Tattooing has been around for thousands of years, and it has come to no surprise that it has become more popular than ever before. One benefit of tattooing is that it has had years to evolve and get influences from other cultures around the world.
At Body Shock, we love everything to do with tattoos, from the intricate design to the meaning behind each tattoo. A few weeks ago, we started to talk about the science behind tattooing; now let’s look at the different techniques that are used in tattooing.
This technique is also known as outlining, and it is the one that is used to create the generic shape on the skin. This technique is developed using a round group of needles that are tightly compacted into the tattoo machine, and the lines that are produced can be as small or as thick as they need to be.
It is also possible for tattoo artists to build up lines by proceeding with multiple passes along the linings to make them more noticeable and thicker. People may think that this is one of the most basic tattooing skills to learn – granted it is a basic skill – but it is one of the most important.
The lining technique is incredibly important for defining the design of the tattoo itself. Some people seem to think that lining simply adds a black line to the tattoo – much like adding an outline to an image in a colouring book – but this technique can be used with any colour you want, meaning that you can add your own twist to a world-renowned skill.
This skill describes exactly what it is; it’s when tattoo artists fill in areas of a design with colour. This can be in any colour imaginable, and more than one colour can be incorporated into the technique, which is great if tattooists want to perform any type of shading to the design.
Different techniques can be used within this particular skill to produce various effects on the tattoo. For example, you can choose to use a serious of overlapping circles to fill in a certain region, or you can sweep the needle across the specific area whilst applying pressure in certain parts to accommodate the shading effect.
When it comes to colouring, the predominant rule is that it is completed from dark to light. This is because it means that the darker colours are kept from mixing with the lighter colours. Another thing that is important to remember is to make sure that the needles, tubes, and tips are cleaned properly when using different colours, as you wouldn’t want certain colours to mix when applying a tattoo.
Lettering is becoming increasingly popular in modern day tattoo designs, so being skilled at lettering can be a major bonus for any tattoo artist; even though certain trends come and go, tattoos that consist of names in certain languages, names that are sentimental, or quotations from various things are still incredibly popular.
The art of creating stunning tattoos that incorporate lettering can require a lot of skills and techniques, such as understanding the amount of spacing needed within words so that they look attractive, as well as calligraphy and how the words will look at different angles.
The first thing to know, especially as a tattoo artist, is to understand the dictionary, knowing how to spell different words, and to properly understand the translation of multiple words and phrases. This may seem very simple, but it is all too common to find people that have had a tattoo and then realised that some of the words are spelt wrong, or a certain translation isn’t entirely correct.
These are some of the most well-known techniques that are used in the tattooing industry, so it is important to understand why they are used when completing a tattoo. There are others that are just as important, such as shading – this can give the perfect 3D illusion to your tattoo – so if you are planning on completing a tattoo, remember to use these to your advantage.
At Body Shock, we can provide you with the highest quality tattoo equipment on the market, so if you want to ability to apply the ink using small dots, or you wish to complete it with a continuous stroke, then we can provide you with specialist equipment that will aid you.
If you want more information, then please get in touch today on 01922 744088 and we will be more than happy to help.
