Learn the art of Tattooing - Become a Tattoo artist. Dennis Nowakowski
brands. First of all, lean towards the basic shades or limit it to a good black, as inks can be very expensive. If you start, a solid black will do, because you can mix shades with it. Especially since you won't ink big things right from the beginning. The topic of inks is dealt with in the chapter “Ink and shades”. Properly shake the ink before each filling, so that sunken particles mix in again. You need plastic cups in abundance. Fill them with water and place them on your working area. You will need it later. Just like the special soap or foam, for intermediate cleaning or for the final cleaning of the tattoo, as it is always shown on the Internet. You know, you see an arm with foam. Then the tattoo artist wipes over it and reveals a masterpiece - or not.
A solid tattoo machine
Now we’re going to talk about the tattoo machine. Probably the costliest point in inking is and remains the machine, without power supply "transformer", foot switch and cable. At the beginning I mentioned the starter sets, which you should keep your hands off. I emphasize it again at this point. Keep your hands off the junk. For a good machine alone you should expect a price of at least three hundred euro. More like five or six hundred euro. This is not a joke, it's a fact. But for this money, you get a very solid machine that will keep you going for a long time if you keep your focus. After only a few tattoos, the costs for the machine break even. What kind of tattoo machine you want to go for is entirely up to you. Coil, rotary or pen are the three types you can choose between. More about this in the chapter “Which Tattoo Machine”. I've been using a Rotary for days and years, but I've switched to a solid pen because it's so handy because of the modules. So you save having to buy disposable handle and needles. That's why I advise you to buy a tattoo pen, which is already available for under four hundred Euro.
Besides the machine and clip or chinch cable, you need clip cord sleeves. These, mostly blue plastic covers for the cable and the machine, should be used for hygienic reasons. With the crepe tape you attach the covers to your machine.
Power supply and foot switch
The power supply, or transformer, can be another expensive investment, but it doesn’t have to be. Again, I advise against cheap offers. With approximately one hundred euro you get something solid. Important is the display, which should provide exact data. Whether you stick with 8 volts or 11 volts is decisive for your work. Especially with outlines, color or shading, the speed must be right so that you can orientate yourself better. Have the power supply checked beforehand so that you can adjust to the values. Use a round foot switch, because it can be activated easily from all sides and is firmly on the ground. A square one does the same, but can slip if it is too cheaply made. This can cost time and nerves, believe me.
So, everything is ready for the jump-off. The pattern, on your customer's body, is dry. As a precaution, press again with a dry strip of kitchen roll. Then you smear Vaseline on the entire motif with the mouth spatula, thinly. This makes the motif more supple and you can draw the lines more easily because of the low frictional resistance. You can always reapply Vaseline if necessary. This is a matter of feeling.
In between you have to wipe away excess ink. Do this with a damp piece of kitchen towel. Many do it dry, which causes the customer unnecessary pain after a while. With this, perhaps un-interpretive, method you make good friends by working a little more gently. Tattoo pain in all honours, but at some point every customer goes to his knees.
You've done it. Your first motif is on a person's skin. A little final cleaning, where you remove all the excess ink. Just wait a few minutes, dab the motif in between in case some blood or other liquids come out.
Wound and healing ointments are the preferred variants for the aftercare. Some recommend Vaseline or milking grease. More about this in the chapter “The right care”. After almost two weeks you can see whether your work has been successful or not. Whether it needs to be reworked or not. If so, make an appointment in good time to touch up your work.
So, that was a lot of material to get your basic equipment together, wasn't it? So I'm litattoo the materials again with the approximate prices. Computer or laptop, as well as chairs, table, pencils and paper are a basic requirement, which I do not list here.
List of materials
- Printer & Scanner - About 60,- Euro. (65,- Dollar)
- Matrix paper (100 pieces) - Approx. 30,- to 60,- Euro. (33,- to 65,- Dollar)
- One-way pair of gloves (100 pieces) - Approx. 5,- Euro. (5,50- Dollar)
- Skin disinfection spray (250ml) - Approx. 6,- Euro. (6,50- Dollar)
- One-way set of pads (50 pieces) - Approx. 12,- Euro. (13,- Dollar)
- Mouth spatula (100 pieces) - Approx. 3,- Euro. (3,20- Dollar)
- Ink pot (bags of 1000 pieces) - Approx. 20,- Euro. (21,50- Dollar)
- Vaseline or milking grease (tin) - Approx. 1,- to 5,- Euro. (1,- to 5,50 Dollar)
- Plastic cups (colored or white) - Approx. 3,- Euro. (3,20- Dollar)
- Tattoo soap (or foam) - Approx. 10,- to 20,- Euro. (10,50- to 21,50- Dollar)
- Paper towel. About 3,- Euro per package. (3,20- Dollar)
- Crepe tape (inker tape) - Approx. 3, - Euro per roll. (3,20 Dollar)
- Clip Cord Sleeves - Approx. 15,- Euro. (16,- Dollar)
- Ink (good black, 60ml) - Approx. 35,- Euro. (37,50- Dollar)
- Tattoo Machine. 300,- to 600,- Euro. (320,- to 650,- Dollar)
- Needles, grips, modules (per set) - Approx. 25,- Euro. (27,- Dollar)
- Power supply unit (transformer) - Approx. 75,- to 150,- Euro. (80,- to 160,- Dollar)
- Clip Cord- or Chinch cable - Approx. 8,- to 15,- Euro. (8,- to 16,- Dollar)
- Foot switch - Approx. 25,- Euro. (27,- Dollar)
This brings us to a sum between approx. 600,- and 900,- Euro. Only for the acceptable basic equipment of a tattoo artist. Keep in mind that you have to rebuy new consumables regularly. That sounds like a lot of money, no doubt. But of course you will earn money with it. 900,- Euro you can, with regular work and growing potential, get back in two or three days. See chapter “Talent helps - but it's not everything!” Don't overestimate yourself and your prices just because you can now ink small names and tribals. If that's all you want to do, it's your decision. But with time this gets boring.
Conclusion
Let an independent person, preferably a professional, judge your work. Friends and family members usually do not remain objective if they themselves have no idea or comparisons. Don't be angry if an expert thinks your work is bad at first, but wants to give you good advice. Listen to the expert. After all, he has been doing this for years or even decades. Or do you listen to what an untrained doctor's assistant tells you when you need to have your car repaired?
Coil machine, rotary or pen?
“Spoiled for choice. Don't be misled. The differences aren't that significant for your work.”
It's a parting of the ways, especially in the tattoo scene itself. In all the forums of the world there is a real war between tattoo artists and customers, which confuses rather than helps the newcomer. The old school aficionados swear by the traditional coil machine, because it weighs at least something and you notice that you are holding something in your hand. Because if it's of good quality, it inks better contours, shades better, pumps in color better, and, and, and, and. Unfortunately, it also makes a lot of noise, which was a criterion for me for elimination. When I ink, I like to have peace and quiet at work, listen to the music that is always playing and have a little chat with my customers every now and then. With a coil machine this is impossible. The monotonous clacking would drive me to the brink of madness after a few minutes.