How To Learn To Tattoo At Home?

Each design should be appropriate for a specific body and body part. – This is one of the times a ruler will come in handy in creating portfolio pieces, and having friends of various shapes and sizes will help, as well. This technique is not commonly used, and I’m really shocked it isn’t.

Read on. Scroll to Continue Pretend that you are a tattoo artist and enlist two female “clients,” both of different heights and builds. Let’s say that they are both in your shop to get lower back tattoos—commonly referred to (inappropriately) as “tramp stamps.

” Follow these steps to document a logical method to your design capabilities, and these photos and designs can be used in your portfolio.

Get your camera and ruler ready.
Have one woman hold up her shirt to reveal her lower back while the other holds the ruler to the other’s back. Snap a photo of each woman’s lower back, showing the ruler. Print these photos as half pages, leaving the other half of the page blank (your custom flash design will go here).
Get exact measurements of the top and bottom of the tattoo-able area using a tailor’s tape measure. These measurements should start at the spine and work their way out toward the hips.
Use these measurements to create a “bounding area” on a piece of paper. Be sure to take into account the shape of the top of each woman’s behind and the angle at which the trunk transitions to the hips. Not all women have the same figure, and in designing the tattoo, you will either want to enhance or downplay her shape, depending on what she wants.
Go to the drawing board and create an inked outline of the tattoo on a sheet of paper, then photocopy it on transfer paper at 100%, cut it out, transfer the shape to her lower back, and take another photo. Include this custom design next to the photo you took in step 2.
If you include these designs in your portfolio, include a few comments about your method, why you came up with that design, how you customized it for her body, and how it custom fits each girl’s lower back. Explain how your design works for her specific, unique figure.
Be sure to ask each woman if she liked this design you drew. If she does, include her name and a short statement from her in your portfolio as a reference. If she does not like your design or it does not fit on her body, well, it’s time for you to draw something else up for her because, just like in the shop, designs are not always going to be accepted as-is.

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Can you teach yourself to tattoo?

Tattooing Yourself For Beginners

Conclusion – It is possible to teach yourself how to tattoo but you need to put the hours in and practice as much as possible. Speak to reputable tattoo artists for their advice and understand exactly what is required to become successful. If you’re committed and passionate about this career path, you will succeed..

What can I use to practice tattooing at home?

Download Article Download Article A career as a tattooist is full of exciting challenges. Twitching clients, equipment that tires out the hand and back, and the need to replicate various styles of art all obstacles only a trained and dedicated tattooist can consistently overcome. But even if you have an apprenticeship, it can be a year or longer before you’re allowed to tattoo a person.

1 Draw constantly. As a professional tattoo artist, you’ll be expected to sketch out, sometimes start to finish, the designs your clients want. [1] This will require you to be skillful at reproducing many different kinds of styles, which can only really be mastered through experience and repetition.
- Collect designs you like and practice recreating them. Tattoo artists often have to borrow from the designs of others, and this is a great way to get used to it!
- Work on transitioning from pencil to pen, which has a more permanent feel.
2 Draw on contoured objects. Apples, oranges, and other contoured items, like rocks, can simulate some of the difficulties you’ll have tattooing various parts of the body. Seek out items that somewhat resemble body parts commonly tattooed, so that you’re well prepared when someone requests a tattoo on a more curvaceous part of the body.
- Alternatively, draw your designs at an angle, so they’re in a certain perspective.
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3 Test your tattooist skills with a non-toxic marker and a friend. Though the experience of drawing on a person’s body is markedly different from operating a tattoo machine and depositing ink into the skin, this practice will get you accustomed to drawing on a living canvas and various body parts. You might even seek out your more ticklish friends so that you have experience with a squirming client.
- Ask them for what they want and then practice crafting your own designs for them. See if they like what you come up with! This is what tattoo artists do every day.
4 Use henna to learn how to apply designs to the contours of the body. Henna is a kind of traditional dye that has been used since ancient times. [2] It is relatively inexpensive, can be bought online or at many general retailers and pharmacies. Due to the fact that henna remains on the skin for several days, you might want to hold off trying this until you’re somewhat practiced on inanimate objects. Then, following the directions on the package:
- Mix your henna dye and collect the applicator for your henna.
- Apply it to the skin of your practice subject in the design desired.
- Note any improvements that could be made and ask for feedback.
5 Train yourself in inking lines and tracing. Many professional tattooists first began learning the art by tracing sample tattoos and simplifying designs to be more translatable to the skin. [3] This skill can be imitated and studied academically by enrolling in a class in Inking, which is the practice of outlining and interpreting an original pencil drawing. [4]

1 Use a weighted pencil or pen to simulate the tattooing machine. Some tattooists recommend building hand strength by simulating the weight of the tattoo machine applicator. This machine uses an applicator heavier than a pen or pencil to drive ink into the sub-layers of the skin, leaving behind permanent skin art.
- You may want to start your weighted practice by attaching about 80 grams (3 ounces) to a drawing utensil.
2 Purchase a cheap tattoo machine for practice. This will provide you with a way to become comfortable with the machine. Beyond understanding how its working parts operate, how to replace failed parts, and how to assess the working condition of a tattoo machine, you’ll also have to become comfortable with holding the applicator for long periods of time.
- If you’re doing an apprenticeship, your mentor may have a machine for you to practice on.
- You might also rig a pencil to your tattoo machine and practice drawing. This way you’ll develop comfort and familiarity with machine and clip cord.
- While a cheap machine is great for personal practice, don’t use your practice machine on clients.
3 Learn the different kinds of tattoo machines. There are many different tattoo machines on the market, though coil tattoo machines are the most commonly used variety. [5] Certain machines are used to accomplish certain effects, like shading and coloring. Altogether, you should be familiar with:
- Coil tattoo machines
- Rotary tattoo machines
- Pneumatic tattoo machines
- Shader tattoo machines
- Liner tattoo machines
4 Learn to compensate for the vibration of your tattoo machine. The force of your machine operating will cause an intense vibration that you may feel through your entire arm. Be prepared for this when you turn on your machine, dip your nip in ink, and train your hand to be steady.

1 Watch a professional use a machine first. Observe a professional set up their machine and the equipment as well as how they prep their client. When they begin tattooing, watch how the artist holds and angles the machine and pay attention to how much pressure they’re applying.
- You can even watch YouTube videos if you want more practice.
2 Practice on fruit. Fruits have a challenging contour that will mimic the clients that sit in your chair for a tattoo, and are cheaper and more readily available than other options. Some fruits that you should consider for tattooing practice:
- Bananas
- Melons
- Grapefruits
3 Consider synthetic skin. Synthetic skin is a relatively new comer to the tattooing scene. Practice skin is relatively easy to order from online sources, but many tattooists criticize this false skin as too far from the real thing. Synthetic skin can:
- Be useful for starting out and getting a feel for your tattoo machine.
- Provide you with practice for building your hand strength.
4 Purchase pig skin for a realistic practice experience. Pig skin is a close approximation of human skin, and can give you a more realistic trial run than you would experience with fruit or synthetic skin. Pig skin is also the traditional practice medium used by tattoo apprentices, and due to its similarity to human skin, will train you to have better control with the depth of your needle.
- Pig skin can be bought expressly for the purposes of tattooing online, but as many butchers end up throwing it out, you might find a cheaper more plentiful alternative at your local butcher.
5 Tattoo to the correct depth. Human skin is comprised of 3 layers, with some of these layers have sub-layers. The top layer of your skin, the epidermis, is made up of a total of 5 layers which grow outward, which means ink deposited in the epidermis will eventually fade. Your target depth when tattooing should be the middle layer, the dermis, which is between 1-2 mm beneath the skin. [6]
- Going to deep into the skin with your tattoo machine can lead to unnecessary pain for your client, and a possible risk of infection. [7]
6 Give yourself a tattoo. Before you work on another person, tattoo your own skin so you can see how it feels and how deep to insert the needle. You will also learn about caring for the tattoo and how long it takes to heal, which is important information you can share with your clients.
- Next, try giving out free tattoos to clients. Many people are willing to get a tattoo for free from a novice so you can get some experience.

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