Tattooing - Basic Information (Outline)

 I. Tattooing Basic History

    A. A sharp tool is used to deposit ink, pigment, or dye, which is deposited in the dermis layer of the             skin
    B. Traditional Tattooing
        1. One of the oldest forms of art, dating back over 5,000 years
        2. Varied reasons for tattooing:
            a. To show tribal, family, military or community affiliation
            b. As a status symbol, indicating rank or nobility
            c. Personal expression
            d. Religious/Spiritual
            e. As punishment, such as marking a criminal or slave
            f. To indicate trade/profession
            g. As protection or medicinal/therapeutic purposes
            h. Rights of passage/puberty/sexual maturity
            i. Celebration/Memorialize
        3. Items used in traditional tattooing
            a. sharpened ivory, shells, bone, stone, or horns
            b. plant thorns
            c. small bronze instruments
            d. sharpened bamboo or wood
            e. thread and needle (skin stitching)
            f. glass or brass rods
            g. knife (ink rubbing - cutting)
        4. Origin of the word "tattoo": Polynesian/Samoan
             a. "tatatau" or "tattau", which means to hit or strike
             b. British exploration (Tahiti) 1769 - sailors were influenced to get tattoos
    C. Modern Tattoo History
        1. Thomas Edison 1875 - electric pen: 

        2. Samuel O'Reilly
            a. Patent for first Tattooing Needle
            b. First rotary tattoo machine (1891)
        3. Tom Riley
            a. Single coil machine
            b. Modified doorbell assembly
        4. Percy Waters
            a. (1929) develops modern tattoo machine
            b. becomes leading distributer
        5. Carol "Smoky" Nightingale 
            a. complex design
            b. emphasized customizable options
        6. Alfred Charles South - patented 
II. Modern Tattoo Machines
    A. Four basic types
        1. Coil
            a. oldest modern machines
            b. uses electromagnetic current
            c. allow for complex designs
            d. Cons: noisy and heavy
            e. require extensive experience for optimal results
            f. Types: Liner and Shader
            g. better for detail (vs Rotary)
        2. Pneumatic
            a. early 2000s
            b. power source: air compressor (no loud motor or buzzing coils)
            c. typically more expensive than coil or rotary
            d. small & lightweight
            e. easy to use
            f, easy to sterilize 
            g. quietest 
            h. considered best option 
        3. Rotary
            a. 2010
            b. small powerful motors
            c. easy to use
            d. low maintenance
            e. low vibration 
                1)less fatigue hand cramping for artist
                2)less painful, less skin irritation to client (than older models)
            f. Cons: cannot create as much detail as newer technology, causes more irritation 
               (vs. newer technology), hard to repair when broken
            g. Types: Direct Drive, Pen, Slider, Commutatorless motor machines
            h. Needles move in-and-out of skin more smoothly/evenly than Coil machines
        4. Hybrid
            a. combination of Coil & Rotary
            b. smaller, quieter, and lighter than rotary
    







Resources:
https://www.liquidambertattoo.com/blog/2015/11/20/lp6szum29uq8k206jjhh8rlkggb16z
"Tattoos:The Ancient and Mysterious History"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-144038580/
"Samoan tatau (tattooing)"
https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/1560
"A Short History of Tattoo Tools"
https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/a-short-history-of-tattoo-tools-150227
"4 Different Types of Tattoo Machines & How They Work"
https://thosegraces.com/types-of-tattoo-machines/
"TRADITIONAL TATTOO METHODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD"
https://controse.com/blog/traditional-tattoo-methods-from-around-the-world/


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stroke Length & Tattoo Needles

Image
               I. Stroke Length (aka "throw") & Needle Depth     A. Stroke (throw)          1.  Coil Machines: distance the armature bar travels before hitting the needle          2.  Rotary Machine: distance cam/stroke wheel makes around it's bearing for a full rotation     B. Impact of Stroke (throw)          1. How hard machine hits          2. How fast needle moves          3. Maximum needle depth     C. Needle Depth:  how far tattoo needles protrude from tube/cartridge     D. Needle Depth & Stroke Length: Stroke Length dictates how far a Needle can retract          1. Tube Tip/Cartridge Reservoir               a. Needle must be able to retract far enough to pull ink in      ...
Read more

Tattoo Set-Up: Power Supply Parts, Setting Voltage, Workstation Set-Up, Stencil Appication

Image
 I. Power Supply     A. Safety First: Read the manufacture's manual     B. Parts          1. Power Switch          2. Voltage Dial          3. Voltage Display          4. Dual Switch (certain models allow for more than one machine to be connected)          5. Duty Cycle (ideal setting: 50%)               1) It is the percentage of time that the machine is on               2) It  determines how long the needle is in the skin               3) With coil machines it is the percentage of time that the contact screw touches the front spring          C. Setting up the Power Supply          1. Plug clip cord and foot pedal into the correct jacks        ...
Read more