Tips for new artists

I Am looking for tips myself and figured why not get some advise posted where other new artists can find it and maybe learn a thing or two. I'm not talking sanitation shop set up or machine tuning. if you have came this far you better know that already..Rather lets talk about some real tricks of the trade. lets start with lining and move forward from there..

i think you got you priorities backwards, but good luck anyhow buddy.

My priorities are straight I'm just looking for some tips. I've got sterilization down. I have started lining and I'm looking for some other artists opinions on what makes a good line and what makes a bad line.

go lines dont wiggle if they are supposed to be straight i think.

Hey bro, if you need some killer tips and tricks, I would recommend getting Guy Aitchison's book, Reinventing the tattoo. For his style of work, he prefers a long stroke liner that hits soft so lines can be built up. Other artists prefer to have a short stroke fast hitting liner that is more geared to single pass. Keep a close eye on your depth, going too deep into the subcutaneous layer will cause the line to blot out and just won't look good at all. If you don't hit deep enough, your line work will be scratchy. When you develop your own style of working, you will know what kind of liner will suit your needs as an artist. Hope this helps. Good luck, J

Sorry to say, this is a public forum and we dont discuss the technical aspects of tattooing. I would also recommend getting guys's book and asking away on his forum.

Guys book is $100 an available at www.hyperspacestudios.com...this book is the best thing you will EVER buy!

Don't you have to be licensed and provide your license number to get it?

NO! Guy is about teaching and growth not snobbery

I apologize for getting too technical on a public forum, but it is imperative that as a basis for sharing information with like minded artists on this forum, we give any and all input we can to help those who are now where we once were. "Scratchers" can seek further information with an apprenticeship, I am sure there are studios that will exchange teaching for labor. Taz hit the nail on the head, Guy is about teaching. We should all be so lucky to have people around who are willing to devote any extra time they have between conventions, tattooing, writing books and exploring other mediums to helping those who want to better themselves. To most beginners, how fast a machine should run as a liner is unknown. To others, it is preference. But once again, I apologize if I have offended anybody. I am only posting here to help answer questions to which I have an answer to. Guy is a wealth of knowledge, anyone in the field undoubtedly knows that. I would recommend anyone and everyone to him and his works. In the meanwhile, keep up the good work and thank you to all who post professionally. J

I have been tattooing now for just over two years and am mainly self taught and it took quite a while for me to pick up the basic teqniques of getting straight and good looking lines let alone the shading, so i can see the benifit of having a site like this keep up the good work theres more from me to follow!!!

ummmmmm dude, technical questions and tattoo how to just is not allowed on this forum...read the top 4 posts!!!

Iam currently serving in the British Army and have been teaching myself how to tattoo for 7 months now. My work is fastly becoming better an better with each tattoo, and iam getting alot of work due to lads in the army wanting tats whilst on operations in iraq/afgan. Whenever ive asked for advise from tattoo artists they have always come across arragant and not willing to help! So far this is the first site Ive seen that is willing to help other up n coming tattooists. Thanks, Jay.

I stopped reading after a few messages, and this is why tattoos have taken so fucking long to get where they are at now. Because all of the "thick headed" tattoo artists out there. We need to help each other along, not teach someone how to tattoo over the web, but helping understand how it works, where to find info. and how it get better. Don't be the guy that thinks he's/or she's the best and can't help the younger artists step it up. Help! or just shut your hole.

Why aren't all of these "how do I" questions aimed at your mentor? Do you not apprentice under anyone? Do it yourself-ers usually don't get assistance from those that know what their doing for the simple fact that they appear to be not driven enough to learn properly and instead, seek info from strangers who may or may not know what they're doing, resulting in more bad habits being widely used, in turn making more and more professionals look bad since the average person lumps scratchers in to the same category with professionals and refer to all of them as Tattoo Artists. An apprenticeship will cover all of these questions, but I sense that people don't want to prove any dedication nowadays since it's so much easier to "learn" on the net.

i don't understand why it is necessary to shit on a brother for asking a question. i never got an apprenticeship, i tried, no one would cut me any slack. now i have all their customers. fuck em in the ear. maybe i'll let them mop my floors.

Or clip yer toenail?

or that.