Whether you are an established tattoo artist or just starting, having the necessary materials for the task is vital to success. From practice skins to stencils, there are various items every tattooer requires for their job.
Practice Skins
Many items can be used to practice tattooing skills, from fruit to synthetic skins or natural pig skin. No matter your choice, make sure it can hold stencils securely while having curves that mirror those found on human bodies.
Ink
Tattoo ink is a liquid dispersion of pigments or dyes, often combined with carriers to spread evenly and prevent drying out too rapidly. Additionally, these carriers help prevent pathogens from entering the tattoo ink and keep it free from bacteria contamination.
Black is the primary hue used in tattooing, serving as its base layer. Tattoo artists also employ white ink to add negative space, giving a vivid depth to black and gray Tattoos with shading effects.
Needles and Disposable Supplies
Tattoo artists require various disposable supplies to produce quality works, including needles in different shapes and sizes and available in varying lengths. Practice skins made from synthetic materials or even pig skin may also be helpful. The latter provides for more sterile practice environments than human flesh would allow.
Thermal Copier
Tattoo stencil copiers use heat to transfer designs from paper onto skin. This enables tattoo artists to apply client tattoo designs before starting inking and get an idea of how their finished tattoo will appear before making any permanent decisions.
Machine
Machine tattooing can produce faster, more intricate results than hand-poked ones, making removal more straightforward for the artist if unsatisfied with the final piece. Unfortunately, their quality may be reduced if used with improper equipment or tools.
Tattoo machines fall into two broad categories: rotary and coil machines. Rotary engines are ideal for beginners as they’re lightweight and straightforward. On the other hand, coil machines require more precision adjustments for accurate tattooing results.
Stencils
Stenciling is an art form in which shapes or patterns are created by applying ink, paint, or another media over evenly spaced holes cut in paper, plastic, metal, or another material. This method can reproduce existing works of art or generate entirely new works of art.
When stenciling, it is essential to use a stencil of equal dimensions as the surface upon which it will be applied; otherwise, the design could become inaccessible due to mismatched sizes. Painting over a stencil requires skill, and thicker paint works best to prevent seepage behind the stencil and avoid scars or bleeding. Layered stencils may prove more challenging but still produce beautiful results.
Practice Skins
Practice skins give beginners an essential way to familiarize themselves with their machine and the various textures in real flesh. They usually come in sheets made of synthetic material that can be double-sided.
These skins can be purchased from any tattoo supply shop or online in various sizes to fit body parts like hands, feet, and chest. Furthermore, there are different tones, so artists can practice on each tone type. Synthetic tattoo skins offer fantastic value for money and feel very similar to natural skin, enabling tattooers to practice handling different needle angles, techniques, and colors with greater ease.
