Cleber Martins

Liquid applications are always the preferred method
in stencil application. There are unlimited numbers
of chemicals that are in a liquid form that can be applied to the
skin and will achieve similar results.

7.1 Stencil Materials Used
The stencil application process can cause a lot of new tattoo
artists some grief, but once you get the hang of it then it will
become a breeze. The actual stencil process begins when

Never underestimate the power of the white pigment.
White can be an awesome highlighting tool, and even
better blending tool in the ink cap to change another pigment’s
composition all together. Experiment with

There are two basic types of color tattoo styles, solid and layered.
Each time you start a color piece it is important to first lay
down a solid black and grey foundation. The black and grey
foundation will help

Color can be applied to the skin either as a gradient or as a
solid color. It is important to note that when attempting to color
in a tattoo with a solid color or solid black that sometimes you
will have what is

Tattoo pigments have come a long way, especially in the past
decade or so. There are hundreds of manufactures of tattoo
pigments around the world that manufacture beautiful color
pigments. There are about five

To avoid needle or spotty marks in the tattoo while doing
grey work it is important to use a much softer running machine
than you would typically use during a lining session.
It is also important to utilize

Traditional tattoo methodology would have the artist work from
darker to lighter areas of the tattoo, building up shadows and
darker areas. This is not always required, but it is good practice.
As a new tattoo

Another common technique is the true grey pigment method.
With the true grey ink method grey inks are mixed using tattoo
white and tattoo black pigments. These are a lot thicker than the
lining inks, and should

Sumi™ inks are available as well to tattoo artists. These inks will have a very smooth grey appearance in the skin and are mixed in similar ways mentioned in the grey wash technique. There are some manufactures

Grey wash

There are just as many methods for creating different variations
for shading in tattoo as there are ways to tune a tattoo machine.
Ultimately it is up to the tattoo artist’s preference. This text will
cover a

There are a few items that will be required to make tattoo needles
and quality does matter when it comes to these materials.
The first item required is the needle bar. Stainless steel is the
preferred needle bar.

When you are dealing with coils you should not always
have the mindset that more wraps is better. Less
wraps on a machine will typically make your machine
run faster. They will also require less voltage

There was a time when pre-made needles were non-existent.
This is where the “new needles every time” signs posted on
the front of tattoo studios. In more recent times there has been
a boom in the manufacturing and

Because there are so many distributors of pre-made needles on
the market today, the number of studios that re-use the needle
bars and make their own needles is very slim. If you are an artist
who makes his own

There are two standard types of needle bar grommets. The first
grommet style is the full circle. The full circle needle bar grommet
will fit completely inside the looped portion of the needle
bar, and is discarded

The most noticeable part of the tattoo needle is what is referred
to as the needle bar. The needle bar is long cylindrical steel
piece that is typically fashioned into a loop on one end and may
have either a flat

Tattoo power supplies, like everything else in tattoo, are a matter
of personal preference. The artist will have to play around
with different equipment to see what feels best. It is always good
to know about

Some power packs will have multiple output jacks as well, so
the artist can have multiple clip-cords; a different clip-cord for
each machine, this way the artist does not have to touch the
clip-cord during the