Читать книгу Learn the art of Tattooing - Become a Tattoo artist - Dennis Nowakowski - Страница 13

Needles

“You don't need all needles and you don't need all sizes.”

I am deliberately dispensing with self-soldering needles and the needle sticks required. I still belong to the poor bastards who soldered, or rather had to solder, their needles themselves. A laborious work, which took several hours of time and mostly could only be done on weekends, because I was still working at that time. Not to forget the thorough cleaning of the tips and handles. That was a Saturday that went to the dogs. Luckily, one day the disposable grips were released on the market, together with already soldered needles, in all sizes and shapes. Many people still prefer the manual preparation of tips and handles, i.e. sterilizer and the like, which is not wrong. However, when dealing with a constantly growing customer base, disposable items are a real blessing. They save a lot of time and nerves. At some point you limit the variety of needles to certain sizes that you can best handle. But let us now come to the needles themselves. A topic that I want to keep as simple as possible to avoid misunderstandings. Using the right needles at the right time is not a great art. Also there is no difference if you use classic needles or modules. The principle is the same.

Types of needles

Basically, there are roughly simplified only four different types of needles. Roundliner, short RL, Roundshader, short RS, Flatshader, short FS and Magnums, short M. These needle types are always soldered together in uneven quantities. So 3s, 5s, 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s, 15s, 17s and so on. The needle thickness, i.e. the thickness of each individual needle, is 0.25 mm, 0.30 mm, 0.35 mm or 0.40 mm. These are available as common sizes from each brand. A small rule of thumb for the needle thickness - the thinner the needles, the finer the design.

Roundliner

Roundliner, RL for short, is used for outlines, i.e. the contours, and to fill smaller areas, for small letters or the pointed ends of a tribal, for example. For the contours I use either 5 or 7 needles, with a needle size of 0.30 mm or 0.35 mm. The result are quite thin contours, which are sufficient for my purposes, because I have a realistic tattoo style. An old school tattoo artist would probably not start under a 15 needle Roundliner, which has a needle size of at least 0.35 mm. In fact, he probably would rather use the Roundshader, RS for short. Why? - Because he needs thick, rich contours. Here it becomes clear what the difference is between a realistc style tattoo artist and an old school tattoo artist.

Roundshader

Roundshaders are used for colored areas, for shading or even for thick contours, as just mentioned.

Magnums

Magnums, which are always arranged in two rows and side by side, regardless of size, are also used for color or shading. Similar to a wide bristle brush, they can be used to fill or shade larger areas. These needles come with another enhancement, which I appreciate very much: the softedge version. Imagine that the hard edges of the wide bristle brush are rounded at the sides. So you have no hard edge at the ends of the brush. Not suitable for a brush, these rounded ends work wonders when tattooing. Softedge Magnums, SEM for short, I wouldn't want to miss anymore. They simplify the work enormously, not only in terms of speed. Color areas can be filled wonderfully, color transitions can be realized quickly. They are even better suited for shading where precise gradations are important. Due to the rounding there are no unwanted lines in the shading, which is especially annoying in portraits. Those who like to ink realistic motifs will not be able to get past the Softedge Magnums. Every tattoo artist will confirm this.

MT and LT

A little something on the side. Usually the designation MT or LT is on the package. These are Medium Taper or Long Taper. Long Taper needles are only slightly sharper than Medium Taper needles. That is all. As a beginner you will hardly notice the difference at first. If you are a little more advanced, you will notice more and more little things that could be better.

My advice for beginners

Which needles you start with is up to you. Unfortunately, needles and modules are very expensive, which you want to avoid at first if possible. For a relatively solid basic equipment, especially for beginners, I recommend

- 7 or 9 round liner, needle size 0.30 or 0.35 mm, for the contours

- 7 and 11 soft edge magnums, needle size 0.30 mm or 0.35 mm, for colors and shades

That's all you need to start. These recommendations are approximate denominations that you can use as a guide to outdo your spending, but also to determine the direction your personal style should take. If you want to work much more finely, get yourself 5er Roundliner. If you are more going the old school route and prefer thick contours, get a 15 round liner or even a 15 round shader. This decision is in your hands and depends on your inking preferences. Without reference points for needle sizes and gauges you will not find out.

Conclusion

Many people who come to us to learn tattooing are already fully equipped and ask for advice afterwards. Besides the question which tattoo machine they should use best, although they have already bought one, the second question is about the needles. They proudly present their needle collection in all sizes and shapes, but don't even know which one is suitable for what. You already know better now, as I have provided you with diverse landmarks with this chapter. To buy blindly, even if you have the financial means, is a senseless waste.