ben.catterall

[ben.catterall]

@jguzman89 wrote:

i just want the forums to start picking up traffic, good posters with good intentions. its good to show your work because others notice something that you might have missed or overlooked. I also think a good idea would be to have little draw off’s where we pick something to draw and everyone can do there own version of it, it really helps and lets you know what approach others are taking.

yeah we where doing drawing comps a while ago. think they lasted about three weeks then unfortunately died off again. Was great fun while it lasted. I’m keen for it to come back!! :D

[ben.catterall]

Hey Mate,

I know im a bit slow on this one… been away a while. But I am keen to help out in any way you need if you still need help. I’ll email you.

Cheers,

Ben

[ben.catterall]

@Jester wrote:

I actually bought a $5 pos Chinese machine.
I modified it hold a mechanical pencil. When
I push down on the armiture bar, it push on
the pencil and advances the lead. I use it to
do most of my drawing.

I love the idea! pretty creative. I will give it a try. When you say you push down on the armature bar, do you actually connect to power and use your foot pedal or just push the A bar with your finger? hahaha

Cheers,
Ben

[ben.catterall]

yeah i can see a good improvement on your line work.

I know you have probably heard it all before, but im good at pushing people with this and its a very important subject… Blood borne pathogens. Are you using disposable grips and tips and needles etc? If you are not, do you have a sterilizer and do you know how to use it? Have you done any BBP courses? are you taking proper precautions with cleaning all your gear before and after tattooing including the floor and area around, especially if tattooing in your home? are you practicing only on friends or yourself? or are you getting paying customers? Have you read the book offered by this website? its great for information and instruction! not as good as an apprenticeship, but i know they are extremely hard to get and sometimes not practical to get.

anyway…. thats my rant over for now. hahaha. sorry but its all very important stuff and i make sure to blabber on about that stuff a fair bit :D

Keep up the good work

Cheers,
Ben

[ben.catterall]

Thats pretty awesome for a first tattoo! There are a few lines that are a bit wierd. Especially the big S. the lines on the bottom right of the big S are very wonky and the black doesnt fill all the way to the edge. But nothing that you couldnt fix later on.

I do like the splashes of red. Pretty cool look to it!

How long have you been practicing for? Have you practiced on fruit or pig skin or practice tattoo skin?

Cheers,
Ben :)

[ben.catterall]

@robroy289 wrote:

Man, you can say that stuff untill the cows come home!! You have to put in the work! Not just go to one shop and give up and say; ‘ OH, they will not give me a chance’! You have to work for this shit man!!! You will never be as good as you could be without a mentor. And thats just real talk.Tattoo artist allready have a bad enough name. Learn the right way and become something awsome!! :idea:

Gotta say I completely agree with Robroy on this! Plus google “blood borne pathogens” and “cross contamination” and study your arse off on what you have to do to keep clean. Get disposable tips and grips etc, and never Never NEVER use the same needle on someone else. Same goes for your grips and tips. Even if they are reusable, dont do it unless you have a sterilizer that gets regular spore test, and even then I would still suggest using disposables.

I know what its like not being able to get an apprenticeship, but you really do need help with this! We will be able to help to an extent, but to set up your machines properly, watch/teach proper technique (especialll hand speed, grip, depth etc) it has to be in person to correct you properly.

If you cant get an apprenticeship then get tattooed. Lots! in a place you can watch. And ask them lots and lots of questions!!

And if you just must tattoo real skin then dont do it on anyone else but your self for a long time. You have some great skin and your thighs that are great to practice on!

Not trying to be a dick, just want to help you before you make any mistakes!

Cheers,
Ben

[ben.catterall]

Well sorry for the late reply guys. Looks like Murai89 is the winner. So Murai, pick a subject for the next contest, start a new thread and name it Art Contest Week 3 and lets get started. :D

[ben.catterall]

What inks did you use? Cause it seems to be very grey in colour instead of black. Is that what you were going for or is it just the photo?

[ben.catterall]

Yeah I guess we better decide… Thanks for all your drawings. My vote is going for Murai89. Was a nice piece.

So let’s pick a winner and get another thread going for another week :)

[ben.catterall]

Welcome! I’m also from Sydney. Post some pics of you work or art! :D

[ben.catterall]

no need to worry about people being rude on this forum. They have all been great for the time i have been on here. All willing to help as long as you are safe.

as far as the coil verse rotary, there are two main types/styles of machines out there. The coil machine is the most popular which is basicaly a frame, two coils, two springs, and armature bar a capacitor and some wiring, as well as your contact posts and screws (very basic description). I have attached a basic picture. They are more complicated to maintain, but can be more versatile in my opinion.

Rotary machines are becoming more popular. They are a lot simpler to use and maintain as there is less moving parts. I personnally havent used them at all, but i do own one and plan to try it out soon.

Rotary are good (or so I have been told) because they are lighter in weight and have less noise and vibration making it easier to get cleaner smother lines.

To start off I would highly recommend buying the book supplied by this site. I have read mine a bunch of times and it explains the different types of machines and goes into how they work (would take too long for me to explain here).

Definately practice drawing a lot. Pig skin is the closest to human skin for practie, but as you are vegetarian I understand not wanting to use it, so definately practice on fruit like oranges, bananas, melons etc. The point of that is to get used to how the machines work, to get smoth crisp lines, and to practice on a curved surface as human skin is rarely flat to tattoo. Practice skin is also good to use to practice line work, and getting your shading right, but doesnt have the same feel as skin does. You dont get the same feel for how deep to go until your actually doing it on real flesh.

Although many people will say get an apprenticeship (which is the best way to learn) it doesnt mean you cant learn on your own. I am learnng myself, I am also in the defence force (Australian Navy) and it is difficult to do this while in a full time job.

Some of the gear out there is total rubbish, but other cheaper kits and gear arent too bad. Just read lots of reviews on the gear before you buy. and maye even post the link on this site and ask for some advice. We are all here to help.

Hope this has helped a little bit at least. Just keep asking lots of questions and we will try answer :D

Good luck!
Ben

[ben.catterall]

Thanks for the idea. Just bought a 30 pack of watercolor crayons which are really cool! Plus a got 7 different shades of copic sketch markers. They are awesome but extremely expensive here in Australia! $10 each!!! Should help though

[ben.catterall]

I use tattoo goo on all my tattoos. I have never had a problem with it. If its red and swollen put an ice pack on it. I use this occassionally after big tattoos. It reduces swelling and relieves the burning pain. Just don’t leave it on for longer than 20 minutes or you could burn your skin. Hope it heals soon!

[ben.catterall]

ok… here is the complete/almost complete image… was thinking of doing a bit of colour in there too, espeially on the flowrs, but dont have any colouring in pencils or water colour at the moment. might have to get some tomorrow. :D

Let me know what you think ;)

[ben.catterall]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback :D

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