Guy Aitchison answers some of tattooing's toughest questions
Q) I'd like to lighten my tattoo before doing a coverup... but instead of using the laser, I want to do this by putting in a few layers of white pigment over the old tattoo before starting the coverup. Will this work?A) When you tattoo light pigments over dark ones, they will eventually all settle into the same layer of skin, so what you get is a pigment mix. You aren't actually putting a layer on top of an older, deeper layer, but mixing new pigments with the existing ones. White will lighten black by about 8-12% on the first pass, an additional 6-8% the second time, and 5-8% the third time, with diminishing returns with each additional pass. It may look impressive when it first heals and peels, but the actual amount of lightening you effectively get is far less than that when you take settling into account. Then, when the time comes to add a new tattoo over this, it needs to be mixed with all that milky pigmentation and usually results in a milky, muted overall look. I will always recommend laser sessions first- I hate to say it, but there are no other alternatives that are even close to as effective. I've been extensively lasered myself, and although I didn't enjoy it, it gave me a second chance that would simply not be available otherwise. The only time I will pump in light pigment over older inks is if I am creating a coverup and have already done my darker lining, shading and detailing, allowing me to see exactly where the old piece needs lighter pigments pumped in. Usually this will be a final stage in the process, rather than a preparatory one.
Q) I'm an experienced tattooist with a record of good healing. Recently, two of my clients have had rough heals on a couple occasions, both in the same areas- their wrists and forearms. It's not confined to a particular color, but seems to be a random bad heal all over their forearm areas. I can't explain this- any ideas?
(This question was followed by a long phone conversation where I found out: (1) the clients were brothers, (2) one of them has dogs, (3) the one with the dogs has a new baby in the house and has been getting a lot of help with the dogs from his brother)
A) I generally discourage a "blame the client" approach to healing problems, and always try to look for weaknesses in my own routine before blaming the client. But I have definitely found that there is a pattern to healing problems of a certain type- localized bacterial infections. In a large proportion of these cases, the clients are pet owners. Owners of large dogs are especially susceptible. Pet owners are generally very comfortable with their animals and don't really think of them as being dirty, but around fresh tattoos, you should always expect the worst. If you know your client is a pet owner, try to encourage them to keep their fresh ink away from contact with furniture that the animals (and their private regions) are often in contact, and recommend that they wash their hands thoroughly before handling their tattoo. When in doubt, wear loose clothing over the fresh tattoo when around pets. These precautions are really only necessary for 4-6 days, but can make a huge difference.
Q: A lot of artists I know are switching to disposable tubes. I have tried them a couple times and am not sure if I like them. What's the deal with disposable tubes, and do you recommend them?
A: For a long time, our industry was reluctant to take on disposables, and many artists used them only for travel. One of the big changes that's happening now is that you will find completely legitimate tattoo shops with no autoclave. Many shops are switching to disposables as a way of eliminating the need for a scrub room and the no-fun labor that goes with it. On the other hand, you give up some quality when you switch to disposables, so it's worth asking yourself what is important to you. I personally still use steel tubes. I have been using Morphix grips on these, which are lighter than steel grips but heavier than disposables. I do this because I have no choice- my setup has to be light or my career is over. I use lightweight machines, which go well with the lighter tubes- a heavy machine coupled with a lightweight tube creates a situation where the machine is continually pulling back on your hand, causing you to have to pull forward all the time. I know of a few artists who use heavy machines along with disposable tubes who developed severe wrist problems as a result. So balance is an issue. The tip is another issue as well- plastic tips react differently to friction against steel needles than a steel tube tip does, effectively slowing the needle down and causing the machine to work harder. This is something that you eventually can compensate for in the way you run the machine. My other issue is with the shape of the tips themselves; almost without exception, plastic liner tips tend to be bent back and away from the straight line that the needles move along. This is a by-product of the way the tubes are made- as the plastic cools and hardens, the tip bends away from the rinse hole (the cooling plastic shrinks more than the hole does) and ends up pointing in not quite the direction we need it to. If the plastic tube manufacturers actually did tattoos they would have figured this out a long time ago and reworked their molds to compensate for this hardening problem... maybe one of them will read this blog and decide to fix the problem. Until then, you will have to bend your needles back an extra couple degrees to keep them in contact with the back of the tube tip. I personally find this to be so lame that I won't use them, just out of principle. Also, I have a clave and a scrub dude, so I have no potential benefits from switching to plastic. I'll even admit that I am slightly opinionated about the subject... but plastic disposable tubes are improving gradually and will one day be almost as good as steel. I wouldn't be surprised at all if in ten years, steel tubes are almost totally a thing of the past. For now, though, I prefer steel.
Q) I'm fifty and want another tattoo. I went to a shop on the Islands and the artist I spoke with made a negative reference to older skin. I decided not to work with her. I am not a sun worshipper, but I do see a difference in my skin texture. If tattooing on more mature skin is not a good idea, I'm okay with that. What are the pros and cons, and the realities of dealing with older skin?
A) It's true that as we get older, our skin changes, but only in the cases of severely sun-damaged skin do we not recommend tattooing it. I can understand why a tattooist in the islands might feel a certain frustration when working on sun damaged skin, since it's common for clients to walk in off the beach with a sunburn with the intention of getting tattooed and then walking back to the beach to burn their skin some more. Island tattooers tend to see their walk-in clients through this lens... but you should feel welcomed by your artist, not put off. If your skin does have any sun damage (which persists for life, although a decade later it will improve some) you should expect to have at least 2 sessions done to the piece to give it the best smoothness and saturation. Even if you had flawless skin, you'll get a better tattoo from 2 healed passes than you can with one, simply because of the skin's limitations. With some sun damage, these limitations are greater but are not any big deal in the long run. Bottom line: If an artist doesn't seem happy to be working on you, find another one.
Q) I did a name and the first letter came out fine cause I only made one pass. But the rest of the letters were a little sloppy so I went back through them to clean them up and they ended up blowing out. Can I only make one pass on the wrist area? Maybe from going over them twice I ended up cutting the skin? I was using a tight 5 round at about 6 1/2 volts, moving slow so I wouldn't mess up. Any advice would be great because now I'm affraid to do wrists!
A) The wrist is a tricky area to put detail into, but you shouldn't be afraid to work it. Since you are wanting to slow down for precision purposes, try turning your power down as low as you can get away with; tattoo for a minute, wipe, then see if you need to add more power. Some parts of the body- the wrist and inner bicep are good examples- are more prone to blowouts because of the skin's thinness and relative lack of fatty tissue padding it; in these areas, the best approach is simply caution with your power levels. When moving slowly, you need to use proportionally less power, or you'll hit the skin too many times in too small of an area; which can also cause blowouts. This is a relatively simple issue, but its solution lies not in any simple fix but instead in an overall more cautious, steady approach to those types of skin.
Q) I am a apprentice and i was taught also to work with the least amount of voltage. Sometimes when i set my voltage low and the machine sounds good, when doing the tattoo colour it seems like the needles are catching the skin,. The only was i can combat that is by increasing the voltage... is there any other way?
A) If you are experiencing a snagging sensation, the first thing to try is more power; this may help you to find and work with the machine's natural rhythm. This kind of snagging is relatively rare in coil machines, and is much more common with rotaries- if you are using a rotary machine and dealing with lots of snagging problems that increased power doesn't seem to help, you may prefer the action of a coil machine. If it is a coil machine and increased power seems to make it run rough, you may need to adjust your point gap slightly to accommodate the different power setting. Often, increasing the gap can help resolve snagging issues by increasing the length of the stroke, therefore the travel speed of the needles: Moving faster, the needles can get in and out of the skin faster, making them less likely to snag. It's true that it's a good practice to work with as little power as you can get away with, but at times that can leave you with too little punch for the job- don't be afraid to use power when necessary.
Q) I was wondering what type of markers you use to draw on the skin? Your drawing are fairly well detailed before you begin... how do you get it to stay on for long periods? I'm having trouble finding a marker in Australia that will stay on the skin. Any tips about type and ways to getting a drawing to stay for long periods on the skin will be much appreciated.
A) I've been using Sharpie markers for a long time, along with many other tattooists, and have found them to do well with their longevity during the tattoo process. I like them for several other reasons as well: they come in a wide array of non-toxic colors, and they can be used to blend already dried color on the skin, almost like using watercolors. Since my drawings on skin tend to be fully shaded renderings instead of just line drawings, this is especially helpful (see my book, Reinventing The Tattoo, for more information on this freehand technique, including video footage). I DO NOT recommend using red Sharpies or any other red marker, as these dyes, although labeled as non-toxic, tend to cause issues with the healed tattoos, sometimes years later. The rest of the Sharpie colors have been extensively tested by many tattooers without problems. I recommend starting your drawing with a light green marker to rough it in, then move to a medium and then a dark marker as you develop the drawing further; this eliminates the need for most erasing. When your drawing is done and fully dried, you have the option of using Spray Stuff (developed by Mike Devries and Mario Rosenau, who brought you Stencil Stuff) over the drawing, which can help protect it from wearing off prematurely. If you can't find Sharpies in Australia, I recommend that you put pressure on a local tattoo supplier to start carrying them. I don't, at this point, know of another line of markers that performs as well for this job.
Q) Layering colors seems to be an effective way of getting a painterly look to your tattoos, but how do you know when the skin has had too much before you start chewing it up and running the risk of scarring?
A) Layering color this way is actually a good way to prevent trauma, since you can run your equipment with way less force than if you are trying to pack it in solid with one pass. That's the first important point- when layering, you don't want each pass to saturate the skin. Try to keep in mind roughly how many passes of different colors you plan on layering in a given area, and work accordingly... if you plan on layering 3 colors, for example, each pass should only be 1/3 as solid as if you were packing in only one color. This way, as long as you work with smooth overlapping hand motions, the pattern of holes in the skin will be no more closely packed than with one solid pass. It's important for all tattooists, though, to develop a good intuitive feeling for when the skin is approaching its limits; you will learn to look for certain telltale signs of trauma, such as small trenches, roughness or that "wet tissue paper" look that the skin takes on when it's been hit too many times. Ultimately, it's a matter of paying close attention and developing good habits.
Q) Do you use a power suply with digital readout? If so, what would be your typical power settings for lining, shading and coloring? If you use this type of power unit, I'd appreciate your suggestions about voltage, speed and so on.
A) This is a simple question with a complex answer. I have used a variety of power supplies through the years, including a few with digital readouts such as the Eikon power supply and the all-digital unit being marketed by Critical. These are both good solid pieces of equipment that have proven themselves in our studio, but I have gone back to my old fashioned non-digital unit simply because it has settings for 3 different machines, which is my usual way of working. Honestly, I never looked at the readout- since beginning my apprenticeship I was always told to feel the armature nipple to see how it would hit the skin, and adjust the power accordingly. Learning to do it this way will teach you to trust your intuition rather than a digital readout, which can sometimes give you misleading information. Even if I were checking the readout to see what my power is, I would still insist on feeling the armature nipple before hitting the skin, just to make sure. When in doubt, I always start with too little power, work for a few seconds, wipe to see how my saturation is going, then add power accordingly. This is better than accidentally using too much.
If you are still curious to know about power levels, I can give you some rough figures. This will of course vary from person to person, depending on how their machines are set up, how many needles in their shader, how thick their pigments are, etc. In general, it's a better measure of performance to read the strokes per second (Hertz, or hz) than to measure power alone.
Fast Liner- 130-160hz
Shading liner- 115-135hz
Shader- 100-120hz
Q: I would like to talk to someone about becoming a tattoo artist. How would I go about doing it? How did you get started?
A. That's a big question. Where to begin? First, what is your artistic experience? and I mean real experience, spending long hours making your art. Without some kind of artistic experience, there's not much you can do. The next suggestion I'd have is to gather together your best art examples into a portfolio, then spend a few days or weeks drawing sheets of tattoo designs. The purpose of this exercise is to show yourself and any potential employers how you would handle the kind of basic tattoo requests that come in a shop on a day-to-day-basis (hearts, birds, crosses, flowers...) but in your own artistic style. This is also a demonstration to any potential employers about your willingness to do the homework. Next, you need to shop around. Try local shops first, since relocation is a big deal. It's a competitive market, so be prepared for resistance. This step can be frustrating and takes some persistence. What you really want is a shop owner that recognizes your potential and teaches you for the purpose of having you as an employee. An employment situation like this is the most likely to get you taught the quickest, since they would have nothing to gain by holding anything back. Many apprenticeships are frauds, where you are charged $5000+ for the honor of scrubbing toilets for six months, and your signature on a contract promising that you won't tattoo in a 500 mile radius for the next 20 years or some crap like that. Avoid these situations like the plague. If you have trouble finding any good prospects, try attending a few tattoo conventions, go to some seminars, watch artists work, and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Join some tattoo forums online, make an attractive web portfolio for yourself and network in any way you can. Show your portfolio relentlessly, ask for feedback and express a willingness to relocate. In the meantime, continue drawing on a daily basis any subjects that you find interesting and tattooable. Let your style evolve; get feedback whenever you can. This gives you a big head start when you finally do get the chance to sit down with an actual client and work on their skin. Last but not least, don't get discouraged and avoid trying to start out with a beginner's tattoo kit and no guidance. You will learn more in a long search for the right teachers than you will hacking away at people in your kitchen. It is easy to learn the wrong things early on and to carry these bits of misinformation as burdens for your entire career. If you have any real potential and you are sincere, you will find an opportunity to learn the right way.
Q: I wondered if you have any good idea how to handle the skin on those more sensitive areas, i.e. the inside of the elbow joint/lower arm, the shoulder just above the crease of the armpit, the back of the neck/uppermost spine area?
A. These kind of areas can be especially tricky in tattoos that span over several skin types, where part of the piece is on tough skin and part is on delicate skin. The thing to do in a case like this is to outline the whole piece, making sure to turn down the machine when working the sensitive zones, and then work the piece to completion or almost-completion in sections, starting with the tender area (just to get it over with). You'll want to keep your machines running as lightly as possible in these areas. Since the skin is thinner and softer, it takes less power to put in the color. It's also easy to scar these areas of blow out lines and edges. Start with your machine running way too slow, and add power gradually until it's putting the color in. This way, there's no risk of pounding the skin too hard. Work with the machines in smooth, even overlapping ovals, since smooth motions are easier on the skin and less irritating for the client. This is way too little power to use in the other, tougher areas of skin. That's why you want to work these areas separately, since the right amount of power for the tougher parts will be too much for the tender areas, and vice-versa. More so than with other types of skin, you need to be sure not to enter the skin at too great an angle with your needles. The angle between the skin and the tube should be a minimum of forty-five degrees. Any less, and you risk slicing this delicate skin. Be sure to use a light layer of petroleum jelly on the area you're about to work, which makes it easier to clean up excess pigment without having to scrub the skin, which can get quite irritating later in the session. When the sensitive areas are finished and you're working near them in tougher zones, keep plenty of petroleum jelly on the finished area to protect it from stray gobs of pigment, which would later have to be painfully scrubbed off. You can even cover it with a paper towel while you're working nearby, eliminating the need to clean it almost entirely.
Q: I know this has nothing to do with education, but I'm curious. I've heard your name pronounced ten different ways... what's the right way?
A: It's a long A, like when you pronounce the name of the letter H. It gets spelled a zillion different ways too... the most common ways are Atchison, Atchinson, Atkinson, Acherson, Ackerson, Atchesen, Achison and Acherson. But please feel free to pronounce it any way you want.
A: For a long time, our industry was reluctant to take on disposables, and many artists used them only for travel. One of the big changes that's happening now is that you will find completely legitimate tattoo shops with no autoclave. Many shops are switching to disposables as a way of eliminating the need for a scrub room and the no-fun labor that goes with it. On the other hand, you give up some quality when you switch to disposables, so it's worth asking yourself what is important to you. I personally still use steel tubes. I have been using Morphix grips on these, which are lighter than steel grips but heavier than disposables. I do this because I have no choice- my setup has to be light or my career is over. I use lightweight machines, which go well with the lighter tubes- a heavy machine coupled with a lightweight tube creates a situation where the machine is continually pulling back on your hand, causing you to have to pull forward all the time. I know of a few artists who use heavy machines along with disposable tubes who developed severe wrist problems as a result. So balance is an issue. The tip is another issue as well- plastic tips react differently to friction against steel needles than a steel tube tip does, effectively slowing the needle down and causing the machine to work harder. This is something that you eventually can compensate for in the way you run the machine. My other issue is with the shape of the tips themselves; almost without exception, plastic liner tips tend to be bent back and away from the straight line that the needles move along. This is a by-product of the way the tubes are made- as the plastic cools and hardens, the tip bends away from the rinse hole (the cooling plastic shrinks more than the hole does) and ends up pointing in not quite the direction we need it to. If the plastic tube manufacturers actually did tattoos they would have figured this out a long time ago and reworked their molds to compensate for this hardening problem... maybe one of them will read this blog and decide to fix the problem. Until then, you will have to bend your needles back an extra couple degrees to keep them in contact with the back of the tube tip. I personally find this to be so lame that I won't use them, just out of principle. Also, I have a clave and a scrub dude, so I have no potential benefits from switching to plastic. I'll even admit that I am slightly opinionated about the subject... but plastic disposable tubes are improving gradually and will one day be almost as good as steel. I wouldn't be surprised at all if in ten years, steel tubes are almost totally a thing of the past. For now, though, I prefer steel.
Q) I'm fifty and want another tattoo. I went to a shop on the Islands and the artist I spoke with made a negative reference to older skin. I decided not to work with her. I am not a sun worshipper, but I do see a difference in my skin texture. If tattooing on more mature skin is not a good idea, I'm okay with that. What are the pros and cons, and the realities of dealing with older skin?
A) It's true that as we get older, our skin changes, but only in the cases of severely sun-damaged skin do we not recommend tattooing it. I can understand why a tattooist in the islands might feel a certain frustration when working on sun damaged skin, since it's common for clients to walk in off the beach with a sunburn with the intention of getting tattooed and then walking back to the beach to burn their skin some more. Island tattooers tend to see their walk-in clients through this lens... but you should feel welcomed by your artist, not put off. If your skin does have any sun damage (which persists for life, although a decade later it will improve some) you should expect to have at least 2 sessions done to the piece to give it the best smoothness and saturation. Even if you had flawless skin, you'll get a better tattoo from 2 healed passes than you can with one, simply because of the skin's limitations. With some sun damage, these limitations are greater but are not any big deal in the long run. Bottom line: If an artist doesn't seem happy to be working on you, find another one.
Q) I did a name and the first letter came out fine cause I only made one pass. But the rest of the letters were a little sloppy so I went back through them to clean them up and they ended up blowing out. Can I only make one pass on the wrist area? Maybe from going over them twice I ended up cutting the skin? I was using a tight 5 round at about 6 1/2 volts, moving slow so I wouldn't mess up. Any advice would be great because now I'm affraid to do wrists!
A) The wrist is a tricky area to put detail into, but you shouldn't be afraid to work it. Since you are wanting to slow down for precision purposes, try turning your power down as low as you can get away with; tattoo for a minute, wipe, then see if you need to add more power. Some parts of the body- the wrist and inner bicep are good examples- are more prone to blowouts because of the skin's thinness and relative lack of fatty tissue padding it; in these areas, the best approach is simply caution with your power levels. When moving slowly, you need to use proportionally less power, or you'll hit the skin too many times in too small of an area; which can also cause blowouts. This is a relatively simple issue, but its solution lies not in any simple fix but instead in an overall more cautious, steady approach to those types of skin.
Q) I am a apprentice and i was taught also to work with the least amount of voltage. Sometimes when i set my voltage low and the machine sounds good, when doing the tattoo colour it seems like the needles are catching the skin,. The only was i can combat that is by increasing the voltage... is there any other way?
A) If you are experiencing a snagging sensation, the first thing to try is more power; this may help you to find and work with the machine's natural rhythm. This kind of snagging is relatively rare in coil machines, and is much more common with rotaries- if you are using a rotary machine and dealing with lots of snagging problems that increased power doesn't seem to help, you may prefer the action of a coil machine. If it is a coil machine and increased power seems to make it run rough, you may need to adjust your point gap slightly to accommodate the different power setting. Often, increasing the gap can help resolve snagging issues by increasing the length of the stroke, therefore the travel speed of the needles: Moving faster, the needles can get in and out of the skin faster, making them less likely to snag. It's true that it's a good practice to work with as little power as you can get away with, but at times that can leave you with too little punch for the job- don't be afraid to use power when necessary.
Q) I was wondering what type of markers you use to draw on the skin? Your drawing are fairly well detailed before you begin... how do you get it to stay on for long periods? I'm having trouble finding a marker in Australia that will stay on the skin. Any tips about type and ways to getting a drawing to stay for long periods on the skin will be much appreciated.
A) I've been using Sharpie markers for a long time, along with many other tattooists, and have found them to do well with their longevity during the tattoo process. I like them for several other reasons as well: they come in a wide array of non-toxic colors, and they can be used to blend already dried color on the skin, almost like using watercolors. Since my drawings on skin tend to be fully shaded renderings instead of just line drawings, this is especially helpful (see my book, Reinventing The Tattoo, for more information on this freehand technique, including video footage). I DO NOT recommend using red Sharpies or any other red marker, as these dyes, although labeled as non-toxic, tend to cause issues with the healed tattoos, sometimes years later. The rest of the Sharpie colors have been extensively tested by many tattooers without problems. I recommend starting your drawing with a light green marker to rough it in, then move to a medium and then a dark marker as you develop the drawing further; this eliminates the need for most erasing. When your drawing is done and fully dried, you have the option of using Spray Stuff (developed by Mike Devries and Mario Rosenau, who brought you Stencil Stuff) over the drawing, which can help protect it from wearing off prematurely. If you can't find Sharpies in Australia, I recommend that you put pressure on a local tattoo supplier to start carrying them. I don't, at this point, know of another line of markers that performs as well for this job.
Q) Layering colors seems to be an effective way of getting a painterly look to your tattoos, but how do you know when the skin has had too much before you start chewing it up and running the risk of scarring?
A) Layering color this way is actually a good way to prevent trauma, since you can run your equipment with way less force than if you are trying to pack it in solid with one pass. That's the first important point- when layering, you don't want each pass to saturate the skin. Try to keep in mind roughly how many passes of different colors you plan on layering in a given area, and work accordingly... if you plan on layering 3 colors, for example, each pass should only be 1/3 as solid as if you were packing in only one color. This way, as long as you work with smooth overlapping hand motions, the pattern of holes in the skin will be no more closely packed than with one solid pass. It's important for all tattooists, though, to develop a good intuitive feeling for when the skin is approaching its limits; you will learn to look for certain telltale signs of trauma, such as small trenches, roughness or that "wet tissue paper" look that the skin takes on when it's been hit too many times. Ultimately, it's a matter of paying close attention and developing good habits.
Q) Do you use a power suply with digital readout? If so, what would be your typical power settings for lining, shading and coloring? If you use this type of power unit, I'd appreciate your suggestions about voltage, speed and so on.
A) This is a simple question with a complex answer. I have used a variety of power supplies through the years, including a few with digital readouts such as the Eikon power supply and the all-digital unit being marketed by Critical. These are both good solid pieces of equipment that have proven themselves in our studio, but I have gone back to my old fashioned non-digital unit simply because it has settings for 3 different machines, which is my usual way of working. Honestly, I never looked at the readout- since beginning my apprenticeship I was always told to feel the armature nipple to see how it would hit the skin, and adjust the power accordingly. Learning to do it this way will teach you to trust your intuition rather than a digital readout, which can sometimes give you misleading information. Even if I were checking the readout to see what my power is, I would still insist on feeling the armature nipple before hitting the skin, just to make sure. When in doubt, I always start with too little power, work for a few seconds, wipe to see how my saturation is going, then add power accordingly. This is better than accidentally using too much.
If you are still curious to know about power levels, I can give you some rough figures. This will of course vary from person to person, depending on how their machines are set up, how many needles in their shader, how thick their pigments are, etc. In general, it's a better measure of performance to read the strokes per second (Hertz, or hz) than to measure power alone.
Fast Liner- 130-160hz
Shading liner- 115-135hz
Shader- 100-120hz
Q: I would like to talk to someone about becoming a tattoo artist. How would I go about doing it? How did you get started?
A. That's a big question. Where to begin? First, what is your artistic experience? and I mean real experience, spending long hours making your art. Without some kind of artistic experience, there's not much you can do. The next suggestion I'd have is to gather together your best art examples into a portfolio, then spend a few days or weeks drawing sheets of tattoo designs. The purpose of this exercise is to show yourself and any potential employers how you would handle the kind of basic tattoo requests that come in a shop on a day-to-day-basis (hearts, birds, crosses, flowers...) but in your own artistic style. This is also a demonstration to any potential employers about your willingness to do the homework. Next, you need to shop around. Try local shops first, since relocation is a big deal. It's a competitive market, so be prepared for resistance. This step can be frustrating and takes some persistence. What you really want is a shop owner that recognizes your potential and teaches you for the purpose of having you as an employee. An employment situation like this is the most likely to get you taught the quickest, since they would have nothing to gain by holding anything back. Many apprenticeships are frauds, where you are charged $5000+ for the honor of scrubbing toilets for six months, and your signature on a contract promising that you won't tattoo in a 500 mile radius for the next 20 years or some crap like that. Avoid these situations like the plague. If you have trouble finding any good prospects, try attending a few tattoo conventions, go to some seminars, watch artists work, and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Join some tattoo forums online, make an attractive web portfolio for yourself and network in any way you can. Show your portfolio relentlessly, ask for feedback and express a willingness to relocate. In the meantime, continue drawing on a daily basis any subjects that you find interesting and tattooable. Let your style evolve; get feedback whenever you can. This gives you a big head start when you finally do get the chance to sit down with an actual client and work on their skin. Last but not least, don't get discouraged and avoid trying to start out with a beginner's tattoo kit and no guidance. You will learn more in a long search for the right teachers than you will hacking away at people in your kitchen. It is easy to learn the wrong things early on and to carry these bits of misinformation as burdens for your entire career. If you have any real potential and you are sincere, you will find an opportunity to learn the right way.
Q: I wondered if you have any good idea how to handle the skin on those more sensitive areas, i.e. the inside of the elbow joint/lower arm, the shoulder just above the crease of the armpit, the back of the neck/uppermost spine area?
A. These kind of areas can be especially tricky in tattoos that span over several skin types, where part of the piece is on tough skin and part is on delicate skin. The thing to do in a case like this is to outline the whole piece, making sure to turn down the machine when working the sensitive zones, and then work the piece to completion or almost-completion in sections, starting with the tender area (just to get it over with). You'll want to keep your machines running as lightly as possible in these areas. Since the skin is thinner and softer, it takes less power to put in the color. It's also easy to scar these areas of blow out lines and edges. Start with your machine running way too slow, and add power gradually until it's putting the color in. This way, there's no risk of pounding the skin too hard. Work with the machines in smooth, even overlapping ovals, since smooth motions are easier on the skin and less irritating for the client. This is way too little power to use in the other, tougher areas of skin. That's why you want to work these areas separately, since the right amount of power for the tougher parts will be too much for the tender areas, and vice-versa. More so than with other types of skin, you need to be sure not to enter the skin at too great an angle with your needles. The angle between the skin and the tube should be a minimum of forty-five degrees. Any less, and you risk slicing this delicate skin. Be sure to use a light layer of petroleum jelly on the area you're about to work, which makes it easier to clean up excess pigment without having to scrub the skin, which can get quite irritating later in the session. When the sensitive areas are finished and you're working near them in tougher zones, keep plenty of petroleum jelly on the finished area to protect it from stray gobs of pigment, which would later have to be painfully scrubbed off. You can even cover it with a paper towel while you're working nearby, eliminating the need to clean it almost entirely.
Q: I know this has nothing to do with education, but I'm curious. I've heard your name pronounced ten different ways... what's the right way?
A: It's a long A, like when you pronounce the name of the letter H. It gets spelled a zillion different ways too... the most common ways are Atchison, Atchinson, Atkinson, Acherson, Ackerson, Atchesen, Achison and Acherson. But please feel free to pronounce it any way you want.