Reddit mentions: The best tattoo supplies

Copying this comment from another thread that I posted in, hope it helps!


Poke with your needle at a 45 degree angle, use a sort of hooking motion to deposit more ink into the skin as well. You'll hear a slight popping, if you go to deep the ink will spread under the skin and won't look great. You're better off poking too soft than too hard, you can always go back over your lines if need be. Search on YouTube and you'll see some people using this "hooking" motion.

Put a very thin layer of vaseline or aquaphor wherever you are going to tattoo before you start poking, this will keep the ink from spreading everywhere so you can see what you're doing. Also, dab your needle on a paper towel after dipping it in your ink to get extra ink off; this will also ensure that you can see what you're doing, as you won't have tons of extra ink sitting on the skin. Wipe with a dry paper towel after you go over a section, and repeat with the vaseline/aquaphor and poking.

Poke one section at a time, don't try to do the whole tattoo over and over. Get a solid line in one section, and then move to another.

If you're using a stencil allow 5-10 minutes between the time that you put it on and you start poking. This will keep the stencil from coming off super easily, you don't want to have to try and eyeball it or re-draw it if you don't have to. Only use a wet (with green soap, if you don't have some buy some) paper towel if you really need to, or when you're finished with the tattoo to clean up all the excess ink. If you use a wet paper towel before you're finished it will wipe off/fade your stencil.

Shave where you are going to be tattooing before you start (I hope everyone knows this already). If you don't have green soap, get some as I stated earlier. You can use it for shaving with, cleaning the tattoo, etc. If you don't have access to green soap, you can use witch hazel for cleaning the tattoo during/after poking. You'll need shaving cream for shaving (assuming you don't have green soap), don't use witch hazel.

Keep everything sanitary, the last thing you want to do is give someone an infection! Use gloves, wipe things down, make a sanitary workstation, use sterile tattoo needles only (NOT SEWING NEEDLES OR PINS), use tattoo ink only (NOT INDIA OR OTHER INK). For other tips on a sanitation check YouTube for a standard tattoo work station!

Last but not least, have some fun! Start off with small things, and work your way up to your own designs! If you like an artist's work, go get a tattoo done by them instead of copying it :)

Here is a link to green soap

Here is a link to very basic tattoo needles - You'll want to use the RL's for lining, and the RS' for shading

Here is a link to some good black ink. I recommend starting with the 1oz bottle, this will last you a long time.

Feel free to pm me or drop a comment if you (or anyone else) needs help! I've only been doing this for a few months, but I feel like I've done a lot of research and have a pretty good idea of how things work!

In all honesty it isn't very good. I don't mean any disrespect but it needs some love. good news is it's not too late for you friend. get this stuff and go over the whole thing.

Ink: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OJGLIHA?psc=1

Needles:
https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Assorted-Disposable-Tattoo-Needles/dp/B0043CU6JQ

And then you have more than enough supplies left over to do some more in a much safer and better way. Good luck.

Right now I have two airbrushes at my bench. I have the Iwata Eclipse and the Iwata Custom Micron.

The Eclipse is a fantastic general-purpose airbrush. I've used one for about 25 years and I highly recommend them. You can do fine work with the gravity model's .35mm tip, but it takes some practice. On the other hand, as the tips get smaller the more finicky they become. It's why I find the Eclipse to be a good compromise between fine detail and general usefulness.

The Custom Micron has a .18mm tip and can do some crazy fine work, but getting to where you can do it has something of a learning curve. Tips this small (or smaller, like the Infinity) just weren't meant for paint. They were meant for things like ink that have no particulate matter to clog the tip. You CAN do it, but you'll need a crash course on paint thinning in order to make it happen consistently. Airbrush paints run fine through a tip that size until you try to do ultra-fine work. I wouldn't trade mine for anything now that I know how to get it to do what I want it to do, but I would not recommend anybody buy a CM for miniature work.

Although I'm a pretty solid Iwata user, it's hard not to look at the H&S Infinity as a good brush for mini painters given its quality and flexibility.

If you have an amazon account you can order real tattoo needles and ink for pretty cheap. I would definitely consider that because then you can be much less worried about potential contamination, infections, etc. The items I linked are the needles and ink I bought and the ones that seem to be popular. 3RLs and 5RLs are pretty common for first time pokers. Real tattoo needles are preferred because you can poke faster (think 3 or 5 pokes at a time as opposed to 1). As for suggestions for what to tattoo, only you can really know what you'll like! In general, I'd start with something small. Think of things you like- interests, hobbies, movies, animals, shapes, people, nature, etc. Then start sketching out a few things, maybe even on your body, until you're happy with something. Don't be afraid to take more than a few days or weeks to decide, this will be on your body forever!

I have some recognizable tattoos, and I don't bother hiding them. I'm not really worried about being recognized - that's what I want! To be successful. Besides, I'm hoping my "yup, I am a sw" attitude if I do get called out by someone I know helps to normalize this type of work.

Obviously I don't think or expect everyone else to be this "out and proud" so to speak, but if you are uncomfortable with that, having tattoos can be a detriment to working smoothly and naturally. I might recommend these spandex sleeve covers that I used to have to wear when I started out cooking at one of those awful chain restaurants:

https://www.amazon.com/Compression-Concealer-Aftercare-Protection-Oversleeve/dp/B07QSBK7B6/ref=asc_df_B07QSBK7B6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366299657964&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13744521403329105130&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030238&hvtargid=pla-813210106446&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=76465174695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=366299657964&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13744521403329105130&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030238&hvtargid=pla-813210106446

(sorry for the long link, I'm amateur at formatting)

If you went this route, an idea would be that special, verified (as in definitely someone you don't know) customers could pay just to see them. I love sex work, so creative. Good luck.

Love the setup! Got the same display stands but got annoyed by having to find something of the exact height to create a second series of columns. And then I found this:

http://www.amazon.com/Acrylic-Tattoo-Display-Organizer-Counter/dp/B0089YGY5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396987006&sr=8-1&keywords=tattoo+ink+rack

And because I still ended up with too much space being occupied I decided to also go with these:

http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Acrylic-Tattoo-Organizer-Display/dp/B00CDB5LAI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1396987006&sr=8-5&keywords=tattoo+ink+rack

A bit more expensive than those "standard" acrylic stands but judging from your bar you can also afford it easily enough. :-) I really like those wall racks... can't wait for them to arrive in a few days. It will give me back surface area space while utilizing wall space better. Just a thought, figured you might want to check these out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010GJG9NQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_zCJwbb6l7Igcd

These are fine if you're just starting out. $10 is a tiny amount to guarantee a way better tattoo.

1 and 3 round liners will be incredibly fine and hard to maintain a clean line, but great for details and precise correction. 5-9rl will give you a clean, solid line most easily. A 7rl will likely give you the best overall result. Be safe! Wear gloves!

Edit: just be aware that sewing needles are very likely to yield blotchy lines with blowouts and will damage the skin easily. It's also just kind of a pain in the ass tbh.

Definitely from the after-care he recommended you use. I have sensitive skin too and have had reactions to certain ointments. The most recent one I've used is After Inked. Recommended to me from my last artist and by far the best tattoo after care ointment I've used.

http://www.amazon.com/After-Inked-Tattoo-Moisturizer-Aftercare/dp/B005I4R75O

Congrats on the job! I usually wear these sleeve thingies and it's way more comfortable than wearing a shirt under your scrubs since it won't be double layers. I've also found that long sleeve shirts meant for working out are more comfortable material and don't get as hot as like a regular cotton long sleeve shirt.

I've just used one at a time. Grapeseed oil was all I used on most recent rib cage tattoo. Shea butter can be good for particularly dry spots. I'm sure there are blends available on Amazon.com. I searched "tattoo natural aftercare" on amazon, and there are quite a few options. I'd just get whatever has the fewest number of ingredients and I tend to avoid unnecessary essential oils. https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Tattoo-Care-25-ounce/dp/B00I13N56E/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1498429571&sr=8-1&keywords=redemption%2Btattoo%2Baftercare&th=1 This product I've heard of. But honestly, I think some good quality grapeseed oil will do the trick.

If you're old enough, you can buy the tattoo cover thingies from amazon. They come in skin tone and plenty of people won't even notice that you're wearing them.

Tat2X Ink Armor Premium Full Arm Tattoo Cover Up Sleeve - No Slip Gripper - U.S. Made - Light - XL2X https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046MQWV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_xxoS6kTuxsnqX

These are my favorite. Fit like a dream, very comfortable. VERY breathable. Not very noticeable. Kiiiinda pricy, they're sold by the single unit.

Did your artist give you any aftercare instructions? You need to be using something like Tattoo Goo or similar, to give your skin the best chance of healing quickly, and to preserve the clarity and color of the piece.

Thanks for the advice. I've seen stuff like this to cover up tattoos. I figure wearing long sleeves and a watch would work. I am always wearing long sleeves, even in summer.

I don't think fingers would work so well, as they tend to fade very quickly. I'd like it to look good for a long time.

I've got a couple of these tattoo ink stands in my mixing room and they work great and can fit larger bottles easily. edit I also have the larger one here and it's on sale right now.

Alright I am home now.

These are the needles I bought and have lasted me 6 tattoos (5 of which took two sessions). There are some in there I will probably never use but you never known when you decide to do some fat lines and need those 9rl's.

Washing your hands is nice but gloves are another layer of safety on top. Unless you are going to the doctors soon to swipe some.

This is the ink I use. Small but has lasted me.

Dettol for stencil transfer paper because I am not about to fuck up the bad on something that is gonna stick around for a bit. I also just have alcohol wipes at home from a kit, dollar store plastic shot glasses I wash, and paper towels to complete my kit. Should set you back 50 but last you through a ton of stick and pokes.

Np by the way you have to keep it moisturize I use this product called Tattoo Goo every time I get a new tattoo it helps keeping it looking nice Tattoo Goo

I got mine off Amazon. Make a solution for wiping by diluting with water. I use the same mixture to transfer stencil to skin which is super convenient too.

So I bought a a variety back of 60 needles (you choose what needles you want and how many of each you want) for 8.99

It seems like quantities of 50/60 are about as small as they get as the retailers sell mainly to shops who need large amounts of needles. Unfortunately, having this many needles has resulted in me forever finding them in purses, couch creases, drawers, and oddly enough, in books....

Kuro Sumi!!!

You can find lesser quantities for less money, but this is what I bought and I’m confident in saying that I’ll never have to buy ink again. Also, keep an eye out for knock offs. If it seems too cheap to be real, it’s because it is.

Kuro Sumi has been the most consistently praised ink I’ve seen which is why I went for it, but there are other options that don’t run as much that are still reliable. You just gotta look at reviews and see what other pokers say, not just machine tattooers.

Edit: formatting shit.

https://www.amazon.com/Tattoo-Skin-Marker-Marking-Scribe/dp/B005LT25IK

Sounds like a Christmas (or whatever) present would be a good way to break the ice with this.

Sorry I forgot to reply, I don’t get on that much! This is the kit I’ve used for healing nowadays. I’ve done the Vaseline route, the Shea butter route, and now I use the products in here. I trust their stuff: XL Tattoo Goo Aftercare Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B278GNW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Maybe one of these? I saw someone else on reddit suggest one. Not really sure how breathable they are, but it seems like a viable choice for your situation.

Ebay. They basically look like marker pens. Here's an amazon.com link. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LT25IK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417138706&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

poke some bullshit on yourself, have fun. get some real needles and ink. Make sure you research blood borne pathogens before you tattoo anyone else though.

Tattoo ink. It's about the same price as India ink, looks nicer, has a variety of colors to use, and there no chance of accidentally using ink with say cadmium, or cobalt in it. black, variety pack

>I'm confused, are you suggesting the primary purpose of a needle is arguably to poke holes in your own skin?

Yes.

That is one use, there are many others but lets roll with it. These needles
https://www.monstersteel.com/collections/tattoo-needles

or

https://www.amazon.com/Pre-sterilized-Tattoo-Disposable-Pirate-Face/dp/B0019D2ZLO

Both are exactly what you describe. If I am wrong, please correct me.

Here are a bunch of information on needles and poking holes in your own skin
https://medical-diagonosis.wonderhowto.com/how-to/draw-blood-with-three-different-phlebotomy-techniques-364167/

-----------------------------

Heck, here is a guide on how to literally sew your self shut: Needles used to sew human flesh together.
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1824895-technique

>The needle should always penetrate the skin at a 90° angle, which minimizes the size of the entry wound and promotes eversion of the skin edges. The needle should be inserted 1-3 mm from the wound edge, depending on skin thickness. The depth and angle of the suture depends on the particular suturing technique.Jul 11, 2017

I use this thing;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0089YGY5Y

But it probably wouldn't be enough for a shop.

Been looking at getting this for my new setup:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KIGQL0Y/ref=crt_ewc_title_gw_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AS7VB9OCJNT4I

Here is the desktop version of your link

After Inked

Kuro Sumi