DIY / Traditional Tattoos

[RnJ]

OK, this thread is long overdue. While stick and pokes, which I know are probably pretty popular with you kids, can be discussed here, the topic is in fact much broader. I think we can discuss any tattoos which are not done with modern machines.

I have only one tattoo, which was done by machine. I am very interested in getting more, I am just not feeling the whole pay big money to get a friggin photograph painted on arm. No thanks. Personally, my taste in tattoos leans towards simple, symbolic, iconic or text (not image-based), non bright colors, and traditional style.

I've been researching some of the alternative tattoo methods. Anything from home-deal stick 'n' pokes and homemade tattoo machines using an electric toothbrush or cassette player motor, to traditional Mauri style (with the multi-needled sticks tapped into your flesh) and Thai style (with a stick with a needle used like a pool cue on your arm).

To be most honest, and this is perhaps why I started the thread, the kind of tattoo I have most obsessed about getting lately is a charcoal tattoo. If I'm not mistaken, charcoal can be used in various tattooing methods, but it has often used to rub into cuts and left to heal.

I'm wondering, what kind of DIY or traditional tattoos do you have?

And has anybody here experimented with charcoal, either injected it as usual or rubbing it into cuts?
It's been hard to find solid info about this online.

 

[L.C.]

-I have a tombstone on my arm with home on it. my palms are tattood with "pay up this sucks". so when i pan handle i can just put my hands out begger style. It works sometimes, but not the greatest. I have others,but those are my favorite.

 

[RnJ]

What method did you use? Stick and poke?

 

[MrD]

I have a few Stick-and-poke tattoos I have given my self. Stick and poke tattoos are easy and pretty fun. I gave myself a white one, It looks badass, kinda like a scar.

As far as I have seen, The charcoal method has worked pretty well. I have seen it done once, and given one using charcoal.
The method I used was:
Use the soot, the shit thats been in the fire pit for a while, then for whatever reason, mix it with it with some water, vitamin c (orange juice, lemon, lime) and some sugar (or sugar substance found in the wild if you are going that way). I guess the Vitamin c and sugar makes it healthier for you, not sure, but it works pretty well!

 

[UrbanNokizaru]

I have a few stick and pokes and one shop tattoo. A friend of mine has a scarification tattoo that's DIY. Him and a friend went to the park and just cut it into his back with a knife and then when it was healing irritated it to make it scar, it came out pretty nice considering he probably treated it like shit. Sounds like a fuckton of pain though...

 

[headwound]

I've heard using a clean rig for stick in poke works really well, just draw up a little ink and you have a constant drip and a fuck-off sharp needle. I've only ever used three sewing needles taped together, then taped to the end of a pen or pencil for stick in poke though.

 

[sons of vipers]

 

[sons of vipers]

sorrry for the huge pictures... but theres a few of my stick n pokes

 

[headwound]

That's a sick ass sail boat

 

[katbastard]

i have lots of tattoos, most are diy home made gun tattoos, the gun was made out of a c.d. player the needle was a spring out of a bic lighter

the last tattooed i got on my face, was with a real tattoo gun hard wired to a car battery in slab city
View attachment 24224 View attachment 24225
i have more of my tattoo pix on my profile page

 

[crazy john]

this is my only poke and stick to date. i drew it on when i was drunk and my skin buddy tapped it in. i cant draw, but when im drunk, everything is worse. i studdded my vest drunk yesterday and now i have to redo it. dont draw your own tattos when your drunk is the moral of this story

 

[crazy john]

although i do like the design, it kinda looks like shit. o well, i guess its "unique"

 

[plagueship]

i've wanted to make one of those maori-style lateral needle array thingums cause i really like blackwork, but didn't really figure out a good way to rig it. so i just wound up tying a bunch of needles together. i would also be interested if anyone has figured out an easy-ish way to do this or any other way to tattoo opaque areas without a machine.

i've known a few people who did the razor method for tattoos - is that what you're talking about with charcoal? i know sumi ink is usually made from soot which is very close to the same substance (carbon).

 

[RnJ]

plagueship, yeah, I feel like I've heard of rubbing of ash into cuts.
I experimented a bit with it by using India ink, and it works provided you pull the cut apart a bit while you put in the ink, and bandage it up until it scabs over. It doesn't show up very dark, kinda like a gunmetal grey. I just have a 1cm line right now, I might extend it to circle around my ankle eventually.

 

[happyearthhomes]

man i got some shit tats when i was a kid cut my initials in my leg w/a razor nd rubber permant marker over it got infected and faded but still got it 20 yrs later mixed blood cigerette ash n weed ash n gave myself party dots on my hand never infected and stayed dark 20 yrs now very lite fading tried removing a party dot by cutting it w a razor nd rubbing fake lemon juice in it barely faded it probably shuda tried real lemon juice for more acid content didnt know that tho was only like 14 at the time got into fight and a dude had a knife and i blocked with my arm that has a big celtic cross on it got cut pretty deep a few times and the ink came rite out when it healed now there is scars in the tat with no ink in em so i know if u go deep enough u can cut a tat off

 

[acrata4ever]

http://tvad.biz/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1300048507-60.jpg

 

[crazy john]

hahahahahah ^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[40 Hands]

http://tvad.biz/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1300048507-60.jpg

They shoulda put a culvers or jack in the box instead of subway lol

My friend has a pretty badass stick n poke tat of a logo he came up with. Its a cross hair with his tag initials. I was about to do one myself outta a chicken bone i hot glued 2 sewing needles in, but never got around to it and lost my chiken bone. I was waiting to do a shamanic ritual of sorts. I still plan on doin this sometime, just havent gotten around to it.

 

[Vonuist]

I've been doing this one on myself for the past few years. It's a work in progress, especially as I've got to do it in the mirror so I can only manage about an hour and a half before my eyes go funny and I can't tell left from right anymore.
I use an odd little three-needle group that I learned from Purotu on Moorea, it's like the reverse of a machine 3 liner. Two '00' points are soldered together with the points drawn tightly in and a third, reversed, needle soldered along the spine to add stability. It sounds like shit but it works like a dream for handwork, or at least for this kind of dot-work.
For a handle I use an exacto-blade holder that's been slightly machined out with a Dremel to give a good purchase for the needle group.
Ink-wise I still have some kuro-sumi left, but Rotring technical pen ink is absolutely fine.
Technique-wise it's just basic hand picking, using denser fields of dots to create shade. It heals really quickly.
Should only take another four or five years at this rate.

BTW It's really difficult to photograph yourself from this angle, so apologies for the wierd gut-thrusting pose.

 

[crazy john]

dude thats fuckin awesome!!!!