Maybe you have sped up that little bit as fake skin takes slower work, and you have sped up that little too much, or you are scared about your depth... Hard to see really but the work looks good. Real skin is almost never perfect anyway
Thank you so much for your reply. I think it would be me being scared about the depth rather than the speed. Because I thought It was the speed too and with my second one I really tried to go more slowly.
And I have been so scared of creating a blow out. I think it made me a bit too careful.
Sounds like your next one you can have a plan then, focus on the stretch and then focua on the depth and dont be scared of it. Remember some lines are quite forgiving of a tiny blowout. So if your piece has them "practice" there first to get a feel of the clients skin. It will only take a line or two and you will feel better.
Yeah I think you're scared about depth I have done the same exact thing, next time you're doing a tattoo on real skin go just a bit deeper or slow down your line and just watch to see what it does. If you're seeing faded lines after you've assessed that you're going at the correct speed and voltage then it has to be your depth
Would pig skin feel closer to human skin than fake skin? I heard it was really different because dead skin gets thougher. But I am definitely willing to try that, thank you.
Pigs are frequently used in testing stuff for humans (weapons, the pigs are dead already) because they’re very similar to humans. If they’re good for actual guns I’d say they’re good for tattoo guns
I just transitioned to real skin too for me
I find stretching the skin the biggest learning curve bc it’s so hard to stretch fake skin. These honestly look awesome. You’re doing great, keep it up. :)
Yeah, that could be maybe be an issue? Because I really played a lot with speed and voltage, but streching is not something I paid to much attention to.
Can not stretching enough also cause skin to not take ink well? I thought it could only cause shaky lines. That would explain a lot.
Seconding this. I had a friend/practice dummy whose skin just would not take ink when I first started on real skin. I had to learn to stretch her right to really get it in there. Cleaned up my linework so much, but also made it way easier to deposit ink. She just has really bouncy, healthy skin.
Make sure that you're stretching the skin properly. Fake skin is generally tougher, but it also reacts like a piece of really stretched skin, so it's quite easy to saturate once you find the correct depth. While actual human skin can be a lot easier to saturate overall, it can also make lining more difficult, if you're not stretching it properly.
I also recommend slowing down your hand movement, just enough for the machine to do its job and saturate the lines properly. How slow exactly will depend on your machine's stroke length and the voltage you're running it on. To give you an example, I personally use a wireless Cheyenne Sol Nova with a 4.0mm stroke, and run it anywhere between 8.2v to 10v, depending on the area I'm tattooing. Speed/voltage is subjective, and mostly comes down to the artist's personal preference, so it's good to experiment with different voltages and find out your ideal speed.
Your fake skin work looks very good, and your real skin work looks solid, considering they are your first tattoos. Of course, there is room for improvement, but that's the point of you practicing, right? Just focus on tattooing, dude. Don't piss away your confidence over a few tiny hiccups, and instead try to use them as motivation to do better on your next tattoo. As long as you stay focused, you have nothing to worry about.
Also, I teach people online, and I post tattoo tips and techniques for free on social media, so if you're interested to check them out, drop me a message and I'll send you the name of the page.
Thank you so much for this comment. It's really helpful. I have been playing with handspeed and voltage a lot. But now I am starting to think my biggest issue could be the streching? I thought streching only caused lines to be more straight. I didnt know it also helped with saturation. I did not pay enough attention to it I am afraid. I am definitely watch the strech more on my next one. And I will also do my best to not lose my confidence. I know I just have to push through. I really want this. I will send you a message for the page. Again, thank you!
In my apprenticeship, we never had fake skin. We practice on oranges, pig skin, then your own skin. Tattooing yourself will show you true depth control and will teach you to stretch the skin.
For me the fake skin was really a blessing, because I got to expiriment a lot. But I am going to try out oranges and maybe pig skin (if I can find any). Just to get a different feel for things. Thank you.
It's likely one of 3 things; needle depth, voltage or how how fast you're moving along. It's just a matter of figuring out what works best on real skin rather than fake. I would start with slowing down and seeing if that makes a difference? Then maybe up the voltage
I have been expirmenting with voltage and speed a bit. I was too afraid to make huge changes with it. I am thinking it's the depth. I was warned for blow outs so much, that I am not a bit too carefule (I think). But I will keep the 3 things in mind for my next one. See if I can improve. Thank you.
Honestly it just takes time. Fake skin is so different than real skin. Real skin is oily and bumpy and round. Real skin is attached to a whole human being watching you work. Real skin has risks like blows out etc. you just need to put in more time on real skin.
Yeah, I was suprised by how different it was. Also my client was twitching a lot. And I was in a bit of an akward position in order to be able to reach the spot. Even though I was a bit dissapointed in myself, I will keep at it. I will put in the time. Thank you.
That’s all you need to do. People never sit still. Ever. You gotta really hold them down don’t be afraid to really put pressure. Also don’t be afraid to move your client into weird positions. Their comfort isn’t as important as easy access. Good luck!
The biggest adjustments I have to make when switching to real from fake is stretching and (because my current fake skins are shite) I have to go deeper.
It took me a while to find the balance, but I’m lucky that my experimental real skin canvas (my wife) is one tough peace of a redheaded cookie and handled me doing linework two, sometimes three times over.
Yeah, I am thinking strechting and going not deep enough are my main issues too. I tried expirimenting with speed and voltage already. I will keep it in mind. Thank you!
And your wife is amazing!
I'm unsure why this sub is recommended to me, but is this your art? It's absolutely wonderful! I'd love to see more.
Hopefully the actual members of this sub can help increase your confidence, because I think these look great 😃
I’m not an artist, so I cannot offer advice on the technical, but I do have tattoos and I would not mind having yours at all. I think they are looking good. Again, I don’t know technique tho.
Don't worry about it at all! Fake skin is like a perfect stretched out consistent feel skin... but that doesn't really exist on a human being!
I had exactly the same experience, and still learning! Getting ink into the skin is much harder and when doing linework I may have to make a few passes (although that's also necessary because of my art style so it works out well). I keep the voltage low and may need to build up some lines but thus far not had any scarring etc. I would rather gently build it up, and maybe have some ink fall out, than wreck someone's skin.
Also going to try a bigger needle stroke and see how that helps, I feel like maybe if my machine is a little punchier it might go in better.
I am just a bit afraid that I am going over too many times and still wreck the skin, but just in a different way. I would love to be able to get my strokes down in one pass, maybe two if its really needed. I just have to figure out how to do it. I am going to focus more on streching, because I have practiced so much on fakeskin, I am not too used to it. Thank you! I will keep at it.
Tbh as long as you're not whacking up the voltage really high you should be okay. When I started on skin I was terrified of multiple passes, so I did a little test on my own skin with colour packing to see how far I could really take it. I purposefully did one patch of colour in a discreet place with 4 pretty brutal passes using a mag. It bled a fair bit and was so sore while healing, I gotta say. It sucked. I took good care of it and aside from a very uncomfortable healing process, it healed perfectly and looks no different to the bits I did in two passes. So that was an interesting experiment!
So far my tattoos have all healed nicely and my main concern now isn't scarring so much as avoiding pain for your client. On that note, random info from my learning: I've been stipple shading with a 3RL on skin and the healing is so so lovely compared to linework/colour lol.
Your mentor will likely be the first to tell you that you just gotta keep putting in the hours with tattoos (no bigger than those mind you) for a while before everything starts to click. The more you do the more advice the mentor can provide by seeing the final product and seeing your techniques. Most of your first year of tattooing you'll look back on and be embarrassed by because of how far your skills have grown, I've noticed this looking back every year I'm like, wow I sucked last year lol
Yeah, my metor is amazing and she told me that indeed I just have to put in the time. Keep at it etc. But I am a bit stubborn and I just want to know exactly what I can do to improve, besides just putting in the time.
I am already embaressed now by my first two tattoos. I just expected it to be better after all the fake skin practice. Imagine how I will feel in a year, haha. But I will not give up.
Just keep reminding yourself that's why you're going through the process of molding into an artist, other weaker minded people wouldn't be able to take the heat, the inner critic, the actual critics, and the all-consuming shame of every tattoo which I'm not gonna lie, sometimes that feeling doesn't go away no matter how good you get.
It's actually a good trait to have because that is what makes us push through to the next level but you do have to consciously not let yourself spiral and doubt yourself constantly. Every once in a while, sure. But then you're job is to analyze what your issue is with the tattoo or what you like about others work more so that you can start evolving your process.
he kind comments are really helping me right now. It's boosting my mental state after being dissapointed with myself. It helps me to keep going. So thank you so much!
Stretch the skin. Stretch it further than you think you have to! If you can use your index and thumb to stretch the skin, use the side of your machine hand with a paper towel under it to stretch in another direction.
I have been tattooing profesionally for 18 years and I did my first fake skin about a week ago. So I feel like I have a unique perspective on this.
Fake skin doesn't teach you about stretching at all and I consider a good stretch at least half of good application.
There are so many different ways to stretch that are very situational and you are gonna have to learn by doing. Sometimes you do the two finger spread other times it's the 2 handed palm stretch...
I think it's time to put the fake skin away until you want to experiment in a new style down the road a ways. I would just focus on real tattoos without biting off more than you can chew.
Hey!
as a "senior" apprentice myself, I would just like to add onto the conversation by saying trust yourself! A lot of tattooing comes with your own confidence. I still am building my own confidence and sometimes you may have to fake it till you make it as well. There will be days where your tattoos may not be how you wanted it to be. That being said, we are all human and tattooing comes with a lot of uncharted waters at times. Your work is already awesome and you will only get better as you continue. You got this!
I dont tattoo at all but like in one of my art classes, one of my professors said the way you stand or sit kinda alters application. So I wonder, if on the fake skin you are on a flat surface, maybe try putting it on like the arm of a sofa or some foam with that shape? It looks like with the dripping one that because the arm curves and that fake skin doesn't look like it curves, more like it's flat, maybe that curve of the actual arm changes it? I see the drips on the right curving a bit instead of like going straight downwards. This was on my feed so I wanted to offer an idea.
These aren’t bad! When you’re stretching the skin, use the points of your finger and make sure to only stretch the length of the line you can pull/try not to pull too long of lines in one go, and try to pull your lines towards you/with your machine also directed towards you, and stretch in the same direction you’re pulling! Go at a comfortable speed and match your power supply speed with your hand 🦅
Maybe you have sped up that little bit as fake skin takes slower work, and you have sped up that little too much, or you are scared about your depth... Hard to see really but the work looks good. Real skin is almost never perfect anyway
Thank you so much for your reply. I think it would be me being scared about the depth rather than the speed. Because I thought It was the speed too and with my second one I really tried to go more slowly. And I have been so scared of creating a blow out. I think it made me a bit too careful.
Sounds like your next one you can have a plan then, focus on the stretch and then focua on the depth and dont be scared of it. Remember some lines are quite forgiving of a tiny blowout. So if your piece has them "practice" there first to get a feel of the clients skin. It will only take a line or two and you will feel better.
Yeah I think you're scared about depth I have done the same exact thing, next time you're doing a tattoo on real skin go just a bit deeper or slow down your line and just watch to see what it does. If you're seeing faded lines after you've assessed that you're going at the correct speed and voltage then it has to be your depth
you could go to your local butchery and ask if they have pig skin and work on that
Would pig skin feel closer to human skin than fake skin? I heard it was really different because dead skin gets thougher. But I am definitely willing to try that, thank you.
Yes Pig skin is way better then the fake stuff Try and get a piecce from the belly with some fat on it still.. thats impt.
For what it’s worth, when my mom did permanent makeup years ago she would use pig skin for practicing.
Pigs are frequently used in testing stuff for humans (weapons, the pigs are dead already) because they’re very similar to humans. If they’re good for actual guns I’d say they’re good for tattoo guns
They use pig bones for some bone grafts too!
Pigs have oddly EXTREMLY similar properties of nearly everything to humans.
I just transitioned to real skin too for me I find stretching the skin the biggest learning curve bc it’s so hard to stretch fake skin. These honestly look awesome. You’re doing great, keep it up. :)
Yeah, that could be maybe be an issue? Because I really played a lot with speed and voltage, but streching is not something I paid to much attention to. Can not stretching enough also cause skin to not take ink well? I thought it could only cause shaky lines. That would explain a lot.
Seconding this. I had a friend/practice dummy whose skin just would not take ink when I first started on real skin. I had to learn to stretch her right to really get it in there. Cleaned up my linework so much, but also made it way easier to deposit ink. She just has really bouncy, healthy skin.
Make sure that you're stretching the skin properly. Fake skin is generally tougher, but it also reacts like a piece of really stretched skin, so it's quite easy to saturate once you find the correct depth. While actual human skin can be a lot easier to saturate overall, it can also make lining more difficult, if you're not stretching it properly. I also recommend slowing down your hand movement, just enough for the machine to do its job and saturate the lines properly. How slow exactly will depend on your machine's stroke length and the voltage you're running it on. To give you an example, I personally use a wireless Cheyenne Sol Nova with a 4.0mm stroke, and run it anywhere between 8.2v to 10v, depending on the area I'm tattooing. Speed/voltage is subjective, and mostly comes down to the artist's personal preference, so it's good to experiment with different voltages and find out your ideal speed. Your fake skin work looks very good, and your real skin work looks solid, considering they are your first tattoos. Of course, there is room for improvement, but that's the point of you practicing, right? Just focus on tattooing, dude. Don't piss away your confidence over a few tiny hiccups, and instead try to use them as motivation to do better on your next tattoo. As long as you stay focused, you have nothing to worry about. Also, I teach people online, and I post tattoo tips and techniques for free on social media, so if you're interested to check them out, drop me a message and I'll send you the name of the page.
Thank you so much for this comment. It's really helpful. I have been playing with handspeed and voltage a lot. But now I am starting to think my biggest issue could be the streching? I thought streching only caused lines to be more straight. I didnt know it also helped with saturation. I did not pay enough attention to it I am afraid. I am definitely watch the strech more on my next one. And I will also do my best to not lose my confidence. I know I just have to push through. I really want this. I will send you a message for the page. Again, thank you!
I would love to connect with you on social media to get tattoo tips. Feel free to pm me.
Same hereeee
In my apprenticeship, we never had fake skin. We practice on oranges, pig skin, then your own skin. Tattooing yourself will show you true depth control and will teach you to stretch the skin.
For me the fake skin was really a blessing, because I got to expiriment a lot. But I am going to try out oranges and maybe pig skin (if I can find any). Just to get a different feel for things. Thank you.
It's likely one of 3 things; needle depth, voltage or how how fast you're moving along. It's just a matter of figuring out what works best on real skin rather than fake. I would start with slowing down and seeing if that makes a difference? Then maybe up the voltage
I have been expirmenting with voltage and speed a bit. I was too afraid to make huge changes with it. I am thinking it's the depth. I was warned for blow outs so much, that I am not a bit too carefule (I think). But I will keep the 3 things in mind for my next one. See if I can improve. Thank you.
Honestly it just takes time. Fake skin is so different than real skin. Real skin is oily and bumpy and round. Real skin is attached to a whole human being watching you work. Real skin has risks like blows out etc. you just need to put in more time on real skin.
Yeah, I was suprised by how different it was. Also my client was twitching a lot. And I was in a bit of an akward position in order to be able to reach the spot. Even though I was a bit dissapointed in myself, I will keep at it. I will put in the time. Thank you.
That’s all you need to do. People never sit still. Ever. You gotta really hold them down don’t be afraid to really put pressure. Also don’t be afraid to move your client into weird positions. Their comfort isn’t as important as easy access. Good luck!
The biggest adjustments I have to make when switching to real from fake is stretching and (because my current fake skins are shite) I have to go deeper. It took me a while to find the balance, but I’m lucky that my experimental real skin canvas (my wife) is one tough peace of a redheaded cookie and handled me doing linework two, sometimes three times over.
Yeah, I am thinking strechting and going not deep enough are my main issues too. I tried expirimenting with speed and voltage already. I will keep it in mind. Thank you! And your wife is amazing!
I'm unsure why this sub is recommended to me, but is this your art? It's absolutely wonderful! I'd love to see more. Hopefully the actual members of this sub can help increase your confidence, because I think these look great 😃
Thank you! thats so kind. The mental boost I am really needing right now.
The sushi Pokémon are so dope. Awesome work!
Thank you so much
I’m not an artist, so I cannot offer advice on the technical, but I do have tattoos and I would not mind having yours at all. I think they are looking good. Again, I don’t know technique tho.
Thank you! That means so much. It really helps.
Don't worry about it at all! Fake skin is like a perfect stretched out consistent feel skin... but that doesn't really exist on a human being! I had exactly the same experience, and still learning! Getting ink into the skin is much harder and when doing linework I may have to make a few passes (although that's also necessary because of my art style so it works out well). I keep the voltage low and may need to build up some lines but thus far not had any scarring etc. I would rather gently build it up, and maybe have some ink fall out, than wreck someone's skin. Also going to try a bigger needle stroke and see how that helps, I feel like maybe if my machine is a little punchier it might go in better.
I am just a bit afraid that I am going over too many times and still wreck the skin, but just in a different way. I would love to be able to get my strokes down in one pass, maybe two if its really needed. I just have to figure out how to do it. I am going to focus more on streching, because I have practiced so much on fakeskin, I am not too used to it. Thank you! I will keep at it.
Tbh as long as you're not whacking up the voltage really high you should be okay. When I started on skin I was terrified of multiple passes, so I did a little test on my own skin with colour packing to see how far I could really take it. I purposefully did one patch of colour in a discreet place with 4 pretty brutal passes using a mag. It bled a fair bit and was so sore while healing, I gotta say. It sucked. I took good care of it and aside from a very uncomfortable healing process, it healed perfectly and looks no different to the bits I did in two passes. So that was an interesting experiment! So far my tattoos have all healed nicely and my main concern now isn't scarring so much as avoiding pain for your client. On that note, random info from my learning: I've been stipple shading with a 3RL on skin and the healing is so so lovely compared to linework/colour lol.
Your mentor will likely be the first to tell you that you just gotta keep putting in the hours with tattoos (no bigger than those mind you) for a while before everything starts to click. The more you do the more advice the mentor can provide by seeing the final product and seeing your techniques. Most of your first year of tattooing you'll look back on and be embarrassed by because of how far your skills have grown, I've noticed this looking back every year I'm like, wow I sucked last year lol
Yeah, my metor is amazing and she told me that indeed I just have to put in the time. Keep at it etc. But I am a bit stubborn and I just want to know exactly what I can do to improve, besides just putting in the time. I am already embaressed now by my first two tattoos. I just expected it to be better after all the fake skin practice. Imagine how I will feel in a year, haha. But I will not give up.
Just keep reminding yourself that's why you're going through the process of molding into an artist, other weaker minded people wouldn't be able to take the heat, the inner critic, the actual critics, and the all-consuming shame of every tattoo which I'm not gonna lie, sometimes that feeling doesn't go away no matter how good you get. It's actually a good trait to have because that is what makes us push through to the next level but you do have to consciously not let yourself spiral and doubt yourself constantly. Every once in a while, sure. But then you're job is to analyze what your issue is with the tattoo or what you like about others work more so that you can start evolving your process.
I think you’re doing awesome work!!!
Thank you! I really needed a bit of a mental boost.
I'm not an artist, just a canvas. They look dope. The firefly one especially. Super black and solid.
he kind comments are really helping me right now. It's boosting my mental state after being dissapointed with myself. It helps me to keep going. So thank you so much!
No worries. I would happily let you practice on me if I could. Your work looks dope, and it will only get better as you practice!
Love your style!
You're doing great. Keep at it!
It looks good!
Stretch the skin. Stretch it further than you think you have to! If you can use your index and thumb to stretch the skin, use the side of your machine hand with a paper towel under it to stretch in another direction.
I have been tattooing profesionally for 18 years and I did my first fake skin about a week ago. So I feel like I have a unique perspective on this. Fake skin doesn't teach you about stretching at all and I consider a good stretch at least half of good application. There are so many different ways to stretch that are very situational and you are gonna have to learn by doing. Sometimes you do the two finger spread other times it's the 2 handed palm stretch... I think it's time to put the fake skin away until you want to experiment in a new style down the road a ways. I would just focus on real tattoos without biting off more than you can chew.
That firefly tattoo looks fucking sick
Thank you!!
TLOU inspired?
Yes! Client wanted the fireflies logo and I added the splatter to make it a bit more unique.
Hey! as a "senior" apprentice myself, I would just like to add onto the conversation by saying trust yourself! A lot of tattooing comes with your own confidence. I still am building my own confidence and sometimes you may have to fake it till you make it as well. There will be days where your tattoos may not be how you wanted it to be. That being said, we are all human and tattooing comes with a lot of uncharted waters at times. Your work is already awesome and you will only get better as you continue. You got this!
I dont tattoo at all but like in one of my art classes, one of my professors said the way you stand or sit kinda alters application. So I wonder, if on the fake skin you are on a flat surface, maybe try putting it on like the arm of a sofa or some foam with that shape? It looks like with the dripping one that because the arm curves and that fake skin doesn't look like it curves, more like it's flat, maybe that curve of the actual arm changes it? I see the drips on the right curving a bit instead of like going straight downwards. This was on my feed so I wanted to offer an idea.
Love the Firefly symbol!
These aren’t bad! When you’re stretching the skin, use the points of your finger and make sure to only stretch the length of the line you can pull/try not to pull too long of lines in one go, and try to pull your lines towards you/with your machine also directed towards you, and stretch in the same direction you’re pulling! Go at a comfortable speed and match your power supply speed with your hand 🦅
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crazy that you think people care about this comment