One of the major aspects of a tattoo artist’s job is safety and sterilization. Because so many dangerous pathogens and diseases can easily be transferred through blood and bodily fluids, a tattoo artist must take precautions to prevent this. These precautions may include discarding tattooing needles after each client, and sterilizing other hard to replace equipment, like tattoo guns.
While most tattoo artists will usually have hundreds or sometimes thousands of existing images for clients to choose from, most will also create custom tattoos for clients that request them. A client may provide a picture for the artist to recreate, or they may just provide a specific idea for the artist to use.
Once a design has been chosen, a tattoo artist will usually transfer the basic outline of the tattoo onto the client’s skin. From there, the artist can then begin the tattooing process.
First, a tattoo artist will usually start with an outline of the tattoo. He will then fill in the rest of the tattoo using different colors and shading techniques. Depending on the look he wants to create, a tattoo artist will usually use a several different types of tattoo needles.
After a tattoo has been applied, a tattoo artist will also educate his client on proper tattoo aftercare. Generally, tattoos should be kept clean in order to avoid infection and speed up the healing process. Some tattoo artists might also recommend a special salve or ointment to apply to the fresh tattoo as well. These serve to keep dirt and debris away from the tattoo and keep it moisturized. Most tattoo salves also contain antibiotics, which can help prevent infection and scarring. Tattoo artists must be careful which salve or ointment they recommend, however, since some of these can react negatively with certain inks used to create tattoos.
