Inked magazine highlights the famous tattoo judge on the television game show Ink Master Oliver Peck. Peck has a couple of rules about tattooing that he wanted to share.
Fuck the Trends
1)
Forget the cute tattoo you saw on Instagram that had no barrier, black outlines are important. The history of tattooing has proved that no other color pigment will hold a line. It provides a strong foundation, which is obviously the most important structure of the entire design.
2) Tattoos are not for today—they are forever. Fresh tattoos can be deceiving. Just because a tattoo looks good when it is newly done does not mean that they will hold. This is where an experienced eye comes into play and that is more valuable than most anything in judging a tattoo.
3)It is a shaky line between expert and novice when doing a Traditional tattoo. Because of the style of Traditional (American) tattoos some think that they can get away with sloppy lines, but you need to know the history of tattoos to know exactly where in the design of a Traditional tattoo can look wonky.
4)Burn. Personally it has become a joke on the Ink Master set during “Traditional Day.” The tattooers say that Traditional is too simple, too remedial but then they bomb at it. If it is so easy why do you suck at it?
5)Sweat the small stuff. Black-and-grey is one of my favorite genres of tattooing. Those tattoos can last the longest and not worry about bleeding-out or aging in the sun. The biggest mistake tattooers make with black-and-grey is illegibility, putting too much tiny detail into the tattoo that when it heals looks like a blob.
6)Location, location, you get it. The most important part of a solid tattoo is where it fits on the body.
“One guy’s forearm is not another girl’s ribs.” All canvases are different. The needle you use on one part of skin can’t be used on other parts of skin, the same with machines and amount of pressure. The skin can crack when the needle gets buried in it and the tattoo will blow out. One thing people complain about with Ink Master is that all canvases aren’t even. Firstly it is a game show, so you haters need to know that it’s entertainment. Secondly, this is one of the most real parts of the show. Bad canvases walk into tattoo shops every day.
7)Talkin’ About Practice. The best way to know how to treat different canvases and tattoo designs is by going through trial and error.
8)What makes a special tattoo? There is no denying that new tattooers are going to mess up, but you also can’t just say that you won’t get tattooed by somebody until they have 20 years of experience—then they industry would die off. When I get tattooed it is more based on the person than the final outcome of the tattoo. If I got a tattoo from someone it means that I love their art and our personal connection. I do have amazing tattoos, but my favorite tattoos aren’t the best. Some of my tattoos are little treasures because artists did their first ones on me. I show that off with pride because it is part of my and someone’s journey.
Check out the rest of Oliver Peck's rules and guidelines to better tattooing on Inked Magazines website.
Click on the URL here to go directly to Inked Magazines article
http://www.inkedmag.com/articles/ink-masters-oliver-peck-rules-tattooing/
Art by: Serena Muhammed
Author:: Rocky Rakovic
