Tattooing Basics .Tattooing Stenciling

Tattooing Basics
Tattooing Stenciling

After you figure out what image you’re going to be tattooing, the first
step is stenciling your pattern. You need your image in the center of a full
piece of paper. If you use just a small piece then you will have carbon
transfer all over you and it will stay for about a week. Your studio needs
either a copy machine or a scanner and printer for your computer. You can
get a nice office copier/scanner at any office supply store for about a hundred
bucks. Copy the image or scan it to the computer and print it centered. If it is
a darker image then lighten the copy using the copy machine controls or if
you scanned it in your paint program make, it black and white before you
print it. You can't stencil the pattern if you can’t see the lines. Now,
whatever size you print out is the size the tattoo will be. You may have to
enlarge or shrink the pattern to get it right and sometimes this means you'll
be printing it a few times. After you find the size you want throw the rest
away, you don't want to get them mixed up. If it's a complicated pattern you
may want to keep one copy to look at while you are tattooing.
The transfer paper is made of a purple carbon copy surgical grade
chemical. When you tattoo this will be pushed under the skin, but don't
worry. If you see a little purple once the tattoo is done it will fade away in a
day or so. It is made so the body destroys it. One sheet of transfer paper has a
few extra pages attached to it that are not purple. You can leave these or
tear them off. The extra pages are for a thermal fax machine. The only page
of the transfer sheet you need to worry about is the purple one. On one side
the page is dull and the other is shinny. Take your pattern and lay it down on
top of the transfer sheet. The transfer sheet is laying dull side up, and then
you lay your pattern face up on top of the sheet. Always use a pencil for this.
If your pattern is printed or copied with black ink then you will always be able
to see what you have already traced because a pencil line on black ink looks
shinny.
Now you’re ready to make your pattern. All you do is trace the outline
of the picture. Just go over what is already printed on the page. Be careful
because anywhere you write will be part of the pattern. What this does is the
pressure from the pencil makes the purple on the sheet stick to the back of
the regular paper. Only trace what is going to be black outline. If something is
solid black like a tribal then just outline it. You know it's going to be black so
why waste the time to fill it in. If it's a more complex pattern that has a few
large black areas then you can draw an "x" inside that area to be a reminder
of that section being black. Keep it simple, the outline of the tattoo is one of
the most important parts, so don't confuse the pattern by tracing alot of
things you don't need to. Once you've traced what you think is everything you
want to look at the back of the paper to see how you did. You can spend all
day flipping the paper looking for what you missed or you can just hold the
paper with the pattern up toward the ceiling lights looking at the purple lines.
This way you can see through the paper and any lines that you missed will
stick out like a sore thumb. Once you've looked over your pattern look it over
again. Check every line twice, if it’s not on the pattern it will not be on the
skin. Now you want to cut out the pattern using scissors. Hold the page so
your looking at the purple lines then cut out the pattern as close as you can
leaving about a half of an inch border of paper around the entire pattern.
This gives you room to handle it and room to make sure you don't cut
away any of the lines. Now you have a pattern. Remember not to touch the
purple; it goes on the skin so it has to be sterile. When you put the pattern on
your workstation, during set up, make sure to lay it down purple side up so it
doesn't get dirty. Also make sure that you don't lay it in water that may be on
the table. If it gets wet then it's ruined and you have to start all over, but the
bright side is that you now have a solid purple piece of paper in the shape of
your pattern. Always practice before you do anything to a person. Practice
making patterns and applying them to your self. We will get more into pattern
application in the skin prep section of tattooing.
EEW-GOO
Over the years there have been many different types of transfer
solution. I discovered the formula for in my opinion the best for of stencil
solution I have ever used to find out that a few others have come to the same
conclusion. So I guess it’s no secret anymore. I call it Eew-goo. It’s made by
taking original speed stick deodorant and putting it in a glass container such
as a cup. Then place it in a clean microwave to melt it. This should only take
about 30 seconds, and be careful. This stuff will be the temperature of the
sun. Then pour the melted sped stick into a small pump spray container filling
up 1/3 of the container. Next pour in concentrated green soap filling another
1/3 of the container, and then rubbing alcohol in the rest. Apply the top and
shake well. The speed stick will hold the stencil on the skin, the green soap
makes it anti bacterial and the rubbing alcohol keeps it from turning back to a
solid. If your mixture turns back to a solid, or to a thick sludge then you need
more alcohol. This stuff is crazy. It keeps the pattern on more than any other
chemical, you can wipe as much as you like and even use water to clean the
design off during the tattoo before the outline is completed. It also is fast
drying. Once a pattern is applied to the skin, if its not straight, you’ll have to
spray it back down to remove the stencil. Alcohol, green soap, water, nothing
but the chemical it’s self will remove it once on the skin. If the stencil is still
on the skin after the tattoo is done, then you are using a little too much
speed stick and it’s holding a little too well. I have placed a pattern on my
skin to see how long it would stay, without tattooing, just using it as a
temporary tattoo, it has stayed for more than seven days clear enough for me
to tattoo the pattern. Make sure to use a spray bottle so there in less chance
for cross contamination.
The Tattoo Set-up
The set up of a tattoo should be very ritualistic. Every thing you do
should be the same every time you tattoo. This way you always know where
everything is and where everything is not. If something is missing you know
exactly what. Here is the best way I have figured out over the years; feel free
to come up with what is most comfortable for you. This is a list of what you
need for every tattoo.
1. Wax Paper
2. (2) hand sized plastic spray bottles
3. Three non-locking plastic baggies
4. One disposable razor
5. One wooden tongue depressor (Popsicle stick)
6. Tubes according to what needle grouping you will be using
7. Needles according to type of tattoo, sterilized and unopened
8. One new roll of paper towels
9. Ink caps
10. Pigment
11. Pattern transfer chemical
12. One container of petroleum jelly
13. Two one inch rubber bands
14. Small plastic cups filled with water, same number as pigments used
15. Tattoo machine power supply with clip cord and foot switch
16. Tattoo machine
17. One box of latex gloves
18. Tattoo pattern
19. One small in sizes paper plate
20. Suitable work area with proper lighting
The first step of the tattoo process is to sterilize your work area. This
means that you want to spray down all of your workstation surface and the
chair your client will be sitting in with your bleach and water mixture. Spray
the table then the chair. The reason you want to do this in order is because
you don't have time to let the bleach water sit on the table. That way the
table top is soaking for and extra few seconds while you spray the bleach
water on the chair. You wipe the bleach off the table and let the chair soak
while you set up. After you wipe down the table top you when to lightly spray
water on the corner of the work station you plan to use. You always want to
operate from one corner or the other so you have room to move your client
around. If you work from the center then you will hit the table or they will
get in the way as you tattoo. Rip off a sheet of wax paper about a foot or so
in length. Lay down the wax paper in the water lined up with the corner of
the table. The water you sprayed will hold down the wax paper and keep it
from moving as you tattoo.
Ink caps are small plastic caps that you use to put the pigment in while
you tattoo, kind of like what a painter calls their pallet. Most generally ink
caps come in two sizes. #9 and #16 ink caps are the common sizes that you
will use. The nines are the small ink caps, while the sixteen’s the large. Count
out the colors you will need to apply the tattoo and use that many ink caps.
For the most part you want to use small ink caps until you see just how far
the pigment goes. If your doing a small tattoo and fill all large caps then you
will be throwing away allot of un-used pigment. Never try to put the pigment
back in the bottle. This will cause massive cross contamination. The supply
companies sell trays for the ink caps to fit into called ink cap holders. These
look cool but you do not want to use them. Most are plastic which you can't
autoclave, and the metal ones are too bulky to autoclave and package. A
small paper plate works much better, and you get to throw it away when
you’re done. Remember sterile is good but nothing beats new.
After you determine how many ink caps you plan to use and what sizes
the you take a wooden tongue depressor (popsicle stick) and get a healthy but
controllable glob of petroleum jelly on the end if it. We use a depressor
because it's long so it's easy to get what you need from the jar and its sterile
cause it's new and disposable. Use the depressor to apply the jelly to the
paper plate; you want to sculpt it in shape using the depressor. If you look at
the small paper plate you will notice that there is a ring in the center. It stops
just before the edge starts to rise up to make the lip and outside edge of the
plate. You want to apply the jelly in shape to that inside ring leaving the
center of the plate clean. The reason for this is so while you are tattooing and
dip your pigment you have a place to set your hand. If you are dipping for
pigment and set your hand on the outside edge of the plate it will flip and
throw pigment on you and your client. Place the ink caps on the paper plate
in a curved line following the curve of the inside edge of the plate. Make sure
you space them out a little. You don't want red to get in your white and all
your whites be pink. Another little trick of mine is to put just a small amount
of jelly on the bottom of the plate so when you put it on the wax paper it
doesn't move while you tattoo. Place the paper plate in the center of the wax
paper so the curve of the ink caps is facing away from you. This is so your
hand can use the resting point and fit nicely on the plate as you dip. Place the
plate on the wax paper before you fill the ink caps, trust me when I say that
dropping the plate once is enough to make you never what to do that again.
Filling the ink caps is one of the last things you will do because the longer
your pigments sit they will dry out and get hard. Next you want to lay the
needles and tubes on the right hand side of the plate so they are out of them
way at first. Then the machine and disposable razor go on the left with the
extra baggie under them. Your machine should be pretended before you set
up so you don't have to mess with it while the client is watching. You may
have to make minor adjustments but you don't want to spend ten minutes
tuning in front of the client because it may cause them to be nervous or think
that the machine is failing. Next you want to make sure your spray bottles are
full. The spray bottle with green soap should be 25% “green soap” and 75%
water. Should you ever run out of green soap you can use regular antibacterial
soap mixed with water in the same amounts. Antibacterial soap should only
be used as a back up because it dries out the skin much faster than green
soap, making the tattoo have difficulty healing.
Never use a pump action bottle. The way they work is they pump the
liquid out when depressed and as the rise they drawl in air. This means that
they can drawl in blood and viruses as well contaminating the whole
container. Only use plastic spray bottles. The other spray bottle should be
straight water. You need three plastic non-locking baggies for the tattoo set
up. Two of those baggies go on the spray bottles. Hold one up so you can see
the corners of the baggie. You want to use your finger nails to rip off a small
piece of the corner, just enough to leave a pin hole. Place the baggie over the
spray bottle and stretch the hole over the spout. The small hole will stretch
and fit over the nozzle tightly as to hold the baggie on the bottle. This way
you’re not fighting the baggie during the tattoo and it stays in place. Don't
just tear a hole in it and expect it to stay where it needs to, because it won't.
It also creates a seal around the nozzle do you don't get pigment on the spray
bottle. Do this to both bottles and set them on the left hand corner of the
wax paper. Place the water closest to you and the green soap on the other
side of the water. You will use the water the most so you want it closer.
Now you want to count the ink caps and fill up the small plastic cups of
water in the same number. You want to get the water in the cups as close to
the top as you can without spilling them so you can dip your tube in without
having to fight to get it in the water. If you only fill the cups half of the way
it's a pain to get the pigment to wash out your tube. The purpose of the cups
is to wash out the pigment as you change color. This is why you want one for
each cap. You should line up the cups along the top edge of the wax paper so
you can get to them with ease but they are still out of the way. If you spill
one during a tattoo you will have to set up all over again because it will
spread blood and pigment every where. Your spray bottles should be cattiecorner
to the upper left corner of the wax paper, in front of the bottles
should be your transfer solution or single use speed stick making a triangle
shape. Your power supply should be out of the way but still close enough to
get to should you need to make any adjustments. Make sure that the clip cord
will not knock over anything on the table.
Now you’re ready to pour the pigment into the ink caps. You want
black first, then continue going from darkest to lightest color. This will be the
order you will have to tattoo in so it's best to set up in this manor. While you
pour the pigments you want to hold the bottle with one hand in the middle
and apply your index finger and middle finger, one on each side of the spout.
Sometimes the pigment will dry in the spout so you may have to unscrew the
top and pour it out. If this occurs, set the bottle aside for the spout to be
cleaned with hot water and a straightened paper clip after the tattoo is done.
Should you run out of any pigment during the course of the tattoo then you
should remove your old gloves, wash your hands, and then replace new gloves
before you touch the bottle to avoid cross-contamination. When pouring the
pigment always hold the bottle two inches above the ink cap. You want to
drip not squeeze. If you squeeze then pigment will spray every where.
Dripping breaks the stream of pigment so you don't cross-contaminate. This is
more important when you are filling an already used ink cap. If you
contaminate a pigment bottle then every person getting a tattoo with that
pigment will be compromised. So drip two inches above the ink cap. The last
thing you will do while setting up for a tattoo is to set the pattern in the
center of the paper plate making sure you don't set it in pigment over-spill of
water. It will ruin your pattern.
As you can see I am very specific when it comes to set up. The way I
set up a tattoo is for a left handed person so you may want to find your own
way but make sure you don't leave anything out. Once the client is seated,
scrambling around looking for something does not look very professional.
Either way you set up your tattoo, make sure it’s how you set up every time
and make sure that everything is nice and neat. The better everything looks
the more professional you look. The more professional you look the more your
client will be relaxed and trusting your best judgment. Plus if they come in
and see the same set up every time they will see that you are very clean and
very consistent. After the tattoo set up is the time you need to take your Zen
moment. Before every tattoo you need to take a moment for yourself. Reflect
on the tattoo and what you are about to do. Relax and center yourself to
prepare for the next challenge. Always take your time, never rush and you
will be fine. I personally smoke a cigarette, some of my friends drink a cup of
coffee, and some take a walk around the block. Calm down and relax before
every tattoo.
Skin Preparation and Pattern Placement
Skin preparation is the first step in tattooing that has interaction with
the client. The first thing you will need to do is wash and dry your hands, then
apply gloves. Always keep a small box of gloves other then latex because
some clients will be allergic to latex. You tattoo supplies should have already
set up properly, going by the guide above, before the client ever enters the
room. Before you ever sit the client down you should have already found out
what they wanted and where. You need to figure out how the client will be
sitting for the course of the tattoo. I use a combination of a regular barbers
chair and a folding padded massage table so I’m going to go by that. You can
spend more and get a chair made for the use of tattooing and just apply what
I suggest to the tattoo chair. Different locations on the body require different
sitting positions. Let’s look at the body position versus the sitting position as
well as some tips.
The Arm
This area is by far one of the more simple places to tattoo. Your best
bet is to set the client in an up right chair so they are comfortable. Depending
on the location of the tattoo you will have to raise or lower the chair to get
the area to be tattooed to the level you are most comfortable with. Your
chair should have proper arm rest for client comfort and to keep the tattoo
straight while performing. While working on the arm if the client should be
wearing a t-shirt then you will need to roll up the sleeve. Rolling the sleeve
under will stop it from rolling down while tattooing. Top of the arm and inside
the lower are best if resting on the arm rest of the chair. A folded paper
towel under the arm on the arm rest of the chair will prevent slipping.
Another way to tattoo the arm is if you should have to do, say, old English
down the arm from wrist to elbow. You want to have the client rest there
elbow on the arm rest of the chair with their arm pointing upward.
Under the Arm
One way to apply a tattoo under the arm is to have you client make a
fist and with the elbow bent, place there hand knuckles down on the center
of the leg. It will kind of look like a child making a bird or duck gesture.
Sticking the elbow in the air makes the arm in a kind of square shape. You will
have to use this position and have the client place there hand on the opposite
side of there head trying to cover there ear. This will allow you to reach
under that arm for arm bands. This method is best used for tattoos where
most of the pattern is on the facing of the arm.
If you are going to be tattooing on just the inside of the arm then you
need to lay them down on a tattoo bed. Laying flat on their back have them
reach out to you with a straight arm, then bend at the elbow moving the rest
of the arm out of the way. Usually if you ask them to lay their arm flat on the
table and then point to the top of their head it gets the best position. The
arm will be flat on the table and you can tattoo without having to worry
about the client’s arm getting tired while holding it up. You can also apply
the pattern in this same position. While working on the arm if the client
should be wearing a t-shirt then you will need to roll up the sleeve. Rolling
the sleeve under will stop it from rolling down while tattooing. You may want
to put a drop cloth or a paper towel under their arm to absorb any excess
fluids like water. They can take a shower when they get home, you don't need
to provide one.
The Chest
For men on one side or the other its best to lay them down on the
tattoo bed and have them lay their arm along side their body. If they lift their
arm then the pattern will stretch and possibly leave the tattoo looking strange
after it’s done. The best way to work on the chest of a female is to sit them
up in a slightly reclined position. If you lay them flat on the tattoo bed then
the breast will fall to the side pulling the skin to an odd shape. If you have to
tattoo the center of the chest on a male or female then the suggested
position is flat on their back. For a male or female you will have problems
reaching them if they are sitting up. With a female lying on their back is ideal
for the center of the chest because most of the time the weight of the breast
will help pull the skin. Any work on a male or female's chest needs to have the
shirt and bra removed. Clothing restrict the skins so a tattoo might look
straight but if a female removes a bra then it will stretch as the breast drops.
Always tattoo at the most natural position. Do not let a female hold one
breast out of a bra, the tattoo will be not level and have a strange shape.
They need to remove the bra and shirt. Try to keep modesty but you also
need to work properly.
The Stomach and Pelvic Area
Laying the client on their back is the better choice for the stomach and
pelvic area. For the clients comfort and to have the arms out of your way
have them put there hands behind their head instead of along there sides. The
arms up causing skin stretch will not affect a tattoo this low. While working
on the stomach or pelvis you will need to fold a paper towel over the edge of
the client’s pants to protect them from pigment stains. While tattooing on
the pelvis you will have to keep a few things in mind. You need at least two
inches of space in all directions to work. Don't be timid in asking the client to
lower clothing. You have to be in a comfortable position to work well. While
working on the pelvis you will be better off to have the client unbutton the
pants and roll them under to prevent them from being in the way. If you just
pull them aside you will fight them the whole time. Pants and underwear
need to be out of the way. You’re working on skin not dying clothes.
Another thing you will have to pay attention to is the stretch line of the
pelvis. One the pelvis of a female you will notice a small line in the skin like a
wrinkle. This is from the bending of the waist. Anything above this line will
stretch when pregnant; any tattoo under this line has less chance the lower
you go. Make sure to inform your client of this so they don't get a tattoo of
tweedy bird and have it look like big bird on drugs after a pregnancy. This
applies to the stomach as well; strongly advise against stomach tattoos to
females that plan on having children. Do not tattoo around the navel of any
female under eighteen for this reason.
The Upper back, Shoulders, Back of the Head. And back of the Neck
The upper back and shoulders are also simple. You want the client low
so don't sit them on a stool, they will be too high for you to reach. If your
chair has a low back then you are fine to just have them sit up straight in the
tattoo chair. If the back is to high or the pattern to low then have them sit
backwards in the chair. You can also lay them on there stomach but it might
be harder for you to reach what you need to. You must take t-shirts off;
females can lower their low cut shirts as long as they are not in the way. If
any bra straps are in the field of tattooing then have them drop the strap and
remove their arm. If they lower it but they still have their arm in the strap
they can pick their arm up and make the strap pull the machine causing extra
lines. You don't want extra lines. For the back of the neck make sure to get all
hair out of the way and shave properly.
Center and Lower Back
For the center and lower back you may have the client sit on a metal
stool not wood, there is no proper way to sterilize wood. If they sit on a stool
have them lean on the back of the tattoo chair raising it to the level they
need for their arms to be comfortable. They need to lean on something or
they will run away. For females with less weight you can lay them on their
stomach. Females with more weight will not be able to do this because you
will have problems stretching the skin to tattoo. The lower back will curve
inward making tattooing impossible. They will need the stool or to sit
backwards in the tattoo chair raising it to the level you may need. Something
to remember with the lower back is that it stretches as the client sits. If you
apply the pattern while they are sitting then the pattern will be squished
together when they stand. Always apply the pattern to the lower back while
the client is standing. When they sit this will just help you stretch the skin for
easier tattooing. If your client is standing in front of you and their lower back
curves inward have them bend over a small amount bending at the hips to
apply the pattern. Again, the pants and underwear need to be out of the way,
so you almost always have to have them sit on the ledge of their pants. If you
can't see crack then the tattoo is too high for the normal lower back position.
Also make sure to fold a paper towel over the pants to avoid pigment stain.
Rib Cage or Side
The side is one of the most painful places to tattoo for the client. For
this reason it is also one of the hardest places to tattoo. Your client will want
to move and squirm so you have to make sure they are in a secure position.
From my experience the best position to work on the side is to lay a client on
flat their back and roll them away from you until you can reach the tattoo
field. You will have no choice but to have the client raise their arm to get to
the side, this will stretch the tattoo pastern so be careful of what you do.
Take your time and pay attention to what you are doing. When you apply the
pattern to the side your client will have to be standing up. Leaving the arm to
their side, raise it just enough to get your hands under their arm to apply the
pattern. You can also have them raise there arm straight out in front of them
and then bend at the elbow to point at their other shoulder. This will pull the
skin a little but not to bad. Also make user to fold a paper towel over the
pants to avoid pigment stain.
Side and Front of the Neck as well as on the Head
For the side of the neck you want to lay the client on their side and put
a full roll of paper towels under the other side of the neck. This helps hold
their head in position. Some artist will set the client up in a tattoo chair and
use the paper towel roll in the same way. I personally find it hard to get
where you need to and prefer laying them down. For the front of the neck you
want to lay them on their back and put a paper towel roll under the other
side. Make sure to place the roll between the shoulders and the head. If you
just rest the head on the roll of paper towels then you will not have enough
room to work. Both of these positions you need to apply while standing and
relaxing the shoulders. If you don't they will not be straight. Remove the shirt
or use a paper towel to keep pigment from staining the shirt. Make sure to
throw away the roll of paper towels used for a pillow. This can get blood and
pigment on it. Throw it away. Do the same for the face. For the top of the
head, Lay them on their stomach or back and adjust the tattoo bed as high as
it will go.
The Legs and Feet
Some tattoo artists sit the client up in a chair and have the place there
foot on a stool for the leg or foot. This does work, but I find it much easier to
just have them sit on the tattoo bed and lay which ever leg you will be
working on as flat as possible. Often you can get them to lay down which is
better but they usually want to watch. The only thing you really need to pay
attention to with the leg is to have the client remove their shoe. Shoes are
dirty and by touching them and then the tattoo field you can spread infection.
For the tops of the feet just have them sit the same way and place the foot
at the very edge of the tattoo bed with their knee in the air. Place a paper
towel under the foot to avoid sliding.
Genital
When it comes to tattooing the buttocks just lay the client on the
stomach. You will have to remove the pants as low as you need so don't be
shy. Make sure to pattern while standing. Use a paper towel for the pants as
to not stain and also make sure to watch where you spray the soap and water.
No one likes a wet ass. When it comes to tattooing the male and female
genital just lay the client on their back and have them slide as far off the
edge as you can leaving as little of the buttocks as possible. You may want to
pick up a couple of stools for them to set their legs on. You will have very
little call for this kind of tattoo but if you should here are a few things you
need to know. The vagina naturally has more bacteria on and in it than any
other part of the female body. Always leave a one inch area around the inner
labials not tattooed. If you do tattoo up to the vagina the pigment will not
want to stay properly and you have a higher chance of infection. Larger
females are not recommended for this kind of tattoo because they are hard to
get to the tattoo field and the also have more bacteria because their bodies
create more moisture due to the amount of body fat pushing everything closer
together. It will heal slower and have a higher possibility of infection. The
penis will also heal slow and take less pigment. It is also difficult to tattoo the
penis due to it not being erect because of pain. The tattoo will never be right.
When limp it will be smashed together and when erect it will be stretched to
far out distorting the image. The testicals take pigment better but are hard to
work on due to the nature and flexibility of the skin. It is my advice to not
tattoo the vagina, penis, testicals, or anus due to the possible complications.
Under side of the Hands and Feet and inside of the Lip
The under side of the hands and feet are not recommended for
tattooing. The skin rejuvenates faster on the bottom of the hands and feet
than anywhere else on the human body. This means that the pigment will not
stay for long. Even the best tattoo artist will have to touch up a tattoo in
these areas about every three months for them to look right. With the use of
the hands and feet the healing process is a difficult one causing pain to your
client for a tattoo that will just fade away. The inside of the lip has the same
reaction only harder to tattoo. My advice to you again is to stay away. You
should only tattoo what you can guarantee. These areas you cannot.
Skin Preparation
Once your tattoo is set up and you bring the client into the tattoo room
you want to wash your hands, dry them, and apply gloves. With a few
exceptions you want to apply the pattern while the client is standing in a
straight position with the arms and hands dropped to their sides. Never let
your client put their hands in their pockets while you pattern. It can cause a
tattoo to be out of shape. First you tear off a paper towel sheet. Then you
remove the safety cover from the disposable razor. While holding the folded
up paper towel under the tattoo field, generously spray the green soap
solution on the entire are to be tattooed plus about two inches. From the
bottom, shave upward. The easiest way to shave a client is to make quick and
short movements up and down against the grain of the hair growth. After time
you will get this technique down and be able to do so without ever nicking the
client. Shave the area upward until the entire tattoo field has no hair on it.
You should shave the area to be tattooed plus two inches all around the area
to make sure you have plenty of room. Always shave every client. If they look
like they don't have hair, I assure you they do. The reason we shave the area
is because the tattoo machine is a stabbing device. If it pushes a single hair
under the skin the hair will become infected thus infecting the entire tattoo.
Once you shave the area you need to dry it with a new paper towel,
wiping in the same direction you shaved. If you drag the now loose hair over
the smooth shaved area the hair will stick to the client and you will have to
more time washing off the hair, this is not easy. The use of green soap during
the shaving does two things. The green soap will lubricate the skins so you
don’t cause razor burn and green soap is anti bacterial. It kills germs. Every
client must be shaved and prepped. If I’m tattooing on my fiancé and I just
saw her shave her legs this morning I will still do so before a leg tattoo. This is
called common practice. Everything that you will do on every client is called
common practices. This helps you make sure everything is done. After time it
will become reflex. Right now I’m at the point of everything is a reflex until
the machine is together and in my hand.
Pattern Application
How you apply the tattoo pattern will directly affect the over all
outcome of your finished tattoo. If it’s not dark enough you will loose most of
it during the tattoo process and have to free hand the rest. The main thing to
remember about your tattoo pattern is that where ever you place the pattern
will be the location of the tattoo for the entire life of your client. Take time
and consideration while placing the pattern. You have a location and you have
a pattern by this point. Now you have to look a little closer at the location.
Some one points to an area of their body and says, "Put it here." There are a
few things no one thinks about. Most just say ok, and stick it on. It's not that
simple. You need to look at the area you are applying the pattern to and then
look at the pattern it's self. It’s very rare for the pattern to be the same shape
as the body part. You need to line up the tattoo to the body. This means that
you have to make sure it’s straight and also pay attention to muscle
formations. If you have an exceptionally large pattern you may want to cut it
in two pieces and apply each one. The number one thing that kills me is the
arm bands that are too high on the arm. Every tattoo you need to think "What
if they plan to add on this?" If an arm band is too high then you’ll end up
tattooing the arm pit. There will not be much room for additional tattooing.
Line up the tattoo pattern so it looks best on the selected area. Some times a
tattoo will look a thousand times better it’s turned just a hair. Say you’re
doing flames on the left side of the chest. Going straight up and down will
look a little out of place so you may want to angle the top of the flames
toward to ball of the shoulder. This will give the flames the illusion of motion
toward the shoulder.
The best way to see where you want to place a tattoo is to hold the
pattern up to the skin and turn it slightly one way or another until you and the
client are happy on the location. Do this with every pattern before you apply
any transfer chemical. If you apply a transfer solution then lay the pattern on
and spin it all around them you will have to make a new pattern while the
clients get a huge purple blob. When you are content with the location you
need to set the pattern aside and apply the transfer solution. If you have a
spray or liquid chemical (which I recommend) then apply a small amount. This
stuff goes a long way. If you’re using “speed stick” deodorant then you need
to use a new stick for every client and throw each one away when you are
done. If you go to your local everything store then you will find small sticks
made for traveling. These are about fifty cents each. Get these so your not
throwing away three fifty every tattoo. Remember that if you reuse the speed
stick then each client will leave their bacteria on them so you will spread
disease faster than you can imagine. Apply one thin layer to the skin covering
all of the shaved area. This will make sure you didn't miss any spots. If you do
miss a spot with the transfer solution then your pattern will not copy in that
location. If you use liquid or stick transfer, either way you need to use your
gloved hand and smear the solution on the skin, this will spread the chemical
easily and ensure you didn't miss any spots. The transfer will dry, so once you
spread it with your hand you need to apply the pattern right away.
Hold the pattern about a half an inch away from the skin using a hand
on each side. If you use one hand only, then the pattern will slip causing it to
smear. Line up the pattern to the decided location and gently touch the
center of the pattern to the skin. The transfer solution will hold the pattern
on the skin for you. Let go of the pattern. Now you need to use both hands
and lay them flat on the pattern slowly at the same time. You want to work
your way out from the center. If your pattern is long like an arm band then
once you apply the center you can apply pressure to both of the sides using
one hand for each side. The trick is to apply equal pressure to each side at
the same time. Pressing on the center of the pattern will help the pattern
from slipping or smearing. Hold the pattern on the skin applying medium
pressure and count to ten. You have the give the carbon time to soak in the
skin. After you count to ten then remove the pattern from one side to the
other. Never just pull the pattern off because it will smear every time. Set
your pattern aside and check your lines. Make sure that the pattern
transferred well. If not the clean off the pattern with green soap and start
again. Be a perfectionist, make it right. As long as you don't put six pounds of
transfer solution on the skin then your pattern should hold up to four or five
transfers. Because of this if I know I’m going to be tattooing say fifteen stars
then I only make three patterns, using each a few times. If your adding to an
already existing tattoo then use a razor knife, like the ones you buy at a
hobby store, to cut as close to the patter as possible. This way you can better
line up the new pattern with the old tattoo. If you’re doing something with a
circle in the center like a tribal then cut out the circle so you can better see.
After a while you will get more efficient at applying a tattoo pattern. Its one
of those things that gets easier with time. It’s not uncommon for even veteran
artist to have to apply a pattern three or four times to get it right. Always
change gloves after you apply a pattern. The chemicals in the transfer and the
speed stick include petroleum. This will eat your gloves as talked about in
Chapter 4.
If you are doing custom work or free hand work then use a single use
pen, throw it away when you are done. A pen will soak up bacteria and
disease just as much as anything, if it’s felt tip then even faster. Be careful
what kind of pen you use. Some artist like using felt markers or ball point
pens. If the tattoo is lighter sometimes they can show through and many types
of pens can be toxic and cause an allergic reaction. They make special kinds
of pens for this called a skin scribe or surgical scrip. The ink they use is the
same thing the carbon in the pattern will be made from. These scribes get
expensive compared to the price of a ball point, but again you can only use
them once. When doing custom work or adding to an existing tattoo you never
want to use black. If you use black you will not be able to tell which is tattoo
and which is pen. I recommend a light color like purple, red, or green. Free
hand work does not mean take up the machine and go. When someone says
"free hand tattoo" that means the artist drew the pattern on the skin without
a stencil. Do not ever attempt to tattoo without a pattern of some kind. You
cannot erase a tattoo.