XnMeX
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Thinking about getting a tattoo gun...
Anyone here do tattoos? I was thinking of getting one and practicing and then after a while doing some parties for friends. Any tips / ideas?
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XHonusWagnerX
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someone on another message board that I goto just posted a question about this and a tattoo artist answered her. He was mainly against the idea, but
he did offer a little bit in the way or suggestions. Heres what he posted.....
POST #1
I am a PROFESSIONAL tattooer and I can tell you this.
WITHOUT guidance from any sort of professional, any beautifying marks you may have planned will look like garbage.
plain and simple.
IT doesn't matter if you're a really strong artist... I was... and my first couple tattoos looked like crap.
If you use second hand equipment you had better be careful. there are only 2 readily available products that I know of that kill hep C .
I would never use a machine that costs under $350. unless it's a rotary...and I don't suggest that for an amateur....but thats just my standards... I
only use the best stuff...The ink I typically use costs $36 for 2 ozs. just for the reference to how much I pay for materials.
I feel like it's not worth tattooing yourself (not to mention it WICKED SUCKS doing it to yourself...I know first hand).
Even as a professional I never tattoo myself.
But hey...this is the kind of city where it doesn't matter if people are trying to look out for you... they will do what they're gonna do.
Aseptic techniques are substantialluy more involved than you would imagine... and "boiling your stuff in a pot of water" is not ample
sterilization..it needs to be heated and under pressure. Old pressure cookers work in theory but nothing beats the security of an autoclave.
but yeah. If you're feeling lucky and don't mind PERMANENT trial and error....
GO FOR IT!
Feel free to look at my website to see some of my work and judge on whether or not you're willing to take advice from me.
Honestly... I don't think it's worth it.
It's just risky.... especially if you have pets(fur,dander,and god knows what else in the air)
I despise AWFUL housemade tattoos... Good enough is not good enough.
END RANT.
POST #2
practice skin is basically a complete waste. if you feel the need to get some non living thing practice in you may as well tattoo a grapefruit...
or if you want to be a creep...get a pig ear from a butcher. Pig skin is very similar to that of a humans.
I feel like if you're gonna go for it...just go for it.
I did one on myself and I'll never do it again. It was an awful experience and all I could think about was " ahhh shit... is my cats debri thats
floating in the air gonna make my tattoo infected?"
I am just really anal when it comes to sterile procedure.
But I pretty much figured you felt the way you did about it.
otherwise you would obviously go to a pro.
but yeah...be careful. have fun.
| Quote: | Originally posted by REV.PAULIE
HONUS-as much as i can't stand a great deal of what you really like (for my own reasons that i would never hold,nor impose,against you),YOU FUCKING
RULE!
YOU,HONUS,IS WHAT MAKES THE "EDGE" COOL.
YOUR FRIEND,
PAULIE |
check out my post contributions at www.VinylNoize.com
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XnMeX
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Thanks Xup. Good info / insight... Anyone else have any input?
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BDx13
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i know a few people that started at home.
some went went on to great things, others...not so much.
a friend of mine who owns a shop has a terrific apprentice program. the guys are in there from day one watching, learning, drawing, making their own
flash, taking appointments, cleaning up, learning everything there is to know, and, eventually, tattooing.
it's not an inexpensive profession, so i'd say it makes sense to spend your time learning the right way as opposed to by trial and error exclusively.
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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Jason the Magnificent
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I have a degree in graphic design from the American Academy of Art in Chicago...I wasn't having much luck finding a job (before the internet boom so
you basically had to find some cut and paste entry job) and was looking for anything. In the early 90's I bought a Huck Spalding starter kit. I did a
handfull of tattoos on myself and friends as well as some unlucky people who were stupid enough to let me work on them because at that point there
were maybe 2 people with shops in the area so people really didn't know better. I have several friends who ended up going a better route and actually
getting an apprenticeship.
I have never seen a good tattoo come from a tattoo party.
This doesn't mean these people were bad artists, but it's a craft outside of art and the mechanical techniques are a bit permanent to discover on your
own w/o any professional advice.
If you have friends that would let you practice on them though (I have several practice ones on my legs from myself and others...and my legs are a
disaster area) then go for it. You never know.
I personally am of the same mindset on tattoo artists though as I am w/ record labels...theres way too many people doing them that have no business
doing them, flooding the market with substandard product.
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Jason the Magnificent
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I'd double down on what Big D said...if you're serious about it, look into getting an apprenticeship.
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BDx13
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Jason the Magnificent
Huck Spalding starter kit |
HA! I know so many people that ordered that!
They had ads in every cheese biker tattoo mag in the early 90s.
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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XnMeX
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Starter kits on Ebay start at like $90.00 with a bunch of stuff included. lol
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tireironsaint
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VERY bad idea. Unless you plan on spending thousands of dollars for the autoclave and everything else you will need to keep your equipments sterile
and turn two areas of your home into permanently dedicated areas (one for tattooing and one for sterilization) then you won't be taking care of
yourself or anyone who even comes into your home, let alone anyone who decides to let you mark them. And then all that doesn't even get into the
techniques used in actually tattooing someone. There's a lot to learn and trying to do it without proper guidance is just a terrible idea. You're
talking about marking people for life. Yes, there's laser removal and cover up tattoos, but even the best cover up doesn't remove the damage from a
bad tattoo and not everything can be covered. Laser removal is getting better, but it's still very expensive, very painful and doesn't even always
completely remove the tattoo.
There's no smart way to teach yourself tattooing, apprenticeships are the only way to learn, and working in a clean shop is the only way to provide a
clean environment for tattooing. I don't care how good an artist someone is, that doesn't make them any more adept at picking up a tattoo machine than
anyone else and nothing but money and proper equipment is going to keep their equipment sterile.
Veritas odium parit
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XnMeX
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Which sucks because around here it is nearly impossible to find someone to apprentice under and even when people do apprentice it is from knowing
someone directly. I know no one.
I need a job. fuck! lol
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JawnDiablo
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I agree with all that the guys above said.
I don't know where you live, but here in the Philly area, some guys that I know started tattooing on their own and ended up getting into some shit
with shop owners in the area, who were also members of certain gangs that you just don't want to be messing with. I don't know if it is like that
anywhere else, but it's something you don't want to find out by accident.
Also, in most areas, tattooing in the home is illegal as far as I know. someone I knew also got arrested and fined for doing them in a non shop
environment.
Yeah those Huck Spalding kits are what every one i knew got when they started. some moved on, because they had talent and learned from a good teacher,
and some are still inking on crackheads...
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barc0debaby
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I got lectured by an old timer when I referred to a tattoo machine as a gun.
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