First of all, I am a novice who happens to really enjoy getting tattoo's. One of my favorite past times is sitting in that hotseat knowing I will be a (semi) changed woman when I leave. I really love getting tattoed and there are very few areas I know little about. Then it dawned on me that although I have been getting tattoed for 15 years I knew dick about what really goes into it and decided I would do something about that.
I don't know if i'll end up being a fully fledged tatto artist, that depends on the development of my skills which I will showcase here. I am taking art classes and finally have the equipment I need to get started. Here's some do's and don'ts. If you ignore this advice it will hit you square in the wallet.
First of all, DO NOT buy one of these:
They are only useful for the inks (you don't need great ink for practise/pig skin)and the 1 practise skin you get in the pack. The machines are rubbish, the tubes don't even fit! The nededles are bad quality and damage very easy, the power supply is unsteady, the "instructional DVD is so poor it's almost laughable. I would have laughed if I didn't pay nearly 100.00 pounds for the priviledge.
Invest in a good machine. Micky Bee, Micky Sharps and Gly Flew among others have a great reputation and will get you off to a good start. Good needles are essential. Envy tatto needles or Pricks are known to work really well. Get your practise skin, and carbon transfer paper and even power supply from ebay. There are some great deals on there for those items.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/items/__hectograph+carbon+paper_W0QQ_dmdZ2?clk_rvr_id=326457421549&crlp=6041552317_228459_228459&UA=WXF%3F&GUID=68c7501e1350a47a24608a80fdce1caf&agid=1851451237&tm_kw=hectograph+carbon+paper&siteid=3&MT_ID=10&tt_encode=raw&keyword=hectograph+carbon+paper&geo_id=21&ff4=228459_228459
http://www.mickysharpz.com/
http://www.tatsoulspearman.com/store/index.php
DO take an art class, I find it really supplements my learning and helps me look at the world in a different way which will only better my art.
Do familiarise yourself with neddle groupings/types so you can learn which needle is best for the job. Different tattoo machines are designed to handle different needle groupings. 8 coils are good for smallaer needle groupings, 10 coil for medium and 12 for larger needle groupings. Here is a basic needle/tube chart so you know which tube to buy for the needles you are using.
There are more complex charts available but since we are only getting started that should do for now.
There are some great guides on how to set up your tatto machine, here are some of the links I found useful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM9c3nj4muU
http://www.wikihow.com/Set-up-Your-Tattoo-Machine
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-tune-setup-tattoo-machine-for-lining-shading-296574/
Here is another link on how to create stencils using carbon hectograph and tracing paper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJg9nXjt84A
http://www.ehow.com/how_2124882_make-tattoo-stencil.html
The most important thing of all is safety. At the moment I am using disposable needles and currently sterilise my equipment using a steam steriliser designed for baby bottles. I use this to get into the routine of sterilising my equipment rather than its effectiveness. I am not tattooing living things so it doesn't really matter. The correct equipment to use for sterilising machines etc. is an Autoclave which uses high pressure steam. I would also encourage you to download a document on safety standards. I found a great one here...
http://www.health.alberta.ca/documents/Standards-Tattooing.pdf
Try drawing one picture (however small) and doing 1 tattoo everyday. It is essential you familiarise yourself with the machine. More importantly, first familiarise yourself with all the knowledge you can. That's what I have done for a couple of months and only now am I ready to get started. I will post the results of my first ever tattoo in my next post. Good luck! If anyone has any questions to ask or further advice to offer I would be more than greatful (:
Lets help each other
Scheherazade
