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iQ Review Independent Journalism
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01/26/2017 at 11:22 p.m. 24 min. 68835
Nowadays, no one is surprised by a drawing on his body: the tattoo is a decoration popular and widespread. In large cities, people with tattoos can easily be met almost at every step. And we're not just talking about informal youth subcultures: tattoos do and adults, established people in leadership positions, including public service.
To get a beautiful skin drawing, it is important to find a real professional. IQReview figured out the intricacies of a tattoo artist, and if you are attracted to this profession, you can learn more about it. A tattoo artist is a great example of how to earn a hobby quite a lot of money.
Ideally, combine VKontakte and Instagram: it will be enough to ensure yourself an influx of clients. There are not many people who only use Facebook, and if you are an experienced master - such clients will still find out about you through "word of mouth", and they will find it themselves.
You don't have to have a separate page or a group to maintain your portfolio (if you are talking about VKontakte or Facebook). You can post all of your work directly to your account, creating a separate album.
In order for the photos in the portfolio to be as effective as possible (in terms of attracting clients), it is recommended:
- Use a quality camera for photography. It is not necessary to buy a super-expensive "DSLR", but it is also undesirable to photograph a tattoo on the cheapest "point-and-shoot". If you have a good smartphone - it is quite suitable.
- Use lighting. A tattoo photographed in a semi-dark room is unlikely to become an adornment for your portfolio. For photography, it is ideally to have a separate lamp at hand, which can be easily moved and adjusted (so that there was an opportunity to illuminate different body parts and tattoos of different sizes).
- Have a simple monochrome background. A free wall painted or wallpapered without pictures and patterns will do for this.
- Under each photo it is desirable to sign the date of the work (if the tattoo was done in several sessions - the dates) and the name of the person to whom the tattoo was done (of course, if he would not mind placing such information). Ideally - ask the client to take a picture of the tattoo after it is fully healed (after a couple of weeks), and put that picture in the portfolio as well.
- If an old tattoo was overlaid with a new design - be sure to take a picture of what was before your work, and put it together with a fresh tattoo.
Also under each work you can write the price. However, most masters do not do so, and instead write how many hours the process of application took.
Content
- What is a tattoo-machine Induction tattoo-machine - design, working principle Contour tattoo-machine
- Tattoo machine for painting
- Tattoo machines for beginners
- Reusable and disposable tattoo holders Reusable tattoo holders - what and how
- Tattoo Holders for Classic Needles
- Tattoo Tip Holders Disposable Tattoo Tip Holders
- Power supply
What is a tattoo-machine
The main tool of a tattoo-master with which, as a rule, begin to complete the first set of the tattoo-equipment. We are not going to change this stereotype and tell about the machines.
Machines, according to the principle of operation, are divided into induction and rotary. Induction, in turn, are divided into liners and shaders.
Tattoo-machine - an electric device driving a tattoo-needle. Regardless of the type, tattoo machine has the following requirements:
- Low weight - lightweight machine is more convenient to work with;
- minimum vibration - it's easier to make precise drawings with this machine;
- Power - to pierce the skin with a frequency of several tens of strokes per second is not so easy;
- High-quality construction - tattoo machines are subjected to considerable loads, and must carry them for a long time;
- Reliability - this is to be understood not only as aptitude of this or that model to failure, but ability to work for a long time without overheating and sagging characteristics;
- beautiful appearance - it is not as unimportant as it may seem.
If you are no stranger to mechanics and you understand the principles of operation of simple mechanisms, you can see that the requirements are quite contradictory. It is easier to ensure a minimum of vibration and maximum power on a device with more mass - but it is not so easy to work with a heavy machine. This also includes the quality of assembly and the design in general - vibration has a destructive effect on all elements of the device. To find the balance that will please most tattoo artists is the art of the manufacturer. To find those models that are easy, convenient and comfortable to work with is the task of a tattoo artist.
Induction tattoo-machine - design, working principle
The first tattoo machine in the world was an induction one. It was created from a doorbell. She appeared more than a century ago, in the United States. Then this device seemed a real miracle, and to see it - and try it on yourself - gathered a lot of people. Several decades have passed, but the general principle and design of the induction machine has not changed. Design has improved, materials have improved, construction has been optimized, but the principle remains the same.
All elements of the tattoo machine are assembled on the frame. Among other things, two electromagnet coils are attached to the frame. When power is applied to the machine, they attract a steel armature bead - which, in turn, pushes the needle. At some point the firing pin breaks the electric circuit and the spring pulls it back. The needle is removed from the skin. At the extreme position, the needle closes the electrical circuit again and the cycle begins again. A distinctive feature of the induction tattoo machine is two (less often one or three) coils. The induction tattoo machine is considered something of an axiom for the tattoo artist. Induction tattoo machines are divided into two types - for contouring and for painting. These machines are not interchangeable, but complementary to each other - so in their arsenal they must have both.
Contour tattoo machine
Settings contouring-machine, or machine liner, are that she works with a high frequency. The liner machine makes a lot of fast, frequent punctures. Such a machine is great at shaping thin elements with sharp edges. For example, lines - hence the name. Usually works effectively with small-sized needles.
Tattoo machine for tattooing
The settings of tattoo machine for painting, or shader machine, are such that the machine works with low frequency - but the strokes of the shader machine extended, the needle is relatively long in the skin. These machines per stroke introduces more paint into the skin - and therefore are great for painting over large areas of the pattern. Hence the name. As a rule, they work effectively with large-sized needles.
Rotary tattoo machine - design, principle of work
Machine-rotor - a fundamentally different device. Needle in the movement of her driving electric motor, rotational motion of which is converted into reciprocating by the crank mechanism. In contrast to the induction of the main power source of rotary tattoo machine - the electric motor. On its shaft mounted puck with a shifted axis - eccentric. It is this eccentric and moves the needle.
The rotary tattoo machine appeared as soon as electric motors became powerful and compact enough, and materials became light and durable. Well, since the development of materials and electric motors does not stand still, the rotary machines are developing rapidly. Not long ago Dragonfly or Inkjecta seemed like the height of technology - and today rotary pencils are nothing out of the ordinary.
Rotary tattoo machines are evolving faster than stereotypes and perceptions about them are changing. It was thought that rotors were not powerful enough to effectively do both thin contour lines and shading of large areas. It was believed that one pass with a rotary machine would not achieve the desired result - you need two. But time goes on, and the bar for work inaccessible to rotors is getting higher. These days, there are hardly any craftsmen working exclusively with rotary machines - but the vast majority have a rotor in their arsenal, and are actively used.
The reason is simple - rotors have a few big advantages. They are lighter, vibrate less, require virtually no adjustments - and are constantly being improved.
Read more about the construction of different types of tattoo machines here.
Tattoo Machine Manufacturers - Why Some Are More Expensive Than Others
Tattoo machines can be divided into three types:
- Tattoo-machines for beginners;
- Tattoo-machines from bilder;
- Tattoo-machines for professionals.
Tattoo machines for beginners
Tattoo machines of low price segment. Suitable for mastering beginners with tattoo-equipment, but for real practice it is better to choose something more serious.
Tattoo machines from builders
Builder's machines - incomparably higher level, quality and characteristics. As a consequence, higher and the price - it can be conditionally called average, often bilzhe to high. Builder machines are a booming market. The abundance of masters and models of machines, constant rotation both in the composition of machine builders, and in model ranges always allow you to choose what you need - although it is often not easy to do so.
Tattoo-machines for professionals
Professional tattoo machines are called as such rather conventionally - these are tattoo machines of world famous brands. Nobody forbids for the beginner to buy 3-4 models of known brands, and to start the practice by them is only a question of price.
What machine to choose - you decide. For more information on why some machines are more expensive than others you can read here.
Tattoo Holders
Holder, or grip - a part, the purpose of which is clear from the name. By it holds the tattoo-machine in the assembled form. Inside the holder passes tattoo-needle rod. To the rear of the holder tattoo machine is attached, in the front is inserted tip. When you turn on the machine, the needle begins to move in the holder, flying out of the tip, and returning to it - so the tattoo is applied. According to the use of holders can be divided into disposable and reusable, and by appointment - under the classic needles, and under the modules, they are the same cartridges.
Reusable and disposable holders
Most tattoo artists use reusable tattoo holders. Their choice is greater - as a consequence, to pick up the strip "for themselves" is easier. However, reusable holders are more difficult to use as well. As well as any tattoo equipment having direct or indirect contact with a client and biological fluids, tattoo grips should be necessarily cleaned, sterilized, and stored in conditions providing sterility. Disposable holders do not have this disadvantage - they come in sterile packaging, and Dispose of them after use.. The disadvantage of these holders is that they are less available. As a consequence, it is more difficult to choose a model "for yourself".
Reusable holders - what and how
Reusable holders are products made of metal or nylon. Each type has its own characteristics:
- steel tattoo holders - the most durable, easily tolerate multiple sterilization, but have a rather large weight;
- Aluminum tattoo holders are lighter than steel ones but are very durable and reliable;
- Zinc holders are as durable as steel ones and are more aesthetically pleasing;
- Nylon grips are much less durable but lighter and provide good vibration isolation.
A disadvantage of steel holders is their stiffness. Such products perfectly transfer vibration of tattoo machine to master's hand, which rather quickly starts to "fall off". A soft layer is used for protection. It can be a cover-holder put on the holder, or a bandage wrapped around it.
Disposable holders - what and how
Not a very popular type of holders, although the idea is interesting. Disposable tattoo holder is a plastic sterile product that is disposed of after use. Combines the tip, the holder itself, and the tube to attach the tattoo machine. The pluses are sterility and safety. Minus - the need to keep in stock a large number of holders for different needles, which requires a lot of space, and ends of such things, by the law of meanness, at the most inopportune moment. Plus, the range of such products is small. As a result the flexibility of a reusable holder with a separate tip outweighs the advantages of a disposable holder, and if you follow the basic rules of tattoo hygiene, reusable holders are absolutely safe.
Cartridge and needle holders
The Cheyenne revolution in the world of tattoo needles has divided tattoo holders into two types - classic needle holders, and cartridge tattoo holders.
Tattoo-holders for classic needles
The design of the classic needle tattoo holder has been described above. It is a metal or plastic handle. On one side of it is inserted and fixed with a screw, the tube - on which, in turn, tattoo-machine is attached. On the other side of the holder is inserted tattoo-tip, which is fixed with a screw or collet. Inside the tube moves the needle.
Tattoo holders for cartridges
For a while, the inventor of tattoo holders was a monopolist in terms of their application. However, in the design of the tattoo holder for the cartridges fundamentally different from the classic holder - and very quickly there were universal holders for tattoo cartridges.
Like the classic tattoo holder, the cartridge holder can be installed on any machine and use simple, convenient and safe tattoo modules on it. The only fundamental difference in this holder is the presence of a pusher bar in the kit and the front attachment - it is designed not to clamp the tip, but under the "snaps" of the cartridge.
Novelty quickly had to taste not only tattoo-masters, but also masters of permanent make-up and tattooing - those are often used for their work rotor tattoo machines.
Tattoo-tips .
Tips, spouts, watering cans - all these are feather-like tips inside which the needle moves during tattooing. The tattoo tip keeps the needle from vibrating transversely, providing only longitudinal movement. The tip also holds the tattoo ink that the needle "captures" when it moves back and introduces into the skin when it moves forward.
Types of tattoo tips
The main division of tattoo tips is by their application. There are disposable tattoo-tips, and reusable ones.
Disposable tattoo tips
Disposable tattoo tips are plastic sterile products that come in individually sealed packages. They are Do not wash, clean, sterilize, reuse - Disposable tattoo tips should be discarded after use.. This is the most common type of handpieces, used by tattoo-masters. Disposable tattoo tips can include and disposable tube-types - extended plastic tips that do not require the use of the tube-promoter in the holder. As a consequence, this ement of the holder design does not need to be cleaned and sterilized.
A typical disposable tattoo tip.
Reusable tattoo tips
A kind of retro in the tattoo industry are reusable tips. They are made of stainless steel and can be used an unlimited number of times - until they are physically worn out. Naturally, The reusable handpiece should be cleaned and sterilized after each use, and stored under sterile conditions. The advantage of these handpieces is their durability. The tattoo needle is physically unable to damage it, so it will always move in a straight line. Minus - all the attendant "fuss" associated with ensuring cleanliness and sterility.
A set of reusable tattoo tips
How to choose a tattoo head
The tattoo tip is selected by the type and size of the needle. Round needles use Round or Diamond needles, flat needles use Flat. The size of the needle usually corresponds to the size of the tip - but only if a needle with a stem diameter of 0,35 mm is used. Needles with 0.3 mm rods require a smaller tip size, while 0.4 mm needles require a larger tip size. There are no size 1 tips; size 3 tips are used with single needles. However, you can avoid all this, and go to the tattoo cartridges - there everything is already picked up and assembled. You can read more about tattoo tips in our separate publication.
Tattoo needles
Tattoo-needles are the main storage material for tattoo-master. Exactly the quality of the needle defines, what will be the result of all tattooing efforts. Needle repeatedly piercing the upper layer of the skin, and introduces the coloring pigment.
Needles for tattoos have different sharpening and different diameters. Needle sharpening comes in three types: long, medium and short. The sharpening is determined by the length of the "cone" of the needle. Their diameter varies from 0.25 to 0.4 mm. Needles with long sharpening are suitable for contouring, medium sharpening is considered universal, short - for painting. Needles of maximum diameter and short sharpening leave a thick dot on the skin. Thin needles with a long sharpening, respectively, leave the smallest dot in the skin. Bundled together, elements of different diameters and sharpening form different types of needles - this determines their purpose.
It would seem that a tattoo needle is a tool that has been perfected over many years of use, and it is impossible to reinvent it. Nevertheless the company Cheyenne succeeded - moreover, they made some sort of revolution in the tattoo industry. The company has offered to unite in one cartridge a needle and a tip, having created the disposable module, besides protecting other components of a machine from ingress of liquids by special membrane.
This invention changed a lot of things. The holder has changed - from a tube with a handle it has turned into a module holder and a guide for the pusher. Assembly of the tattoo machine has become much easier, there is a real opportunity to easily change the needles in the process. The tattooing process has become much more hygienic. The tattoo is much more accurate because the needle and the cartridge body are optimally matched to each other in size. But the main thing without which this system would not have caught on is that the proposed approach was much more convenient than the classic scheme. Whether you use classic needles or cartridges, they are all Instruments are strictly disposable, sterile, hermetically sealed, individually packed, and must be disposed of after use..
Read more about tattoo needles in our separate publication.
Caps under the paint
Caps are caps that are needed for diluting paint during work. Color base is poured into them, based on the count for one session. Caps can be with a cone-shaped support or truncated. They are produced in three variations - 9, 11 and 15 mm. Caps are consumable material, used once and must be disposed of after use.
For this product, the main quality requirement is the absence of toxic constituents in the plastic used, which can be released in the process of contact with the cap pigment.
An additional accessory for caps is a stand in the form of a palette, capable of combining several varieties of paint.
You can also find on sale an accessory that combines both caps and a stand - pigment holders with a certain number of caps in one item.
Rubber bands and rings
Additional elements of a sheaf "needle - tip - holder tube - holder - machine" without which all this design does not work properly. In general, for assembling a tattoo-machine quite a lot of all sorts of rubber bands are used:
- Bandages - put on the needle and the frame of the tattoo machine, are used for reliable fixation of the needle and damping of parasitic vibrations;
- nipples and grommets - a kind of elastic layer between the needle and the striker machine, serves to dampen parasitic vibrations;
- Depending on the design of the tattoo machine, it may have a variety of insulating elements and seals - usually placed between the frame and coils.
These rubber bands are a kind of secondary elements of the tattoo-machine adjustment. Operating the number of bandage rubbers, as well as the stiffness and material of the nipples and grommets, you can greatly influence the nature of the impact of the machine. The optimum ratio can only be found experimentally and is specific to each machine and type of work.
Nipples
Nipple - the rubber band for the tattoo machine, located on the rod. Nipple is needed to fix the needle on the tool, is a connecting element. Quality rubber pads do not tear, do not shrivel, and last long and reliably.
Tattoo machine power supply
Electricity is something without which a tattoo machine will not work. Without quality power supply no tattoo machine will work properly. To power a tattoo machine you need:
- power supply;
- power cord;
- clip cords;
- pedal.
Power supply for the tattoo machine
The power supply is the main device responsible for the quality of electricity supplied to the tattoo machine. Power supply must:
- Convert the alternating 220 volts of the general mains into the constant few volts required to power the tattoo machine - and do so safely for the tattoo artist and those around him;
- provide enough amperage to operate the tattoo machine;
- have sufficient power reserve and responsiveness of the stabilizer, to avoid voltage sags under heavy loads.
For the sake of completeness let's say that power supplies come in transformer and pulsed form. Transformers are larger and heavier, but safer. Impulse ones are much more compact and lighter - but, theoretically, they can be less reliable and allow voltage spikes. By the way, modern switched-mode power supplies for a long time already if and sin with it - but only in single cases, and therefore they are used everywhere, not only in tattoo-equipment.
For proper choice of power supply you must know what voltage your tattoo-machines prefer to work with and what power they need - according to these parameters this power supply is chosen. More detailed information about power supply for tattoo machines, its selection and use you can read here.
Power cords for power supplies
Here it's simple. The power cord plugs the power supply into the outlet. They differ in the connector for the power supply - it can be large, with grounding, or small, without grounding. Choose the one with the connector on your power supply.
Clip Cords for Tattoo Machines
This is also the connection cord for the tattoo machine. A low-voltage cord that is used to supply voltage from the power supply, as well as to connect the pedal - it all depends on the connection scheme. There are a huge number of clip cords - both budget and from billers - but the most important thing when choosing will be the connectors installed at the ends of the wire. The main thing here is to choose the connectors you need for your power supply, pedal and tattoo machine. Do not forget about the diameter of the wire. Thin wire can't transfer voltage with big current intensity - as a result it will be additional resistance on the voltage path, will be heated and as a result will fail. The flexibility and durability of the wire are not unimportant. The flexible cord does not pull away from the machine, does not cramp your movements, and simply does not let you know about it, not distracting you from your work - and the durable casing will withstand not only the occasional jerk of varying strength, but also the mechanical impact of a foot or chair.
Pedals for tattoo machines
Basically, a pedal is a switch that allows you to operate the machine without the involvement of your hands. Pedal from those accessories, the existence of which seems to not notice, as long as this accessory does not start to "wack", thereby strongly irritating and interfering with work.
Regardless of the origin of the pedal - from budget class or builder - functionally and technically these devices are the same. Two contacts that close when you press the device with your foot, and open when you release it. In order to stand out somehow, the manufacturers have nothing to do but indulge in design refinements - that's why there are so many pedals. However, there are also hidden nuances. The quality of the materials - above all, the quality of the contacts - greatly affects the quality of the device itself.
However, not all masters find it convenient to keep their feet on the pedals all the time. It hinders movement, and fatigue from one position often begins to show. In this case, we recommend to look at pedal-buttons - it is, in fact, a standard Jack jack with built-in button. The button has fixed positions, so it is not necessary to keep it pressed all the time. The machine, however, is always on. But there is a more interesting alternative - power supplies with the "sticking" function. You can connect a classical pedal to these blocks, but the machine turns on and off by briefly pressing the pedal instead of holding and releasing it. It is very convenient for long works.
Rubber gloves
The filling of the pattern should be done with gloves. This consumable is capable of protecting both master and client from possible infection. The main selection criterion is one-piece and tight fit.
These gloves have their own fashion. In addition to the standard white color there is a black version. Gloves may be with or without talc, it is worth noting that talcum powder in some cases may cause allergic reactions.
If the package does not contain the inscription that the consumable is sterilized, the gloves must be treated with alcohol or other disinfectant liquid before starting work.
Tattooing is a certain mystery, which should not be marred by poor-quality work of the master and the use of illiquid consumables. For a perfect and safe performance of the session, it is worth carefully choosing the material, relying on your own experience and the advice of reliable masters.
Barrier protection
Tattooing involves multiple punctures in the skin - and the resulting release of organic fluids from the lesions. These liquids get on the tattoo equipment, sometimes the master himself, and surrounding objects. The basis of safety of you and your client - sterility. Of course, the basis of the basics here - the use of disposable sterile consumables where possible, and sterilization of reusable equipment. To make cleaning of tattoo equipment easier and to protect the master from potentially dangerous contaminations barrier protection can help.
Barrier protection is a complex of means and measures to prevent contact of the damaged skin of the client with unsterilized surface, and also possible excretions and pigment mixed with them - with surrounding people and objects. First of all, a variety of means of protection worn on the tattoo machine, klip-cord, spray-buttle.
About the pros and cons of working as a tattoo artist
The advantages of such work include:
- relatively high (and for experienced masters - very high) level of income, which can be increased;
- easy search for clients;
- free schedule;
- no educational requirements (even if you have only 9 classes under your belt, but you are talented in drawing, be sure to try to pick up a typewriter)
- rapid growth in income and number of clients after work (cheap and free you can work for literally a few months, after which you will have a solid portfolio and experience to start taking payment)
- Comparative cheapness of a full set of equipment and low price of consumables at high fees (if compared to other types of business).
Complete set of equipment
Of the significant drawbacks:
- a high level of responsibility (a mistake of the master can both just look ugly on the skin and lead to diseases - if you neglect cleanliness in the workplace);
- The need to equip the workplace properly from the start;
- High stress for the eyes and arm muscles.
Artificial skin for training
Certainly, the history of tattoo art is full of various examples when both beginners and already experienced masters boldly experimented on natural skin belonging to their clients. Sometimes it turned out rather successfully, more often - not.
The artificial skin for tattoo practice is the perfect solution for such a situation. It is designed for a professional start, practice, as well as honing new tattooing techniques. Some tattoo artists use the one sold at the "butcher store around the corner" instead of the artificial one. Professionals know that such skin quickly changes its properties, and the training process can hardly be called full-fledged.
Artificial leather for tattoos does not change its characteristics and practically does not differ from real leather. Exactly on it the best masters test new tattoo machine's functionality, work off experimental techniques and simply "support qualification".
In the given publication we have tried to describe basics with which it is necessary to begin acquaintance to the tattoo-equipment. Read our other publications, get acquainted with the assortment of our online store closer and a lot of things will become clearer and easier for you to master. Good luck on your chosen path!
About the ways of working with a drawing
A master can work with a drawing in two ways:
- Translate the sketch from paper to leather (with an ordinary pen), and then - beat the drawing with a machine. This option is safer for both the client and the master (because even if the master makes a mistake, the mistake can easily be corrected), but it takes a little longer.
- Drawing a sketch at once by machine. This option is faster, but it is suitable only for real professionals, who make mistakes rarely, and even if they do, they can correct their mistake even on the skin.
