Finished Scorpion

Here it is.

Had to wait a few days to heal, so i could fill in the tail properly.

Hope you like it.

First Real Tat

After several pig ears, pig ribs, and pig legs, i finally had the guts to go for human skin.
So, i decided to Tat my own thigh.

Well, that gave the answers i was looking for:
- Figured out the way i like to hold the tube
- I know exactly how deep i am going, and how much pain i am inflicting. (not as much has i was expecting)
- The angle of lining and the angle of filling in, is quite different.

I was overwhelmed with the difference of tatting.
Its much much more easier to ride the needle, and to see what you are doing. Plus, its much easier to wipe it clean. The ink wont stick like in pig skin, and thus, you have much more detail on those tight spots.

I used a 3RL for the outline.

That fill in on the tail is all messed up.
I started to fill it out with a 5M1, with the shading machine, and all i got was Shade! "Oh, wait... i have to use the Liner machine, dumb me!".
So, i filled the lower claw with the Liner machine and it looks like this:

Much better hum?

At first, i had to figure out the movement speed of the hand, so i wont chew up the skin, and still make the ink go in. took me a little while, but i managed it.
This is about 6cm, and took me one hour to do. I prefer to take time and do it right, so i wont need to go back in and re-do it.

Will post the finished piece soon.

First Koi

Hi again,

Yesterday i was a bit down, because its really tricky to work with practice skin. Its very hard to keep a clean skin, without losing the outline stencil.

So, i took a break and drew up my first Koi in watercolors.
I'm very happy with the result. Hope you like it too.

My first Koi

Intro

Hi all,

Despite the fact that i have always been very keen to get a tattoo, it was only at the age of 35 i got my first ink. Douchebag for some, awesome for others, i got a Tribal ink on my full right arm, chest, and half of my back.

I was looking at the skill of my tattoo artist, and may i add, a very close friend of mine, and i got thinking that tatting didn't look that hard to do. I have always loved to sketch some cartoons, and drawings, so i showed him my stuff, and he told me that i should take an apprentice course with him.

In the words of a wise man, "too old to old on, too young to just break free and run", so, being a apprentice and bowing to my sensei, cleaning the studio, and learning 24/7 was not quite compatible with having a job, a family, and non-art-related responsibilities.  

I'm on a self-taught path, learning everything i can, with friends, on the web, and specially, with my pig skins.

Getting the Gloves on

Bought a tat kit from a UK supplier, put on my rubber gloves, and off to the ink.

This is done on a practice skin. My first Tat experience. Took me 5 mins to do, 25 mins to prep.

Did this with a 3RL. Going to do the shading in a few days.

Because it's my own drawing, i'm quite familiar with it, and i was really eager to start, so i didn't do any stencil.

The mouth is really bad, and the eyes are way too small. Nevertheless, i'm quite happy with it, since it was the first time i worked with my gun.

Problems to Solve

- Don't know the exact position to place my fingers, while holding the tube.

- Its a practice skin so, i don't know if i'm going too deep or not. I prefer to ride the needle instead of riding the tube. it allows me to see much better what i am doing.

- I'm not used to the weight of the gun, thus, making a perfect line is still hard.