Online Tattoo Gallery: Tattoo machine

Now if you have never heard of this before, tongue tattoos come as quite a shock. As tattoos become more common ground you will find there are some who still want the mystery and allure of a unique tattoo. Due to the fact a tattoo can be of any design and style of the bearers choosing, it gives a person the opportunity to express themselves. Since tattoos have become less taboo over the years more people have begun looking into other tattooing options, and this the tongue tattoo is born.

Like any other tattoo on the body, the tongue can be tattoo as a whole or in portion. They come in all sorts of styles and designs, with the most common being having your entire tongue tattooed a different colour. Imagine the reaction on peoples faces when you open your mouth to reveal a blue tongue, or purple or even black. This is just the type of self expression, attention and uniqueness some crave.

The most popular design is the star or tribal work. Stars are commonly found near the tip of the tongue, well tribal is typically reserved for the middle part of the tongue. Tattoos on the tongue can compliment piercings already present, adding an even more unique aspect. Of course as popularity increase so too will the available designs. If you have an idea take it to an artist and see if it can be implemented, you never know it could happen.

As far as how it is applied, it is exactly the same as a regular tattoo. It is completed with a tattoo gun and uses the process of needles penetrating the tongue to implant the colour pigmentation. Once the colour is absorbed by the tongue it will remain there forever. Most who have had this procedure done, claim there was no pain associated with it. It is often described as a tickling of the tongue. The artist will use a tool to hold the tongue out during the application. If you have a tongue piercing or have seen one done, the tool is the same one used for the piercings. Once the tongue is securely held out of the mouth the artist will tattoo it.

If this is an interesting process you would like to try, find a reputable artist around you who has experience in doing them. Not a lot of shops will do these as they are just beginning to take hold. With a little research though you should be able to find an artist. A tongue tattoo is something truly unique, defiantly not the normal everyday tattoo.

As tattoos become more popular these days, more and more people are getting tattoos or talking about getting one. This is great for the industry and even better for those who would like to get involved in the tattoo industry. But don’t think that becoming a professional tattoo artist is easy. There really isn’t any such thing as easy money by becoming a tattoo artist.

Many tattoo artist aspirants believe that purchasing a D.I.Y. tattoo kit from the advertisements of tattoo magazines is the starting point towards becoming a successful tattoo artist. Be aware that this equipment is of inferior quality and lacks precision. What next? Find a person to practice. And the result is dozens and dozens of people with awful tattoos and terrible scars and who will put you in their hate list forever. Furthermore, a true artist will be reluctant to take you under his wings because he is going to have a headache trying to guide you back on the right path.

The alternative is to pay a fee to a tattoo artist or shop to teach you the trade. So what is the type of fee to pay? As far as I know there are no reputable artists teaching you all he know for a fee. A true artist is not a true blooded businessman. If an artist is willing to teach you for a small fee, then consider this. Is he willing to part with all he knows for what you are paying? In one Asian country, the majority of tattoo shop websites advertise tattoo courses for a very small fee. But the problem is that after completing the course, you will have to come back for one refresher course then another and another. And I understand that after completion several such courses, you will not be able to tattoo properly. So the chances are you will be paying good money to some businessman who is just trying to make a fast buck.

So then, how to become a successful tattoo artist? For starters, you’ll need talent. You will never make it in the tattoo industry by tracing or stenciling, you will need to be able to draw great designs. To even get considered as a tattoo artist, a portfolio is needed. This will require you to draw lots of great designs to build up a portfolio. Your portfolio is proof that you have the skills that are needed to succeed in the industry. Without a portfolio, don’t even bother. I remember one South American guy asking me to train him to become a tattoo artist. And he said money is no problem. I told him that money is not an issue, just draw me a colored dragon and then a reaper. He came back after one week, and said he couldn’t draw a proper dragon or reaper. So end of story.

Once you have a portfolio to showcase your talents, you will need a mentor, someone who is willing to teach you the trade and share their secrets with you. Now this is the tricky thing, tattoo artists don’t like giving away their secrets. Simple reason is because many of them have been let down by their apprentices. Just take the case of my mentor. He has taken more than 20 people under his wings (all without any fee), but today only 3 of his graduates still "recognise" him as mentor. What happened to the rest? They have their own shops, but tell their customers that they can do the same quality of work as their mentor (also my mentor), but their prices are cheaper. So you know how much it hurts to be treated like my mentor? If you do find someone good, a real professional who is willing to tell you anything at all about the industry, then be grateful.

To train as a tattoo artist, you will need proper, high-quality equipment such as a precision tattoo machine, power supplies, shading equipment, needles, medical equipment and sanitation supplies. You will also need to know about cleanliness and what can and can’t be reused, as well as how to clean and sterilize your equipment. The popular professional tattoo artists are successful for a number of reasons, but mainly because they are clean and very talented.

You can succeed in the tattoo industry, but you will need to be talented, self-driven and dedicated. If you want to make lots of money as a tattoo artist, you are wasting your time. Become a tattoo artist because you love the art and love to create breath-taking pieces of body art. Be prepared to work for free and, most of all, if you get someone to stop and share a secret or two with you, take their advice. You will definitely need it.

What you do is you apprentice and work for a tattoo artist for very little pay. You do this so that he/she can take you under his/her wing and show you how to take your artistic skill and transfer it to the art that is called tattooing. If the master you're apprenticing for is good, then along the way you'll also learn about how to run a shop, what it takes to succeed, and what NOT to do...

How long does it take? Well...that depends on how fast you pick it up and how good your master is. It's not uncommon for tattoo artists to apprentice for more than one artist in their careers...and each apprenticeship can last for several years.

This is not to discourage you...but the guys on Miami Ink didn't just "decide" to become rock star tattoo artists one day. They scraped just to get by for many years before they became successful...and, chances are, you'll have to, too.