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Tattoo Apprenticeships: How To Get Them and Why You Need Them

Tattoo Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is the basis for a great tattoo career. They are not easy to do, not easy to get, not easy to prepare for, not easy to pay for. But all of this is for a reason. This hub will help you learn the ups and downs, pros and cons of getting a tattoo apprenticeship and how to go about getting one.

PLEASE NOTE: The purpose of the article is to help educate and guide you in your journey to becoming a tattoo artist. Every shop and teacher will be different, but what follows is a good jumping off point to knowing what to expect. Most of all: DO NOT TATTOO UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR APPRENTICESHIP! There are many reasons why you absolutely need an apprenticeship, but the one that people tend to forget: Apprenticeships are not only a crucial training period, they are a right of passage. Show respect for this community and those who have earned the right to tattoo.

An apprenticeship is what a potential tattoo artist (and piercers) have to go through to become a professional artist. Think of it as earning your wings. Here are the basic steps.

1. Building a portfolio

First and foremost, do not walk into a shop with a portfolio of actual tattoos you've done. This is absolutely unacceptable for several reasons. One, you don't have any idea what you are doing. Two, you can cause irreparable damage to the person you tattoo. Three, that artist will have to take time to not only teach you the right way to tattoo, but wean you off 'scratcher' habits.

A portfolio consists of 50 to 200 drawings. This means COMPLETED and COLORED. You don't want to walk into the shop with a sketch book full of doodles and half complete ideas. Choose only your best work, what you feel best showcases your talent. Portfolios should be in an actual portfolio, placed and matted in sheet protectors. Choose a portfolio that looks professional, don't just use a three ring binder. Presentation is all about showing how professional and serious you are about getting your apprenticeship.

As far as drawings go, you want to have a wide array of work. Draw things that people usually get tattooed and some of your own creative ideas for tattoos. DO NOT copy other artists work. If that's your idea of tattooing, then you had better find a different career. If you are having a hard time deciding what to draw, think of different life experiences that people would get tattooed. Tattoos are all about commemorating a time in your life, remembering something/someone or simply for adornment reasons. In your career you will constantly be doing these kind of tattoos. Ask your friends what they would get tattooed and draw it. There's no better way to prepare yourself than to talk to people who may be your potential clients someday.

Draw everyday. Make every drawing your best. Don't give up on an idea just because its too hard or boring because you will not always have a choice when it comes to tattooing. Again, all drawings must be complete. Color them using your choice of medium. Watercolor/Ink is widely thought to be the most similar to actually tattooing.

2. Finding a Shop

Find a shop with a good reputation. You want to learn from someone who actually wants to teach you, has a good educational background, and who will challenge you. This person is responsible for helping you learn the basics and some of their own tricks for tattooing so you want the best. Apprenticeships will cost you from nothing to around $5,000+, so you will want to make it worth your while.

Persistence is absolutely key in this process. If possible, get tattooed by the artist you want to learn from. Even better, get tattooed as much as possible (there are many reasons for this advice). Hang out in the shop, if they'll let you. Even volunteering your time there can help you build a relationship with the artists there.

3. The Apprenticeship

When you get an apprenticeship, prepare to be what they call the 'shop bitch'. You don't get paid and you do all the dirty work. Take care of the trash, set up/break down stations, make sure they're stocked, sweeping, run errands, etc. Chances are for awhile that's all you'll be doing. They do this to make sure you're actually interested in doing the job, to weed out the unworthy. So take these tasks as an honor. You're lucky to be there! So act that way. And don't wait to be asked to do these things, just do them.

When you start learning, you will do a lot of watching. You will sit and watch several tattoos being done. Stay attentive. The best way to learn is through watching. You will learn how to make needles, use the autoclave, and all the health precautions to be taken (including blood borne pathogen certification). After, you will start learning to use the tattoo machine (NEVER call it a gun!). At first, you will tattoo on fake skin, fruit and maybe even yourself, depending on your teacher. You will learn about all the different set ups for the machines, the difference between liners and shaders, etc. You will also have to keep drawing, learn how to draw things quickly and well. Its a LOT of hard work so don't get discouraged. Apprenticeships can take 6 months to 2 years, so plan accordingly.

4. Becoming a Tattoo Artist

You will do around 100 tattoos for free during your apprenticeship. But free tattoos mean that YOU will pay for them. So make sure to have a lot of money saved up for supplies. You can tattoo friends, family, whomever you wish. After that, you will possibly tattoo some clients at the shop.

Then the time will come you take your test to become certified. You absolutely need to take this test or you will be risking your reputation and possibly get into some trouble with the law.

Once you've passed your test, you may start tattooing and charging for it! So Congratulations! You've made it.

5. Professional Work

Generally, the shop you learned to tattoo at will have you on contract for at least a year after you've completed your apprenticeship. Keep working hard, take pictures of every tattoo you do, add these to a new portfolio. After your contract is up, you may choose to stay at your home shop or you may find a different shop. A huge part of your work is networking. A large portion of the work you get will be through word of mouth, so get to know other artists, collectors, etc. Go to conventions! Put yourself out there, don't let yourself become complacent. You are responsible for your success at this point, no more coddling or hand holding. Go for it! Your future is yours to shape.

-Tattooed Lady

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Rotary Machines Vs. Coil Machines

Traditional tattoo machines are driven by an electromagnetic coil, similar to the ones used in old electric doorbells. In fact, when the single coil machine was patented by Thomas Riley in 1891, he had built his first prototype using a doorbell assembly. The devices have gotten more and more sophisticated over time, but the technology behind it is still the same: a magnetic circuit moves the needle-bearing armature up and down. Coil machines are relatively inexpensive to produce and remain the most popular form of tattoo machine on the market.

Rotary tattoo machines, with a piston or cam driven by an electric motor instead of magnetic coils, did not come on the scene until almost one hundred years later. Their ability to address some of the shortcomings of coil tattoo machines, however, has led to their ever-increasing popularity.

Precision – coil machines have a spring that absorbs shock as the artist works. This softer hit can be great for shading, but it also results in vibration as the at tattoo machine itself is hit by force that would otherwise be absorbed by the skin. Rotary tattoo machines, on the other hand, have a simple mechanical design and do not buzz and vibrate the way that coil machines do.

Power – rotary tattoo machines are generally more hard-hitting than their coil cousins. Even artists that prefer coil devices will often turn to a rotary device when it comes time to shade.

Versatility – coil tattoo machines are engineered to be excellent liners or shaders, but the same machine is rarely adequate for both jobs. With a rotary machine, the same device can tackle both tasks with a quick change of a cam and needle.

Comfort – besides having less buzz and vibration than a coil machine, rotary machines are more lightweight. Without the bulk and heft typically associated with coil machines, the artist can work without straining his joints and compensating for his machine’s clumsiness.

Despite its growing use, the rotary tattoo machine still falls behind the coil machine in popularity. Some artists that have learned their trade with coil devices simply do not want to make the change, either preferring the softer hit for shading or not wanting to re-adjust to a new weight and feel. With new artists picking up rotaries as their first tattoo machines, and new models like the Dragonfly catching the eye of experienced artists, however, the gap is quickly closing.

-National Tattoo Supply

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The safest and easiest way to dispose of the rinse cup in the tattoo industry!

"I’m a tattoo artist in the city of Huntington Beach, Ca. I own and work at The Tattoo Gallery with four of my very close friends. After years and years of leaking trash bags, I decided one day to put an end to it once and for all and created RinseCup CleanUp.

When I designed this product I made sure it is the best that exists and can not get any better. Also, it’s non-toxic because our trash gets put into landfills and that would only hurt the environment. I believe as a whole, us humans do enough of that! Disposing of our rinse cups and ink caps this way is the safest method and eliminates cross-contamination in our trade due to the contaminated liquids we produce.

Once in the landfill, RinseCup CleanUp slowly releases the water and improves soil conditions through aeration. It’s less expensive than using paper towels and safer than dumping it down a sink. When that method is used more toxic chemicals are needed to clean the area it was dumped in, which leads to poisoning our environment even more.

Now we are in many countries and the response is amazing. So much support from this trade! The only advertising I have done is thru IG. It’s spreading like wildfire and I’m excited to see where it goes from here."

-Dan Mcnab, TAM Blog

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Tattoo Ink Chemistry

What are Tattoo Inks?

The short answer to the question is: You can't be 100% certain! Manufacturers of inks and pigments are not required to reveal the contents. A professional who mixes his or her own inks from dry pigments will be most likely to know the composition of the inks. However, the information is proprietary (trade secrets), so you may or may not get answers to questions.

Most tattoo inks technically aren't inks. They are composed of pigments that are suspended in a carrier solution. Contrary to popular belief, pigments usually are not vegetable dyes. Today's pigments primarily are metal salts. However, some pigments are plastics and there are probably some vegetable dyes too. The pigment provides the color of the tattoo. The purpose of the carrier is to disinfect the pigment suspension, keep it evenly mixed, and provide for ease of application.

Tattoos and Toxicity

This article is concerned primarily with the composition of the pigment and carrier molecules. However, there are important health risks associated with tattooing, both from the inherent toxicity of some of the substances involved and unhygienic practices. To learn more about the risks associated with a particular tattoo ink, check out the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any pigment or carrier. The MSDS won't be able to identify all chemical reactions or risks associated with chemical interactions within the ink or the skin, but it will give some basic information about each component of the ink. Pigments and tattoo inks are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, the Food and Drug Administration is examining tattoo inks to determine the chemical composition of the inks, learn how they react and break down in the body, how light and magnetism react with inks, and whether there are short- and long-term health hazards associated with ink formulations or methods of applying the tattoos.

Tattoo Pigment Chemistry

The oldest pigments came from using ground up minerals and carbon black. Today's pigments include the original mineral pigments, modern industrial organic pigments, a few vegetable-based pigments, and some plastic-based pigments. Allergic reactions, scarring, phototoxic reactions (i.e., reaction from exposure to light, especially sunlight), and other adverse effects are possible with many pigments. The plastic-based pigments are very intensely colored, but many people have reported reactions to them. There are also pigments that glow in the dark or in response to black (ultraviolet) light. These pigments are notoriously risky - some may be safe, but others are radioactive or otherwise toxic.

Here's a table listing the colors of common pigments use in tattoo inks. It isn't exhaustive - pretty much anything that can be used as a pigment has been at some time. Also, many inks mix one or more pigment:

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3-D Beveling

This time I want to discuss beveling. This is the 3-D effect that makes things look like they are chiseled out of stone or wood or whatever. The Romans made this popular, as practically all their signage was chiseled out of stone. This effect creates the feeling of strength and formality. It’s a nice effect for tattoo lettering, as it has a serious yet elegant look to it. It also says MONEY! We still see it, today, carved into the lentils of most big city banking institutions. Beveling can be done to just about any lettering style, if you give it enough stroke width. Once again, I want to stress the need for simplicity to improve the readability of the piece.

As with any serious artist, I must point out the importance of light sourcing. This is the assignment of a light source, to create the illusion of depth. Putting the light source off to a corner creates more depth than just having it directly to the side or directly on top or the bottom. My favorite is upper left, as you will notice in the drawing I have provided. Simply if your light is coming from the upper left, logically the shadow or dark is coming form the bottom right. Normally, with this type of thick and thin block letter, a line is drawn down the center of the letters and a triangular shape usually ends the strokes. By connecting the crossing strokes with lines, you can create the desired beveled effect to complete the illusion.

Round letters are a little different, as the shadowed area does not end with a sharp angle. By looking at the “O” and “S,” you can see the reference lines I made to help you understand how the dark shading is blended off and where. The “R” shows the blending without the reference lines. As you can see, I offer a sample of how script lettering can be beveled, too.

Bear in mind that this also works well with color. For example, a monochromatic effect can be achieved by using varying shades of dark and light blue. Personally, I like to leave a bit of light against the centerline to finish it off, with a little white. Or, if , say, I’m doing a letter with varying shades of green, I might finish it off with a little lemon yellow to accent the sharp edge of the bevel. You can also add some cracks and chips, to make them look like granite. Add some wood grain and a few knots here and there and you have a rustic masterpiece! Make them transparent like they are made out of Jello! I have included some samples of my tattoos and banners to show you different ways of doing things. You can notice that I beveled the EDGE of the letters on my show banners (yet another cool variant!).

This month’s font is basically a “cheat sheet,” to show you where the lines go. Stash it for reference. Remember one thing: If you don’t know how to make needles then you can’t understand how they work and why. Learning how to form letters gives you a good idea on how they work, when you decide to modify and create your own. Tracing letters out of a book is okay, but you are only limited to what’s in the book, you know?

-Uncle Tim

"Lettering 101"

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It's great to just see the magnificent tattoo machines that Tattoo Artists use in slow motion. The art of tattooing is such an amazing and beautiful process.

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Using a Camera by Dave Nestler

Fig. #1

I’ve been pretty happy with the progression of this How To article. We started with simple basics and moved on to more dedicated and specific tattoo tips and techniques, all with the intention of providing you with more ammunition to add to your artistic arsenal. I could keep going on this same path, adding even more obscure tips and observations that I employ in my drawings and paintings, in the hopes of making you a better tattoo artist. But I believe this column would be better served by going back to the beginning, starting with the basics and expanding on each subject much more than I did in prior issues.

Let’s start with the first thing you’ll need for the development of a great drawing or painting; and that’s photo reference. If you’ve been an ongoing reader, you know that this is a particular pet peeve of mine, and I’ve been beating you to death issue after issue about the quality of your photo references and how important they can be. And since I am a pinup tattoo artist, let’s talk about shooting people for reference. It’s no mystery I paint pretty girls for a living, and all my paintings are based on real models. So, for me, a good clean, hi-res photo is absolutely necessary, if I’m going to capture the likeness of the subject I'm drawing or painting.

Let’s be clear, I’m not a photographer. I don’t know my aperture from my F-stops, but we’re not shooting for print here, we’re shooting for reference. A photographer shooting for print will take hundreds of shots to get that “ONE” image. As a tattoo artist, I just need something clean and in focus to draw from. For this example, let’s look at the cover I did for the June 2009 issue of Skin&Ink (Fig.1) featuring world-class fitness model Jamie Eason. The idea was for a summer/ beach/ bikini/ surf theme suggested by the original Coppertone ad, with the little girl and the dog, from the ’60s.

Since continually on the road doing tattoo conventions, I shoot out of hotel rooms. No fancy studio, no professional lighting or backdrops. Just me and my ten megapixel Canon Rebel set on automatic with an internal flash. Remember, this is for reference, not print. I need two things for reference when I shoot: a full body shot and a good facial pic. I shoot them separately, so as not to rely on that “ONE” shot where both are perfect. And with the benefits of a digital camera, I don’t have to wait for film development anymore. I can shoot a dozen pics, review them and, if I don’t like what I see, I can delete them and start over.

Let’s look at Fig. #2. I have the idea in my head as to what I want, so I shot Jamie in that position, remembering to fill the frame and get the image as large as I can. This makes for a more detailed image later, when I output it. Once I’m happy with the body positioning, I close in and shoot for different facial expressions (fig. #3). It’s amazing how much difference there is by simply moving the face up and down just the smallest amount. It’s just a matter of choosing one from “Column A” and one from “Column B.” Combine the best of both and you’ve got the perfect reference.

Quick Tip: When your combining the face from one picture to the body of another, it’s easy just to eyeball it. A good measuring tip, in order to get them dead-on, is to measure the distance from the hairline to the tip of the jaw and adjust that equal the distances of your other pic. In preparing this piece, I did a third shot, a separate pic of the hand ( Fig. #4 ), just so I have a large clear pic to work from.

Fig. #4

There’s no real science behind this. It’s just clarity. A good, clean hi-res photo makes your job so much easier.

—Dave

"Tattoo Tips and Techniques"

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Tattoo Aftercare

Tattooing isn’t just magically creating new colors and designs on a client’s skin. It’s forcing colored ink beneath their skin by piercing it repeatedly with needles. It is art-by injury, perhaps not to the same degree as piercing or more obscure body art such as branding, but still, you cause bodily trauma in order to make a tattoo.

As with any wounds, this means that care must be taken to ensure they heal cleanly and quickly…

Unfortunately, the recommendations on just how to do this vary from artist to artist, but almost all agree a bandage should be used. Some tattoo artists, reportedly, use saran wrap to cover wounds, but this is actually a rather bad idea. Wounds need to breathe, and such a wrap becomes a haven for bacteria!

A closer look at the bandages…

One of the matters of real contention, however, is in how long the bandages should be left on. Some recommend definitely taking the bandages off after an hour. Others say, instead, that the bandage should be left on for at least two hours. Each tattooist passes on what has worked for their clients, or at least what they were taught during their training. Given that most of the time, only really poorly cared for tattoos will have any real problems, there is likely a large amount of flexibility in the timing of the particular details.

Another near-universal recommendation is, whether after one hour or over two, when the bandage is removed, the area must be cleaned with a mild antibacterial soap and water…

It is important that this soap is not too harsh or drying, as this could irritate the tattoo wound. This must be done regularly, cleaning off any blood, plasma, and dirt that might have accumulated. Some, however, suggest that you avoid any hot showers, or anything else that could cause the pores to open up too much, and possibly allow water infiltration or ink loss. If a client does need to take a shower, it is best to protect the tattoo from direct exposure to the spray for the first few days. Submerging the tattoo in a bath or pool should be avoided for at least two weeks. Ocean water should be avoided until it is fully and truly healed. New tattoos should also be kept out of direct sun as much as possible.

Whenever the tattoo is cleaned, which should be regularly, a clear, fragrance-free ointment should be applied…

It should be stressed that the ointment needs to be fragrance-free, as fragrance compounds can be irritants, and you definitely don’t want to do anything to encourage irritation in a new tattoo. Ointments are best to use during the first stage of healing, but once scabbing and peeling begin to occur, this needs to be changed to a lotion.

While excessive scabbing can be a sign of a poorly done tattoo, some is inevitable. Piercing the skin causes blood seepage into the wounds, and as they heal, some of this congealed blood will be pushed out and dry. In addition, the heavily damaged top level of skin will not shed normally, so as the skin heals it will shed in large pieces, which can be unsightly and disturbing. Rest assured, this is a normal part of the healing process. Continue cleaning and using moisturizers as normal, and it will pass quickly once the top layer has been shed and the skin renewed.

There are indications to watch out for, which show that medical care should be sought…

While some scabbing is to be expected, excessive scabbing is an indication of undue injury, and greater risk of infection. Seeping and inflammation are signs that an infection, or at least an unusual reaction, has already begun, and medical care is critical to prevent further health problems, or damage to the tattoo. A rash is also a sign of worse inflammation, as well as a strong indicator of irritation or even allergic reaction to the inks. Such reactions are especially common with red pigments.

All the safety measures in the world, while tattooing, won’t protect a client if these measures aren’t followed. If you want your tattoo art to last, the utmost care must be taken. Fortunately, major tattoo problems are pretty rare, and the steps are simple and common-sense. Make sure, if someone is willing to pay the time, pain, and money to get a tattoo, they’ll be willing to give the really minimal care needed to keep it.

via Tattoo 101

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The Different Styles and Techniques of Tattooing

Learning how to become a tattoo artist means learning a lot of different styles and techniques. While it’s tempting to want to jump in with both feet to try a little of everything at once, tattooing is like any other art form. You need to learn basic skills and them build on them as your abilities and confidence grow.

As you work through your apprenticeship, you will develop skills in all of these areas, not to mention learning about all kinds of fascinating techniques that others are using to make their art stand out and to make their customers happy.

There are great techniques out there for adding light an luminosity to your pieces, or for adding texture that looks realistic, for example.

But first, the aspiring tattoo artist will want to learn the basics:

Lining

Outlining, or lining, is the technique used to create a basic shape on skin. Usually done with a round group of needles, lines can vary from very thin to quite thick. Sometimes, tattoo artists choose to “build up” lines by using multiple passes very close together to make a thicker line.

While lining is certainly a basic tattooing skill, it is also a very important one. Even lines are necessary for a smooth, professional tattoo. They also give important definition to the design. Lining doesn’t only have to be done with black ink, like the outline in a coloring book. You can also use color with your round liner to define a particular area of a design.

Coloring

Coloring is the term used for filling in areas of the design with color. This may or may not include using black ink, although some artists refer to all blank ink work as ‘shading.” Depending on the effect you want with your coloring, you may choose from a variety of techniques. Sometimes you may choose to use a series of small overlapping circles to fill in a space. In other cases, you may choose to sweep the needle across the skin with varying pressure to create more of a shading effect.

Coloring is usually done from darkest to lightest, rather than working from one side of the tattoo to the other. This is done for a couple of reasons. First, this keeps the darker colors from accidentally mixing with the lighter ones. Also, the needles, tube, and tips will have to be cleaned between colors, and you wouldn’t want to have to do so every five minutes.

Shading

Tattoo Shading is one of the things that can really make a tattoo artist. Someone who is good at shading creates images that have depth and are interesting to look at. Shading is usually done with black ink, and there are different techniques you can use to create darker or lighter shadows. For example, you can start with heavier pressure at the beginning of a stroke, lightening your touch as you lift the needle off the skin at the end of the stroke.

There are other methods for creating a lighter shade, too. Some artists will add white to black to make a custom gray. Others choose to add more water or other fluid to their black. Of course, the shade matters, but so does the artist’s understanding of how light falls and how to translate that into a tattoo.

Lettering

Many people are interested in tattoos that include words, so being skilled at lettering can be a major bonus for a tattoo artist. Trends change, but something that seems to remain fairly constant is the desire to include names or quotations into tattoos. Creating nice tattoos that incorporate lettering requires you to understand concepts such as the spacing required to lay words out in an attractive way, as well as the form and function of the letters themselves.

A word to the wise when it comes to lettering: use a dictionary! Too many times, someone leaves a tattoo shop thrilled with their new ink only to have the next person they see point out that something in the design is spelled wrong. In addition to using a dictionary, have the client sign off on the spelling before you put the needle to skin.

These are just a few of the styles and techniques that a tattoo artists needs to become familiar with, but they do provide a good foundation upon which to build other skills.

via www.tattooing101.com

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How to Draw with Dave Nestler: All the Better to Trace You With, My Dear

Fig. #1

TOOLS TO CHANGE YOUR HABITS

When a certain market becomes trendy, popular or just brought more into the public consciousness, someone will be there to exploit, cash in or capitalize on the blossoming of that market. In the four short years I’ve been entrenched in the tattoo world, and especially on the convention circuit, I’ve noticed this boom. Especially when it comes to tools and materials. I’ve watched the classic tattoo machine evolve to Numas, rotaries and even wireless machines. Really? Wireless? I’m all for choice, but with choice comes decision-making. With the availability of so much new product and equipment on the market, there is little time to get comfortable with one tool before a new one is introduced. Remember what I said: “Familiarity breeds consistency.” And it’s the comfort level achieved with a certain tool that allows you to be more consistent in the development of your technique. Thank goodness I work in a market where my materials really haven’t changed that much. A pencil is a pencil is a pencil, and the brush hasn’t changed much since DaVince was in short pants. That being said, I’m all for building a better mousetrap, but until the time comes that a wireless, Pentium, chip driven paintbrush is introduced, I’ll stick with what’s been working for me for twenty-five years.

Fig. #2

I talked in length awhile back about pencil lead and paper. I briefly touched on materials used when tracing. Well, I want to expound on that a bit, as here is where technology has built the better trap. We all use tracing paper, to trace with. It’s cheap, plentiful and allows us to copy what we see underneath, with ease. It’s also fragile, tears easily and doesn’t react well to over usage. Years ago, I discovered drafting film. It’s a one- or two-sided, frosted acetate, extremely durable and even more translucent than tracing paper! For the next couple columns, I’ll be showing you the development of a sketch from start to finish. For my reference, I’ll be using a photo I took of Rachael Leuderalbert, who won the “Miss Pinup” contest at the Jacksonville Tattoo Expo this past year. For this current issue I want to show you the difference in transparency from tracing paper to film. Fig.#1 is a photo of Rachael that I’ll be using for my sketch. In Fig.#2, I covered the left half of the picture with tracing paper, and drafting film on the right half. As you can see, there is a noticeable difference between the two.

Fig. #3

So, what are the benefits to this? Primarily, I am able to see more detail in my photo and capture that detail in my tracing. However, there is a downside to working with film: it’s a lot more expensive. So, it wouldn’t be something I would use to trace tribal designs off a flash sheet. Instead, I use it for my more intricate work. As in Fig#3, you’ll see that I am able to create a tracing, capturing every detailed element with relative ease. There are all kinds of advantages to using all kinds of materials. Sometimes it’s faster. Sometimes it makes certain aspects of your work easier. Ultimately, it’s the tools you’re comfortable with that will benefit you. And the only way to do this is to test the out. Starting with the next issue, we’ll follow the development of Rachael’s sketch from start to finish touching on all aspects along the way. Gentleman, start your pencils.

Note: Most art stores carry drafting film. If you are having problems locating it, email me and I’ll let you know where you can find it online. —Dave Nestler (Contact Dave at [email protected])

Tattoo Convention Booth Set-Up by Larry Brogan

STAND OUT IN THE CROWD

Most tattoo conventions provide a space for two working artists approximately ten feet by ten feet, but that can vary by a couple feet in either direction. You will usually have two long narrow tables, one to tattoo from and a front table to showcase and display your tattoo portfolio, original artwork, paintings, prints, tattoo machines, T-shirts and any other items and promotional material you choose, provided they are permitted by the promoters and local law.

Always be sure to have an ample supply of business cards or stickers with your name, web address and contact information printed on them, for people to grab. Convention attendees always love free giveaways such as pens, stickers, CDs and even candy, so having any of these can help draw more potential clients to your booth.

Bringing your own tablecloth can be a nice touch, to help give an impressive presentation that will be more eye catching and make you stand out among the many other booths in the aisle. A trip to a local fabric store will give you countless options for colorful and crazy table cloths, and be sure to check into the Halloween fabrics, where you will find some fun and festive designs.

Your booth normally contains two artist chairs and two client chairs as well as one garbage can. The quality of the chairs varies from padded, stackable banquet chairs to flimsy plastic folding chairs, which are mostly useless and very uncomfortable. The padded banquet chairs can be used in many configurations, such as stacking two or three high in order to reach a clients leg or lower back more comfortably or side by side, to lay someone horizontally, for areas such as ribs, underarms and hips. If you happen to by driving to the show, bringing your own office chair and/or client chair or even a massage table can be very helpful.

Many convention halls are very dark or you may be stuck in some dark corner of the room. I often bring two small clamp-on halogen lights that I attach to the top of the pipe and drape, behind the booth. You will need an extension cord at least six feet long, with at least two outlets, to be able to plug them into your power strip. Your booth will be much better lit than most others, making it stand out more among the rest. You can buy these simple lights at hardware stores and home improvement stores such as Home Depot, for around ten dollars each. Warning: lights get extremely hot, so unplug them at night and especially in advance of taking them down at the end of a show, or you will burn yourself.

Your convention banner is the equivalent of flying your county’s flag overhead. Having on that is awesome and eye-catching will bring you more exposure. When sharing a booth with one or more artists, you must keep in mind that there needs to be enough room for each artist to display their banner and enough space for items like flash, prints and T-shirts. I have found that a banner two-to-three-feet wide by four-to-five-feet high is the best overall fit for a booth containing two artists. Any longer and you will loose the lower portion behind the work table, and any wider runs the risk of crowding your booth mate. While it is quite easy these days to get inexpensive banners printed with any images and info you need, hand painting yours will help show your own artistic talent and just might earn you respect from your peers.

—Larry Brogan, Tattoo City, Lockport, Illinois

#tattoos #tattooconventions #frictiontattoo #frictiontattoosupply #tattoo #inked

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark by David Nestler

Since last issue’s lesson on composition, we’ve begun to stray from the original flavor of this series, which has been to focus on drawing techniques. But the completion of a great sketch isn’t always how well you draw eyes or your technique. There are plenty of other ways to enhance your drawing or painting that have nothing to do with the size of your pencil. But this isn’t about Viagra, it’s about “contrast,” and not just the dark/light thing. Contrast can be used to isolate and enhance, as well as detract. Planned out prior to execution, contrast can be used to optically steer a viewer’s eye towards a certain part of a drawing… or even away from it. “Isolation.” ”Monochromatic Tone.” These are just a couple terms we’ll explore in upcoming issues. Oh, and don’t bother looking these terms up in your art instruction books. I’m making them up as I go along. Makes me sound smarter. But I will explain what I mean.

For now, let’s look at the dark/light benefits of contrast. There’s nothing wrong with a nice soft sketch. Take a look at Fig. 1 & 2. Simple, soft, very nice. Not a whole lot of punch to it, though. Now take a look at Fig. 3 & 4. Stark, crisp. Definitely a lot more dramatic than the previous two. And it’s nothing more than making your darks darker, and your lights lighter that gives you that drama. That’s contrast. It’s just a smaller range of tones.

Now, who’s to say this is appropriate every time? It’s not. Contrast is just another tool. If my photo reference depicts a girl with light-brown hair wearing a tan shirt laying in the sand, there is no contrast. And my drawing probably would not benefit by adding any. But if my photo reference is of some punk rock/goth/raver chick with coal-black hair and skin the color of 2% milk… you get the idea.

Remember, there are lots of tools and techniques available. It’s great to know them, but that doesn’t mean you have to use them. You pick and choose, when to use a certain tool or technique. But the bigger your arsenal, the better your options. And the better the execution.

Now, let’s take a look at a more extreme use of contrast. In Fig. 5, Robyn’s got great eyes and lips, and that’s what I want you to see. So I’ve eliminated almost all mid-tones and really boosted the lights and darks to the point where it’s almost solid black and white. A little dramatic, but still makes for a dynamic piece, when completed. And all I did was boost the contrast.

Planning out a piece is as important as drawing it. Dissecting your photo reference allows you to pick and choose your tools and techniques, as it applies to your reference. It’s all about what to focus on and what’s most important.

—Dave Contact Dave at [email protected].

Everyone's Skin is Different by Madame Lazonga

Tattooing on the skin is a never-ending learning process. Just when you think you have it down, whamo, something unexpected happens, and the challenging part is, there’s a person connected to it. I always joke around and say, “Can you please leave your skin here and pick it up in a few hours?” As most of you tattooers know, it’s a challenge moving and contorting to get into the right position to get the ink in the right way, let alone all the skin differentials you need to deal with. It is just one of the variables that make tattooing such an interesting and difficult media for artists to explore.

One thing that I never thought about until recently is, when a person loses and gains weight over an extended period of their lives, it will tend to make the skin much thinner, therefore making it more fragile to tattoo. You can’t see the thickness with your eyes, of course, so there’s no way to tell except when you start tattooing. When people ask me for estimates, I usually tell them that it’s hard to give an exact price because, depending on their skin type, what would take me an hour on one person might take me an hour and a half on another. There is absolutely no way to tell until you sit down and begin to work.

Once you get started, you can get the feeling for the skin and how you need to go about adjusting your equipment and techniques. When working over any bones, I always turn the machine down as far as I can. Working over the waist is perhaps the most challenging, because it’s where the anatomy has the most elasticity. You often have to expend a lot of energy to properly stretch the skin. This means you often have to bring out the contortionist in them and have the client lie with a pillow under their waist with an arm reaching above their head, in order to stretch the skin out as much as possible.

Skin is such an amazing organ and something that tattoo artists need to be intimately acquainted with. A newer complication is overly tanned skin. When I was growing up in Seattle, I remember tanned skin meant you went to Hawaii on vacation. This was back when they didn’t have suntanning machines. In high school, all the rich kids would go to Hawaii for winter vacation or spring break, and all of us less fortunate kids would look up to them in awe. Now, as you know, having tanned skin tends to make you look a lot older than you are, unless you use a lot of antiaging products. I have to say, it is not easy to tattoo tanned skin. After years of tanning, the structure of the skin changes. The skin looses its elasticity, with many fine little lines below the surface, almost like fissures or cracks. Tattooing on this kind of skin is very scary (for me) because, when I lay the needle to begin to tattoo, I see a little bit of fuzziness surrounding the actual line. It looks like the skin is cracking. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Tanning excessively without continuously using #45 or #50 sun block will also definitely fade the color and permanently damage your tattoo. In general, UV light is just not good for your skin, with or without a tattoo.

If your shop is like ours, we guarantee our work, and a touch-up that is done within the first year of the tattoo’s life is free. We are realistic, in that small issues can arise when a client is healing, and being willing to fix these small areas, as part of our service, is reassuring to the public. Therefore, when we are discussing price, we keep in mind that some parts of the body heal hard, like the hands and feet, and we charge accordingly, since we will often end up spending time doing a touch up.

What really causes artists headaches is when clients don’t follow instructions or don’t take care of their tattoos or their skin, in general. This causes damage to the tissue, scarring and possible loss of color. Recently, we had a person leave the shop who didn’t wash their tattoo for a week after they left. They didn’t read the instructions that were given to them, and they didn’t remember a word of the verbal instructions their artist gave, so you can imagine what happened to their tattoo. The image scabbed over more than usual and lost a lot of the color. I know that when people leave the shop after they’ve received their tattoo, they’re usually spaced out. That’s why it’s even more important that the tattooer go through everything the person needs to know before they leave. In Seattle, it’s the law that all tattoo shops verbally explain the healing instructions as well as pass out written instructions. I know that every shop has different instructions, but it’s important for the recipient to carefully follow the aftercare guidelines if they want the best healing results. The artist is only trying to help them through the healing process, even if the instructions are different from the last artist the client worked with.

I get so many people who come into my shop price shopping. There’s a faction of the public that goes from shop to shop looking for the lowest price, thinking that we are all the same. Price shoppers need to know that every shop is different, and the prices charged are equivalent to their expertise, their years in the business and what they’ve done to establish their standard of achievements in the tattoo community. Being able to talk to the public and educate them is an invaluable part of being in the business. For example, if a shop has a sign that says, “Names $25,” and you are price shopping, you should stop to think that the sign doesn’t provide any information about how big the name will be, what style and where it will go on the body. Often, this kind of sign means the shop does production-style tattooing, and they’re set up to do that kind of work. They probably have several sets of tattoo machines ready to go, one right after the other.

In the end, we all need to be mindful that tattoo shops and artists are as different as their clients. Our profession must take into consideration a myriad of variables when going about our work, skin being just one. Hopefully, as the clientele becomes more savvy, they can make better choices regarding their tattoos and, in the end, wear their art proudly—covered in SPF 45, of course.

—Your sister in tattooing

Vyvyn (Madame Lazonga)

[email protected]

Mapping Out Large Scale Projects by Larry Brogan

Clear contact paper or shelf liner can be purchased at most home improvement centers, kitchen and bath shops and even many grocery stores. Just ask where the shelf liner/contact paper is. It is nothing more than a clear, thin, flexible sheet of plastic with a sticky side to it, and comes in a roll like wrapping paper. This stuff comes in handy, when planning large tattoo designs and for cover-up work. It is best to shave the clients’ skin and wipe it down with a little alcohol, to remove any oils or soap. For general tattoo layouts, I use colored markers to trace out the muscle and bone contour, bends, creases, joints and center lines of whatever body part I am working on and includes any significant moles, scars or existing tattoos. I will sometimes draw a rough layout of my intended design in a contrasting color to my contour lines, to establish the proper flow and fit to the body. When your drawing is finished, take an appropriate-sized piece of contact paper and, before peeling off the backing, lay it on the skin to determine where any excess bits can be cut and trimmed from the paper. After trimming, peel off the backing and lay it on the skin, pressing firmly, to be sure it adheres to all parts of the marker drawing. It may be helpful to have another person help with larger pieces, as it can be cumbersome with only two hands.

When you are satisfied that you have gotten all your image adhered to the contact paper, it is time to peel it off. This can be a bit uncomfortable to some people, kind of like peeling off a Band-Aid, and will exfoliate the skin a bit, as the dead skin cells stick to the paper. Most importantly, the marker will transfer over, giving you a very precise, overall layout of the body, and all the information you need to properly render your drawing to fit the body and all it’s curves, bends and odd spots. After peeling off the contact paper, you should lay it out, sticky side down, on clean white paper. Several pieces of copy paper will do the trick, if you do not have large paper handy. People are quite surprised at the amount of surface area contained in a full arm or leg, when it is laid out flat, but you fill find this technique will greatly aid your drawing and layout of large-scale designs.

Using this technique in the same manner for planning cover-up work is extremely useful. You can draw directly on the old tattoo(s) to be covered with marker and make it as detailed as you need. Draw in any contour and boundary lines and any other information you see fit, lay your contact paper over it all and make an impression. You get much more accurate results from this method than you can just using tracing paper or referencing photos of what you are covering.

#frictiontattoo #frictiontattoosupply #tattoo #tattoos #bigpiece #tattootips #tattootechniques #tattoosupply #tattooblog

The Art of Squinting by Uncle Tim

For the uninitiated, this may seem like a bizarre topic for “Lettering 101.” SQUINTING? WHAT the Hell? Most of you might be thinking, Tim’s finally lost it. Hang in there… trust me! I remember way back in the ’80s, when I had a sign shop in Monterey, California. Business was booming and I had a big contract with the U.S. Army painting banners for their safety program. They had the usual cliché slogans like “Click it or Ticket” and “Gas and Alcohol Don’t Mix!” Some of them had “McGruff,” the trench coat-wearing cartoon dog, whose slogan was “Take a Bite out of Crime.” There were two dozen twenty-five-foot by forty-eight-inch banners, all with different copy. My shop was a 1,200 square feet; twenty feet wide and sixty feet long, which gave me about forty-five feet of wall space to pin up these banners and lay them out. Of course, being the “Old School” guy that I am, they were all laid out by hand with a three-foot wooden yardstick and a dark-blue Stabillo pencil. No computers needed.

There was a neighboring sign shop about twenty miles away, owned by a friend of mine named Carl. He had a young apprentice named Deano. Deano was a kind of hippie kid who smoked a lot of weed. He would drop by now and then to say howdy and hang out. One particular day he came by, when I was laying out these banners. He leaned back on the workbench (beer in hand) and watched, open-jawed, while I took my yardstick and Stabillo and started laying out these things out with my usual speed. That is, quick!

His employer, Carl, had a sign computer and did everything on it. Carl never laid anything out by hand, because nothing in his shop was hand painted. All they did there was vinyl signs… and it took all day on the computer to lay things out for the plotter to cut, and then Deano would have to “weed” all the excess vinyl and apply transfer tape so they could stick it to the surfaces. So, when Deano saw me layout this twenty-four-foot banner in fifteen minutes, he was aghast with fascination. This, of course was nothing to me, as I watched men layout sign after sign by hand in my father’s old sign shop, and letter them up even faster. By hand! With paint! I remember Deano saying, “Dude! How can you do that so fast and it’s so…..perfect?” What else could I say other than, “Practice, practice, practice?”

Later, Deano came to work for me and he got the chance to really watch how it was done. Despite the fact that he was a pothead, he learned quickly. After a couple of months, I remember being in the office answering a phone call, when I peeked out the door into the shop, while being on hold. As I looked out, I saw Deano talking to my other employee, Frank, and making fun of me. (They didn’t think I was watching.) He said, “Look, here’s Tim!” and would make a “bucktooth” grin and squint his eyes while rocking his head from side to side.” Frank responded, “Yeah! Ha ha ha, that’s him!” They whooped it up till I walked in and caught them in the act. It got real quiet at first, then we all laughed at each other, while pointing out each other’s idiosyncrasies. We were a fun crew. Then, when it quieted down, I asked them if they knew why I always squinted when I was laying out signs. I told them that I was blocking out all peripheral distraction so I could get a good look at the sign and not just the letters. Did it have balance? Did one area overpower the other? Was the copy all straight and properly spaced? Were all my angles and thicknesses correct? Were the positive and negative spatial relationships balanced? Did the variation in the letter values lend itself to proper prioritization of the copy? In other words, was the important copy prominent and the less important copy minimalized?)

Then I demonstrated on one of their own efforts, to show that improvements were needed and why. I had them both squint to the point where they could not read the copy, blotting out all, but what was basic. With this technique, defects will show up like a lump of coal in the snow. A long time before that, an excellent sign painter/pin-striper friend named Alan Smith and I were doing a sign project together. I asked him which “alphabet” (sign painter lingo for “font”) he thought would look better on the task at hand. Alan replied, “Stop looking at the letters and look at the f-ing sign!” He was right. I was paying too much attention to being all fancy and not looking at the overall design and its effectiveness.

I passed that on to my guys and now it’s your turn. I have provided a sample of a project I am doing for a client’s chest. This is not the final draft. I found a couple of flaws in it. Let’s see if, by using my technique, if you can spot them. When laying out tricky arched scripts like this, you can’t always spot flaws, because there is a lot going on here! Step back about three feet away from your computer screen and squint. Squint hard enough to block out all but the letters, without actually being able to read it. Imagine it ALL as filigree. Try to imagine the image as a whole and see what items are off in the design. I know what they are… do you?

Hold your pencil light and have fun.

—Uncle Tim

www.uncletimtattoo.com

[email protected]

#frictiontattoo #frictiontattoosupply #tattoo #tattoos #tattooartist #tattooartists #artist #artists #tattootips #tattooart

Developing a Style by Larry Brogan

Every artist wants to be recognized for their art and they want it to stand out among all others as distinctively their own. In the world of tattooing, you will find many artists whose work is as recognizable as their names, such as Guy Aitchison, Paul Booth and Joe Capobianco. People like this may have been born to be artists but the skills they posses did not come easy. They where developed over decades of constant study and practice with a pencil and paper. Nearly any visual art starts off as a drawing, be it a quick thumbnail sketch or a fully rendered, meticulous design. By studying the work of artists they admire and borrowing from everyday influences like fashion magazines, horror movies and even the texture of the nature around us, artists piece together a mixture of what they observe, along with the spark that resides within their own mind, body and soul. If they dedicate themselves, hopefully what emerges is a signature style all their own that, at a glance, people know who created it.

All too often, people take the easy way out and blatantly rip off someone else’s art, calling it their own or deliberately copying an already existing style instead of putting in the time to bring out the inner artist in themselves. Just like the music world, along comes a fresh new band with a catchy sound and a string of hits and the next thing you know there are twenty other bands on the radio that sound just like them. We see it in the tattoo industry all the time. Some new kid comes around with a sick new look and is the talk of the scene. The next thing you know, the tattoo magazines are flooded with a dozen lookalike artists, usually falling short of the original.

Drawing does not mean simply tracing an existing image; it is using your art stills to free hand draw what you see in life, from a photo or just out of your head. By developing your ability every day in your sketch book, you will see gradual improvement and, eventually, you may evolve into an artist others want to emulate.

Next time you find yourself wasting the day away playing video games, goofing off on the Internet or spanking the monkey, just remember there is no limit to what can be accomplished artistically, if you practice enough. By drawing, drawing and drawing some more and absorbing all of your outside influences, along with the talent and skill within yourself, you should be able to generate your own spin on things and create a look and style all your own.

#tattoo #tattoos #frictiontattoo #frictiontattoosupply #style #tattooart #art #artwork #artists #artist

Cursive Tattoo Lettering by Uncle Tim Heitkotter

When is the last time you received a really well-written letter? I mean a HAND-written letter, not an email like we seem to be comfortable with these days? Not a form letter or another silly solicitation from those credit card companies that we see in our mailbox every day. What I mean is, when was the last time YOU wrote a well-constructed letter to anybody?

Cursive Tattoo Lettering

It’s been brought to my attention that cursive handwriting is being eliminated in school curricula across the country. I’ve been told this by several people and I remember reading an article about it about a year ago. How can this happen? It seems like every time I turn around another art form is being eliminated from our schools. As the budgetary belts are pulled tighter, rather than cut useless programs, like football (which, in my opinion, teaches war skills like aggressiveness, ground acquisition and rage), music and art programs get tossed. So, now, writing is soon to fall as well? I guess it’s only two Rs now: Reading and ’Rithmatic.

I want to pose this question to my readers: When we read about different cultures and their societies or travel to different countries, what is the first thing we recognize? Their art, of course! We automatically associate Opera, the paintings in the Sistine Capel and magnificent sculptures like Trevi Fountain with Italy. The beautiful “onion dome” architecture belongs to Russia. Wonderful paintings by Renoir and Matisse, awesome wineries and a cool pointy metal building by some guy named Eiffel are unmistakably French. Hummel figurines and the heavenly compositions of Wagner are iconic to Germany. The writings of Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens obviously belong to England. Rock and Roll and the Blues belongs to the U.S.! The plain and simple fact is that art defines us as a society! Art proudly boasts who we are as a culture. Our need to create supersedes any other desire woven into our DNA. Even more than procreation, I think. To strip ourselves of our own art, in the way of eliminating handwriting skills, is to sell our soul to Microsoft.

Cursive Handwriting Practice

We only have to look at American Indians to see what happens when a society of proud people are robbed of their art and cultural traditions. Hawaii is another prime example of cultural rape. Although Hawaiians had no actual written language, their heritage is abundant with rich symbolic iconography(especially in their tattooing), that was and still is used as an important form of communication. When outsiders like Captain Cook and the missionaries came around, important cultural identity was all but lost and the struggle to regain it continues today. Is this what we want for the rest of America?

Cursive handwriting is one of the most elegant expression of our inner selves and we KNOW our Aunt Betty wrote that letter, because we recognize her handwriting. With emails, you cannot see facial expression, hear tone of voice or even really know who wrote it. My point is that you cannot compare the cold, sterile e-mail to a really well-constructed, handwritten letter. When it’s written on parchment with a real quill, it’s such a beautiful experience that it makes you feel like you really matter to the one who wrote it.

Some people say I have nice handwriting. I don’t think so. I think I can do better. I think we all can, but who actually practices their hand writing (cursive), in this day of electronic everything? Why should we, you might ask? I’m doing this column on my laptop, so isn’t that hypocritical? Well, it would be, if I weren’t writing for a website.

I want to stress the idea that practice makes perfect. Another saying pertinent to this column is “Use it or lose it.” If our traditions and skills aren’t practiced, they become obsolete and are discarded. I am re-learning the bass guitar and Holy Smokes, I forgot a lot! I haven’t picked up a bass guitar in over seven years, since I left Monterey, California, back in 2004. But now, because I am practicing practically every day, I am learning in leaps and bounds. My Polynesian Tribal designs are getting pretty slick, since I am drawing them every day now.

Practice, Practice, Practice...

But my golf game could be better. Why? Because I don’t practice enough. Same goes for handwriting. It seems like the simple act of filling out a check is a chore these days. I find it annoying and I want to just get it over with and I find my handwriting reminds me of my own grandmother’s. It’s kind of scratchy and wobbly looking, but not when I take my time and concentrate. Complacency really doesn’t have a place in art. If nothing happens, then nothing happens. If nothing changes then nothing changes. Same ol’ same old. Kinda like the U.S. Senate. But, I don’t want to get into that here. I just remember those old cardboard cursive signs with the dotted lines hanging ominously over the chalkboard in school. never liked the way an S was drawn, so I always drew my own. Despite the fact that I was in second grade, to me, the signs looked like they were drawn by a second grader. I can do better, I thought (we all can), I think it may have had something to do with growing up in my Dad’s sign shop and what I saw there was WAY better than what I was seeing in school. When we take time to design lettering for a tattoo, it’s usually hurried and not well thought out. Our egos will tell us “no one knows the difference” or “that’s good enough.” It behooves us to do two or three rough sketches to tighten up out idea for a tattoo, so why not the same process for our lettering? Our handwriting is a good place to start developing our “scripts.” After all, scripts are nothing more than printers’ alphabets designed to imitate handwriting. Write out whatever you want and then run another tapering line alongside it, like in the samples provided. Or you can use some calligraphy-type felt markers found at any art supply stores these days. Dover Books has a really good script book. Take a few nice samples like “Dianna” or Commercial script and try to imitate them and “loosen them up” a bit.

The next time you design a script lettering design, write it out like you are writing a letter to somebody you really want to impress. Do not write it out so complicated that you can’t read it. Chances are that reader can’t make it out either. Leave plenty of room in between the letters and run your connectors way up high. Almighty God, Herself is going to determine whether you enter the gates of Heaven or not, depending on your penmanship. So, take your time.

Hold you pencil light and have fun, —Uncle Tim Heitkotter

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