Art of Tattoo - Introduction to the World of Tattoo

I own a small tattoo salon in Montreal, Quebec so this article's main purpose is to answer endless line of requests I receive from my colleagues, colleagues and friends from different countries of our beautiful Planet. Having not less than 15 years of making tattoos left behind I believe I am a person who understands something about making tattoo and how to do things right. I have attended countless seminars on all continents of the Globe, was introduced almost all top people of the industry so now I'd like to share the knowledge I got to those who are going to start tattoo making business (or hobby) or improve their skills and knowledge. I am planning to share some of the secrets I got as a line of publications that hopefully will help those who are interested in tattooing, modern tattoo trends and very exciting history of this art to get better understanding of what this world calls the Artistic Modification of Your Body, Body Art or Avantgarde Art. So let's start folks!The word "tattoo" is derived from Polynesian word "tatau" and means literally "painting" or "picture". European world adopted this word thanks Sir James Cook - the brave English traveler and researcher. Doubtless Europe had tattoo art before yet Europeans didn't have a word to name this art hence the "tattoo" birthday in Europe is 1773 when James Cook added the word to his report.There are three basic kinds of tattoo art:1. Permanent TattooTo tell the truth - I don't have much to add here - once made it's hard to get rid of it thanks special tattooing techniques and tattoo ink used for making permanent tattoo.2. Temporary TattooPerhaps the most popular tattoo type. Many people thing that to get tattoo is a hard decision because tattoo is believed to be permanent and what is cool when you are a teenager will doubtless not be so inyour 30's. Also no doubt that "Marry me Merry Mary" tattooed all over your chest won't look good if Mary's answer was "No". Temporary tattoo allows you to get whatever you like "to wear" for a particular period of time and understand whether you really need it.3. CosmeticCosmetic tattoo's main purpose is to hide scars, all sorts of of problems with skin such as spots and skin illness. Additionally cosmetic tattoo is used for permanent makeup. Tattoo ink (or Tattoo Dyes, Pigments):Tattoo ink of course is the most important part of tattoo quality. Using the best tattoo ink you can rest assured that the result of your work won't end up as a blurry and not attractive spot and also that colors won't fade out fast. Cheap tattoo ink means bad quality tattoo and here we go: don't try to save money on tattoo ink guys! There is a variety of tattoo dyes on the market now. It is a insanely big industry so serious universities and research centres are working on new ink formulas that will deliver the best possible results -competition within tattoo business is serious. Now living in XXI Century we have such colors tattoo guys in 20th century didn't even dream of!! Colors are selected and mixed under strict computer control to get full and precise color fit, we've got Ultraviolet glowing ink... true paradise for those who are in tattoo business and of course for those who are creative! My suggestion is to buy tattoo ink in bulk at wholesale prices, preferably from an outlet. Be careful here! - there are a lot of fakes! Trust no one - test yourself first. There are too many cheap falsificates on the market so busy yourself with getting a reliable tattoo vendor to get your ink from. After all it is you and nobody else who will be responsible for your work and you never know if your client has a gun to visit you again with...Tattoo Machines:Tattoo artists employ such terms as "machine", "gun", "iron" and others. My preference is just a "machine" ,for it is exactly what it says - tattoo making machine. There are plenty of different makes and models to choose from. My point of view as well as technical information on tattoo machines will be explained in my future articles because it is quite the same as with tattoo ink - a great deal of information to talk about, a lot of stuff to pay your attention to and many things to keep in mind when you are buying your first tattoo machine.Tattoo needles:To have a good tattoo needles is a serious thing you should remember because it is a metal part that is in direct contact with your client's skin and must meet all hygienic requirements. Make sure your needles are bought from reliable source. Otherwise you can finish your tattoo career jailed and swearing that you "didn't know that it would cause blood infection"... I'd like to repeat it again - guys: trying to find things cheaper is OK but keep in mind that you need the quality stuff also! With the needles it is very important.OK folks. This one was a kind of the way to introduce myself. In the next ones I'll share my thoughts on what tattoo tattoo supply to use and where to buy them. Thanks for your time folks!