There are 3 fundamental tattoo techniques that every tattoo artist must master.
A tattoo artist who performs these tattoo techniques with a high degree of skill makes a permanent tattoo something the tattoo owner can be proud of. Each technique requires a thorough understanding of the tools and supplies used by a tattoo artist.
Let us begin…
technical tattoo #1 – Create a Tattoo Stencil
Tattoo stencils are used to apply the basic lines of the tattoo design to the skin before using a tattoo gun to apply the tattoo. Even the most experienced tattoo artist starts with a stencil rather than trying to apply a freehand design. Since the tattoo artist stretches the skin while applying the tattoo, working without a stencil could result in a distorted finished tattoo.
Many tattoo artists use carbon paper to copy a tattoo design onto another sheet of paper. The carbon paper is placed under the sheet of paper with the tattoo design, ink side down. Next, a clean piece of paper is placed under the carbon paper.
All 3 layers should be secured with staples or paper clips before drawing the design with a pen.
One of the most important tattoo techniques associated with creating a carbon stencil is to remember that the image of the design that is placed on the skin will be reversed.
Once the design is traced, it will appear correctly on the skin when the stencil is removed. Instead of using carbon paper, some tattoo artists use an artist’s light table to create a stencil. A template created with a light table will be oriented in the correct direction. The original drawing is placed face down on the bedside table and the design is visible and can be traced directly onto another sheet of paper.
technical tattoo #2 – Tattoo Stencil Application
Once a stencil has been created, it can be applied to the client’s skin.
Before applying the stencil, the skin must be shaved and cleaned with an antiseptic. A disposable razor should be used and then thrown away, as it could transfer germs or small amounts of blood to other customers. One of the most common tattoo techniques for applying a stencil is using roll-on deodorant to transfer the design. The deodorant is applied to the skin, then the stencil is placed over the deodorant and pressure is applied throughout the design. When the paper stencil is peeled off, the tattoo design will have been transferred to the skin.
If the tattoo position is not correct, the stencil can be removed from the skin with alcohol and reapplied.
Like the razor, the roll-on deodorant should only come into contact with the skin of a single client. Some tattoo artists buy small travel size deodorant and throw it away after one use. Another option is to use a clean tongue depressor to transfer the deodorant from the ball applicator to the skin, then discard the tongue depressor.
technical tattoo #3 – Outlining the Tattoo
Once the tattoo design has been stamped into the skin and both the client and the tattoo artist agree on the placement, it’s time to start outlining the tattoo. Being able to create a tattoo outline is one of the most basic tattoo techniques. Most tattoo designs start with an outline.
Starting from the bottom of the design is the best approach, to avoid smearing freshly applied ink or cleaning parts of the stencil.
To vary the effect of the outline, different sized needles can be used to produce lines with different thicknesses. While a skilled tattoo artist has an intuitive feeling for which lines should be thick and which should be thin, a beginning tattoo artist may want to experiment with the thickness of the lines on a paper copy of the tattoo design before picking up the tattoo gun.
When applying ink to the outline of a tattoo, the tattoo artist must stretch the client’s skin so that the needles move smoothly across the skin. When the tattoo needles are dipped into the ink, enough ink must be charged to allow a continuous line to be drawn. While the outline is being applied, the tattoo artist frequently wipes away excess ink and blood. After taking a break from outlining to reapply ink to the needles, lighter pressure should be used when continuing to line to avoid dropping a drop of ink or creating visible seams.
The three tattoo techniques described here are fundamental to the art of tattooing.
They need to be practiced over and over again by a novice tattoo artist until they become second nature. Once the fundamental techniques are mastered, a tattoo artist can focus on developing a unique personal style and becoming a true tattoo artist.