Tutorials
HOW TO TATTOO A PERFECT CIRCLE
HOW TO TATTOO A PERFECT CIRCLE
In this lesson were going to learn how to tattoo the perfect circle, just like anything else in the tattoo industry it looks super easy when your watching someone else do it. But as you should know already on this course I don’t just want you to be able to do something. I want you to fully understand the hows and the whys. That’s how my brain works and I believe that’s how everyone wanting to be the best they can be works as well. So we’re going to learn this skill by drilling it again and again until it becomes like second nature. As always, just remember it’s early in the learning process so please don’t worry if it doesn’t all make perfect sense yet! Most people need time for it all to sink in so please don’t feel like you’re on your own. Why is it so important to practice tattooing circles, well there everywhere. And its not even just the fact that so many designs include circles its also that if they are done poorly then they can completely ruin an entire tattoo. As humans when were looking at something that in our heads we know is supposed to be a perfect circle then that’s what we expect to see, so when they’re slightly off our eyes are drawn to the mistake and it really stands out. This lesson will really start to build on what we have learnt so far. You will be tattooing curved lines but you will also be joining them and as ever we will need to keep
In the previous lesson we talked about the two possible hand positions as you tattooed a curved line. At the end of the day, you need to find what is comfortable for you. You will probably find that you will end up doing combination of both techniques depending on what you are tattooing. As long as you remain aware of how the angle of the machine affects where the ink is deposited you’ll be fine. In reality the difference is very small, the reason I go into it in so much detail is that it is really important that you understand it. In time, and with practice, you will begin to see how the angle affects the line, and compensating for it will become second nature. Don’t over worry about it at the moment but do be aware of it, by the end of the course you will know exactly how to deal with it. Let’s get into it. There are three sizes of circle on the stencil, work your way through all of them. You may be able to tattoo the smaller circles in one go but you will definitely have to stop and start on the big one so the exercise is a great way of practising all the techniques you have learnt so far. To start, taper in to the correct depth and start to tattoo the line. On the smaller circles you might be able to get all the way around and taper out as you reach the end however if you have to stop, because of hand position or ink remember to taper out. To complete the circle you can taper in again from either end, whichever one is more comfortable to you. Remember to move the whole hand and not the fingers. Locking the hand and finger position will make it easier to control the changes in angle of the machine.
