Tips for using a rotary tattoo machine Ultimate Guide

I’ve read many articles about tips for using a rotary tattoo machine and use of needle techniques. These articles are specific and very focused only on specific styles. These specific styles are which are described by many professional tattoo artists. This practice focuses on how to use a rotary tattoo machine and needles to achieve a clean and professional tattoo design. It’s true, that each artist have a different opinion about the working of tattoo machine and they give different advice and tips for using tattoo machines. In this post, you will read how to use a rotary tattoo machine in the right way and tips from professional tattoo artists. After reading the complete post you will be able to use the rotary tattoo machine like a professional. 

Moreover, In this post, I will also discuss how to avoid tattoo machine faults or damage. Because you also need to know how to avoid any faults and damage in the tattoo machine during work. Little care can save your machine and little carelessness can damage your complete machine. 

So, to avoid any kind of damage and bad experience you need to understand the rotary tattoo machines work. And you also need to know how to use a rotary tattoo machine to avoid any damage and for successful design. If you are a beginner and don’t know how to use the rotary tattoo machines in the right way then you don’t need to worry. I will explain in the following with complete details how you can use rotary tattoo machines. Let’s start by understanding the complete procedure and tips for using a rotary tattoo machine. 

Needle technique

I was at a convention of tattoo machines this week and I watched different people using different machines and trying to apply different needle groups on the tattoo machines for their wanted results. During this convention, the main thing I noticed was that everyone was running their machines in a way that was completely incorrect. They don’t care about speed, angle, and hand speed. Some tattoo artists were inconsistent and incomparable and don’t know how to actually use needles in machines. They were just busy checking the needles in different machines but they attach the needles in the wrong way. They don’t know how to use the needles for the tattoo machines. 

This is no issue for some tattoo artists but with how distinct different types of skin care are. Every tattoo artist should work and use the tattoo machines according to the skin. But for better results, every tattoo artist should know how to use the needles according to the skin. If they don’t use the right needles according to the skin then they will not get good results for their designs. Many professional tattoo artists use needles according to skiing for lining and shading. They also know about small needle tattoo machines and large needle tattoo machines. So, it is very necessary for a professional and experience work that you should have complete knowledge of using needles. Needle techniques are very important tips for using a rotary tattoo machine and are a very important part of understanding the work. 

Tattoo machines needles setup

There are two types of needles for tattoo machines. One is a small needle and the other is a larger needle. First, start with the liner needle because the liner needle is the most common and very overlooked tool in tattoo machines. So, let’s start with the configurations of the needles and the work of the needles. 

Needle Configurations

When we start to work on tattoos then always it is very important that you should have a complete plan about the needle configuration. You should know which needle you should use and how to configure the needle in your tattoo machine according to the skin. Maybe it looks very simple but throughout the past 18 years, I have known many professional artists in the tattoo industry who stock their shelves with just two-needle grouping. Most tattoo artists will have a liner grouping or a filler grouping.  

But this may work for some tattoo designers, most tattoo designers are not able to line in every tattoo with a 9rl. And they are also not able maybe with an 11 mag. Do you know the needles of tattoo machines like paintbrushes artists use to fill a canvas? I am saying this because each different needle grouping can give different types of results. It totally depends on the situation and also how you use it for tattoo design. There are also different sizes and grades of small and large needles. These different grades and sizes of the different needles can affect your finished product or final result. 

Basic tips for using a rotary tattoo machine

In the above, we discussed the use of tattoo machines and how to use different needles on different types of skin. We also discussed how tattoo machine needles work by using the right needle grouping. Because the different needles grouping has different results. In the following, we will discuss basic tips for using a rotary tattoo machine. These tips and tricks will help you in shading and lining for a quality tattoo design. 

Contrast 

Everyone in the tattoo industry talks about the contrast in tattoo design as this aesthetic rule of tattoo designs makes things very deep and life-like. Contrast is a very important part this statement may be easy to through around but this is very necessary and its means more than from well-placed pigment. 

Texture

Using different values and shades of color or using black dispersion, professional and expert artists can make visible textures on the human skin. This texture should look different and should be clearly visible on the human skin. Lumps, bumps, or other types of textures, professional and well-excused tattoo art add a level of consistency. This type of tattoo ensures a tattoo appears more organic and clear on the human skin. 

Light source

Light is the main and very important factor for the outclass tattoo design. Where the light shines on the tattoo art it will determine where the shadow falls on the tattoo artist. This essential part of tattoo design art creation is one of the most difficult for professional tattoo artists. The tattoo design has depth, both black, and colors. This depth used in the tattoos leads to viewers’ eyes. But professional tattoo artist, tattoo artists learn the basic principles and basic ethics of designing. 

LInework and Tatoo design

In tattoo design outlining, lining, or linework are the boundaries and foundation of the tattoo border or guideline. Lines are the important and main factor that is responsible for the shape of the tattoo and for making a tattoo legible. Because of these lines, tattoos describe simple shapes that can be easily translated into human skin through a stencil. If you want to do linework then it will be done with the round groupings of the needles. These round grouping needles vary in size. The size of this grouping needle runs from thicker to thinner. 

But it all depends on where the line is relative to the plane in a design. So, in tattoo designing the linework is a very important part for linework you need to understand which group of needles will work perfectly. That’s why you need to select the right needles for linework in a tattoo design. The linework in tattoo design is the most fundamental part of tattoo design. If you understand this fundamental of tattoo art then beginner tattoo artists can also accomplish a solid-looking professional design. 

In the following, there are two ways of running tattoo machines.

Running off the tube

First set the needle according to the need of the design and skin. If you set the needle then the tips are sticking out of the tube very little. This will be enough to break the surface of the skin by applying a little bit of pressure. 

Running off the needle

First sticking the needle out it from the tube far enough that the tattoo designer can see the full strike of the needle. After that adjust the depth of the needle. The machine position should be parallel to the tattoo artist’s hand. We all know that tattoo design is all about the perfect lining. If the lining is perfect then the design will be perfect. 

If your line has hard edges then it will be easier to separate between the different planes or designs. Hard and solid lines are great for borders, negative space, or for skin breaks in tattoo designing. Moreover, the lining of the tattoo does not have to be done with just only heavy black pigment. Lining can also be accomplished with different colored pigments. You can do this with distilled water also which can create bloodlines on the human skin. 

Conclusion