed to do recommend that
they stop back in a week or two and let you do a follow-up on this tattoo work that you've
performed if any touch-ups are are needed I suggest that you do that free of charge
this again will work for your benefit as far as sticking behind and following up on your
work this in turn will bring you more clients you can only inform your clients on how to
take care of it you cannot follow them around and make sure that they do it the biggest
problem that I find most people have is when they apply the ointments whether it be a triple
antibiotic ointment or the A&D ointment is that they just gobb it on there emphasize
that they do not have to gobb this ointment on and I recommend and this is my personal
choice A&D ointment if they would go out there and and you knew for sure that they was going
to apply the ointment properly and periodically instead of every 20 minutes then yeah it would
be fine but most likely you're putting it on 10 times a day and they're putting a lot
of it on there triple antibiotic ointments are made to get in and draw infections out
they would put just a very thin coat on these would be great the A&D ointment tends to act
and activate on the surface of the skin it isn't as potent as what any the triple antibiotics
are ointments are so I prefer if they're going to gobb it on that they use an A&D ointment
more so than the triple antibiotic ointments now of course any sign of persistent redness
any sign of infection they should immediately call a doctor as well as you should inform
them to immediately call a doctor but most of the time it's just a little redness either
they've you know through their own neglect not taking care of the tattoo properly but
at least you know in your heart that you did everything possible to make sure that when
they walked out that door that they had a quality safe professional piece of tattoo work performed
on them at that time again stand behind your work.
Color won't stay first of all you want to make sure that you have the best dye that
money can buy there are all kinds of dyes on the market today some great some not so
great check around and see what you prefer always buy from a reputable dealer some colors
are harder to get to stay in than others for example yellow is a hard color since it fades
faster than most colors white is another color that is hard to get to stay as well as getting
it even always make sure that the skin is tight when tattooing colors check the dye
since it could be too thick or too thin.
Most dyes you're looking for the consistency of oil imagine the thickness of car oil and
have your tattoo dye about the same and this will vary from product to product.
If the dye dries out fast it's too thick if the dye is clear and really running it's
too thin if you think the dye is too thin then you might want to leave the cap off the
ink bottle for a period of time so that the alcohol can evaporate in time the dye will
become thicker in the case that you think the dye is too thick then you could add a
little alcohol or whatever the manufacturer may suggest that you use for thickening or
thinning one's idea of thickness will not be the same as others with time you will learn
what's best for you if the dye is not the problem you might want to look at the tattoo
machine settings adjust the stroke or the speed next check to see if your needle is
dull bent or barred if the needle is damaged in any way then dispose of it properly I recommend
to use new needles on every client there is always a chance that you may run across the
bad or bent needle and prepackaged needles I want you to imagine a fishhook a very very
small fishhook what's bad is the fishhook being pushed in and even worse being pulled
out a thousand times or more that's what a barbed or bent needle can do if at any time
while you are tattooing and notice any damage to the skin area or the dye just doesn't
seem to want to go in stop and let the tattoo heal always check the needles before using
them you might also want to check the skin type you are tattooing over time you will
find that some skin will accept the dye better than others now let's take a look at the
causes and the remedies the client may may not take care of the tattoo properly before
the client walks out the door discuss the aftercare make sure he understands and let's
even hand him written instructions before leaving the studio they may pick at the tattoo
again be sure to instruct them not to pick at or force any scabbing or dead skin off
of the tattoo dull or damaged needles may be the culprit inspect your needles before
and during the tattooing procedure inferior dyes again make sure you have the best that
money can buy and this is one's own preference on what manufacturer or supplier may have
in proper stroke make sure that you have the proper depth set on your needle tip in proper
speed maybe you're going too fast or too slow make sure that the speed is set and if you
remember the setting the contact screw adjusts your needle stroke adjusting your power supply
adjust the speed of the machine you may be using wrong size needles for the for the area
that is being tattooed you may be overworking the skin you need to make sure that you are
very aware of what you're doing pay close attention this person just doesn't accept
well and you'll run across this from time to time your springs are wore out your upper
or lower or both be sure to replace and repair your machine as needed again these are causes
and remedies something you can look for and I'm sure that if this doesn't cover it then
there's something else that needs to be taken a look at again these are just basic problems
that call for basic knowledge die spitting die spitting is when ink flies out the tip
of the tube if this happens check the length of the needle that is sticking out of the
end of the tip again check the speed settings if this isn't a problem then there could be
a hole in the tip somewhere there could be what they call wobble meaning there is space
between the needle and the sidewalls again let's look at the causes and the remedies
need a point sticking out too far that's out past the tube tip adjust your depth your speed
is too high adjust your power supply needle tip of the tube is wore out and this is from
excessive use and rubbing and abrasion from the needle rubbing on the tube tip most generally
you will find this in the bottom of the channel on a square tip too inspect your tubes periodically
rubber bands are wore out if the rubber bands are wore out then the vibration will travel
through the needle bar and usually you won't notice it until it's at the needle tip again
replace parts as needed proper maintenance on your machines and tubes should be periodically
done excessive bleeding there could be many reasons for this to happen dull barbed or
bent needles excessive speed or going too deep or just a few another reason could be
the client is thin blood which results from drinking drug use or even some medications
always check with the client to see if they're taking any medication before performing tattoo
if they are taking medications for any blood disorders it could cause their skin to reject
the ink any person taking medication for blood disorder should not be tattooed you should
never tattoo a person who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs because this
can cause thinning of the blood which in turn will lead to excessive bleeding you should
have some ammonium just in case you come across a bleeder ammonium alum is an astringent to
aid in controlling bleeding looking at the causes and the remedies of course damage needles
inspect needles before and during the tattooing procedure excessive speed adjust your power
supply penetration too deep adjust the depth of your needle your stroke thin blood again
be sure to ask any medical questions if they're taking any type of medications if they're
if they're taking blood medications if they're taking blood thinners people with heart problems
take blood thinners obviously drinking or if they're drunk you should never tattoo a
drunk it's just going to make for bad experience for you certainly it's not going to help your
reputation or your art tattooing a drunk because they never hold still they're always moving
and besides that you got to put up with the attitude so my suggestion never tattoo a drunk
or anybody who's under the influence of drugs the tattoo won't heal if a tattoo won't heal
there could be several factors involved for instance the client has an allergic reaction
to the dye this could be seen by noticing if the tattoo is discharging any fluid after
three or four days of the tattoo being done also if redness persists to remain around
the edges of the tattoo as well as soreness to the touch after three or four days the
client should be informed to see a doctor when he or she can be prescribed a stronger
antibiotic ointment if this occurs that person should not get another tattoo another reason
should be that the client has had staph infection at some time or another which remains in their
system the worst possible reason may be a tattoo won't heal would be the tattooist did
not properly and efficiently clean and sterilize the tubes needles thusly causing an infection
if it is found that the tattooist is the cause of the infection it will be the start of his
or her downfall causes and remedies allergic reaction there is this you can test the dice
first before you properly proceed with the tattooing but this takes days you should or
you could take and do a dot in the area of each color and let it set for a couple of
days and see what happens this is a way to check for allergic reactions staph infection
in the system if they've had staph infection in their life most likely it will remain in
their system and when they get cut or hurt or scraped in any way the staph infection
tends to come out and they need stronger antibiotics sometimes even medication not really enough
time for it to heal properly be sure to give them the proper care instructions and give
it an idea on how long the tattoo should take to heal use a stronger ointment and dirty
or unsterilized equipment please no proper sterilization techniques broken lines broken
lines can result due to several things first of all make sure the skin is kept tight it
could be dull or damaged needles it could also be that you are not keeping an even depth
or you are lifting on the machine and not allowing the needle to penetrate evenly another
thing might be you're moving too fast for proper penetration letting your needle run
out of dye can also cause broken lines keep your reservoir tip of your tube not necessarily
full but a reserve of dye causes and remedies damaged needles again inspect your needles
before and during the tattooing procedure skin not tight lifting on the machine smooth
steady even movements from start point to stop point needle depth again adjust your
stroke for proper depth you're moving too fast moving too slow machine running out of
dye spotty lines usually this results from moving too slow or even stopping between start
and stop points again the problem could be dull or damaged needles never pause and allow
the needle to keep penetrating when going from stop point to stop point most often this
happens when one is tattooing a line and goes on to another line while pausing slightly
before doing so causes and remedies pausing while machine is still running do not pause
between your start point and your stop point and when you get to your stop point lift your
machine away from the skin immediately do not allow the machine to keep running on the
skin surface as you will puddle dye again smooth steady movements damaged needles a
barb needle is notorious for this they will snag and grab the skin or snag up and stop
in the skin check your needles before and during the tattooing procedure stopping between
start points and stop points finish out your lines try not to stop in between your points
double lines this is usually caused by damage bent or barb needles or a separation of needles
from the needle group or when you go back to darkening a line he or she can misjudge
the previous line also a buildup of tissue between the needle points could cause double
lines to occur causes and remedies of course damaged needles check your needles before
and during the tattooing procedure needle separation needle separation can be caused
from snagging loading your needle into the tube you get caught and maybe pull it away
from the other needle grouping make sure your lines are done right the first time again
trying to realign and misjudging is probably the biggest culprit of this so make sure that
your lines are done right the first time build up of tissue between the needle points can
separate one needle or more than one needle from a grouping say you're using a 14 needle
round and tissue paper from wiping over the tattoo builds up between the between the needle
groups this can cause double lining fat lines this is usually the result of dull or damaged
needles separation of the needles is also a possibility other reasons could include penetrating
too deep and buildup of tissue between the needle points causes and remedies again damaged
needles separation of the needles but most likely it's due to too deep a penetration
check your needle depth buildup of tissue trying to realign again make sure you do the
proper lining at the start the angle of the machine your machine may be tilted left or
right and when I say this imagine your 45 degree angle or the angle that you hold your
machine and your tip is tilted to the right or to the left and you're penetrating the
skin at an angle this can cause spreading and fat lines light lines
this could be the cause of several things of course one being dull needles the skin
not being tight will result in light lines the needle not penetrating properly bouncing
off the surface of the skin other possibilities could be not enough needle depth the setting
on the tattoo machine or the setting of the tattoo power supply let's look at the causes
and remedies of course obvious dull or damaged needles the skin not being tight during the
tattooing procedure not enough needle depth adjust your stroke moving too quickly smooth
steady even movements your speed too slow adjust your power supply shaky lines this
could be caused by the customer moving around while you are tattooing your hand could be
shaking or there could be too much movement in the needle tip or the tube could be loose
one other thing might be that the rubber bands are wore out let's look at the causes and
remedies again your client moving around inform your client before you can do a proper and
a good tattoo they need to work with you as much as you work with them they need to set
still they need to be calm and in control they need to breathe properly and not get
all worked up and worked into a frenzy your hands shaking this will happen you need to
be in control you need to show your client that you are in control that you are the boss
so to speak movement of the needle point check your equipment your tube is loose check the
class on the tattoo frame on the tattoo machine frame again replace and repair machine and
parts as needed
before starting the tattooing procedure be sure to disinfect your work field such as
your chair to prevent any cross contamination from any previous work performed I suggest
that you use a disinfectant spray such as this spray down your instrument tray as well
as any area that you might be working in countertops etcetera
it's suggested that you use bags to cover your cap holder as well as your spray bottles
your alcohol and your antibacterial soap mix these covers are to help prevent any cross
contamination always wear surgical gloves for your protection as well as theirs
carefully remove tube and needle from the sterilization pouch holding the tube in one
hand and the needle in the other carefully slide your needle into the tube and through
the tip of the tube do not bang or snag the needle the needle points are very fine and
can be damaged very easily with your free hand hold your machine and backslide your
loop into your needle and tube into your machine tighten your machine clasp place your loop
over the machine armature bar grommet replace rubber bands to the top of the needle bar
to prevent vibration and to prevent the needle slipping off the armature bar adjust your
needle depth by slowly moving your tube in or out the needle point should be flush with
the tube tip if the needle sticks out further than the tube then this increases the chance
of your needle snagging on the skin when in motion to check the needle depth push on the
spring to see actual depth make sure the needle and tube is straight and parallel with the
machine not bent to one side or the other always be very careful move very slowly to
prevent being stuck by the needle always allow your client to view you opening their sterilized
tubes and new needles you should also have printed the date that the instruments were
sterilized you should use a quality pass that has the indicators that change colors when
sufficiently sterilized repeat procedure for other machines if needed
in this tattooing procedure I will be using a three needle tight and a 14-needle round
before starting you should cover your machines to prevent any cross-contamination remove
one corner of the cover and place it over the machine being very careful not to snag
the needle tip even this can damage the point attach the clip cord to the machine then secure
it with either tape or a bag tie
this will aid in the prevention of cross-contamination transferring onto your machine frame repeat
for the other machines if needed
before transferring the design or pattern you will need to clean and disinfect the area
that is to be tattooed spray the area with alcohol and use a single-use razor to remove
any hair from the area be very careful as not to cut or scratch your client
removing the hair is mainly to reduce the chance of infection as well as to reduce or
hamper your view of the design when finished dispose of the razor properly
clean the area again using the antibacterial soap mix
pat or fan dry the area
most health departments would rather you use the heavy clean solutions than the antiperspirant
sticks so as not to spread any bacteria from person to person apply the solution with the
sterile cotton ball be sure to cover a larger area than the design requires the heavy cleanse
will also disinfect the area and allow you a sterile work field when applying the transfer
or design always make sure that you center the design in the area that tattooing is to
be performed lightly lay the pattern on the area apply even pressure to the transfer be
very careful not to move or slide the design around so as not to distort or smudge the
transfer hold steady for several seconds to allow the entire design to be transferred
and with a slow peeling motion remove the transfer
when starting the outline you want to start at the bottom of the design and work your
way up if you start at the top of the design and work down then you would damage or distort
the transfer as always start at the bottom and work your way up find the start point
and move with the downward stroke try to avoid working in an upward stroke as this may increase
the chances of snagging notice the position of my left hand under the arm using my thumb
and forefingers to stretch the skin you want to keep the skin as tight as possible to allow
proper penetration beginning at the bottom of the design find your start point and your
stop point start here stop there move in a slow and steady stroke and go from one point
to the next start stop I cannot stress enough importance on keeping the skin tight at all
times this will allow a smoother and cleaner looking line and reduce potential snagging
notice the steady movement and the speed of the movement be very aware
between points as this will allow the machine
to puddle die and result in a spot in the line if you stop between points in the line
it will be very difficult to match up the lines again you want to start at your start
point and stop at your stop point start stop notice the bottom three fingers on my tattooing
hand that's what I call my bridge this allows me to support my hand and help steady the
stroke notice the position of my left arm below the design pulling down to keep the
skin tight start stop with this long line be sure to find your start point and your
stop point which would be here here and here
if at any time I am not speaking or explaining the techniques being used please pay close
attention to the movements of my hand and the strokes being used as well as the stretching
position of my left hand remember start point stop point we will at times be advancing ahead
in the tape for timing purposes there will be a time that the best teacher is to just
the smudge on the bottom of the design is out of your work area so will not be a factor
if you would have started at the top of the design this would have damaged the transfer
and hindered your view of the lines here is a good time to mention the importance of keeping
the skin tight hand under the area thumb and forefingers pulling
our start point stop point there will be times that you will use your thumb to pull down
on the skin grasping and keeping the skin tight as to prevent the needle from bouncing
you will also be working between your thumb and forefinger your thumb pulling down and
your finger pushing up if the skin is not tight then the needle tends to bound and results
for time purposes we will be advancing ahead in the taping
after completing the outline clean the area of all ink and dyes
now it's not as important if you start at the top or the bottom because you are not
going to damage or distort the design in this technique I will be using a 14 needle round
to achieve the wash effect I used a soap mix bottle for dilution fill 3 to 4 caps with
solution to wash out or dilute the black dye rinse becomes lighter dip your machine into
the black dye and very carefully run your machine in the solution when starting your
shading or your wash effect it is important to remember that you can always go darker
but you can't go lighter so with light pressure begin working the area to be shaded
you will need to pay close attention to the strokes being used this stroke is called the
flipping stroke note the flipping action in this technique the speed of your machine should
be very low and this will vary on your transformer if you notice more lining than shading then
turn your transformer down adjust to suit
again watch the motion in shading it will be necessary to work in the upward stroke
to achieve shape and definition very important to remember not to be too dark at once gradually
work the shade needed work the machine as you would a paintbrush
you will notice at this point that the dye looks transparent that's fine while working
the wash effect it may not look like it's transferring to the skin but it is be very
careful not to overwork the skin area being tattooed be sure to keep your area clean and
your view open again notice the thumb and the forefinger
stretching the skin keeping it tight at all times
now we want to achieve a translucent veil your dye at this point must be almost clear
this would be an area that if you are too dark then you would lose total effect and
you cannot fix that so work with a very diluted dye and very light pressure
skimming the surface of the skin darkening areas if it's called for
again if at any time I am not speaking or explaining the techniques being used please
pay close attention to the movement of my hand and the strokes being used
I am not speaking or explaining the techniques being used I am not explaining the techniques
being used I am not explaining the techniques being used I am not explaining the techniques
being used I am not explaining the techniques being used
keep your area clean and free of any obstructions such as smears and excessive dye
you will find that you will be doing a lot of work between your thumb and your forefinger
giving you that small area to concentrate on
again the flipping motion light pressure gradually darken as needed
pressure, stroke, movement, and speed of the machine will all have a bearing
on the type of effect you will achieve to avoid repeating myself over and over the best
teacher at times is to just watch working with a very light pressure and light dilution
begin to shade the body form work in the directional flow of the body think about where the shadows
might appear a point that I might mention is that you will be adjusting on your transformer
for the speed of your machine again keep your skin area clean and free of any obstruction
that might hamper your view to achieve a full body wash effect you will use a larger stroke
with even slower speed and a quicker flipping action and almost a clear dye
just barely touching the surface of the skin work in the direction of the flow of the shape
that the body part should be the part being the breast the breast should be round and
at the bottom of the breast work in an upward stroke with very light pressure and continue
until desired tone is accomplished
again the flipping motion very light pressure you can see the reddening more than a transfer
of the dye this is normal
again gradually advancing the tone of the gray from light to dark
again the flipping motion very light pressure you can see the reddening more than a transfer
of the dye
if you know that the front side area flows in that direction and the back side area flows
in the other direction then work your machine in those directions
again with the shape and forming of the body part
notice the large stroking movement and the transparency of the dye
you want to enhance and create shadow and shape
again if you know that the front side goes in this direction then move in that direction
flip in that direction again very very important to keep the skin tight at all times just barely
skimming the surface of the skin shape and tone move in that direction the back side
in this direction notice the translucency of the dye at this point work in what i call
half moon strokes watch the movement of my hand and fingers
the flipping motion to be explained as follows heavy pressure flipping to light pressure
be very careful not to overwork the areas you do not want to drag your needle across
the skin you want to skim the surface of the skin
what you do not want to do is during the wash effect is to pack the color in there are areas
that will call for heavy packing flipping very lightly
heavy pressure light pressure just barely touching the surface of the skin you do not
want to penetrate too deep just lightly skimming the surface
now this is an area that would call for some heavy solid packing
you need to be very careful not to damage the skin to the point of scarring
it's the skin that is tattooed not the fat tissue or the muscle tissue if the skin is
damaged then there is nothing to hold the dye in place with any definition
again the best teacher at this time is to just watch and we will be advancing forward
in the taping with your art ability knowing where muscle tone and shadowing and shaping
might be placed is going to be half the battle
coming back to finish the design give the hip shape working that directional flow right
to left you can actually achieve a 3d effect to finish we will be covering the area to
give the entire body color wash color
working in a directional flow again shaping the shoulder with very light pressure and
light dilution
with the final shading you want to be very aware as not to darken the area so much as
to wipe out your detail shading again with the large flipping strokes and very light
dilution shaping and shadowing the breast this would be an area that could be easily
overworked so be very aware and cautious
moving on to the blade
notice the left hand pulling on the skin to keep it tight I am still using the 14 needle
round but only the side of the needle is being used work between your thumb and your forefinger
again with very light pressure shaping and defining the blade
notice the bridge of my tattooing hand three fingers resting my machine and giving me control
the fingers resting on the skin and the other two raising the machine off the skin area
you notice the dilution is very very light just lightly skimming the surface of the skin
that just about completes the wash effect and shading there will always be those last
minute touch ups we will come back and finish the detailing
with the three needle liner through the eyes the mouth the beadwork as well as the headband
the finishing lines and the halter and the cape
again at this time the best teacher would be to just watch and notice the movement
very very very subtle
I encourage you to do this in your own home
so this is the final result
Again, notice me pulling down on the skin with fingers.
We will put the final touches on to the black and gray wash effect piece by connecting any lines
and any last-minute details. Please watch to the finish of this design.
Thank you for watching.