Miami Ink

[BigBuck]

lastnight I was watching Miami Ink well now from reading the posts I pretty much know what to look for when they show close ups and noticed that when they ride the needle the tube is pretty far from the skin?have you guys seen this is there a true measurment or its up to the artist how long to ride the needle?

Buck

[Papa Gee]

Yeah those machines have some stroke to them dont they?

[FORGIVEN]

definately the artist , these guys have been doin this shit for awhile , and NOBODY new to the game should attempt hanging the needle out that far , unless they're tattooing themselves!!!! :lol:

[BigBuck]

yea bro that chick Kat is awesome she was like well it looked like 2/16 off the freekin skin :shock: dam I was thinking how the f!@# is she doing that? and I was laughing cause I'll be riding my training wheels(tube)for a long time till I get to that stage!!!!!!!!!

Buck

[FORGIVEN]

confidence , and having a few thousand tattoos under her belt would be my guess!!

[BigBuck]

yea I know that bro but i was just thinking to myself how the f!@# I know shes really good and that she done a lot of tats its just my thought cause I wanna do that someday

[Papa Gee]

I just wonder how they get enough speed for a liner with a stroke that long. I slightly lengthened the stroke on my cutback and it slowed it down considerably. It's still pretty fast but not like it was.

[BattleRoyal]

Guys - but isn't it easier to SEE what your doing with riding the needle?

I noticed that myself watching several episodes...

I guess I'll find some of this out next week when my PS gets here and I attack the grapefruits...

[FORGIVEN]

yeah Battle it is easier to see what you're doing and in the beginning its real easy to get blowouts & easy to tear shit up when you hang the needle out ( this is from experience ) , my suggestion to anyone new is to tattoo 50 or so grapefruits , get used to the weight of your machines , they get heavy after the first hour or so !! , then pick a nice big tattoo , make a stencil and slap that badboy on your leg !!! ride the tube for 3/4 of the tattoo then slide the needle out a LITTLE BIT , PAY ATTENTION , and go from there !!! this is only after a bushel or two of grapefruit and only on yourself till you get the feel for it !!!!

[BattleRoyal]

Forgiven,
Sounds cool man...thanks.

I have NO plans on touching Anyone's skin - even my OWN, until I feel I am 'ready' and have adequately PRACTICED - and I mean PRACTICED.

I just don't subscribe to the idea of buying some gear up or a kit - and 'go at it' on my leg and making a mess. Yes, its MY leg - but more-so its an advertisement of MY work - and worse - and advertisement to anyone who isn't sure how they feel about tattooing yet. It just MIGHT push them over off the edge after seeking a poor tattoo and then form the opinion of 'tattoo's suck' or they look like 'crap', etc.

[FORGIVEN]

thats why we do it on the upper top thigh ( so just in case ...it can be hidden ), i bet 99% of the tattoo artists in the universe have self done tattoos there :wink: !!!!

[FORGIVEN]

99%..... :wink: and not being a smartass , but did you see his upper thighs ??? :wink:

[BattleRoyal]

Umm, can't remember...

I would have thought that Huck took care of clients for him to practice on early in his career...

[Ladedeth]

Being a woman, I have not wanted to tattoo my upper thighs. But, my hubby, Gremlin has several there lmao.

I did 2 tattoos yesterday on 2 different people. On the woman, I did lettering (her 2 dogs names, ya people are insane). On the husband, I did a kanji symbol for samuri. When I started to do the fill in I decided it was time to try riding the needle instead of the tude. Omg, it was so much easier. I could actually see where my needle was instead of using instinct lol. Much easier to fill right up to the lining. I will do it that way from now on.
Thanks for all of your guys advice on doing this or I would never had the courage to try it. Kudos!!

[BattleRoyal]

When I started to do the fill in I decided it was time to try riding the needle instead of the tude. Omg, it was so much easier. I could actually see where my needle was instead of using instinct lol. Much easier to fill right up to the lining. I will do it that way from now on.


Question - so if working that way how far should your needle's be extending outside the tip? 1/8"?

??

[FORGIVEN]

This topic hes been discussed , go find the answers , do the research , you are'nt going to be given everything , do the research !!! if you are a begginer you should NOT ride the needle , ride the tube , once you've done a couple dozen tattoos then you'll find your groove !!! (methinks theres been a lot of info gathered for e-books lately :evil: )

[Ladedeth]

that depends on how you have your machine set up, everyone sets their machine up different. I can't do it with gremlin's machines because his are set up for him and mine are set for me so i guess its all depends on how you like to run and how well you know your equipment and your comfort zone.

[FORGIVEN]

:wink: THATS THE WAY TO DO IT !!!

[ink_freak]

GIVENS RIGHT HERE LATELY IT SEEMS EVERY ONE WANTS TO KNOW EVERY THING FROM THIS FORUM! WHAT ABOUT THE OLD DAYS WHEN PPL ACTUALLY MADE THEIR MACHINES RUN THE WAY THEY LIKED THEM TO RUN INSTEAD OF OF WHAT SOMEONE ELSE SAYS ON A FORUM ON THE INTERNET WITHOUT SEEING THE MACHINE OR SETUP. DONT BE LAZY PEOPLE DO A LITTLE WORK A ND TRY NEW THINGS AND SEE IF THEY WORK FOR YOU!REMEMBER THIS IS A FORUM FOR ADVICE AND DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR ART FORM...NOT A COLLEGE OR INSTRUCTION SCHOOL. SORRY FOR BEING A DICK BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR OWN DUES.AND NOT RELY ON EVERY BODY ELSE ALL OF THE TIME

[FORGIVEN]

thanx Inkfreak , ....do me a favor people go back and read most of battleroyal's posts , is it me or does it seem like he's gathering information ??? if you guys think im wrong PLEASE let me know ..... Maybe him and Mr.budgie are the same breed , especially since he's the only one defending what he did (???) ...kinda makes ya' think ...... :wink: ...Me and a bunch of the boys think he's putting an E-book together to sell ....could be wrong but.... what do you guys think ???? and if its true , is this acceptable behaviour ??

[ink_freak]

I DONT KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK OR MOVIES . I ALWAYS LIKED THIS FORUM TO LEARN TIPS ON SOMETHING I WAS STRUGGLING WITH AND TO SHARE FUNNY AND REWARDING EXPERIENCES THAT CAN OCCUR IN TATTOOING.I WAS TATTOOING AND LEARNING MANY YEARS BEFORE THIS FORUM.IVE PUT IN WORK SO I THINK EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO ALSO.EXPERIENCE IS THIS BEST WAY....I OR FORGIVEN OR WHOEVER CANT TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW TO SET YOUR NEEDLES OR THE EXACT CENTIMETER BETWEEN CONTACT SCREW AND SPRING! THATS ON YOU AND YOUR MACHINE!ALL WE CAN DO HERE IS TELL YOU WHAT WORKS FOR US.HERE LATELY SOME QUESTIONS MAKE ME WONDER WHAT THE HELL THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING WITH MACHINES IN THERE HANDS.YES THIS IS ART BUT NOT EVERY ARTIST THAT CAN DRAW MICKEY MOUSE CAN TATTOO.............I ALSO STARTED OUT IN MY KITCHEN TATTOOING FRIENDS SO I UNDERSTAND SOME THINGS ....BUT THERE IS A RIGHT WAY AND A WRONG WAY TO LEARN.....PLEASE PEOPLE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO DO. IM SURE THAT MOST PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM HAVE AND PUT IN MANY HOURS TO EARN A GOOD CLEAN REPUTATION AND DONT WANT THAT KILLED BY JOE BLOW INFECTING OR SCARRING PEOPLE. PEOPLE STILL LOOK AT US AS OUTCAST IN MOST PLACES EVEN THOUGH MIAMI INK IS ON TV.WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT BY LEARNING AND TAKING PRIDE IN OUR ART.


SORRY IF IM BUSTING BALLS BUT THATS HOW PASSIONATE I AM AS A COLLECTOR AND ARTIST


:?:

[Anonymous]

just to add my pennies worth and thats proably all its worth but experience is the best teacher and forgiven you sound alot like my mentor when started learned if someone gets upset with construtive critisiem they don't belong in this business they're too many folks out there screwing up this profession with ignorant notions that all you need is equipment hats off to you folks that has built this business into respectable.
but there is not a stupid question when it comes to doing someone's skin

[TickTatToe]

but there is not a stupid question when it comes to doing someone's skin
I have to disagree a little with that statement. I think it's a stupid question if the answer is already on the forum in another thread. Stupid because it means the person couldn't be bothered to read everything before asking. If they are taking shortcuts with finding information then what other shortcuts will they take? I can understand why the older members are getting a little ratty about some of the questions on here. They have provided the answers but some new people just can't be arsed looking for them then the newbies get arsy when they are told to go read the forum archives. Can I just say 1 thing to new people. 'READ IT ALL' it took me 5 days to read all the back posts and almost every question i had in my head has been answered somewhere. My very grateful thanks to all the artists on here who give us this invaluable advice and to the moderators etc who keep it running smooth. I know what you meant though murphyman, it's better to ask the 'stupid question ' than go ahead blindly.

[BattleRoyal]

I guess I missed that in the Forum Rules that all newcomers were expected to read ALL the posts prior to asking qustions.

Make sense - wish I knew or realized that sooner - could have avoided a lot of confrontations, I think.

[TickTatToe]

I guess I missed that in the Forum Rules that all newcomers were expected to read ALL the posts prior to asking qustions.

Make sense - wish I knew or realized that sooner - could have avoided a lot of confrontations, I think.
don't think it's in the rules, it's just common sense and common curtesy. these people are doing us a huge favor so it's up to us not to abuse it.

[Mr. Bill]

I'm very new here, too new to be asking any questions yet. I have no machine, no power supply, no needles etc. But I have been reading my ass off. Just trying to learn all I can first and this board is loaded with a wealth of great info. and Forgiven, your posts are some of the most informative.
So if I ever ask a stupid question, feel free to call me anything you like, maybe it will help me rember the answer. :D

[Bkidd]

thanx Inkfreak , ....do me a favor people go back and read most of battleroyal's posts , is it me or does it seem like he's gathering information ??? if you guys think im wrong PLEASE let me know ..... Maybe him and Mr.budgie are the same breed , especially since he's the only one defending what he did (???) ...kinda makes ya' think ...... ...Me and a bunch of the boys think he's putting an E-book together to sell ....could be wrong but.... what do you guys think ???? and if its true , is this acceptable behaviour ??



HEY! Forgiven check your messages PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

[stealthninjamark]

im attempting to drag this post back to its roots ang get back on subject....

papa gee says that they have a really long stroke. i havnt noticed that, but i did notice that they let that needle really hang out.
my question is, if you let it hang out that far, why would you change the stroke? ive been pondering this for about 2 days now before i asked, but cant figure it out.
the way i see it, the needle is still only going in the skin so far. cant see how the stroke is related to how you ride the needle.

[Papa Gee]

IF you set up a machine with a shorter stroke and hang it way out there you're not going to get the tube to pick up much ink. Also it wont run down the needle as well. Causing a thin or spotty line. A longer stroke makes the tube pick up the ink and surface tension causes the ink to run down the needle once applied to the skin.

As to people asking what voltage they should be outlining with.....Dont get caught up in the trap about people doing outlines at 4.5 volts. Thats great if you happen to have a machine thats very efficient. However most production machines will require a higher voltage setting to get good solid outlines. There's no magic number. You have to experiment with different settings to find what works best for you machine and your hand speed. If you're struggling to get ink into the skin with an outliner.....crank it up till you get it doing what it's supposed to do.

[FORGIVEN]

i've been waiting to hear that from you for awhile now , papa !!!!

[deill]

I have the Iron strongman set up as a liner,now.I change the front spring to 18g and I left the back as is (20g),I get good lines at about 6v-7v or so,it hits soft.The contact gap is less than a 1mm,but the needle still comes out the tip at about 1.5mm-2mm,somewhere around.I could still see the needle.Also my machine dont run liner fast(120hz+) but about 100-105hz or so,it works for me.Also the bands and thickness of ink matters.But all this set-up could change again depending on skin type and tattoo design.

[DANTHEMAN]

when you r on about the stroke on miami ink do u mean howmuch the needles r hanging out the tube or the contact gap, and papa,my liner has a 1/8" gap between the contact and spring, if you increase the stroke you have toincrease the spring compression accordingly.

[1 MANANIMAL]

HEY BROS
JUST FOR THE RECORD
KAT USED TO SLING UP IN PASADENA A FEW YEARS AGO @ BLUE BIRD AND SHE DID A FREE HAND OM MY BACK THATS THE SICKEST :twisted: EVIL :twisted: YOU CAN IMAGINE
SO IF SHES CRANKING OUT ON A SHOW SHE IS REALLY DO
THAT GIRL BACK THEN WAS A REAL TALENT
SHES NOW IN HOLLYWOOD AND I AM GOING TO HOOK UP WITH HER AND LET HER GO CART BLANCH ON MY BACK ( STILL OPEN SKIN THERE)
SHE WAS IN POMONA CA. AT THE SHOW SHOWING OFF HER SKILLSLAST WEEK
A BIG HUG AND A BOW TO A REALLY GREAT ARTIST 8)

[ace]

does anyone know where i can get this miami ink from ?? missed it on sky .?
oh i'm from the uk by the way .
cheers guys

[Inkster]

does anyone know where i can get this miami ink from ?? missed it on sky .?
oh i'm from the uk by the way .
cheers guysI have not watched it myself yet but it is for sale on ebay, the first series for I think £10.

[dustin]

speaking of Kat, i got to meet her today when she was working at olivers shop(elm street tattoos) in dallas( i live close). when me and my gf and her mom walked in she was working on a portrait of some guys dog, so that was pretty funny. shes really nice and shes got some sick shit in her portfolio. well just thought i would share that...

[Klimskady]

I am in complete agreement with all the people who have commented on Kat's work.... She is a true talent and i would love to be able to meet her... one day huh!

[stevieb]

she sure does some nice work - check out her web site.
I havent seen any one who's portraits are a good as hers.
Hope she comes to the uk.

[Inkster]

There are some excellent portrait artists in the UK.