Basic Tattoos For Beginners

Beginner tattoo artists should consider starting with basic designs. These designs are straightforward to create and utilize a specific color palette. Some designs use short lines and no shading, providing an ideal opportunity for beginners to practice 2-D tattooing techniques.

Outline

Tattoo outline

A tattoo outline refers to the first drawing a tattoo artist makes on your skin before filling in with color. It’s an essential step in the procedure and helps guarantee that the design is symmetrical and properly positioned.

Selecting an outline style

When selecting an outline style for a tattoo design, numerous options depend on your skill level as an artist. These outlines are ideal for newer tattoo artists who want to learn the fundamentals of tattooing but have experience with intricate designs. Plus, they make it simpler to get a feel for how the tattoo should appear on your body before applying color.

Ideal designs for beginners

– Snake outlines: This design uses dark outlines to avoid dealing with eyes, beaks, and gnarled claws, which may detract from the overall aesthetic of their tattoo.

– Negative space outlines: This design utilizes negative space rather than jamming the black ink into small areas, saving you from having to draw thin lines and creating an eye-catching 3-D tattoo without needing much shading or blending at all.

– Flower outlines: Newer tattoo artists may find flower outlines difficult, but this one is straightforward, and only a little blending is required. If you make a mistake, thickening the design for added impact is manageable.

– Music note outlines: Music notes are ideal for newer artists as they don’t require much blending and can be thickened up to help prevent shaky lines.

– Food outlines: Food outlines are playful and delicious-looking, making them the perfect way to add personality to your tattoos. If you’re a foodie, why not get this pizza or ice cream outline tattoo?

Color

Color selection

Care should be taken when selecting colors complement each person’s skin tone.

Colors for different skin tones

– Fair skin: tends to gravitate toward reds and violets

– Tanned skin: looks best in oranges and greens

– Medium or tanned skin tones: white ink works best

– Darker skin tones: may require shades significantly darker than their own

Considerations for color tattoos

– Size of the tattoo: big, bold hues may not appear clearly on dark skin, while smaller designs with finer lines may be easier to read.

– Consider the sun’s effect: avoid tattooing bright colors on areas prone to fading and avoid placing them where they will be covered frequently.

Coloring Techniques

– Cleaning the tube and needles after each color to prevent drying and creating a murkier mix.

– Round shader (RS) and round magnum (RM) needles for quick and even shading.

– Keeping the skin stretched tight while applying a new color to ensure complete coverage and prevent mistakes.

– Wiping away any excess ink after each application for easy reading and preventing pools of ink from obscuring the outline.

Shading

Shading techniques

Shading is an integral component of creating a basic tattoo. It makes the design more lifelike and complete and can be used in various styles such as 3D, watercolor, or realism.

Shading process

– Starting with completely black areas before moving on to lighter shading.

– Maintaining consistent shading throughout and rectifying any inconsistencies.

– Working from the outline to the ink for a more realistic tattoo.

– Working in small sections and avoiding leaving the needle in one spot too long.

– Using the “gradient” technique for light skin tones.

Preparing for shading

– Practicing on fake skin or pigskin before applying the technique on natural human skin.

Lettering

Lettering in tattoo design

One of the most crucial elements in any basic tattoo design is lettering.

Font selection

– Taking time to select the ideal font that enhances the appearance and legibility of the design.

– Choosing from script fonts, contemporary typefaces, and fonts with specific themes.

Personalizing with lettering

– Using lettering to convey personal messages or meaningful sentiments.

– Using a font generator to experiment with various texts and wording.

Note: The formatting may not be preserved in this text-based format.