It’s definitely more gentle, but I think the main issue with that is small fibres from the cotton can be left on your skin, so tattooing on top of these could cause infection, but I guess it all depends on the wipes and technique!
im not a tattoo artist or a doctor or anything but i talk to my favorite blood drawing doctor (she has lots of tattoos) a lot and i asked her if needles get dull easily and she said they get tiny microscopic barbs on them so they have to be changed for every tattoo (stick and poke) or else it could injure the skin more and cause it to get more irritated and i did a bit of research myself and looked at pictures before needles were used and after (under the microscope) and its fuckin crazy that our skin can cause that much damage to needles (if this dosent make sense then im sorry, im really fucking high)
I have found that larger needles are more efficient. I just used my first 9 magnum double stack to crack color and it was great! I would even suggest it for helping lines get fuller. I like my 9rl and plan to try an 11rl next for line work. There are sterile dry wipes that I use that are super soft and absorbent. They are sooo much better than paper towels. I replace my needles when only when I got to take a break longer than ten minutes. Green soap is good for disinfecting and cleansing the area and witch hazel firms and cools the skin during the tattoo process. I am new to this as well but these are some things I have learned.
So glad I came across you! My kit has been on its way:) and I’m so happy to stumble across not just awesome advice (ty!!) but also finding others who are vlogging their hand poke tattooing as well! Cheers!
ive been researching for starting my stick n poke journey and i have to say your line work is really neat! i really like your technique, i was just reading on a tattoo website that they like to use bounty plus. im not sure if this is still helpful or not but i wanted to share! i personally used to use viva just as a brand and they seemed to be really soft too ive just never compared the two 😅
@@jaxzanil2942 you need to use distilled or sterilized water for safety reasons. Using tap water can increase your chances of infection since a tattoo is basically an open wound
I've done 2 small hand pokes pokes with a 3rl and yeah, it's very cumbersome, once my second one finishes healing I think I'm going to need to go over it again because it definitely seems very not all done. The first one seems good cuz it was a small semicolon, but the second, a little planet, the you can see the gaps in the line work. I really really have fallen in love with the process of hand poked tattoos, it's so soothing, sort of puts you in this euphoric state. Throw on some music and just tick tick ticking away, (a really fun sound it makes btw). I think it's funny cuz I'm deathly afraid of needles but can sit here for hours stabbing myself with one 🤣
Here in the Philippines we use inkwipe as a wiping towel. it is so soft and a bit thick so wiping the ink off is not painful at all. Also, if the ink dries on the needle, you can wash it with distilled water just like when using a cartridge needle for wireless machine.
3:40 my art teacher had a box of "scott rags in a box" for our watercolor class and it's much softer and clothlike. i haven't heard or seen any tattoo artists use this though so please take my suggestion with a grain of salt :)
Hi ! I like your videos (the questions you ask yourself and your humor) :) To wipe when I handpoke, I use sterile cloth, it is less rough than paper towel, and bonus is , it's sterile ;)
The paper towels I use are called Brawny! They come in normal sized paper towel rolls but they are pre-cut into squares! They’re also really thick so I can usually fold one square a few times without it completely disintegrating lol I only do small stick and pokes rn so the squares are ideal, but they’re also really soft. Also the Bounty brand! A bit expensive honestly but sooo soft and really durable. Brawny is basically bounty cut into squares lol
Some good questions, sorry I cant answer them better, I just usually use 7 or 9 RL and just go with it for one piece even if it lasts +2 hours.. I've had some problems earlier because my stencil paper i've used have been stuck to the skin even when I use green soap to wipe it off .. its still there haha, hard AF XD
Thank you! I just tried a 9r bugpin needle for lining yesterday and think I'm gonna stick to the 10g needles. Its interesting how much better they makes lines. And yeah I think that top layer of paper sticks way too much so I like the middle onion paper, no real reason not to use it so far.
Weird question maybe but could you let us hear the sound the skin makes when you put the needle in? Maybe include it in your next stick n poke vid? I’m gonna start tattooing myself and i wanna know when I’ve gone too deep or not lol
It might not show up on recorded audio without a mic right up to the skin. What you’re looking for is the same pop when your sewing and prick yourself with the needle and don’t bleed. It’s a small pop with no blood being drawn.
It is so faint that I never hear it, only feel it. You dont have to go deep at all. Think: when you were a kid and stuck needles in your finger pads. You dont even have to go as deep as that.
The pop is a tug from the skin on the needle on the way back out of the skin. If you feel pain, you've probably broken the skin and do not need to push more.
Hey, thanks for your video! I have a question... What are you exactly spraying at 3:04? Is it soap or just distilled water? I'm just starting to learn handpoke and am not sure when to use soap and distilled water... If you could explain, that would help me a lot! Thanks!
Hey there and welcome. For the spray, early on I was keeping a solution of Tincture of Green Soap + distilled water (2:1 ratio, approximately) in dollar store spray bottles. Because those spray caps are hard to clean, I've since switched using the same formula in a squeeze container, (which I got from a tattoo supply company). The spray bottle kept me from going through the solution too quickly which helped early on, but wasn't the safest method when reusing it. It's really the only liquid I'll put on the tattoo itself during the tattooing process. Thanks for the question!
Hmmm, I would experiment with both and decide which you like more. I wanted to start with 10 so that my line would be thinner, but the 12 might carry more ink. At the end of the day, depends on the line thickness you want. Eventually go up to learger needles / bigger bundles of needles, but possibly start smaller while practicing.
Depends on the quality of needles- most good ones should last but I sadly invested in some lower quality needles. Honestly, if I accidentally poke the bottom of my ink cup with my needle, I then consider replacing it.
No problem- I have 2 bottles of USP Green Soap, watered down maybe 1:2 with distilled water. I get it at a local tattoo supply place but google says some walmarts carry green soap.
Thanks for the question! You can order pre-bundled kits with everything you need off places like Etsy. That's also where I got my needle grip, which came with a 5rl and some rubber bands, etc, all pre-sterilized. I also get a lot of my inks and needles from an online tattoo supply vendor's nearby warehouse to skip the shipping. Gotta be careful not to pick up old or bad inks from random vendors off Amazon.
Maybe single-use camera lens wipes will be a good substitute for the paper towel? it is quite sterile compared to paper towels because lenses needs to avoid mold, and it's smoother since it doesn't scratch.
But, like how do you get the bigger needles to pass though. I tried usin 7Rl and ink wouldnt stay on my skin as I wished. Or am I not doing it strong/deep enough?
I know what you mean- I went real big with some 14rl and they're only poking with the side needles. It takes some getting used to with the larger ones, it's hard to give advice since it's a case by case thing. Sometimes the issue is with the quality of the needles themselves, sometimes it's pressure. I'd play it safe to avoid blow-outs. Thanks for the question!
It's a little popping sound that tells you you've made it through the top layer. Obviously the skin thickness varies from body part to body part, so you learn by trying it. You can always poke yourself with only water to experience it without risking a blow-out.
Hi! Awesome video, i just have a question, why do you find it harder to do a tattoo with a 3RL than a 7RL? I learned to hand poke with 3RL and find it harder to use more needles
Hey apologies for late reply, but I am under the impression the larger number of needles holds more ink and it puddles lower on the needle- I'm not sure but I wonder if different viscosities would be easier with 3Rs, deserves more experimentation. Ive seen people on reddit who do beautiful work with 3RL so there has to be some trick to it...
Hello! Apologies for the confusion. For this rat I used a 7 round liner. I was comparing it to my previous project (skeleton) that used the 3rl exclusively, but yes, this rat was a 7rl and I suggest that size for ease of use + legibility of the final tattoo!
Quick question for anyone willing to answer, can you reuse needles? I’m a beginner and have been tossing the needles I practice with on my skin after every first use. But after watching this vid now I’m confused.
Nope, you never want to reuse needles. Apologies if my language was confusing. Always toss your used needles after someplace safe, like in a thick plastic container.
Hahah you're right, I almost bought 3 different brands to experiment with them- skeptical but I'm going to try kleenex next time I sit down. Still haven't tried shop towels and curious how well those would work.
use a vaseline better apply ink into yre skin than using all the time green soap, yea some lines you need to repeat a few times what is annoyin but will stay much longer thru time,yeah its a nice tattoo :)
One needle should work for one sitting. When you continue your tattoo after letting it heal for a month, you grab a new needle. Also, you shouln't have your tattoo wrapped for more than 2-3 hours tops!! Never, EVER leave it wrapped for more than 3 hours, let alone 36 hours! Noooooooo, no.
i rlly like the round flat cotton makeup wipes with water to wipe off excess ink, it’s way more gentle!
It’s definitely more gentle, but I think the main issue with that is small fibres from the cotton can be left on your skin, so tattooing on top of these could cause infection, but I guess it all depends on the wipes and technique!
im not a tattoo artist or a doctor or anything but i talk to my favorite blood drawing doctor (she has lots of tattoos) a lot and i asked her if needles get dull easily and she said they get tiny microscopic barbs on them so they have to be changed for every tattoo (stick and poke) or else it could injure the skin more and cause it to get more irritated and i did a bit of research myself and looked at pictures before needles were used and after (under the microscope) and its fuckin crazy that our skin can cause that much damage to needles (if this dosent make sense then im sorry, im really fucking high)
Ahahahhahaha this made my day! Thank you!
Interesting! I have a microscope, I'm going to take a look before and after.
nice work, but its important to stretch the skin in the direction of your line, then the lines get even more defined :)
This advice is the game changer! Thank you!
only stretch in the direction of your line or stretch all directions?
@@henx0713I've seen ppl say stretch in all directions and I've done it and it works. Not sure for stick and poke though
I have found that larger needles are more efficient. I just used my first 9 magnum double stack to crack color and it was great! I would even suggest it for helping lines get fuller. I like my 9rl and plan to try an 11rl next for line work. There are sterile dry wipes that I use that are super soft and absorbent. They are sooo much better than paper towels. I replace my needles when only when I got to take a break longer than ten minutes. Green soap is good for disinfecting and cleansing the area and witch hazel firms and cools the skin during the tattoo process. I am new to this as well but these are some things I have learned.
9rl how do lines turn out on curves? I usually stick to the 3rl lines are a but off but I get there eventually lol
Blue shop towels with green soap help clear the tattoo, witch hazel is also good to use before, during, and after the tattoo process.
These are great vids! I’m planning my first stick and poke and you’ve been so informative ❤️
Thanks so much for the kind words, also best of luck when you do start your first one! They're addictive.
Hey ! You should try some green soap spray on your kitchen roll before wiping ! Helps a lot with that scratchy paper feeling xx
Great idea!! Thank you so much.
really nice line work i want to see more of your shading
Your designs are sooo sick! Love them (I saw the conscious reality also, so coool)
Your art skills alone are incredible...loved the first clip with your art.
Ah that's so kind of you, thank you so much!
So glad I came across you! My kit has been on its way:) and I’m so happy to stumble across not just awesome advice (ty!!) but also finding others who are vlogging their hand poke tattooing as well! Cheers!
Kit arrived!!!! I’m ecstatic but I’m quite nervous to get started…. And far too worried I’m in over my head but I soooo just got
ive been researching for starting my stick n poke journey and i have to say your line work is really neat! i really like your technique, i was just reading on a tattoo website that they like to use bounty plus. im not sure if this is still helpful or not but i wanted to share! i personally used to use viva just as a brand and they seemed to be really soft too ive just never compared the two 😅
I use dried baby wipe cloths. They don’t make the skin red and I’ve seen no negative reactions on myself and the other people I have used this method.
That is a very smart idea I just hate the idea of how much I'll spend on that compared to a roll of paper towels 😬 but still thanks for the idea 👍
Where do you like dry them en where do you stock them?
@@inygr4976 any store with baby wipes just make sure they are not scented. They’re disposable. I get mine at target.
I usually spray my paper towel with green soap and then wipe away the excess ink, that way it’s not dry on the skin !
Really? I usually just grab some paper town wet it wipe it them dry wipe and get back in to it
@@jaxzanil2942 it's basically the same thing when you wet it but make sure the water you're using isnt tap water
@@maria-rosemurnaghan958 why not tap water?
@@jaxzanil2942 you need to use distilled or sterilized water for safety reasons. Using tap water can increase your chances of infection since a tattoo is basically an open wound
I've done 2 small hand pokes pokes with a 3rl and yeah, it's very cumbersome, once my second one finishes healing I think I'm going to need to go over it again because it definitely seems very not all done. The first one seems good cuz it was a small semicolon, but the second, a little planet, the you can see the gaps in the line work.
I really really have fallen in love with the process of hand poked tattoos, it's so soothing, sort of puts you in this euphoric state. Throw on some music and just tick tick ticking away, (a really fun sound it makes btw). I think it's funny cuz I'm deathly afraid of needles but can sit here for hours stabbing myself with one 🤣
Feedback for paperwipes: I use bamboowipes. They are expensive as hell but also soft as heaven! Love, love, love them!
Ooh interesting! Probably worth trying out, tysm! Is there a particular brand you suggest?
Here in the Philippines we use inkwipe as a wiping towel. it is so soft and a bit thick so wiping the ink off is not painful at all.
Also, if the ink dries on the needle, you can wash it with distilled water just like when using a cartridge needle for wireless machine.
3:40 my art teacher had a box of "scott rags in a box" for our watercolor class and it's much softer and clothlike. i haven't heard or seen any tattoo artists use this though so please take my suggestion with a grain of salt :)
I've been recommended Scott brand paper towels (the light blue ones)
Hi ! I like your videos (the questions you ask yourself and your humor) :) To wipe when I handpoke, I use sterile cloth, it is less rough than paper towel, and bonus is , it's sterile ;)
use viva towels! they are cloth based and are sooo soft. I got mine at Walmart :)
Shop towels for sure. Maybe crinkling the paper towel a couple times to soften it.
It looks amazing! Great lines
Apply the paper towel on the tattoo then soak it in water it's gonna be way smoother
Viva paper towels work like a charm 🤘🏽
I used toilet roll for a tattoo on someone once and when I touched it up a couple months later I used tissues and it was so much softer on the skin!!
The paper towels I use are called Brawny! They come in normal sized paper towel rolls but they are pre-cut into squares! They’re also really thick so I can usually fold one square a few times without it completely disintegrating lol I only do small stick and pokes rn so the squares are ideal, but they’re also really soft. Also the Bounty brand! A bit expensive honestly but sooo soft and really durable. Brawny is basically bounty cut into squares lol
Awesome- I always just go with store brand, gonna try the Brawny next time! I appreciate you.
Some good questions, sorry I cant answer them better, I just usually use 7 or 9 RL and just go with it for one piece even if it lasts +2 hours.. I've had some problems earlier because my stencil paper i've used have been stuck to the skin even when I use green soap to wipe it off .. its still there haha, hard AF XD
Thank you! I just tried a 9r bugpin needle for lining yesterday and think I'm gonna stick to the 10g needles. Its interesting how much better they makes lines. And yeah I think that top layer of paper sticks way too much so I like the middle onion paper, no real reason not to use it so far.
Weird question maybe but could you let us hear the sound the skin makes when you put the needle in? Maybe include it in your next stick n poke vid? I’m gonna start tattooing myself and i wanna know when I’ve gone too deep or not lol
It might not show up on recorded audio without a mic right up to the skin. What you’re looking for is the same pop when your sewing and prick yourself with the needle and don’t bleed. It’s a small pop with no blood being drawn.
It is so faint that I never hear it, only feel it. You dont have to go deep at all. Think: when you were a kid and stuck needles in your finger pads. You dont even have to go as deep as that.
The pop is a tug from the skin on the needle on the way back out of the skin. If you feel pain, you've probably broken the skin and do not need to push more.
I'm your 100th subscriber! Nice. Very informative video as well
i know this is a few years late, but kleenex makes hand towels that are extremely soft, i think they would work great!
Ahh I'm still pokin', so I'll check those out! Thank you so much!!
DO NOT reuse your needles!
my fav needle size is 9rl. also you can kinda tell when ur needle gets dull because it wont place ink as well/ makes you bleed more i find.
Just water lil bit your paper towels to make it smooth on the skin
Awesome suggestion, thank you so much.
This sounds like a very "not edited" narration. In the sense that you kept the pauses etc. I like it, sounds human
I love the skeleton tattoo!!
Thank you so much.
I use aqua pure pampers wipes lol no additives. They're expensive but they work
I know 0 about tatooing but regarding the sharpnes maybe get a jewellers loup 60x magnification to check the tip
That is actually an excellent suggestion my dude. I still have a loupe around here somewhere from a film photography class, thank you.
Glad to help :)
Niceeeee as always. Well done :)
Hey, thanks for your video! I have a question... What are you exactly spraying at 3:04? Is it soap or just distilled water? I'm just starting to learn handpoke and am not sure when to use soap and distilled water... If you could explain, that would help me a lot! Thanks!
Hey there and welcome. For the spray, early on I was keeping a solution of Tincture of Green Soap + distilled water (2:1 ratio, approximately) in dollar store spray bottles. Because those spray caps are hard to clean, I've since switched using the same formula in a squeeze container, (which I got from a tattoo supply company). The spray bottle kept me from going through the solution too quickly which helped early on, but wasn't the safest method when reusing it. It's really the only liquid I'll put on the tattoo itself during the tattooing process. Thanks for the question!
i adore your cat.
nice and crisp!
Is it better to poke (lining) with a 0,30 (10) or an 0,35 (12)? I’m so unsure…. Would love if u could help me out ♥️
Hmmm, I would experiment with both and decide which you like more. I wanted to start with 10 so that my line would be thinner, but the 12 might carry more ink. At the end of the day, depends on the line thickness you want. Eventually go up to learger needles / bigger bundles of needles, but possibly start smaller while practicing.
I've done a few stick and poke tattoos now, and I've never heard my skin make any noise. 🤷🏻♂️
Get shop towels, they are blue and I use them for everything
I will try them out, thank you!
The brand Viva is nice and soft and doesn't get all those paper crumbs either. Maybe it would work better?
Thank you, I will try that!
What are passes? Like how many times you go over the same line?
I use Viva towels. But they can get pricy.
How many hours in should the needle change ? Like can one needle last a whole hour?
Depends on the quality of needles- most good ones should last but I sadly invested in some lower quality needles. Honestly, if I accidentally poke the bottom of my ink cup with my needle, I then consider replacing it.
How long did super rat take you to do? Just wondering
I just use napkins.theyre soft and obsorb good i think
Nice video! I'm learning stick and poke as well. Can you tell me what is that liquid thing you are spraying over while doing the work?
No problem- I have 2 bottles of USP Green Soap, watered down maybe 1:2 with distilled water. I get it at a local tattoo supply place but google says some walmarts carry green soap.
@@MadsMcKay cool! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Where do you get ur needles and the holder for then when ur tattooing
Thanks for the question! You can order pre-bundled kits with everything you need off places like Etsy. That's also where I got my needle grip, which came with a 5rl and some rubber bands, etc, all pre-sterilized. I also get a lot of my inks and needles from an online tattoo supply vendor's nearby warehouse to skip the shipping. Gotta be careful not to pick up old or bad inks from random vendors off Amazon.
Maybe single-use camera lens wipes will be a good substitute for the paper towel? it is quite sterile compared to paper towels because lenses needs to avoid mold, and it's smoother since it doesn't scratch.
But, like how do you get the bigger needles to pass though. I tried usin 7Rl and ink wouldnt stay on my skin as I wished. Or am I not doing it strong/deep enough?
I know what you mean- I went real big with some 14rl and they're only poking with the side needles. It takes some getting used to with the larger ones, it's hard to give advice since it's a case by case thing. Sometimes the issue is with the quality of the needles themselves, sometimes it's pressure. I'd play it safe to avoid blow-outs. Thanks for the question!
How do you know how deep to poke ? How far you go in ?
It's a little popping sound that tells you you've made it through the top layer. Obviously the skin thickness varies from body part to body part, so you learn by trying it. You can always poke yourself with only water to experience it without risking a blow-out.
The cat is the most important part lol.
Lol I use wet wipes to get rid of extra ink
Hi! Awesome video, i just have a question, why do you find it harder to do a tattoo with a 3RL than a 7RL? I learned to hand poke with 3RL and find it harder to use more needles
Hey apologies for late reply, but I am under the impression the larger number of needles holds more ink and it puddles lower on the needle- I'm not sure but I wonder if different viscosities would be easier with 3Rs, deserves more experimentation. Ive seen people on reddit who do beautiful work with 3RL so there has to be some trick to it...
Ik this is a year old but I use alo wipes there so good
Hi, I don't understand if you used 3rl or 7rl to do this tattoo! 🙂 thank's
Hello! Apologies for the confusion. For this rat I used a 7 round liner. I was comparing it to my previous project (skeleton) that used the 3rl exclusively, but yes, this rat was a 7rl and I suggest that size for ease of use + legibility of the final tattoo!
Quick question for anyone willing to answer, can you reuse needles? I’m a beginner and have been tossing the needles I practice with on my skin after every first use. But after watching this vid now I’m confused.
Nope, you never want to reuse needles. Apologies if my language was confusing. Always toss your used needles after someplace safe, like in a thick plastic container.
Were you spraying water to clean extra ink?
Vry nice work tq 🥰
instead of paper towels, u can use baby wipes (without parfume inside)
What is in the spray
Alot of people say use bounty but i feel like all paper towels just suck
Hahah you're right, I almost bought 3 different brands to experiment with them- skeptical but I'm going to try kleenex next time I sit down. Still haven't tried shop towels and curious how well those would work.
What's in that spray bottle? Just water?
Sanitary water and most importantly Green Soap, about a 1:6 ratio.
papertowels be rough when dry yo
What needle number did you use?
Blue medical wipes
use a vaseline better apply ink into yre skin than using all the time green soap, yea some lines you need to repeat a few times what is annoyin but will stay much longer thru time,yeah its a nice tattoo :)
I like rats more then cats….while cat sits on lap 😅😂
what do you whipe the ink with?
Hello! I use the softest paper towels I can find, Bounty Essentials right now, and a solution of distilled water and Tincture of Green Soap.
One needle should work for one sitting. When you continue your tattoo after letting it heal for a month, you grab a new needle.
Also, you shouln't have your tattoo wrapped for more than 2-3 hours tops!! Never, EVER leave it wrapped for more than 3 hours, let alone 36 hours! Noooooooo, no.
de[ends if your using specail tattoo bandages those are made to stay on for atleast 3 days
i like viva paper towels
Try paper napkins instead of paper towel.
Use tissues instead of paper towels
No
I can't listen anymore after I realized it's yours hairy legs
✌️
Toilet paper huggies
U can do a tattoo on me anytime I'm looking to get a few tattoos
Heyyo. Check us out for more tips and supplies: stickandpoketattookit.com