Tattoo Machine

With the popularity of tattoos, a lot of people have ambitions to become a tattoo artist and make a career out of tattooing. But, with advancements in technology, getting a tattoo machine has become incredibly easy. They can be purchased very easily online for as little as a few hundred dollars. The problem with this is that people are starting to think that with some decent drawing skills, you can pick up tattooing very easily. This could not be further from the truth.

If you are thinking about becoming a tattoo artist, the best thing you could do for yourself is do even just a little bit of research. If you do this you will see that tattooing is to be taken much more seriously than some people are taking it. Just about any successful and reputable tattoo artist will tell you that the proper way to learn how to tattoo is to get an apprenticeship under an established tattoo artist. The best way to get an apprenticeship is to draw, non-stop, until you have a portfolio of work that is of a professional calibre. Then when you have enough drawings of tattoo style images, you walk into your local tattoo shop and show them your work. Let them know you are interested in tattooing and would love to learn under them. Chances are the first few times you might get shot down, but if you go back there enough and check in with them, eventually they might take you on. Tattooing is a profession that prides itself on the dues that each and every one of them have paid to get to where they are today, and to think that you are above getting an apprenticeship and thinking you can teach yourself is an insult to established tattoo artist everywhere.

Having said that, I do have to say that purchasing your own tattoo machine can be a good way to get your feet wet, and to see if you might actually want to pursue tattooing before you get an apprenticeship. In order to make purchasing a tattoo kit worthwhile, it is essential that you understand that simply owning a tattoo gun, does not mean that you should tattoo any people yet. It might be tempting to try and tattoo yourself or even some willing friends, but you must resist this temptation for several reasons. First, it is very unsafe for someone with zero experience to fire up a tattoo machine and start tattooing, there are many rules and safety guidelines that need to be followed when tattooing. Second, with no experience you will absolutely screw up on your tattoo, leaving you or your friends with something that is flat out embarrassing. The alternative to tattooing people in the early stages of your ownership of a kit, is to tattoo on fake skin which can be purchased at online tattoo supply stores. You would be advised to purchase plenty of fake skin with your kit and practice on that as much as possible before getting your apprenticeship, that way you can get a feel for if tattooing is right for you. Under no other circumstances should a beginner purchase a tattoo machine other than to practice on fake skin.

Now that you know that there are benefits to purchasing a tattoo machine early on in your quest to become a tattoo artist, you might be curious about the best way to go about buying your own tattoo gun as well as what else you will want to buy. It might sound strange, but Ebay is actually a great spot for buying a decent tattoo machine at a reasonable price. Many years back, I purchased my own tattoo kit from Ebay for just a few hundred dollars and it was a great kit for a beginner. There are also a lot of online tattoo supply shops where you can buy all of the necessities that you would need to start practicing tattooing. Some things to consider when you buy the kit is that you are going to need to also purchase disposable sterile needles and tubes. You will never, even if you are just practicing on fake skin, want to use the same needle and tube for multiple tattoos. Make sure that you stay in the habit of being safe and properly disposing of all of you disposable tools that are required to be sterile.

To sum it all up, if you are thinking of learning how to tattoo, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. Now, even though buying a tattoo machine is not necessarily a bad idea, even if you are completely new to tattooing, you definitely need to know your limits and make sure you don't get ahead of yourself and start trying to tattoo on human skin until you have learn everything you need to know through a traditional apprenticeship.

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