I’m such a visual person and honestly watching these full videos are so helpful to me. I actually practiced some of your tips today regarding shading even though it was on a cosmetic tattoo brow client, the goal was to be a soft airy ombre effect and it was super helpful having watched your previous videos! As always thanks for sharing your art, knowledge, and time! It’s greatly appreciate! Aka B.Shea Vanity
Yeah it's very similar. It's best to get your hand consistent, soft but not too soft, and controlled for each stroke. It's worth the trouble I'm sure you understand. Glad these help
Hi Jay, thank you for video! I have a question, do you think dose it fine to use greywash(by water) with single, 3rl needle? When i see fineline work, im not sure dose it fine for healed up. And do you using greyink or just black ink?
I think its more appropriate to use greywash with 3RL. You can try with 1RL but I think it's too thin already and greywash heals light so when a tattoo heals with 1RL and greywash, it might fade easily. Especially with the inexperience surrounding 1RL as well. Also depending on the greywash percentage too, less reliable the lighter the formula. I wish I could answer that better. I have more info in my head but I haven't figured out how to put it into words yet lool.
You are amazing! I have an issue tattooing with 1 RL I use Cheyenne pen hawk with Cheyenne cartridges and the ink does not fall. Is there any trick for this? Do you dilue the ink with a bit of water? Thank you in advance
Very grateful for your videos already! You're so down to earth and no "yo yo what's up" bullshit lmao. I've been having this issue.. from the start really. My lines just won't get consistent. I love tattooing projects that are more on the realistic/illustrative side because I am from a realistic background and I usually draw 30+ hrs on a drawing using super fine pencils. "solid linework" however has always been difficult for me, even on paper. My work is still pretty to look at, but there's always something in need of a touch up. I can feel that it has a lot to do with my hand positioning or that I can't figure out comfortable ways to draw lines on the skin. My hands are always super tense to the point they hurt a lot even after a few hours. And I am using good quality materials. Cheyenne needles mostly. The same machine you're using. I've been seeing people just starting out having super crisp lines which is making me super insecure. I did learn from an experienced tattooer, my partner of 7 years at that time. Haven't had anyone to turn to in person since we parted ways though.
Oh man That's a tough situation. All I can say is the progress and improvements comes years later. I've been drawing and using my hands ever since I was a kid and tattooed for 5+ years. before I started 3s or 1 liners. That's all I can say. Other than that I can only correct your form or technique if I teach you in person. I plan to host person to person workshops soon but that will cost money and have limited seats so kinda a hassle to rely on. I wish I could do more to help but I will just recommend you be diligent and hopeful with your drawing and practice
Hey would it make sense to use a 3-5-7 mag and 50% diluted black to fill in those scales? If you're charging by the hour i can see why you're doing it this way but i hope im wrong?
You're not wrong at all. I love the honest questions. Gets me thinking deeper. Maybe I should utilize mags more or use greywash? Even 80% if I think 50 is too washed for me(healing purposes). Honestly imo, I get way more control with a single in terms of accuracy. Like if I see a spot in the shading plane that needs to be darkened, I can target it wish accuracy vs a mag that even if I angle it, the side needles might hit a spot I didn't intend to target. But that could def be corrected with mastery with the magnum. It takes me a while to accept new things(stubborn). I didn't start whip shading with liners until around 6 years into my career. I chose to dot everything(even slower and stupider LOL). Maybe I'll accept the mag one day? Yeah speed is a real issue with this. Impractical unless you're really skilled with the single. Thats also why I charge a flat rate that acts as a max cap incase I take too long. Though I've been getting really fast with the single now. I like being a one trick pony: concentrated mastery but there are things I'm missing out on. Thanks for the question!!
@jjjaylud Hey, thank you for such a detailed response! That honeslty makes a lot of sense. You had a video where you said that potentially single need can get smoother shades, and initially, i wasn't sure... but how you explain it with not missing plaines and being able to target tinny tinnyy areas... i have to completely agree with you. It really makes sense. I figured you'd do a flat rate! You come off as having a great character, so i couldn't imagine you purposely ripping people off. Please keep doing what you're doing! It really helps people, and you're making a difference in the world/people, especially people you might never meet. Could you make a video about pressure and how you use a single needle with 0% to make it darker or lighter? (Like, I'd assume that going over it multiple times would saturate it to a darker black, but it was interesting when you said you go a bit deeper to make it darker... and i guess it's because it's more 0% "layered" on top of each other because it's further from the dermis) Thank you!!
@@SI-xj5tq Yea but then again, very good technique with a mag may make that unnecessary. don't quote me 100% bc there's so many diff ways to it that I can't say for sure. But yes being able to target specific areas is an advantage of the single needle, this im sure of. In my video, "How To Transition: Tattooing With Only Single Needle & Black Ink" starting at 9:05 I explain the shading with 0%. I may make a video going further in detail but that should def hold you down for now. No problem👍
Hi Jay! I recently decided to give fine line tattooing a try after watching some of your videos. My first fineline tattoo ended up having kind of patchy lines, and the ink wasn't really flowing into the skin. I used a 10 03 RL. Can you give me any advice to improve this? Could it be stroke length (mine is 3.5mm)? Or the cartridge? Or user error? Thank you in advance for your help!
Dang it may be one or more many reasons. 3RL usually has better ink flow than 1RL. It may be the cartridge if its lower quality maybe. I don't think its the stroke length. Not sure what user error means I would recommend you experiment on fake skin before you do something you're new to on real skin! And while you're trying on fake skin, troubleshoot and see where the problem may be
No dilution! I use all black ink. The depth adjustments are really subtle so the video here won't really show that, especially that far away. So I go as shallow as I can without going too shallow. The cartridge and needle quality/specs matter too. I use kwadron #35 1RL. Ink flow plays a role too because if it spills and the needle strikes the skin with ink droplets, it gets dark. So for needle hang, I keep it sticking out more because that extra distance lessens ink flow so I get lighter "pixels". too far out and you get poor ink flow though so be careful. Machine voltage also matters. less voltage and a softer machine build like the sol nova will help with this too. It's a lot sorry. I wanna be as clear as I can. I have videos about some of this too but you'll have to sift through them.
You’re in your own lane bro! Been following and learning from you for awhile now, i see in this video you used a 3rl for the outline. How different is a 1rl compared to a tight 3rl? Would you still use the same techniques?
no its much different. 3RL I need to make sure the needles penetrate the skin tension whereas the 1rl is much easier to penetrate. I run the volts a little higher on the 3 also. And I make sure the needle hits the skin at a 45 deg angle for the 3rl because it penetrates easier that way. the 1rl doesn't need this because any which way it'll penetrate the same since its just one needle so I angle is straight down. Thank you man I appreciate the confirming words.
amazing work and thank you for the upload. Do you run the machine at different voltage for the outlines and the shading? if so would you mind sharing them? 🙏
I don't mind. It's just that the sol nova wireless doesn't have a display for the voltage. it does a weird tilt system and I run it at a 45 degree tilt usually. In this video I used a 3RL for the outer lines and I'm pretty sure I upped the voltage a tick for that. Hope that helps
I love the neat and precise work but I find it regrettable that the head of the koi did not have the same treatment as the rest because presented like this it is not finished!!!! Too bad
Thank you. Yeah maybe I should've added some light grey. Nothing too much. Although I do like that it is an area of rest. Because the rest of the Koi has a lot going on and too much may be harsh on the eyes
hi hi! i was wondering if you ever have clients who’s skin just doesnt seem to be taking the ink well? specifically when shading? sometimes i shade and its a total breeze and i can build the greys easily, but i had one guy whose arm i was shading, and for some reason it just didnt seem like it was holding. i run my machine at 5-5.5 v when shading, and i could see black dots being made so i knew the ink was coming out, but when i wiped it just looked like he was getting red and it wasnt staying. idk if his skin was dry or if he has sensitive skin so it was just getting red and masking the shading, but i wanted to know if you’ve ever encountered this. it’s happened a couple times and i dont know exactly what to do😭
Yes I have encountered this. We all have varying skin so some may be rougher, some may bleed more, or is softer etc. For your example, I use a different technique sometimes. Or I'll let the skin sit for a bit, stop bleeding and then go back to it. Or worst case I'll wait for a touchup session. Not much else I can say I honestly just feel it out and do my best not to overwork the skin. Those are one of the most annoying skins to tattoo honestly. Just makes you work harder.
@@jjjaylud got it okay thank you so much for replying! that was my mindset too, i didnt want to overdo it, and i know it often looks darker when it’s healed so it might be fine, and i figured he could always come back if needed. thank you!!
jjjaylud friend I want to ask you a favor, couldn't you do a tutorial on how to make circles with a single Fineline needle I will be eternally grateful, greetings and may success be with you forever, thank you very much.
honestly, the biggest thing you can do for yourself regarding this is to try it on pencil and paper. If you can't do it there then you will have a lot of trouble on skin. I may make a video on that in the future for sure but in the mean time it all comes down to practice for you. Get so good that you can freehand circles on paper with a thin lead pencil. even some erasing is okay for now.
