Tattoos are really stylish and fun to have. But it is important that you spend some time in getting the right tattoo on your body or else you would keep on regretting it for your life. More important is that if you are actually up for getting a tattoo or is it just peer pressure which would fade away in a few days.
I can remember walking into my first tattoo shop about 15 years ago and being overwhelmed at the amount of flash art on the walls. You can walk into a tattoo shop with an idea of what you want, but walk around for five or 10 minutes and you can totally change your mind. As I was a tattoo novice at the time, it never occurred to me to design my own tattoo. After the first few, I realized that the only way I could get exactly the tattoo I wanted was to take some time and design my own tattoo.
As the internet was a new concept at the time, I had to go to the library and research tattoo art. I was opened up to a completely new world of styles of tattoos as well as ideas that I could use to attempt to design my own tattoo. Then I realized that books on architecture and art were just as valuable as the tattoo design books. Gargoyles intrigue me and I found some of the most interesting ideas from photos I found in architecture books as opposed to tattoo art books. Some of the most intricate and unique gargoyles are featured on buildings all over the world, and they usually look nothing like the ones on tattoo flash boards. By simply making a copy of the photo of the gargoyle I found the most interesting, I got out a pencil and eraser, changed, and added to it until I was happy with it. I also knew not to make it too intricate; I would leave that up to the tattoo artist to put his own personal touch to it. Somehow, life got in the way and I never got the tattoo done, but kept the drawing.
After choosing not to get any new tattoos for a few years, the internet had become less intimidating and offered more choices of sites to use to design my own tattoo again. Being Wiccan posed another issue of where to find designs for a tattoo, as there were many pentagrams on tattoo shop walls but no pentacles. Apparently, as far as tattoos go it is more fashionable to be into devil worship than it is to be a Wiccan. As I still had my gargoyle tattoo I had designed a few years prior, I decided to design my own tattoo again, integrating the gargoyle and a suitable pentacle example from the internet. After making many copies and going through a lot of erasing, I finally came up with a design that I was satisfied with. I had an artist in mind to do it, so I consulted with him and he agreed to do it. To this day, it is one of the most unique and intricate tattoos I have as well as the largest, as it covers approximately three-quarters of my back.
Since that tattoo, I no longer consult tattoo flash for any of my tattoos. I either design my own tattoo, or have my fiancé design them for me. As he actually is very artistic when it comes to drawing, he has created my last three tattoos, bringing the number to seventeen. He has no tattoos and will never get any, but is more than happy to see his work displayed on me instead. The last image I had tattooed was a skull and rose combination to finish my right arm, which is very unique, and was even complimented by the artist that tattooed it. Having a good tattoo shop paid off in this case, as the artist that did the tattoo actually specializes in skulls, so the owner of the shop designated him to do the tattoo for me. It is getting close to the time of year I usually add more art to my skin, and of course, I will again design my own tattoo.
Becoming a tattoo artist is not as expensive as one might think. If you have the artistic talent to be a tattoo artist, you simply need buy a tattoo starter kit and try it out, preferably not on yourself or your friends. After some practice you find that it is something you want to pursue, you can search for a tattoo artist that is willing to take on an apprentice. Finding the right tattoo artist to apprentice under will be a lot more difficult than finding inexpensive tattoo starter kits surprisingly. There is a huge variety of kits available, but for the person just starting out you need to worry more about the basics and the cost than anything.
There are some important items needed in a tattoo starter kit so you can be assured to have at least the bare minimum. This is also a money saver if you end up deciding that being a tattoo artist is not for you. You can find basic one machine tattoo starter kits online for as little as around $50. The basic parts of a starter kit are a power supply, tattoo grips, sterile tattoo needles in various sizes, tattoo machine, stainless steel tips in various sizes, ink cups, adjusting tools and miscellaneous attachments, black ink and tattoo practice skin. These basic items can allow you to practice and decide if it is for you or not. If the kit does not contain the practice skin, do not let it deter you. You can go to your local grocery store or butcher and ask for a piece of pigskin, some pig’s feet or pig’s ears. These are the closest in color and texture to human skin and give you the most realistic surface. If none of these is available, or you just cannot stomach it, try a honeydew melon.
Tattoo starter kits are not hard to find on the internet. You can buy directly from a company that makes them, or try finding them on eBay. Take your time when looking for one to make sure you get all the items you need in the kit for the best price. If money is not an object, and you know a tattoo artist, you can ask them what brand of tattoo starter kit they recommend and go directly to the manufacturer’s website. Just be sure that wherever you find the kit you like, it contains all the important parts. It is much easier to start off purchasing a kit and adding to it down the line, then trying to piece one together to start with.
Tattoo starter kits do not have a big initial investment, which is ideal if you are unsure whether tattooing is for you or not. It is, however, a good way to get started and be sure you have everything you need to get started. If you ask any artist, they more than likely started their tattooing career with a tattoo starter kit. With the right kit and some time, you can use your artistic ability to branch out to a new canvas, human skin. Once you are comfortable you can try tattooing willing friends, and if that works out, find an artist to apprentice under. For a small initial investment, you have the potential to create a lucrative career as a tattoo artist.
Best Tattoo Magazine. By TattooManic Team.
Hope you like my post about best Tattoo Starter Kits!
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