Now it is time to Put on a pair of latex surgical gloves. Pick-up the outliner machine (previously tuned) and check to make sure the grip on the tube is dry for a secure hold. Engage it to the clip connecting cord. Turn the power unit on and start and stop the machine by means of a footswitch. This leaves both of your hands free to work with. Adjust the Rheostat Knob on the power unit to determine the correct machine speed for the job. It takes experience to best decide this and after a while, you will tell just by the sound of the machine. Keep it moderate and start it out slow, you can always speed it up a little once you get started. Grasp the underside of the arm and draw the skin taut between the thumb and fingers. Dip the tip of the tube into the ink and start following the lines of the design from the bottom corner. Work upwards and to the left. Do not tip your machine back more than a 45 degree angle or the ink will run down the inside of the tube and also down the needle bar. (This is called back feeding). Remember, your machine is gravity fed and must be kept at the same angle as if you were using a pen. Be careful not to smudge the stencil print. Remove the excess ink from the skin by dabbing gently with a tissue, don’t rub it. Check tip for a refill and stop the machine while dipping ink. When the outline is finished, spray the area of the outline that you have just done, and touch up any weak lines. When this is done, apply a thin coat of Vaseline.
The outliner tube should be cleaned. Rinse the tip of the tube under the faucet, remove the tube and needle bar, and place in “Used” tray. Pick-up the shading machine, clip it in, ink it and commence the “shading.” When this is finished, wiped and checked, do any touching up, if necessary, at this point. Clean the tattoo with green soap spray, wipe clean and apply another coat of Vaseline.
When you are finished with the black, dip the shading tube in the ultrasonic and then rinse it under the faucet. This will remove most or all of the black dye from the tube and you will be ready for the first color to be put in. Consult the chapter on Coloring and know it well. Between each colors rinse the dye out of the tube as described in that Chapter and apply a light coat of Vaseline to the skin so it is well greased. When the tattoo is finished and the customer is well pleased, bandage it up according to the “Bandage and Healing” Chapter. Make sure the customer knows about the healing process and give them a “healing” instruction brochure that you should have made up to take home with them. Stress that they have to read it to take care of the tattoo correctly. (Consult “Practices” Chapter.) This Chapter just gives the right steps in consecutive order so you will know how it is done. It is not a guide in itself, and it is your responsibility to read and totally familiarize yourself with all the information in the book also.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: skull tattoos, tattoo ideas, tattoo pictures, tattoos

Let us review all the tattooing procedures you have learned up to this point. In an organized order, go over a mock tattoo schedule from start to finish. This will tie in. all of the tasAv-Tiqyxesm some sort oitogicaV order so you can understand where they all fit.
A customer has just walked in, and just for the sake of this explanation, let’s say they would like a tattoo on their upper arm. After briefly talking to them about designs and which one they will prefer, let’s assume one is chosen and agreed upon. The price is understood and paid for, and the release form is signed. (See Chapter on Shop Practices). If they wish it on their left side, they would be seated in front of you with their back to the work table. If it was in the same position on the right arm, they would be turned around and be facing the table.
The topic of body positioning should be stressed here. The relationship of the customer’s position in regard to your own should be considered beforehand. One inch either way can really slow you down and make your work awkward. Once the customer is sitting, move yourself around to find a comfortable and steady position to work from.
In conjunction with the Chapter on “Sterile Techniques,” clean your hands thoroughly as described. Take a paper towel and place it on the table. Place a clean ink cap holder on the towel. Remove a tongue depressor from a jar with a lid on it and lift out a liberal scoop of Carbolated Vaseline and place it on the towel (you may also use the individual packets of Vaseline if you choose, instead). Now is the time to “prep” the area on the arm that is to receive the tattoo. After the “prep” job and the skin is drying for a few minutes, so as to become tacky for the stencil, now you may remove an outliner tube and needle bar from a wrapper and put together the unit, following closely the assembly steps found in “Tube Setting.” Put this unit aside and set-up a shading machine. Decide beforehand what stencil method suits you best and prepare the design stencil. Have the customer sit up straight and let the arm hang loose in a relaxed position. Properly apply the stencil in the desired position (go back and read Stencil Chapter). After it is applied and you and the customer are satisfied with its location, clean the stencil (if acetate) and dry it for filing. Take the lamp and adjust it so the light shines on the arm and works to your best advantage. Fill the cap holder (should hold at least four) with clean caps, one cap for each color anticipated and black, and carefully fill one with black tattoo ink from a sterile bottle with a pouring spout on it.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: angelina jolie tattoos, flower tattoos, tattoo ideas, tattoos

The Chapter on Names and Letters should be studied so the beginning tattooist will learn right away the correct procedures when doing inscriptions. Unfortunately, there are just too many tattooists around who know nothing about this and it will be their work which will come to you in need of improving, like a total cover up job. Many of them will be old girlfriends names that were tattooed on in a sudden whim. The only positive thing coming out of this is that most names are usually done small and can be covered up fairly easily. This is good for everyone concerned, being inexpensive for the client and a fast turnover for yourself. There is an unlimited amount of ideas to be used to hide names in. Sometimes the name is within a banner or flag, and the customer might want to keep the original design, but wishes only to be rid of the name in the banner. The name can be reworked into a bunch of flowers and leaves and still maintain much of the original design.

Sometimes, customers may show-up wanting advice in having a tattoo removed, but a little talking on your part may persuade them more towards a good cover-up than actual surgical removal. Oftentimes, a good looking tattoo will be more what they wanted in the first place. It is worth taking the time to show them what you can do and usually they will decide to go for a cover-up. A good professional can take a depressed customer who is embarrassed by their tattoo and turn the mood right around with a decent cover-up. There is a certain amount of satisfaction gained by turning a new person out, who is proud of their new tattoo. This makes a lot of friends and a growing list of clients for yourself.

Cover-up tattooing is a real artistic challenge. The customers presents a problem, and it is up to you to provide a solution. It is exciting because it keeps you sharp and flexible, and the mind is always being taxed to come up with good solutions that are both acceptable to the customer and meeting all the requirements to do the job correctly.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: ankle tattoos, skull tattoos, tattoo art, tattoo ideas, tattoos

White is the last color you put in a tattoo. White pigment is lighter than human skin and it won’t stay pure white for long. It’s a fickle color and it is highly subjective to the sun, tanning and turning a skin tone. Use it sparingly by itself. It is particularly good though for lightening other colors. It looks good in eyeballs. Some pretty results can be obtained by tattooing an area white, wait until it’s entirely healed, and then put a tattoo over it in the regular fashion. It is also possible to do a more subtle work like using a dry shader, with no color in it (put a very light coat of Vaseline on the needles) and a very light coat of dry, powdered red (or other color) across the skin and then sweep across it with your shader for a pretty blush.
After having finished a tattoo, it should be washed off with green soap and sprayed with an alcohol solution. It would now be a good time to take a few photos for the portfolio and then carefully bandage the tattoo up. They look great when just finished. All glossy and sharp. Tattoo’s look their best when just finished and it’s a great time to photograph them, at their peak condition. Before taking a photo, be sure to blot the tattoo perfectly dry and don’t have any Vaseline on it or the results will be a poor photo.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: fairy tattoos, hawaiian tattoos, tattoo ideas, tattoos

Every time a different color or shade is used, the tube and needles of the machine must be thoroughly cleaned. Haphazardly dipping into colors can’t be chanced because sloppy and muddy mixes will be the result. The only way just pure color can be obtained is to have 100 percent clean needles and tubes each time. Clean out the tube between colors by running the machine under hot water until the machine basically washes itself clean. Be sure to run the needles across a tissue in reverse motion to remove all excess water from the tube tip. Never do this in a forward motion because it will pick up pieces of paper tissue between the needles. Get in the habit of doing this every time in between color applications and it will ensure good clean color tones. After completing every color on a customer, spray the area with a green soap spray, wash and apply over the area a thin coat of Vaseline. The Vaseline will fill some pores and keep other colors from entering the holes and spoiling the color.
When putting in color, a certain sequence must be followed in order for a tattoo to come out the best possible. If it is not followed, muddy mixtures will appear, clouding up the tattoo and spoiling it with dull tones. The basics for the sequence are simple. Colors must be applied from the darkest tones to the lighter ones. This is why black shading is the first thing done after the outline. All solid black and the black shading is the darkest color and must be applied first. The color sequence after this is as follows: 1) Dark purple. 2) Blues. 3) Greens. 4) Light Purple. 5) Browns. 6) Reds. 7) Orange. Yellow. 9) White.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: free tattoo designs, tattoo, Tattoo designs, tattoos

When applying color to a tattoo, puddles of ink will get all over the skin, sometimes totally obscuring the outline. It’s not good to be in such a hurry as to not take the time to continually wipe the excess away. Tattoos are ruined by running the color over the outline. By continually wiping away all the excess color, strict attention can be paid to what one is doing and where one is going. When inspecting work in progress, the skin must be stretched tight (as if tattooing) so any mistakes will be readily picked up. If the color is solid when the skin is stretched, it will be solid when relaxed in a normal position.
If the area that is to be a solid color has skin showing through, (it is not solid, but is sketchy looking and has pockets of skin that aren’t colored) something must be done to correct this problem. The easiest solution is that the tattooing circles are not small enough. Make littler circles, cover a smaller area and slow down a bit. Another reason is that the needles are not in contact with the skin at all times. This means that in all the tattooing excitement, the machine is not kept steady and the needles are being lifted up off the skin in some areas. This doesn’t mean to press harder, but to just keep the needles in the skin. Let the machine sink the needles, you keep the machine in line. Another reason for open pockets in the coloring is that the color itself was not properly mixed. Be sure to shake the bottles of ink good before using. This will maintain an even color value within the bottle. Stick to the small flowing circles, letting the machine take care of the tattooing and good results will be obtained. When you come across tiny areas that can’t be done with a shader, use a three or five needle outliner.

For the coloring process, the needle tips should hang out of the tube end just so you can feel them and ought to extend out of the tube around 1/16 inch when the machine is running. This setting will keep the color flowing in but won’t really plow into the skin. Over zealous tattooers can get carried away and this machine setting is extra insurance against scarring and bleeding. Later on in your career, the setting can be changed to a longer stroke, but only when the feel of coloring is totally familiar and confidence is assured that you have everything under control.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: butterfly tattoos, design your own tattoos, tattoos

The actual process of coloring a tattoo is a relatively simple one if you always remember and apply a few key rules and regularly practice them. The technique is the same for solid black tattooing as it is for solid coloring. Actually, black tattooing is a little easier as black ink seems more readily accepted by the skin than colored ink. The motion is a circular one, and coloring a tattoo is done in small circular steps, a little at a time. If a constant pace is maintained, a lot of area can be covered in a small amount of time. Each circle just barely overlapping the last circle until the areas are covered solid in just two sweeps. Never do an area more than once or twice over. Just small, constant, flowing circles covers an area smooth and efficiently, and always working off the tips of the needles.

Don’t press hard and don’t stay in one area repeatedly crisscrossing or try to color the skin in like with a crayon or pencil. This will turn the skin to hamburger and create a bad scab or possibly, leave scars, the ultimate error. While the needles are in contact with the skin, keep the machine moving, never hold it still or that will cut the skin. Don’t go back over any work just done. Get it right the first sweep through. It will look better with the fewest amount of holes in the skin. The more holes, the more bleeding, the more scabbing, and the more ink will be absorbed out in the scab. “Packing it in” won’t get you anywhere so let the machine do the job and pay attention to the work being done. A little area is done and then wiped to be inspected. Continue in this fashion and monitor the results. Any adjustments can be quickly made when done in this manner. The color of the tattoo will not be any more colorful or brighter when you try to hammer the color into the skin.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: free tattoo designs, star tattoos, tattoos

•   Black ink goes in much easier than colors.
•   You might have to run a shader a little faster than an outliner.
•   Grey shading a Japanese sky is gaining popularity. This is accomplished by having a cap filled with black ink diluted with distilled pure water. The more water, the weaker the tone, creating a light, washed out grey effect. Another way of achieving this grey effect is by using undiluted black in the machine, and using distilled water on the skin. You basically wet the area (using a soft brush) before you sweep across it. This is a good way on larger pieces such as the back. Practice this, like in any technique, elsewhere to perfection before doing it on a customer.
•   Single needle and outline needles are used to make fine hair and wispy effects. Dotting effects are also achieved by this method.

•   Shading or feathering also work well with some colors too, especially red and brown.
•   On human figures, use brown or tan shading to show form, curves or muscle bulges. Use the natural skin tone as a highlight and shade to enhance the natural skin.
•  Most of the commercial design sheets have designed shading on them. It is an individual matter to change shading by adding or subtracting to suit one’s artistic tastes. This should be done anyway to put an individual stamp on each tattoo.
•  Just like the outliner, the needle bar loop must be snug on the armature bar nipple. The shaft of the needle bar cannot come in contact with inside of the tube.
•  When you change shader needle bars, you will see a series of grooves in the tip. File these out before putting in a new set of needles. A good tool for this is a specially designed mini file available from Spaulding & Rogers Mfg., Inc. By doing this, it doubles the life of the shader tip.
•  When moving the needle bar shaft up and down manually, it should feel smooth and free. If you feel a rub, correct it. The needles may be off to one side and not parallel to the tip or not spread correctly. Another rubber band may also correct this problem. Needles may be bent slightly down to hug bottom of shader tip. Never bend the needle bar.
•   You may also wish to experiment with a round shader. These are also available from your supplier and hold as many as 14 needles. In appearance they resemble an outliner with a large tip. They have advantages in that they are not prone to cutting the skin up too bad and they can put in a lot of ink at a rapid pace. You will not get the shading effect with the round shader that you will get using a flat one.

Posted on September 2nd, 2008 by admin
Tags: fairy tattoos, girl tattoos, tattoos, tribal tattoos

It should be mentioned here that most new customers are very nervous at first. That’s why you start on an unimportant part of the tattoo so if the customer jumps around at first, it won’t ruin the tattoo. Get a good grip on the client with the free hand for more stabilization. Tell them that the outline usually smarts more than the rest of the tattoo. Get them calm and talking to keep their minds off the tattooing, and if they persist in jumping around, explain to them that they are ruining their own tattoo and you will charge them double for the extra work involved. This will usually calm them down. Calm customers are good for business. Just like not wanting to hear someone screaming in a dentist’s office, it also holds true for tattooing.
This chapter covers just the straight forward mechanics of outlining a tattoo. For more information on this and how it ties in to the overall picture of giving a tattoo, see the chapter “Tattoo Review.”

Good tattoo shading requires experience and is an acquired skill. Diligent practice pays off here because sometimes tattoo artists are judged solely by their peers on the quality of black shading that they do. If done too light, it will not stand out. If not feathered right, it will appear blunt and the shading looks as if it ends abruptly. This is called “deadheading” and is undesirable.

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by admin
Tags: free tattoo designs, tattoo, Tattoo designs, tattoos

If you mentally think about the line that you are about to tattoo, your hand will automatically carry it through. Don’t hesitate, or stop and start again. Let the lines flow smoothly without interruption. Before a really long line, get an ink refill so you won’t run out in the middle of it. If you know the beginning of a line, and the end of it, the middle of it will take care of itself.
Start on the beginning of a line and not in the middle of it. It’s hard to reconnect lines to match perfectly. A perfect sweep is better than broken sections.
When you do points or tips with one stroke instead of two, lift up a bit and lighten up on the pressure so you won’t get a heavy dot at the tip.

Eagle tips, fangs and claws, etc., can be done in one single sweep, but take care that the needle points aren’t ruined and make sure that you have enough ink. On the lines of ribbons or banners, do it in one clean stroke. If not, stop at intersections or places where if you make a bad joining, it can be easily shaded out later.
In ribbons, scrolls and banners which will hold names or lettering, don’t tattoo in the top line of the banner until the lettering is done. That way the top line can be readjusted if need be. Bad lines can usually be hidden by some sort of shading.
The quality of the outline largely depends upon the quality and condition of the needles. If good results are not obtained, check those needle tips carefully with an eye loupe, both the tips and their motion.
When the outline has been finished on the tattoo, give it a green soap wash and gently wipe it with a clean towel. Examine it carefully and see if there are any spots which need touching up. Any disconnected lines or forgotten spots? If so, touch those spots up. Wash it again and coat with Vaseline. Shut off the power pack and give yourself and the client a short break. Mention that the worst part is over. Remove the tube and needle bar from the machine and place the tube in a tray of soapy water so the ink doesn’t dry. Place the used needle bar in a box labeled “used” for later washing and sterilizing for reusing, or for later soldering off and disposal, or to be resoldered with another new needle.

Posted on September 1st, 2008 by admin
Tags: cross tattoos, girl tattoos, tatto art, tattoos