#HOLD THE LINE TATTOO HOW TO#
#HOLD THE LINE TATTOO SKIN#

Larger gauge needles are great for covering larger, less detailed areas of skin. This certainty is apart from how well your technique nullifies their effect but is something to take into account when you are attempting to do work that is finer in detail or requires a smoother finish.

#HOLD THE LINE TATTOO SKIN#

Larger gauge needles will traumatize the skin more. This may be foreign to you, or you may never have learned about how different gauged needles can affect the skin but, to obtain a clean looking tattoo that ages well, your understanding of these variables is key. When choosing your needles, pay attention to what gauge they are. Standard Needles by Gauge – Needle Diameter

There are also different grades and sizes of needles which can affect all aspects of your finished product. I say this because each individual needle grouping can return a different result, depending on how you use it. Tattoo needles are like the paintbrushes artists use to fill a canvas. While this may work for some artists, most are not able to line every tattoo with a 9rl and fill it with an 11 mag. Most will have a “liner” grouping and a “filler/shading” grouping. It may seem simple but throughout the past 17 years I have known many artists who stock their shelves with only 2 needle groupings. When preparing to do a tattoo it is always important to plan ahead regarding what needle configuration you plan to use. After we work our way through some simple improvements, we will move on the mags. Let’s start out with liner needles because they are the most commonly overlooked tool. The article can be found at- – Different Techniques Used in Tattooing Tattoo Setup – Needles Also, take a look at our tips and trick article for a little help with tattooing techniques. Make sure you have an eye loop with you while you read through this article.

This is another friendly critique for those out there who want to improve. I know this sounds like a crackpot-asshole calling bluff on a bunch of seasoned artists… I assure you it is not. They would also be able to tattoo quicker. In my walkabout, I had wanted to walk up and give a couple pointers because, truthfully, if they were paying better attention to a couple things, that needle would give them better, cleaner, and easier lines. This wouldn’t be an issue most often, but with how distinct types/areas of skin respond to trauma every tattoo artist should respond and adapt how they tattoo. The speed, angle of insertion and hand speed were inconsistent and incomparable with every artist I watched. One thing I noticed was that everyone was running their machines in a way that I consider being incorrect. Tattooing the hands and feet Needle Techniqueįunny enough, I was at a convention this week and I watched as many people as possible using different machines and different needle groupings were applying tattoos to their wanting clientele. This led me to building this article and to continue to edit it as more information becomes available to me.īefore getting into the article that broaches the subject of needle technique, read our article about tattooing hands and feet, it has a load of info about the skin and what to expect when tattooing those areas. I also never caught wind of an article discussing what is necessary to achieve optimal results with different needles. Almost none of the articles focused on small-grouping liner needles or the best way to avoid blowouts when using them. Most of the articles touched upon the difference between liner and shader needles but left out grouping effectiveness and what to expect when using them in out-of-context ways.

#HOLD THE LINE TATTOO HOW TO#

They all had a pronounced difference in how to apply techniques for various styles of tattoo art. Regarding the articles from years back, I noticed while reading them there was a lack of consensus on what was correct. This practice focuses on how to use your needles to achieve a clean tattoo – yet each artist may have a differing opinion on what is considered “clean” or “done correctly”Īfter reading different articles and hearing people ask me how and why many times during my travels I have decided to sit down and spin a somewhat detailed article about how to hold your tattoo machine to achieve consistent lines, clean shading, as well as solid color fills. I’ve read many articles over the years that have laid out certain needle techniques and as expected, they are very specific and focused on specific styles that many tattoo artists may not ascribe to. Needle Techniques and Understanding the Tools.

Needle Technique – Shallow angle running lines.

Needle Technique – Standard angle running lines.

How Often Should You Change Your Tattoo Needle?.

Now, Onto What People Think When They Begin Their Tattoo Journey….

Straight versus curved needle groupings.

Standard Needles by Gauge – Needle Diameter.

Needle Techniques and Understanding the Tools.

Hold the line tattoo