Most aspiring tattooers know they can’t just pick up a machine and start tattooing right away, even if they’re already talented artists.
Why? Because tattoo machines are heavier and harder to control than pencils or paint brushes, and tattoo designs have a different set of rules from regular drawings. Plus, unlike paper, skin stretches and bleeds, making it a difficult medium to work with.
This is why it’s so important to first practice drawing tattoo designs and learn how to use a tattoo machine before taking on clients.
If you need some tattoo practice, you can build your skills in three main ways:
In this article, we’ll break down how to start practicing tattooing through each of these steps. That way, you'll feel confident when you tattoo real human skin.
Learn to Draw Tattoos on Paper | Understanding Design
While you’ll need to master using tattooing equipment to become a tattoo artist, the most important step before you begin tattooing is to level up your drawing skills. You’ll need to be at the top of your game in order to design tattoos that make you stand out as you develop your own style.
Draw Constantly
The first piece of advice you’ll get when you search how to practice tattooing without a machine is to draw…and draw constantly.
This is because your ability to draw is the ceiling of your ability to tattoo. The more time you spend drawing, the more potential you will have as a tattoo artist.
That being said, there are ways to shortcut the process when it comes to learning to draw tattoo designs. Check them out in our article, How to Tattoo for Beginners. It’ll explain how to develop your own style, triple your drawing speed, and design world-class tattoos.
Use a Weighted Pencil
This is the best “practice machine” you can create.
Tattoo artists need to have strong hands to support a tattoo machine for hours on end while still remaining steady. You can start building this strength by putting a pencil in the tattoo machine.
When you draw with the added weight of the machine on your pencil, you’ll not only get a feel for the machine’s size, you’ll start building the muscle memory you need to tattoo like a professional way faster.
Pro Tip:
This is not possible with a pen machine (sometimes called “pneumatic tattoo machines”). However, you can put a pencil into coil tattoo machines and most rotary machines. While we recommend using a high quality machine for tattooing your own skin and your clients, you can grab a cheap tattoo machine just to make a weighted pencil.
Bonus: Practice Drawing Temporary Tattoos on Friends and Family
A huge part of learning to tattoo is knowing how to work with the curves and contours of the body. If you’re not ready to leave behind a permanent mark, you can practice drawing tattoo designs directly onto the body using a Sharpie. This is also a good method for how to tattoo yourself with no lasting ink.
While this doesn’t train you to use a tattoo machine or how to get the right needle depth, it will prepare you to design tattoos that flow with the shape of the body and learn to steady yourself without a drawing table or desk (a luxury you’ll always have when drawing on paper).
Check Out Different Tattoo Machines
Different tattoo machines have different strengths. For example, pen machines are very beginner friendly. Some machines have a set short stroke (which is best for artists interested in realism), while others have a longer set stroke (which is best for artists interested in pushing thick linework, which is necessary for styles like Neo Trad and New School).
Our professional tattoo artist instructors have tried out many different tattoo machines. Our top recommendations for new artists are the Prime X Critical pen machine or the Inkjecta rotary machine. While some artists want to use coil tattoo machines, it’s important to note that these can be more difficult to tune properly compared to other machines.
Pro Tip:
Don’t call tattoo machines “tattoo guns.” This will signal to many professional tattooists that you aren’t “serious” about tattooing, which can make it difficult if you’re trying to get a job or become a tattoo apprentice.
Fake Skin, Fruit, and Friends - What to Practice Tattooing On
Drawing on paper or using a marker on skin can only get you so far. You’ll need to practice using your machine on fake skin so you can get used to the vibration of the machine, understand needle depth, and learn the basics of tattooing: lining, packing, whip shading, and pendulum shading are a few techniques that are important to practice. (If you’re not sure how to do these things, visit Tattoo Techniques for in-depth explanations.)
When it comes to fake skin, there are a few different things to practice tattooing on:
Synthetic skin (our favorite brand is ReelSkin) is a sheet of silicone that looks and feels like human skin. Synthetic skin can lie flat on your work area, which makes these first “tattoos” much easier.
Note: If you overwork the skin on a real person
The tattoo will heal patchy or may even scar. If the practice skin is cut or has chunks missing from it, then you’ve overworked it and have caused too much trauma to the skin.
How to Practice Tattooing on Fake Skin:
- 1Make sure you have a sanitary setup. Even though you’re not at risk for any diseases while working with synthetic skin, it’s important to build up good tattooing habits.
- 2Apply the stencil to your practice skin
- 3Let the stencil dry (the longer, the better).
- 4Line the tattoo first. You’ll want to use round liners (RL needles).
- 5Use a round shader (RS) or mag (M1) to pack in black ink or color.
Pro Tip: If you’re confident with your depth control, “float the needle” while you’re lining. It will give you more accuracy. However, you’ll want to be careful with this method because floating the needle increases your chances of blowouts and overworking the skin.
Practicing on fruit, especially at the beginning of your tattooing journey is more difficult than synthetic skin. However, if you’re on a tight budget, it’s cheaper than fake skin. Additionally, fruit has curves, bumps, and creases like human skin.
How to Practice on Fruit:
- 1Make sure you have a sanitary setup.
- 2Choose a “good” fruit for tattooing. Bananas, oranges, and grapefruit tend to be the best options.
- 3Wash the fruit thoroughly. You want to go through the entire stencil process with any fake skin. This includes using a sanitizer to strip the skin of oil, which keeps the stencil from sticking well. However, you’ll want to do a more thorough wash first for fruit, since it will be more likely to have dirt or debris on it that can clog the needle than synthetic skin.
- 4Apply the stencil to your fake skin.
- 5Let the stencil dry (the longer, the better).
- 6Line the tattoo first. You’ll want to use round liners (RL needles).
- 7Use a round shader (RS) or mag (M1) to pack in black ink or color.
Peel the skin of your fruit after tattooing.
If you practice on fruit with “thick skin” like a grapefruit, your needle should not make it all the way through the skin. If they are, you’re going way too deep.
If you’re really wanting to practice on “real” skin but you’re not ready to tattoo yourself or a family member, you can try tattooing pig skin. The best way to get pig skin is to ask a local butcher, who might give it to you for free.
You should use gloves and sanitary equipment for every practice tattoo. However, when dealing with real skin like this, you must make sure those safety measures are in place.
How to Practice Tattooing on Pig Skin:
- 1Make sure you have a sanitary setup.
- 2Apply the stencil to your fake skin.
- 3Let the stencil dry (the longer, the better).
- 4Line the tattoo first. You’ll want to use round liners (RL needles).
- 5Use a round shader (RS) or mag (M1) to pack in black ink or color.
Tattooing Human Skin | Who to Tattoo First
This step should only come after you are confident working with practice skin. That being said, if you are going to be learning how to tattoo yourself or another person, you must have an understanding of the health risks and get your Bloodborne Pathogens certification. Keeping a sanitary tattooing station is more complicated than it might seem, and in most states, it is illegal to tattoo another person without this training.
Tattoo Yourself
Most artists begin by learning how to tattoo on themselves. Tattooing your thigh (as opposed to an arm) allows you to use both hands and practice getting a good stretch on the skin. This gives you the best practice because you will be using both hands while tattooing other people.
Additionally, thigh tattoos are also easy to cover. If you’ve practiced enough, you’ll be ready to tattoo human skin, but your first tattoos won’t be your best work. You’ll probably want them in a place that isn’t visible at all times.
Tattoo Friends and Family
Of course, the space on yourself is going to be limited. Once you feel comfortable, giving small tattoos to friends and family will let you sharpen your skills by tattooing more often.
Pro Tip: There will be mistakes in your first tattoos.
For anyone who wants to learn to tattoo, there will be mistakes in their first. Some of those mistakes can be hidden if you do the right tattoos. Check out this video tutorial on The Best Tattoos for Beginner Artists to learn which designs give you a little margin of error while you’re learning to tattoo:
Practice Tattooing with Professional Guidance
Everything we’ve listed here will help you get a good start when it comes to practicing your tattooing. However, to be great at tattooing, you need a full understanding of how tattoos are designed, as well as how tattoo artists use different needles and techniques to produce professional designs.
This can take years - or even decades - to learn to tattoo on your own without help.
The Artist Accelerator Program lets you learn to tattoo without having to give up your income for years in an unpaid apprenticeship. Cut years off the learning curve and learn from professional tattoo artists. Our proven course allows you to learn the craft of tattooing in a structured way that’s worked for over 2500 students.
Get instant access to the training, mentorship, and guidance you need to become a professional tattoo artist.
I can draw a little bit. And I do have some tattoos on myself. I always wanted to learn how to do this as well. But I’m not sure if I could do this. Im retire now and I want to learn a trade to do myself, by myself, and that I could do on my own. I was a plaster for over 42 years which most people call white coat or plastering which u or yourself create different designs made out of stucco or plaster. I have made all kinds of designs out of. I believe I could be good at this with the right teachers and teaching from the right people teaching me. I want this so bad that I will do what ever it take to learn.
Unfortunately I’ve struggled with mental health issues all of my live. I’m now 38 and a stay at home dad. Drawing whilst having music is my go 2 for calmness I’m a self taught artist that is wanting to learn tattooing and doing it myself can’t afford online courses or tattoo equipment. I’m from the uk Living cost Bills make it hard for me so I’m taking as much info in for free and want to thank u for all ur info… I’ll try and keep you updated