Working with a Tattoo Gun, Needle and Inking Techniques
Flat and graded inking are two techniques that represent the backbone of tattoo art. Neither can be considered as difficult to master, therefore you should practice them over and over again until you can perform the techniques instinctively. First, though, you need to learn how to hold a tattoo gun comfortably.
Holding the Tattoo Gun
For maximum flexibility and spontaneity, hold the tattoo gun a few inches away from the tip, the lengthy part of the gun between the handle and the tip. If your fingers are too close to the tip of the gun, your wrist will get tight and locked and you won't be able to make any broad, expressive needlework. There will be occasions when you will want to move in tightly toward the tip—for instance, when you are inking tiny details and want complete control of the tattoo gun.
If you find your arm tensing up as you ink, what you ought to do is put the tattoo gun down on your work table, shake your hand in the air, and then proceed to rotate your wrist for one to two minutes.
If you find your arm tensing up as you ink, what you ought to do is put the tattoo gun down on your work table, shake your hand in the air, and then proceed to rotate your wrist for one to two minutes.
Flat Inking
The aim of a flat inking is to apply color evenly over part or all of the client’s skin. Executing a flat inking is simple enough, but do keep in mind that its simplicity can be deceptive, since some tattoo inks tend to possess a mind of its own. As you lay in the ink, color can run toward the bottom of the skin area to be tattooed before you want it to, or it can settle unevenly on the skin area itself. Needless to say, the easiest way to control any ink is to work slowly.
Begin by placing your chosen colors in separate tattoo color cups. Dip the tip of your needle into the color that you desire. Starting at the top of the skin area intended to be tattooed, move your needle across that area in undulating horizontal motion. After each color application, wait for the ink to settle. Once it is settled, add an overlapping color. When the entire coloring has been laid in, pick up any surplus ink and blood that has settled on the tip of the tattoo needle.
Begin by placing your chosen colors in separate tattoo color cups. Dip the tip of your needle into the color that you desire. Starting at the top of the skin area intended to be tattooed, move your needle across that area in undulating horizontal motion. After each color application, wait for the ink to settle. Once it is settled, add an overlapping color. When the entire coloring has been laid in, pick up any surplus ink and blood that has settled on the tip of the tattoo needle.
Graded Inking
A graded inking is light at one end and dark at the other. Start at the dark end. Lay in one color, and then add some more to your needle but with less intensity. With the next ink application, add still more color with decreased intensity, and so on. If you want the light end to be really light, finish with a small amount of clear ink. Slowly let the remaining color settle into it, then clean up any extra ink on your needle.
Instead of moving from dark to light, you can shift from one color to another. Change hues gradually as you move down the desired skin area. When tattooing a sky, for example, you might start at the top of the desired skin area with a mixture of ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson ink, then bit-by-bit get rid of the alizarin crimson and add cerulean blue. Next, you could decrease the amount of ultramarine and perhaps, add a little yellow ocher. Just be sure that the transitions between the colors are graceful; add and subtract hues gradually.
Instead of moving from dark to light, you can shift from one color to another. Change hues gradually as you move down the desired skin area. When tattooing a sky, for example, you might start at the top of the desired skin area with a mixture of ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson ink, then bit-by-bit get rid of the alizarin crimson and add cerulean blue. Next, you could decrease the amount of ultramarine and perhaps, add a little yellow ocher. Just be sure that the transitions between the colors are graceful; add and subtract hues gradually.
Working Ink-in-Ink
Ink applied to slightly coarse skin behaves differently than does ink applied to very smooth skin. The color blurs softly, creating wonderful, subtle patterns. With practice you can learn to control the patterns by tilting and turning the tattoo gun and by slightly pulling the color around with your needle. You will never totally control the ink, however, which is partly why working ink-in-ink is so much joy and not to mention challenging as well!
You are working ink-in-ink when you drop color into a damp skin. You are also working ink-in-ink when you slightly moisten the skin area with clean water using either a piece of cloth or a sponge before you start to ink.
If you’re a beginner, please do not be afraid to experiment. I recommend that you experiment with both on fake skins for tattooing or fruits. I performed loads of experiments on fake sins back during my beginner days. Anyway, let the skin area damp dry for two minutes —or even five minutes—then set up your tattoo gun and needle, and get to work. The skin area should feel just a little damp when you begin to ink. The moisture that remains in the skin fibers will interact with the ink you apply a little more reliably than you can hope for when only the surface of the skin is dry to the touch. You will find, too, that as the skin continues to dry, the ink you apply will leave crisper, more definite edges. In one tattoo you can easily get several different effects.
You are working ink-in-ink when you drop color into a damp skin. You are also working ink-in-ink when you slightly moisten the skin area with clean water using either a piece of cloth or a sponge before you start to ink.
If you’re a beginner, please do not be afraid to experiment. I recommend that you experiment with both on fake skins for tattooing or fruits. I performed loads of experiments on fake sins back during my beginner days. Anyway, let the skin area damp dry for two minutes —or even five minutes—then set up your tattoo gun and needle, and get to work. The skin area should feel just a little damp when you begin to ink. The moisture that remains in the skin fibers will interact with the ink you apply a little more reliably than you can hope for when only the surface of the skin is dry to the touch. You will find, too, that as the skin continues to dry, the ink you apply will leave crisper, more definite edges. In one tattoo you can easily get several different effects.
The Dry Ink Technique
Immensely popular with landscape tattooist, the dry ink technique is ideally suited to depicting weathered surfaces, scraggly grasses and foliage, the irregular texture of ice, and countless other elements. Because it works so well, the dry ink technique can become something of a cliché; as with any other tattoo technique, use it only when appropriate.
It's easy to learn the dry ink technique. First, dip your needle into a color that you wish to use, then wipe some of the color off with a paper towel, or squeeze it out with your fingers. When you pull the "dry" needle across the uneven surface of the client’s skin area, the paint will adhere to the skin’s elevations, thus leaving the depressions crisp and white.
The appearance of your tattooing effects is determined by the amount of pressure you apply to the needle. When you apply a small amount of pressure, a great deal of white will show through the ink. On the other hand, if a great deal of pressure is applied, only small specks of white will flicker through. The amount of ink you load your needle with can also determine how your tattoo effects look. In other words, the less ink you use, the "dryer" the effect.
It's easy to learn the dry ink technique. First, dip your needle into a color that you wish to use, then wipe some of the color off with a paper towel, or squeeze it out with your fingers. When you pull the "dry" needle across the uneven surface of the client’s skin area, the paint will adhere to the skin’s elevations, thus leaving the depressions crisp and white.
The appearance of your tattooing effects is determined by the amount of pressure you apply to the needle. When you apply a small amount of pressure, a great deal of white will show through the ink. On the other hand, if a great deal of pressure is applied, only small specks of white will flicker through. The amount of ink you load your needle with can also determine how your tattoo effects look. In other words, the less ink you use, the "dryer" the effect.