Tattoo Artists Unite!

RandemG — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:38:07 +0800

Hi, all.

As many here already know, I am a professional tattoo artist. I am hoping to start a thread where artists can share hints, tips and techniques that will help to improve the quality and safety of tattoos throughout Malaysia. This is not intended to be used by non-professionals, and tattooing should always be done in a controlled environment dedicated *only* to tattooing, never in a house or a place used for other things.

Why would a professional artist share trade secrets? It's really very simple. The better the tattooing in any given place, the more people see it on the street and want to get tattooed themselves. This means more people in my shop, your shop, everyone's shop, and it means what we do is no longer something set aside for outcasts and social misfits. It also means we can all be friends, and instead of saying bad things about the work people already have when they walk into our shop, we can admire and openly compliment good work instead of making our customers feel bad about tattoos they liked until a "pro" started picking them apart.

When artists unite, the general quality of tattoos goes up and up. Eventually, it gets good enough that people will travel from all over the world to get inked by the artists in our community. It also lets us share information that might prevent a newspaper headline like "Man dies after being tattooed" and gives the government less reason to try and pass laws that close us all down and leave us unemployed.

Again, the information presented here is intended for use by professionals, and is in no way intended or represented to replace formal training by a professional master tattooist. You cannot simply read these suggestions and forego formal training. If you choose to do so, the liability is entirely your own. That said, here's my opening post:

Ink thinner Recipe.

100ml Glycerine (Available at drug stores by special order here in Malaysia)
100ml Distilled Water (DO NOT use tap water!!!)
2 to 3 drops Isopropyl Alcohol (70% = 3 drops, 90% = 2 drops)

Use this to make your own greyscale, to thin color for fade effects and blending, or with white to make a white wash for lighting effects. If you're using distilled water now, you'll love this recipe as you don't need to stir the mixture every few minutes like you need to do with straight water. The glycerine thickens the mixture, keeping the pigment suspended in the mix instead of letting it settle to the bottom and causing your ink to get lighter as you work. The alcohol drops are to balance the pH to make the skin receive and accept the ink more readily with less spitting/pushing. Let me know what you think, and please, share your information! We'll *all* be better for it.

Randy.

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Tattoo Artists Unite!