hokay SO...
this doll @stormyent asked me how to do stick and poke tattoos, and I get that question a lot and really do love explaining how to do it, purely because I want anyone who is going to attempt to do it to themselves or anyone else to do it safely!
there has always been a lot of horror stories and warning and people who laugh and look down on stick and poke tattoos; i admit freely that in the wrong, dirty, ill equipped and careless hands, a tattoo done outside of a licensed shop can turn into an infected ugly nightmare.
HOWEVER - if you use common sense , the right & safe materials, and do your research, they turn out fine. I love tattoos in general (obviously -_- sorry) but i especially love the FEEL of stick and poke tattoos, because they are either a liiiiittle bit imperfect and unique, or obviously extremely meticulously done and just....exude the power of time spent on them.
i am not going to post an ENTIRE guide on stick and poke tattooing - there are a LOT of guides out there that you can easily google. THIS GUIDE is pretty good, but she does not wrap the thread NEARLY far enough down the needle. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE is from VICE, which i love in general and has the correct thread-around-the-needle form, but recommends using a lighter to sterilize your needle - its much much easier to soak the needle in hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes, and then rubbing alcohol for a few minutes, to sanitize it. besides that, both of these guides are pretty good.
personally , I use india ink or Higgins Black Magic. both have yielded good results in my experience. Use a SHARP sewing needle - test it on the back of your arm to see if you can easily get the little "pop" noise it makes when it goes through the skin. YOU DO NOT WANT TO JUST BE LEAVING PRESSURE MARKS OR DULL HOLES IN YOUR SKIN GUISE. NOT FUN . make sure the thread isnt wrapped toooooo far down the needle that there isnt enough to get into your skin -_- ( these all sound silly but they are things ive watched others do). and you shouldnt bleed too much when you are doing it. lots of blood is always bad.
besides that ask me anything i forgot, i think thats it?? and comment with pictures or something if anyone reads this and ends up doing one!!
:3
xoxo