Anyone who takes a needle, dips it in ink, and inserts that needle into someone’s skin is, by definition, a tattoo artist.  Since that general term covers everyone from the guy down the street scratching and scarring people in his basement to top tattoo artists like Paul Booth or Robert Hernandez, it’s hard to get a quality tattoo by just randomly picking a tattoo artist out of the phone book.

If you want a quality tattoo, you can’t decide to get a new tattoo on a random Saturday, visit a tattoo shop and get tattooed that day.  Any shop that offers this type of in and out service is usually not of high quality.  Good tattoo artists are booked days to weeks in advance and will give you a custom tattoo, not just some off the wall flash that 100 other yuppies have.

Don’t expect to get your new tattoo quickly.  Many top artists are booked quite a ways ahead.  There is also time required to draw your custom tattoo.  Be patient and ask for the earliest possible appointment.  Remember the more flexible your schedule is, the more likely you will be to get tattooed sooner.

When selecting a tattoo artist you always want to look at their “books”, or portfolio.  Browse their works and ask to see photos of healed tattoos as well as fresh ones to ensure that the colors will hold once healed.  Remember, if you don’t like what is in a tattoo artist’s portfolio don’t expect to get a better tattoo than what you see.

Always asses the cleanliness of the studio and tattoo area.  Any good tattoo artist is extremely clean and sterile.  This is perhaps the most important aspect of tattooing.

Verify that the tattoo artist always wear gloves and cover any chair surfaces with plastic.  Ensure that the tattoo artist cleans the chair or arm rest with an antibacterial agent before you sit down for your session.

Ask to watch the tattoo artists work while you are in the shop.  Watch him and make sure he is not touching unsterilized surfaces without changing gloves or anything else you deem unsanitary.

Make sure all instruments are sterilized and single use only.  Ask questions, lots of them.  There is nothing wrong with ensuring you are getting a safe and professional tattoo.  It’s your body and it’s up to you to do your homework when getting a permanent tattoo.

The only person responsible for your bad tattoo is YOU!

Today we will look into what it takes to become a “real” tattoo artist and touch on the scams out there that claim you can be a tattooist in just a few weeks.

Tattoo Schools

Throughout the United States there are a handful of tattoo schools that claim to give you everything you need to be a tattoo artist. Most of these programs last a few weeks to a few months and cost an exuberant fee. By the time you have completed the only thing you have to show for your $6000 is a pretty certificate you can hang on the wall.

If you take that pretty certificate to a reputable tattoo shop expecting to get work, you will likely be laughed out the door.

There are even internet tattoo schools that claim to teach you everything you could ever want to know about tattooing for just $69.  The price alone should make anyone in their right mind run for the hills.

No “Tattoo School” or “Online Tattoo Training” can ever take the place of a traditional tattoo apprenticeship.

Tattoo Apprenticeship

If you plan on becoming a professional tattoo artist, you almost have to get an apprenticeship.  An apprenticeship is when you study tattooing under a professional tattoo artists careful guidance and instruction.  A good tattoo artist will teach you everything from sterilization to all the smallest nuances of tattooing.

Tattoo apprenticeships can vary in conditions and time as each artist makes his own schedule.  Some tattoo artists require a payment for the apprenticeship while others will just make you work for free.

You might be nothing more than a janitor for the first 6 months before you are allowed to put needle to skin.  You will start by giving free tattoos to your buddies who agree to let you put your mark on them.  Slowly you will work up to half priced tattoos and eventually full price.  This progression could take as long as five years, depending on your teacher and his individual schedule.

Great tattoo artists don’t let their apprentices go until they are satisfied with their work.  Anyone they teach will always reference them as their mentor.  The tattoo community is a small world and negative press is never wanted.  Any artist worth his ink would not want a student who hasn’t progressed to a professional level, to claim him as his mentor.

Tattoo Seminars

Tattoo seminars are regularly offered at tattoo conventions the world over.  These seminars are not meant to teach you “how to tattoo”, but “how to tattoo better”.

These seminars are usually hosted by top tattoo professionals, often catering to a specific niche like  “black and gray” or “photo realism”.

Just like apprenticeships, these seminars can be either free or several hundred dollars, depending on who is presenting them.  Some may think this is quite an expensive price for some “pointers”, but time and time again people pay the price. So, those tidbits of knowledge must be worth the price of admission.

What You Need To Do

If you want to become a professional tattoo artist, and are serious about it, there are several things you can do to start the process.

1. Start Drawing – A prospective teacher is going to want to see how well you can draw. This will certainly be the first thing he or she ask for. Draw everything you can think of, not just your favorite style. Not everyone wants your style for a tattoo. You will need to be versatile.

2. Hang Out At The Tattoo Shop – Most apprenticeships spawn from being a pest. Taking on a student is a big responsibility for a tattoo artist and persistence is the key to convincing someone to teach you. Go to the local tattoo shop. Then beg, plead and cry for an apprenticeship. When that doesn’t work, do it again.

3. It Isn’t Cheap – Between supporting yourself for 6-12 months before making any money at all, and/or the price of apprenticeship, you will need to plan ahead. You should have money in the bank before you start your journey into tattoos. If you aren’t financially prepared, then you should start looking for a part time job to pay for your tattoo education.

The steps involved in becoming a professional tattoo artist may seem difficult but the first day you make a paycheck doing what you love, it will be well worth the wait.

The face tattoo trend seems quite new and is growing like wildfire.  Years ago, the only person crazy enough to tattoo their face was Mike Tyson.  These days, hardly a week goes by before I read another news story about a prominent or underground rapper getting free publicity for inking their face.  Some rapper like The Game and Yung L.A. even go as far as to cover up existing facial tattoos with even more prominent designs.

Established rapper 50 Cent weighed in on facial tattoos in a recent issue of VIBE International by saying, “That’s the craziest thing. Not necessarily Gucci, but to tattoo your face says that there’s not a possibility that you can actually walk into a legitimate establishment without makeup covering your face every day. That does not work. It creates a separation. It says, “I’m an artist.” That’s it. That’s the statement you make when you go and tattoo your face…But know that the public will not have interest in you as an artist for life. You have to be phenomenal. Talk to the best that do it and they will tell you that it will take more than you being an artist. It takes marketing, maneuvering to generate for that long. When you got 40-year-old rappers in the game, those guys have maneuvered and survived.”

Do You Want A Facial Tattoo?

Although this is an increasing trend, it is still difficult to find a tattoo artist that will agree to tattoo your face.  Many professionals have a strict policy of not working on faces.

Think before you ink!  Facial tattoos are forever.  They are also prone to fading and stretching just like any other tattoos.  Take a picture of yourself from 10 years ago and compare it to today.  You can visualize how much a tattoo could change in just a few years time.

You might think that discrimination laws will protect your future job prospects, you should think again.  Unless you plan on working at the carnival the rest of your life, facial tattoos will not help you climb the corporate ladder.

If you think you can just get tattooed and remove it later when it starts to fade or you tire of it, wrong again.  Due to the texture of the skin on your face, it is more susceptible to scarring from the initial tattoo.  This means, once you laser off the tattoo there will still be a faint outline of the tattoo in the form of a scar that will never go away.

A tattoo isn’t going to make you a better rapper.  Don’t trade 15 minutes of publicity for a lifetime of regret.

This seems to be an increasing trend over the years, with more people utilizing multiple body modification techniques to get their desired results.  To some people these looks may be a bit extreme, but to the individuals breaking new ground, it is a way of life.

Extreme Transformation

Some individuals have chosen to use various body modifications to change their entire appearance.

Some of the more notable people to undergo massive body modification include; “The Lizardman” Erik Sprague, who has tattooed his entire face, chiseled his teeth, split his tongue and placed implants in his face to resemble a lizard and  “Cat Man” Dennis Avner has tattooed his face, split his upper lip, undergone extensive facial surgery, filed his teeth and implanted whiskers to resemble a tiger.

This kind of modification doesn’t happen over night. Both of these guys have devoted many years of their life, and continue to devote time, to achieving their ultimate transformation.

Tattoos Go With Everything

Lately there has been an increased trend in accenting tattoos with various other styles of body modification.  Some prefer to accent their tattoo and give it a 3D look, while others place a microdermal implant strategically to accent a tattoo.

Not surprisingly, tattoos go with everything.  I have seen plenty of combined body modifications centered around a tattoo.  Weather it be a 3D tattoo using saline implants or you want or to accent those pretty flowers with a diamond stud microdermal, tattoos just go well with everything.

Do You Want To Break New Ground?

Do you have what it takes to brave new grounds and take the body modification world to the next level? These days, your possibilities are only limited by your own imagination.

Just think, you could forge ahead for the benefit of mankind while your mom wonders what she gave birth to.

We all know that a long sleeve shirt can work wonders but sometimes your tattoos aren’t so easy to cover.

There are many over the counter tattoo concealer creams on the market.  These products work surprisingly well to hide your tattoos, but are also rather costly for the top quality ones.  A cheaper and more natural looking way to conceal your tattoos is using average cosmetic products.

How To Cover Your Tattoos Using Makeup

Before you start, you’re going to need supplies.  Here’s the list.

Small Makeup Brush
Meduim Makeup Brush
Fluffy Bronzer Brush
Any Red Lipstick
Translucent Powder
Warm Tone Concealer
Cool Tone Concealer

Start by covering the entire tattoo with a thin layers of red lipstick until the tattoo is no longer visible.  Let the lipstick dry completely.

Next, you will take your brush and cover the lipstick with your cool tone concealer.  You want to completely cover the red lipstick. At this point the tattoo should not be visible.  Let the concealer dry completely.

Now you will need to take your warm tone concealer and add a thin layer to the already covered tattoo.  Your warm tone concealer should match your skin tone exactly.  The closer your warm tone is to your natural skin tone, the less obvious the cover up will be.  Let the concealer dry completely.

Finally, take your fluffy bronzer brush and lightly dab translucent powder on top of the concealer.  This will take the shine off the cover up and also help to blend it in to your skin.  That’s it.  At this point your tattoo should be completely covered up.

If you are covering a large tattoo, it helps to work in sections to achieve a more even blend.

This method of covering your tattoo is much cheaper than buying top of the line tattoo cover up cream.  It can also produce a much more natural look if you take the time to select your makeup tones properly.

Exactly What Is A White Ink Tattoo?

White ink tattoos are exactly what you would expect. A tattoo applied using only white ink. These tattoos are less visible than traditional tattoos and depending on body and skin type can appear to be a brand or scarification once healed.

The application process of a white ink tattoo is slightly different than a black and grey, or color piece. White ink tattoos have no solid outline like other tattoos. Care must be taken by the tattoo artist to only apply white ink without bleeding in any of the outline ink placed on the skin. This will cause the bright white color to dull and become even less noticeable.

White ink tattoos require more ink than traditional black and grey or color tattoos. White must be applied stronger than color ink. This requires the tattoo artist to go over the same area three or more times. So a white tattoo may be more painful than a color tattoo due to the added passes required.

The ink used to place a white ink tattoo is not the same white a tattooist uses for changing the pigment of colors. The white used in white ink tattoos is thicker and of higher grade. This ink is specifically made to stand out and remain bright. Be sure to ask your tattooist what type of white ink he will be using. If he just gives you the “all white is the same” speech… run!

Placement Of  A White Ink Tattoo

Care must be taken in choosing the location of your white ink tattoo. White is very susceptible to sun damage. White appears to yellow once tanned, and the original bright white color will never return once tanned. This damage can be done in as little as one time tanning or a single sunburn.

Careful consideration must be taken when choosing the location of your white ink tattoo. Hands are not a good spot, as well as the top of your forearm since they are likely to be exposed to the sun regularly. You are best to place your white ink tattoo where it will never see sun. Good placement can be ; under your arm, chest, back, the underside of your wrists, legs (as long as you dont tan them), basically anywhere you can keep out of the sun.

Choose A Tattoo Artist Who Has Pictures Of His White Ink Tattoos

White ink tattoos are not a project for the novice tattooist. Choose your tattoo studio and artist carefully. Ask to see his books and be sure there are examples of white ink tattoos in there. If he doesn’t have examples, he’s probably not very good at applying white ink tattoos, or never even attempted one. Also, ask to see pictures of the tattoos once healed.

If you see his books and like what you see, go for it! But if his white ink tattoo examples don’t look the way you want your tattoo to look, don’t expect him to just start doing things right with your piece.

Shouldn’t tattooing be like being a rockstar? You just pick up a Gibson Les Paul like everyone else and start shredding. Sadly, tattooing isn’t that simple. Let’s look at what makes a tattoo machine and how the minute differences in parts effect its overall function.

Power Supply

Tattoo Power supplies come in many shapes and sizes. Almost any tattoo machine will run on a standard tabletop DC power supply. Power supplies can have quite a range in price, varying between $40-$400.

The exact specifications of the power supply is pretty much up to the tattooist. All you need is an uninterrupted supply of DC voltage. Some of the more expensive power supplies have extra functions like digital readouts that can measure volts, Hz, duty cycle, follow through and more.

When you increase the power on your power supply the needles don’t go up and down any faster, the magnetic field is increased, which draws the needle down harder and allows the skin to be punctured more easily. This is what appears to make the ink go in faster.

Coils

Coils create a magnetic field that move the armature bar. Coils are usually rated by the number of wraps or layers of wire around the core. Typically tattoo machines use three different types of coils. 8, 10, and 12 wrap.

The 8 wrap coil is used mostly when doing an outline with a 1,3,4, and a 5 needle outliner. It is not recommend to use an 8 wrap coil outliner machine when doing larger outline work such as when a 8 or 14 needle outline is called for. You would have to increase the voltage by turning the power supply up, which would in effect increase amperage. When you increase amperage more power is being used and an 8 wrap coil is to small to dissipate the heat. This condition would make the tattoo machine run hotter and possibly cause the machine timing to break up, causing an uneven outline.When you are going to use a 8 or 14 needle outliner, I would recommend using a 10 wrap coil tattoo machine.

Housing

The aesthetic appearance of a tattoo machine can vary widely. When selecting or building a machine, care must be taken in selecting the proper materials. 99.9% of all tattoo machines have a frame made of solid metal. The metal frame not only provides structural support for the machine, but conducts the electric current needed.

Some tattoo machines use a bulky frame, others a very minimal and light design. The choice is really up to you and your personal style.

Springs

Springs hold down the armature bar at both ends to move the needle when the magnetic filed is cycled off.  Different spring lengths, size, and weights are all considerations when choosing your springs.

Your spring choice, just like every other aspect of your tattoo machine, will be unique to your situation and design.  Changing springs will effect the performance of the armature bar which drives your needles.  Finding the perfect springs can be a long process of trial and error.

Capacitor

There is a capacitor placed parallel with the coils. The purpose for the capacitor is to both cut down the spark generated by the magnetic field turning on and off, but to balance the frequency of the circuit. What does that mean and how does it work? I’m not a physics professor so if you want to learn more about the intricacies of a tank circuit, look here.

To keep it simple you must know that changing the capacitor value will change the performance of the tattoo machine.  If you are keeping your voltage at a constant, changing the value of the capacitor will cause the tattoo machine to run faster if you decrease the uf value of the capacitor and slower if you increase the uf values of  the capacitor.

Needles

Needles are the end of the line when it comes to a tattoo machine.  A tattoo needle is actually a group of needles soldered to a needle bar, together in a pattern.  Round patterns are used for outlining while shaders are usually arranged in straight lines.  The exact number and configuration of needles is dependent on what the tattooist is trying to accomplish.

Some tattooist make their own needles while others prefer to buy manufactured needles from tattoo supply companies.  The choice is yours.

What’s The Bottom Line?

A good tattoo machine should be well balanced and tuned to the persons need and skill.  Each machine will run different than another tattooist machine.  With a well balanced machine you should have the tool you need to improve your skills.

Handmade tattoo machines are usually of superior quality than production line machines since the craftsmanship and attention to detail is much better.

Dennis Rodman Shows Off His Tattoos

A woman is picked up by Dennis Rodman in a bar. They like each other and she goes back with him to his hotel room. He removes his shirt revealing all his tattoos and she sees that on his arm is one which reads, “Reebok.” She thinks that is a bit odd and asks him about it.

Dennis says, “When I play basketball, the cameras pick up the tattoo and Reebok pays me for advertisement.” A bit later, his pants are off and she sees “Puma” tattooed on his leg. He gives the same explanation for the unusual tattoo. Finally, the underwear comes off and she sees the word “AIDS” tattooed on his penis. She jumps back with shock.

“I’m not going to do it with a guy who has AIDS!”

He says, “It’s cool baby. In a minute it’s going to say
‘ADIDAS’…

Accountant Gets A Tattoo

Tom gets home late one night and his wife, Lisa, says, “Where in the hell have you been?”

Tom replies, “I was out getting a tattoo.”

“A tattoo?” she frowned. “What kind of tattoo did you get?”

“I got a hundred dollar bill on my privates,” he said proudly.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she said, shaking her head in disdain. “Why on earth would an accountant get a hundred Dollar bill tattooed on his privates?”

“Well, one, I like to watch my money grow… Two, once in a while I like to play with my money… Three, I like how money feels in my hand… And, lastly, instead of you going out shopping, you can stay right here at home and blow a hundred bucks anytime you want.”

Holiday Tattoos

A soccer mom walked into a tattoo parlor and asked for 2 tattoos. She wanted a Christmas tree on her left thigh and a turkey on the right thigh.

When they were done the artist asked why she wanted these tattoos. She replied ” My husband always complains that there’s nothing to eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Girl Gets Her Butt Tattooed

There once was a service man who toured the Middle East and married a beautiful little China doll. He brought her back to the States and they were very happy.

He always enjoyed looking at her rear end and telling her what a beautiful butt she had. Every day it was, “Darling I love you and what a beautiful butt you have.” Every night it was, “Darling I love you and what a beautiful butt you have.”

Well his birthday was getting close and she wanted to surprise him with a tattoo on her rear end that said, “Beautiful Butt.”

So she finds a reputable tattoo artist and explains what she wants. Well the artist asks her to turn around and after a brief pause says, “There is no way I can get “Beautiful Butt” on your tiny little beautiful butt.” But I can put a nice “B” on each cheek which will stand for “Beautiful Butt.”

A bit disappointed, she agrees and leaves with her B’s.

Well the big day arrives and after a candle light dinner, gifts, and a sip of brandy, she appears in the bedroom in her birthday suit, turns around and bends over.

Quickly sitting up he exclaims, “Darling I love you, but who is BoB?”

Tattooed Girl Walks Into ER

A nurse from England was on duty in the emergency department, when a punk rocker entered.

This young woman had purple hair styled into a mohawk, a variety of tattoos and strange clothing.

It was determined that the patient had acute appendicitis and was scheduled for immediate surgery.

When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff found that her pubic hair had been dyed green and above it was a tattoo reading: ‘keep off the grass.’

After the prep and the surgery, the surgeon added a small note to the dressing which said: “Sorry, had to mow the lawn.”

————-

Do you have a joke not on the list?  Add it to the comments section below so we can all have a good laugh.

Pink – The sexy singer celebrity Pink is a veteran of tattoos sporting several strategically placed tattoos.  She has a large Oriental dragon on her left thigh, several Chinese and Japanese symbols on her ankles and wrist, a guardian angel across her shoulder blade, musical notes, a bar code on the back of her neck, several hearts and who knows what hiding where we don’t get to see.  There should be no doubt why pink deserves to be on this list.

Christina Milian – A woman of many talents that include being an accomplished singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model.  Christina has managed to keep her tattoos to a minimum but I thought that the less flamboyant tattooed celebrities should be represented as well.  Christina is no doubt sexy and the stars on her hip along with the heart and lion in the nape of her back accent her perfect form flawlessly.

Kat Von D – Arguably one of the hottest tattooed celebrities in the world.  Not only for her gorgeous frame, but for her outstanding tattoo skills.  She has managed to take her love of tattoos and create an empire where she’s the boss.  Recently linked to tattoo bad boy Jesse James, Kat is still on top despite being in the spotlight.  I could write a list of her tattoos, but I doubt my readers want two pages of notes when you could just look for yourself.

Victoria ‘Posh’ Beckham – Wow, a real live Spice Girl.  Victoria Beckham has several tattoos, but she keeps them all classy and well placed.  All of her tattoos have reference to either family or love, including the five stars on her lower back representing her, David, and their three sons.  Other tattoos include Roman numerals on her wrist signifying a remarkable point in David and her relationship and a Hebrew quote that runs down her back.

Tila Tequila – Tila Nguyen, better known by her stage name Tila Tequila, is a American internet celebrity born in Singapore. To accent her wild personality, Tila has adorned her sexy self with several very visible tattoos including several hearts, a scorpion and Chinese symbols. You can tell that she loves all the attention her outstanding body and flashy body art brings.

Of course this is a small list of sexy celebrity tattoos but a single post can only go so far. Who’s your favorite sexy tattooed celebrity? Comment below and perhaps we’ll feature your favorite beauty in a future article.

I didn’t keep exact notes, but I figure I have about 50 hours into the entire piece and it cost around $3000 total.

This was by far my most painful tattoo experience.  The abdomen and armpit are extremely sensitive.  Even with the use of EMLA cream, there were times where I just wanted to jump off the table.

There isn’t a lot more I can say about this piece.  You can follow the step by step completion on my previous entries.

My Quarter Sleeve Tattoo Step By Step
My New Tattoo – An Extension Really
Alien Dissection Rib And Abdomen Tattoo Step By Step
A Few More Sessions On My Ribs And Armpit Tattoo

It feels so good to complete a tattoo this large and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.  Click on any of the images in this post to see the full size photo.