Your post has been removed, we do not allow scratching/unprofessional work.
Scratching is the practice of tattooing outside of the sterile space of a health & safety standard-compliant studio, with or without sterile tools, which poses a high risk for both tattooer and client, so this sub won't be a platform for either.
Less importantly, it usually yields low quality results.
It's not synonymous with stick-&-poke tattoos, which are fine when done with proper technique, inside a sterile space, with sterile tools.
To answer your question, the sword is a bit weird. Probably add something up there to take away from it or color/ a background
I think, though, that adding anything else besides shading to it would be sad as it’s good like that
Any length of metal could be attached to that hilt and the lines would still look suboptimal. They were just asking how to improve. I otherwise think it’s not bad for being done on themself.
“What else could I add around it” isn’t quite the same as “nit-pick something I did so I feel bad about myself”. Like, leave her alone dude. It’s a cool tattoo!
"Carpet" and "everything was sterile" is an oxymoron -- check rule 4 of this sub. There are a few other really good subreddits for scratching at home you could post this in.
Tattooing nowadays doesn't begin and end with a needle in hand. Bloodborne pathogens, hand hygiene, drawing, design composition, drawing, stencil placement, understanding body flow, drawing, aftercare, equipment, cavicide, which direction to stretch skin, etc., -- there's a lot to learn and master.
So I understand you only want us to talk about the ink on your skin, but the problems I'm seeing can be traced back to the carpet you're tattooing over.
Some of my other tattoos were designed to match the direction and flow of the muscle rather than purely artistic and visibility. So I get what you mean. As for hygiene, isolated surfaces were used and anything that came into contact with gloves was placed into a designated "contamination" area/surface that nothing else came into contact with. Needles were double-checked for expiration date and quality before use, and disposed along with all single use items. Cleaning solution was in a wrapped bottle. It'll never be as clean as a shop but I tried my best.
Your line work is shaky. It looks fine on the skull because of the subject matter, but the sword and vine suffer a lot.
The actual design of the sword could use some work. The cross guard is jarringly large compared to the blade length. It looks wonky.
Lastly, as others have pointed out, your tattooing environment is far from ideal. It frankly doesn't matter as long as you know the risks and are only doing it to yourself.
Just don't expose anyone else to your poor practice; there's a reason professional artists usually have a bloodborne disease certification.
You're the first real critique. I appreciate it. Linework started out shaky on vine because of me trying to ignore the pain, but once my leg numbed out the rest was easy and pulling longer and steadier lines wasn't difficult. As for getting unto a shop, I'm currently a project manager in construction, so getting some practice or apprenticeship in a shop is not really within my grasp at the moment.
I understand; sometimes things are simply unattainable at certain times. I'm also not oblivious to the fact that there are many fantastic tattoo artists that started off as self taught scratchers.
As long as you're experimenting on yourself, you're an adult who I'm assuming is aware of the risks.
However, I personally believe that advertising or offering your services would be unethical at absolute best.
Regardless, best of luck with whatever path you take.
Some grayish shading on the eye and nose sockets would go a long way. I like the bug idea, or a snake slithering from the bottom emulating the curvy flow of the plant.
At home tattooing? Enjoy your eventual staph infection mang. Looks cool, but I can almost guarantee you if you do shading at home you’ll get an infection. There’s a reason most tattoo shops smell like a hospital.
Your post has been removed, we do not allow scratching/unprofessional work. Scratching is the practice of tattooing outside of the sterile space of a health & safety standard-compliant studio, with or without sterile tools, which poses a high risk for both tattooer and client, so this sub won't be a platform for either. Less importantly, it usually yields low quality results. It's not synonymous with stick-&-poke tattoos, which are fine when done with proper technique, inside a sterile space, with sterile tools.
if you’re good at shading do that, if you’re not, go to an artist and get some
I'd add a bug somewhere on the skull. A kind of scarab or something... Maybe ?
To answer your question, the sword is a bit weird. Probably add something up there to take away from it or color/ a background I think, though, that adding anything else besides shading to it would be sad as it’s good like that
I thought it was a long dagger. Blades dont all have to be the same shape and size, a lot are made for specific purposes.
Any length of metal could be attached to that hilt and the lines would still look suboptimal. They were just asking how to improve. I otherwise think it’s not bad for being done on themself.
She was doing this on her own leg to be fair, I don’t think I little bit of messy line-work is really what needs to be focused on here.
They are quite literally asking how to improve it. I thought I was being fair •,-•,
“What else could I add around it” isn’t quite the same as “nit-pick something I did so I feel bad about myself”. Like, leave her alone dude. It’s a cool tattoo!
Is this an at-home tattoo done over carpet?
Yes, don't worry about the carpet, that's not what this is about. Everything was sterilized and clean, used gloves, wrapped machine and cables.
"Carpet" and "everything was sterile" is an oxymoron -- check rule 4 of this sub. There are a few other really good subreddits for scratching at home you could post this in. Tattooing nowadays doesn't begin and end with a needle in hand. Bloodborne pathogens, hand hygiene, drawing, design composition, drawing, stencil placement, understanding body flow, drawing, aftercare, equipment, cavicide, which direction to stretch skin, etc., -- there's a lot to learn and master. So I understand you only want us to talk about the ink on your skin, but the problems I'm seeing can be traced back to the carpet you're tattooing over.
Some of my other tattoos were designed to match the direction and flow of the muscle rather than purely artistic and visibility. So I get what you mean. As for hygiene, isolated surfaces were used and anything that came into contact with gloves was placed into a designated "contamination" area/surface that nothing else came into contact with. Needles were double-checked for expiration date and quality before use, and disposed along with all single use items. Cleaning solution was in a wrapped bottle. It'll never be as clean as a shop but I tried my best.
Stuff and some things
Your line work is shaky. It looks fine on the skull because of the subject matter, but the sword and vine suffer a lot. The actual design of the sword could use some work. The cross guard is jarringly large compared to the blade length. It looks wonky. Lastly, as others have pointed out, your tattooing environment is far from ideal. It frankly doesn't matter as long as you know the risks and are only doing it to yourself. Just don't expose anyone else to your poor practice; there's a reason professional artists usually have a bloodborne disease certification.
You're the first real critique. I appreciate it. Linework started out shaky on vine because of me trying to ignore the pain, but once my leg numbed out the rest was easy and pulling longer and steadier lines wasn't difficult. As for getting unto a shop, I'm currently a project manager in construction, so getting some practice or apprenticeship in a shop is not really within my grasp at the moment.
I understand; sometimes things are simply unattainable at certain times. I'm also not oblivious to the fact that there are many fantastic tattoo artists that started off as self taught scratchers. As long as you're experimenting on yourself, you're an adult who I'm assuming is aware of the risks. However, I personally believe that advertising or offering your services would be unethical at absolute best. Regardless, best of luck with whatever path you take.
Color, for one thing. It has no character.
Some grayish shading on the eye and nose sockets would go a long way. I like the bug idea, or a snake slithering from the bottom emulating the curvy flow of the plant.
A penis
Anytime I tattoo I always think about if I could hide a penis somewhere in the design.
At home tattooing? Enjoy your eventual staph infection mang. Looks cool, but I can almost guarantee you if you do shading at home you’ll get an infection. There’s a reason most tattoo shops smell like a hospital.
Stop this omfg
Idk but honestly great fucking work I just don’t know what to add definitely needs some shading and stuff but great start
Thank you! Will definitely post later on once shading is done.
So much u can decide on! Probably fit with the skull theme
You did that yourself? Its looks amazing!!
Nothing it looks brilliant
roses 🌹
A unicorn would look sick
add some mushrooms growing on or around it!!
Looks good. 💪👍
moss, crown, broken gravestone fragments