I know i know..

So i got myself some equipment like 3, 4 days ago.. it came with 2 different needles, 3 point liners and a box of 5 mags, i need to get my hands on some round shaders, but anyway the reason for this post is because i want to admit to something i probably shouldn't be doing, at least not at this stage (at least it's on fake skin) I've been playing around with using my mag needles to do the lining on designs just to see, you know? See how it differs from lining with my 3 point liners (man, the consentration it takes to get those thin ass lines straight X'D but anyway, i just wanted to hear from the professionals just how much i probably shouldn't be doing it with the mags and the reasons why, thank you guys.

You can line with a mag but it’s probably considered an advanced skill by most tattooers. Getting the lines in is the easy part but controlling the depth of all the needles is the tricky part, and when cornering (when you lift the needles just to insert ink with 1 or 2 or the needles) you need to gauge your depth based on the lowest hanging needles. This is where I’ve seen the most mistakes with mag lining, and as the needles act like a blade when used on the edge, its very easy to slice the skin. By all means play around with it on fake, but my best advice would be to hold off with this technique on skin until your very experienced, if you ever use it all…most tattooists don’t, especially when liners are available. You’ll always gat a crisper line with a dedicated liner.

Also I’d suggest you quickly get yourself bigger liners, 3s are pretty unforgiving and will make your early stages of development harder than they need to be. I’d suggest going for 9RL as a good starting point.

Final point, Round Shaders are used way less than mags, and again a lot of tattooers won’t ever use them, or only for a small range of specific tasks. You could hold off on the RS and instead get RLs at a bigger size.

Take notice of what Whippet is telling you......Lining with a mag is for experienced tattooists.....get yourself some larger liners...I would start at a 7rl or larger. It appears to me that you have got your little kit and are impatient to get tattooing, at least you're using practice skin and not fucking up your arms or legs, just remember, you have to learn to walk before you can run....be patient

Hey you, don't call my kit little.... lmfao nah I'm just excited, i wont do anything irrational, it's what i have at the moment so i was seeing what i could pull off whith what i have, thank you guys so much for the advice and I'll be doing just that, focusing on getting a larger array of liners to work with! Thanks again guys.

whippet said:

You can line with a mag but it’s probably considered an advanced skill by most tattooers. Getting the lines in is the easy part but controlling the depth of all the needles is the tricky part, and when cornering (when you lift the needles just to insert ink with 1 or 2 or the needles) you need to gauge your depth based on the lowest hanging needles. This is where I’ve seen the most mistakes with mag lining, and as the needles act like a blade when used on the edge, its very easy to slice the skin. By all means play around with it on fake, but my best advice would be to hold off with this technique on skin until your very experienced, if you ever use it all…most tattooists don’t, especially when liners are available. You’ll always gat a crisper line with a dedicated liner.

Also I’d suggest you quickly get yourself bigger liners, 3s are pretty unforgiving and will make your early stages of development harder than they need to be. I’d suggest going for 9RL as a good starting point.

Final point, Round Shaders are used way less than mags, and again a lot of tattooers won’t ever use them, or only for a small range of specific tasks. You could hold off on the RS and instead get RLs at a bigger size.

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Thank you! I'll be doing just that, i appreciate your feedback a lot!

Bradok Satyr said:

So i got myself some equipment like 3, 4 days ago.. it came with 2 different needles, 3 point liners and a box of 5 mags, i need to get my hands on some round shaders, but anyway the reason for this post is because i want to admit to something i probably shouldn't be doing, at least not at this stage (at least it's on fake skin) I've been playing around with using my mag needles to do the lining on designs just to see, you know? See how it differs from lining with my 3 point liners (man, the consentration it takes to get those thin ass lines straight X'D but anyway, i just wanted to hear from the professionals just how much i probably shouldn't be doing it with the mags and the reasons why, thank you guys.

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Hi Bradok,
You can definitly cut some vegetation with scissors, it will be messy and long, then you got the machete, which was designed for this.
So, with that said... Beginning from the beginning is a good start ;-)

Cheers, have fun!

Peace,

DKJ

Lol nice analogy, thank you.

Big Pete said:

Take notice of what Whippet is telling you......Lining with a mag is for experienced tattooists.....get yourself some larger liners...I would start at a 7rl or larger. It appears to me that you have got your little kit and are impatient to get tattooing, at least you're using practice skin and not fucking up your arms or legs, just remember, you have to learn to walk before you can run....be patient

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Ugh... maybe you don't realize how snarky you come across. This feels like "old-school tat shop" attitude. I'm here to get away from that. So here's to new starts.

Bootgrrl2u said:

Ugh... maybe you don't realize how snarky you come across. This feels like "old-school tat shop" attitude. I'm here to get away from that. So here's to new starts.

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Why do you feel it's old-school?
English is not my first language so i may miss the point.
Just for you to know, there's quite a 'safe' path to learn tattoing, which is lining first, then packing, then all the fancy techniques.
You can have fun on fake skin and your own skin, but fugging up someone's else is gonna put your pro career to a quick end.
That's all we're saying here, a warning for everyone who wants to escape problems in the self-learning journey, which is harder than having a mentor.

Even if some comments may seem rude, it's all good, caring thoughts.

Peace,

DKJ

Bootgrrl2u said:

Ugh... maybe you don't realize how snarky you come across. This feels like "old-school tat shop" attitude. I'm here to get away from that. So here's to new starts.

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Wow this comment surprised me. I don’t know if you’ve arrived with baggage, but I’ve been on this forum for 7 years now and never experienced people being ‘snarky’, only people trying to give their best advice (for free) to others on the same journey.

I’m rooting for everyone on here that aspires to make tattooing their livelihood, and id prepared to put in the necessary hard yards.

Support is about guiding people along the most efficient path and (as DKJ said) avoiding doing anything damaging along the way. You might be surprised how fucking up on a client messes with your head far more than theirs.

And I’m all for progress and innovation, but when there’s a known risk in a practice, even when carried out by a professional, it needs to be stated.

I'm very aware of all the tat procedures and not "fucking up" skin and mental issues. I've been involved in the tattoo business scene for 20 years+. Fortunately I have been through hell and back, learned to be positive. The point to my post was the passive/aggressive comments that could make people run and hide. For example: "I don’t know if you’ve arrived with baggage, but I’ve been on this forum for 7 years now and never experienced people being ‘snarky’, only people trying to give their best advice (for free) to others on the same journey."

Why do you feel the need to make someone feel 'less than' with the 'baggage' comment or 'for free' comment. Just like the comment that Big Pete(?) made saying "your little kit" to that one member, trying to intimidate them, that started this thread. This is suppose to be a judgment-free and positive comments on how-to-tattoo. I'm personally thick skinned and could give a flying fuck about someone trying to up me, I'm comfortable in my skin. Just trying to be nice about it; but for someone new and nice; they won't stay, they'll run! Then it's back to 'old school tat shop' all over again. Meaning the fucked up apprenticeship vibe. No need to rip on this post, I'm done. Have a kick ass day

DKJ said:

Why do you feel it's old-school?
English is not my first language so i may miss the point.
Just for you to know, there's quite a 'safe' path to learn tattoing, which is lining first, then packing, then all the fancy techniques.
You can have fun on fake skin and your own skin, but fugging up someone's else is gonna put your pro career to a quick end.
That's all we're saying here, a warning for everyone who wants to escape problems in the self-learning journey, which is harder than having a mentor.

Even if some comments may seem rude, it's all good, caring thoughts.

Peace,

DKJ

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Hello! My bad for not considering different cultures and terms. When I say 'old school' it's in reference to tattoo shops that give rude attitude to customers and treat apprentices badly. Unlike the instructors of Tattooing 101 who are attempting to avoid tattoo artist that act like god and treat other like servants.

Bootgrrl2u thanks for your input, i get what you mean and need to put some context.
These forums have been passed to Nathan and Tatooing101, a few months back.
A lot of peeps posting were there before this change, and at the time it was a self-taught tattoers' forum.
We were struggling and asking to the forum elders (mainly self taught) for advice, tips, and sharing our experiences.

Maybe that's why you feel some roughness in the comments.
There's a bunch of people who took the trial & error path and/or the try-hard one. When they see newbies coming here, they want to limit the time possibly wasted on wrong moves, they try to share what cannot be: experience.

Rough but honest critique as been the way here for a looooong time. It was not about putting newbies down, it was about closing some wrong paths, bad habits, funky techniques.

I hope you'll get that there's a real melting pot here, and that a ton of peeps are here because of free advice, we didn't all have the means to pay for Tattoing101 courses. I, for example, have around 30 tattoos under my belt and only paid for 450€ of gear, no money to invest to learn quick.

What you wrote about this place, which should be judgment-free, this is the case but there's a real talk about what lacks, because there's no time to loose.
Then we repeat ourselves and can explain stuff to the bone, that may not always seems nice, but some errors are repeating in the hands and minds of newbies, and i was there too. No bad feelings!

Peace,

DKJ

Well....it seems like I have stirred up a hornets nest with my comment....I did not intend to be "Snarky" with my comment about "a little tattoo kit"....the original post stated that the kit only came with 3rl's and 5mags, so I'm assuming that it wasn't a big tattoo kit...I then suggested the poster get some larger liner needles and to take their time with learning the craft before jumping in and doing bad tattoos as Whippet had already suggested, I apologise if I have offended anyone, it was not my intention. I have been tattooing for nearly 20 years and am solely self taught, I still make mistakes and am forever learning.

This is super cool of you to explain, and I too didn't mean to poke the hornet's nest. I shouldn't of come in like a hurricane

All settled, that's fine!

Have a nice and groovy day ya'll!

Peace,

DKJ