Читать книгу Learn the art of Tattooing - Become a Tattoo artist - Dennis Nowakowski - Страница 12

Which criteria are important?

When choosing your tattoo machine, you should consider the following criteria. If you have only one machine, with traditional needles soldered on a bar, you have to change it after the contours are inked. Just like your handle. If you have forgotten something about the contours, you have to change them back again. If your stroke is too large or too small, you have to change it again. More on this in a moment. It's easier with a pen that works exclusively with modules. Modules are nothing more than needles that have been incorporated into a fixed tip. These are available in all common sizes and shapes. They can be changed very quickly and as often as desired, which saves a lot of time. Throw it away after use and you’re good to go. Actually the optimal way of working. There are also attachments for coil and rotary machines, with which you can use the common modules. They cost a lot, but you can use your machines to their full potential. Mostly this purchase is more worthwhile than a new tattoo machine.

I tend more and more to a good pen that only costs a measly six hundred Euro. That sounds like a lot of money, especially when you're just starting out, but the time management and results speak for themselves.

What is Hub?

Now we’re going to talk about Hub, which should not be confused with Stroke. These terms refer to the depth of stroke that this machine performs. Bullshit, you’re going to think. If I let the needles stick out, I'll ink deeper. No, that has nothing to do with the stroke, which is too often ignored. Every tattoo machine you find on a seller’s website should have a stroke in millimeters: 3 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm or more. As a rule of thumb:

“The higher the stroke, the richer the result.”

This is especially important for outlines, your contours. Of course, the body part of the subject is crucial. Motifs on the shoulder blade, upper arm or calf are much easier to ink. The skin is simply tighter in these areas and therefore easier to work on. Here a stroke of 3.5 mm or even 3 mm is completely sufficient in terms of contours, color and shading. The situation is different with softer parts of the body, such as belly, hips or thighs. Have you ever noticed how many people, especially young girls, have butchered motifs on their ribs? Apart from the fact that it is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo, it is also one of the most difficult. This is exactly where the professional differs from the beginner. The professional tattoo artist tattoos on the hips or ribs with a high stroke. 4 millimetres or even more. Black or color are inked with a stroke of at least 4mm. Only shades can be inked with a smaller stroke, because they don’t need to go so deep into the skin. Likewise, the professional knows that it takes twice as much time on this part of the body, while the layman wonders why he’s got such a hard time getting the color into the skin. Then the machine is cursed, tinkered with, the problem is shifted onto the customer's bad skin and finally the motif is messed up. Of course, you can also use a smaller stroke in extreme places, but this will triple or even quadruple the time, because you just have to work slowly. Not to forget the pain factor of the customer. We remember:

“Soft body parts are not a good start for an untrained tattoo artist. The higher the stroke, the richer the colors in it and the faster you can work”.

A smaller stroke, around 3mm or less is better for shading because the needles don't go so deep into the skin. Shading is more like gliding over the skin. Now all you have to do is watch the speed of your machine and adjust it to the situation.

Maybe now you understand why I own two tattoo machines. The Rotary has a 4 mm stroke, which I don’t change. I use this one for outlines and black areas, so that they are nice and rich. My pen, with a 3.5 mm stroke, I use for colored areas, shades and also for black areas, if the body part allows it.

How fast does the tattoo machine have to run?

The correct speed of your machine depends on the size of the motor, usually 4.5 watts or 10 watts, and on what you are tattooing. The size of the motor and its watt number has no influence on your work or what I have explained so far. I will roughly divide it into contours, color and shades. Depending on the motif, contours and color have to be pressed in so that they are rich in skin. Shades must be applied more gently, as they contain gradations that should result in an even transition from light to dark. The same applies to color transitions. With contours, black or color, the machine should run a little faster, when shading a little slower, so that not too many pigments get into the skin and the shading becomes too dark. More about this in the chapters “Color and shading” and “Portraits, the supreme discipline”.

Now you will hopefully understand what is important for a halfway solid tattoo machine and what you should pay attention to when you buy a costly machine. A tattoo machine, with an adjustable stroke to at least 4 mm is a good start. Add an attachment for needle modules and you are ready to go. My tip, of course, is a high-quality pen, no matter what brand.