First Fill In

Finally filled in Sic_un's outline. I actually played around with it. Saw what fill in on real skin is like. Serious fill in. But I played and now I pay the price, or rather, Sic_un does. Touch up is needed. He's willing to accept some as 'first tattoo'. Other bits can be blamed on shitty lighting (architectural lamp and flo bulbs, here I come) as well as "He had alcohol". In other words, he bled like a stuck pig. Other is me being my artistic nature and testing things. How does the needle move, what if I do it X way instead of Y. Let's go through it bit by bit.




Here's what we started with,

























Here's right at the beginning,




















Here's after changing needles to the all-in-one prepackaged tube/needle (the disposable tube with separate needle wasn't working out too good for me), spilling my ink on the carpet, making him switch position twice, me attempting to get comfortable, not being able to see because of lighting issues and finally at the end just trying to get the bloody thing finished. We're going to dissect this one.













Let's take it from the top, shall we?
Fig. 1: I'm working in essential darkness, about 10 pm. And it's a case of do it or it won't get done and I feel bad enough having just an outline done. So I did it anyway. I know now I should have complained and set up better lighting. It's also a little awkward working around Sic_un's back. He had worked all day, his back's been funky 'cause of weather and minor little injuries to it, and he had to get comfy. He keeps telling me little circles, but that combined with bad lighting is what led to (Fig. 2) and (Fig. 3). I miss the middles and it gets spotty. Add to that the lighting which made my needle hard to see AND the disposable needle sold separately set up was giving me fits. The needle was resting right on the bottom of the tube. Ink was globbing up around the needle, even wehn moving in more-or-less a forward movement.
Fig 4, I started, every so little, working in longer sweeping forms instead of tight little circles. I have to know what it will and will not do. Up until this point, it's behaved quite a bit like a pen set up, so I decided to use a few pen techniques.



As you can see, they didn't quite work. This was right in the middle of the stressy bits, where I spilled my ink, threw a bit of a whine about how I didn't think I could do it and was gently eased into it more by Sic_un being patient and very understanding as I poked him with a needle. Repeatedly. It was at this point he started bleeding a bit more. Fig. 1 is me going back and forth and back and forth. Fig. 2 is more back and forth, trying to hit both sides. I switched to the different needle setup for 3.
Fig. 4 to the right impressed me. I impressed myself with it, rather. I wanted it good because the line to the left had been completely missed the entire length. Still showing all the middle bits, so the back and forth isn't working. Fig. 5 I started slowing down, we got a lamp set up for more light in a better place and I started TRYING to do small circles, slow it down a bit.




My hand got away from me. I was constantly telling myself "Slow down." I would even say it out loud to myself. Not because I wanted to rush it, but it feels so comfortable, I'm killing the tattoo bit of it because I thought of it and still think of it as moving the same way as a pen. But better, even if not by much. More moving back and forth instead of in circles. Fig. 1 was another 'A-ha!' moment, but the teeth (Fig. 2) were a pain in the ass. It was right around here that Sic_un started repeatedly telling me he shouldn't have picked or let me do such an obnoxious design as a first tattoo. I say it's a learning experience. Figure 3, you can really see the blood. That's not ink popping up, kids, that's blood.

Figure 4 pleased me, 5 not so much. But I was done and it's not not-fixable. It just has to heal.


So what have we learned with the first fill in?

I really want to try magnum needles, actually. That's one of the things I've learned. There has to be a better way than a standard 14 round fill in. I know Sic_un did it that way (14rounds), and the mags weren't that widespread when he was tattooing, but... BUT. I'd like to try them for big fill ins. They make more sense to me in the needle pattern, actually.
Better lighting is a MUST. No excuses. The problem appears that it will be a case of me avoiding the halogen option because that's what's out there for architectural lamp choices. I'll find something that will take a bright florescent bulb. I want as little heat while tattooing as I can get away with.
NO ALCOHOL. Dammit.
Better set up. Can't do it in the bedroom. Won't, not anymore. Comfort be damned. We'll take breaks. I won't do it on the bed any more. Part of the reason ink got on the carpet is the lack of space where I was doing it at.
Powdered gloves. The kit came with ohsofashionista black gloves. Not powdered, at least, not enough powder if any. Made working with/in them a bitch. I wouldn't mind a slightly smaller glove. Part of the problem is my hand-size. I have wide, short hands.

So. Critique if you wish. I've moderated comments to keep down on the 'You suck' and 'You're wonderful' stuff. Critique, not insult, not pander. Your words will remain yours.