Embarking on a journey to become a tattoo artist is an exciting endeavor filled with creativity, passion, and the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on your clients. However, like any art form, tattooing comes with its unique set of challenges.
As a beginner, it’s easy to fall into common pitfalls that could hinder your progress and affect the quality of your work. But fear not! Understanding these potential missteps and learning how to avoid them is a crucial part of growing as an artist.
In this blog post, we delve into the insightful video by That Tattoo Guy titled “Beginner Tattoo Artist Mistakes And How To Avoid Them!”
From mastering the basics to understanding the nuances of line work, designing tattoos to age well, minimizing skin damage, and creating high-contrast tattoos, we’ll explore the common mistakes made by beginners and provide practical advice on how to sidestep them. So, whether you’re just starting your tattooing journey or looking to refine your skills, read on to discover how you can elevate your craft to the next level.
Video Summary and Highlights
- Biting off more than you can chew: New tattoo artists often take on designs that are too large or intricate for their current skill level. The solution is to master the basics such as lining, shading, and packing solid black. Artists should take calculated risks and gradually build up their skills.
- Choosing the wrong line weights: Line work is crucial in tattooing, and using the wrong line weight can ruin a tattoo. For instance, a traditional tattoo design should not be lined with a thin three-liner, and a smooth black and gray tattoo shouldn’t be lined with a 14 round liner. Artists should familiarize themselves with the style of tattooing they want to do and study the work of talented artists in that style.
- Putting lines too close together: Many new artists place their lines too close together or pack too much detail into a small area, which can make the tattoo unreadable once it heals and ages. The solution is to design tattoos to age well and give them room to breathe.
- Overworking the skin: This often happens when the artist doesn’t understand how to get the ink into the skin with minimal damage. Overworking the skin can lead to scabbing, potential scarring, and a higher risk of infection. The solution is to learn how to match hand speed and machine speed to minimize skin damage.
- Not having enough contrast: Tattoos with low contrast can look flat and unimpressive, and they may not age as well as high-contrast tattoos. The solution for black and gray tattoos is to increase the contrast in the reference image or find a better reference. For color tattoos, artists can add more black or pick a high-contrast color palette.
