He's getting a tattoo, yeah he's getting ink done

[venta]

Today, on the train, I overheard someone else's conversation. Someone was telling their friend how, having worked for years as an illustrator, they were planning to re-train as a tattooist.

At which point I started wondering: how do you learn to be a tattoo artist? Sure, you can practice drawing on paper, but at some point you're going to have to start for the first time on a real person. And let's just say... I wouldn't really want to be that person.

Fortunately, her friend wanted to know that, too. So she explained: you start by practising on sides of bacon.

I've learned something today.

Comments

[sea-of-flame.livejournal.com]

Friend of mine used to practice on oranges.

She already had plenty of experience as an illustrator/comic book artist though, so I imagine she was concentrating more on the use of the tattoo gun rather than having to learn how to design the artwork.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Well yes - that was the bit I was confused about, how do you actually learn to drive the tattooing apparatus and get the hang of drawing on something wobbly like skin.

Although overheard-lady did say that tattoo-drawing is a very different style to what she usually does, and that she was also having to learn/practise that.

I'm surprised oranges are sufficiently human-like to be worth it - maybe they're sufficiently cheap that they're a good first pass while you learn the basics of wielding the needle.

[rapperaddict.livejournal.com]

Oranges used to be what they reccommended to medical students to practice suturing (bananas work too. We had a fairly scary fruit bowl at university...) It's the consistency and level of resistance I think

[venta.livejournal.com]

Zombie fruit!