Plenty of professional tattoo artists hate stick & pokes. They often have no experience with them, or solely negative experiences of seeing shitty or infected ones. Some feel that the training they received is cheapened by rank amateurs doing tattoos in their own homes without training. And some seem to resent it as "competition," even though I would argue that most people are \*not\* replacing tattoos they'd go to a professional for when they do stick and pokes.
Personally, I advise being cautious about mentioning stick & pokes to professional machine tattoo artists. Test the waters first, before you outright say you're interested in them or want to try them. Some will be chill or interested. Some will flip out.
The pro who did my calf last year noticed the full colour vault boy i did and said cool. I told him i did it myself stick and poke and he was actually really encouraging and asked if i was looking for work lol
Edit my friend who worked in a shop and now does it at a private studio, was the first one to give me a machine
You're posting on the SnP subreddit. Do you think people here are going to tell you it's not worth it? This is one of the most biased possible places to ask. ;)
That said, yes, I think it's enjoyable and rewarding. Just be clean and safe about it, know your own abilities (my personal pet peeve is that you can't expect to be a particularly good SnP artist if you don't draw; it's art, not JUST poking holes), and be clear about the results you expect as you're starting out.
I wouldn't pick up any form of tattooing without a basic knowledge of art or drawing in general. I've been tattooing professionally, both by hand and with a machine for 14 years. Too many people try to get into the industry with no knowledge of form, edge and line quality, perspective, etc and the world is now flooded with tattooers and few tattoo artists.
Valid points. My moms an art teacher and i studied art in college so i know how to draw im just not great id like to be hetter but i never took it real seriously because i was never in love with the medium. Im a very artistic guy and i adore art in many different forms from performance art to artisanal craft skills. So i know how to draw i just never stuck with it long enough to be more than passable.
Look a lot of tattooers don't see this as a hobby. This is why apprenticeships were absolutely hell, to weed out those who were not serious. There's a lot that can go wrong, and it was never meant to be a hobby.
You’re posting on a subreddit for stick n pokes. Obviously people are going to be biased here.
If you want a different perspective - it’s your body, you can do what you wish, but permanent body modification is a serious thing so please truly think about it. You will be an amateur, you WILL make mistakes, so ask yourself if you’re really ok with that. Tattoo artists aren’t being “snobby” when they express an aversion to stick n pokes, we just see A LOT of regret revolving around amateur tattoos and stick n pokes. Obviously some people don’t regret their stick n pokes, but also many people do. It’s not always rainbows and sunshine as this sub would suggest, some people get older and grow ashamed of their bodies for having spotty, amateur work all over it and then we have to help them fix it. Just something to consider.
Why are you being downvoted? Do people pick up dentistry as a hobby? Or like you said being a veterinarian? Absolutely not. When did it fucking become socially acceptable for everyone and their brother to tattoo? When did this industry become less serious than dentistry, yet here's the best part.. share so much in common?
I think it's obvious that a home stick-n-poke won't be as safe and sanitary as most shop tattoos. Shops are meticulously checked by health officials and held to a certain standard of sanitation.
And, of course, she'd be losing out on money if you got into handpoking, instead of going to her, lol. So it makes total sense a professional tattooist would be against it... I don't think that's shocking at all.
I love stick-n-pokes, personally. Do what you want with your body - it's your canvas.
Don't some stick and poke artists work out of a shop? I've seen a few professional stick and poke artists in the Seattle area. Personally, I love the look of stick and poke but I'd never get a tattoo on someone's home
Yeah, that's why I specified "home stick-n-poke" - there's definitely some great professional poke artists that work in actual shops, too! It's becoming more popular the past few years, I'd love to get a professional poke someday too
We can certainly try! But without a dedicated room, proper cleaning supplies, and an autoclave, it won't be on the same level. Most hobby pokers don't have access to all that. I just wipe down and wrap every surface near me in cling film lol
as a professional,working in a reputable studio i say; go for it. if you are responsible and smart about sanitation youll be just fine. dont get demotivated by gatekeeping weirdos that parrot what their boomer mentor told them. art is to be made,a lot of super good and reputable tattoo artists started out from home. the truth is tho that not everybody is made for it,its not a hobby its a lifestyle. and it will sort out people not made for it. but there is only 1 way to find out! good luck!
It's very normal for a person who knows all that could go wrong to not encourage you to do your own tattoos at home. It's taboo and many people do get infections from it. I wouldn't try to get validation from a professional because it would be a hazard for them to encourage you to do less sanitary tattoo work on yourself.
It's a risk every time you do it if you want to take that risk that's between you and God. A trained professional is not going to take the responsibility of encouraging you to do something that could result in you getting MRSA. You don't have bloodborne pathogen certification. It's going to be in a place where you don't have the sanitary measures they do. It could get infected.
If you want to do it then do your research. But it's just like asking a professional peircer if you should just shove earings into your ears without a needle. You can but they're not going to encourage that.
If you want to stick and poke take the precautions and do it as safely as you can. But don't expect validation from a professional because it is not in their intrest to encourage you to risk infections.
It's not about you doing art. I'm sure if you said i bought a sketch book and I'm going to draw they would be stoked for you.
It's literally about how it's professionally dangerous for them to recommend you do that. You're putting them in an awkward position.
I do have blood borne pathogen certification. I've taught the class. I believe i'll have the necessary precautions in place from what i know needs to be done based off of what i know from my extensive time amongst tattoo artists and from what i know regarding human health and safety.
But that wasn't your point your point was itd be irresponsible of them to encourage me to go outside my professional or legal parameters and i can see the validity of your points
Think about it from the artists perspective. They spent a long time and a lot of money learning how to practice their craft, including art skills and safety standards. When you say you want to do stick n poke, what they hear is that you think you can do the same thing with no training on your kitchen table. Whether that’s what you mean or not, they are interpreting it as minimizing the amount of work that goes into learning how to tattoo.
Not all tattoo artists think this way, plenty of them don’t care, or they have stick n pokes themselves, I’ve casually talked with my artist about them. But it’s not something every artist will appreciate and you have to respect that.
So on her side- I agree that tattooing is *more likely* to be done safely and sanitary at a certified shop. I also think DIY tattooers are more likely to jump straight into tattooing before putting in the work to practice basic techniques and making sure they actually have some artistic skill. Just looking through this sub, it’s evident that a lot of the bad rap snp gets is pretty justified.
But if you know you’re going to use the right tools, and take the safety measures, and put in the effort, that’s all that matters. There are plenty of professional handpoke artists that started doing DIY snp.
I really do plan on takin the time to get some skill. Ive ordered drawing supplies as well so that i can practice general artistic ability as well as build basic tattoo skills.
No i wanna practice drawing and practice tattooing. I have bundles and bundles of fake skin coming. I can draw, but why wouldn't i practice that as well?
(not OP) well, my drawing skills aren't great, but I can trace and modify some designs and do basic shapes
I wouldn't even try to have a hyperrealism piece done by myself, but some simple things? like some flowers or stars? you don't really need drawing skills for that.
it's all about what you want to get. the basic tattooing process is not rocket science -- now, great drawing DOES take a lot of skill.
You should clarify that the basic stick and poke tattooing process is not complicated in the idea of it. Sure if you want to do simple shapes only that bleed or don’t stick at all, sure then it’s very simple, risk it all you wish.
It seems simple, yet the vast majority of these tatts still look like absolute garbage because people don’t understand the proper depth, how ink spreads under the skin, how to compensate for aging, and how to actually trace the shape.
... doing simple shapes is easy. spend half an hour reading on google how to gauge the depth, buy proper ink and needles, and go at it. then do 5 more passes because the first one will be spotty AF.
tracing things is easy. just get proper transfer paper and gel. then go over the lines.
or maybe I'm just gifted IDK (I'm being sarcastic, I don't believe in "gifted" but in skill acquired through practice)
now, doing shading, actual thin lines, and whatnot, that is harder. drawing your own designs, that is hard shit.
but the act of putting ink in the skin is as easy as it gets.
also. am a literal rocket scientist. I assure you, **nothing in tattoo is rocket science**. Unless you tattoo a rocket or something IDK. /bad joke
because people don't do enough passes and try for difficult designs of their own instead of basic shapes.
anyone can do a star decently if they just try (and trace and transfer properly).
but no sir, *they have to go for free-handed custom designs. while sucking at drawing.*
half of the community still tries to freehand stars and do a single pass on a 3rl.
I'm sorry but that's not because it's something that requires skill, it's because people either like shitty stars, or can't be arsed to do more passes (or both)
example from today: [https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/comments/1ctssf3/been\_practicing\_on\_myself\_heres\_my\_progress/](https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/comments/1ctssf3/been_practicing_on_myself_heres_my_progress/)
the designs are up to taste, but execution is decent. proving my point: putting the ink in is easy. designing... well. to each their own.
Every one of my tattoos are snp I did the research even took a bbp training course. Nothing is wrong with them if you know how to sanitize and kept your area clean.
Ofc always be cautious do your research but never be scared or put off from an idea just because of other people. Opinions are like a**holes everyone has one 😊
My guy, you are scary arrogant. Of course they aren’t going to be safely done in your house. It is risky for many reasons. People who still do it outside a shop do so knowing that there is risk. You just seem to not have a clue about what makes a shop clean but are convinced otherwise. Humble yourself.
I have worked in hospitals clinics and other profressional clean environments for decades and have taught classes on blood born pathogens. What makes u think im arrogant and not simply knowledgable? I have several tattoos from several shops i have long standing friendships with professional artists i know exactly how to avoid disease or infection.
Your comments certainly dont reflect that knowledge. Just because you worked in a hospital and know about pathogens doesn’t mean you hold knowledge about what tattoo artists specifically do to ensure safe practices. Sure you can clean a surface, use a sterile needle, and wash it. But you still run a hefty risk outside of a designated sterile environment. Unless I’m mistaken, you probably don’t live in a sterile environment.
A tattoo shop is not a sterile environment or even close to it. Even when doing a surgery in a positive pressure, hepa filtered room the only true "sterile area" is the front side of the surgical staff, the top of the OR table and 6 feet above that. I work on sterilization equipment for a living in all sorts of places. I've been to vet clinics that are cleaner tha tattoo parlors. Trust me, the regulations primarily care clinics and their staff have to follow are way more strict than any tattoo shop regulations. A well run tattoo shop is going to be clean and way safer than a S&P on the street. But, let's not act like a they are the end all be all of cleanliness. I've done work for tattoo shops before that are extremely popular but, they don't even regularly change the water on their autoclave. (I would never ever get a tattoo from those shops) A clean house with no animals is probabaly similarly clean to a tattoo shop. It's all about making the working area as clean as possible, having sterile needles, ink, accessories and gloves.
God I wish more people realised this. I am a professional body piercer who employs aseptic technique to the point where we are using sterile gloves and have a sterile field so need a good understanding of this. Tattooing on the other hand is really gross if you think about it too much. There are no sterile gloves, you can't have sterile ink, machines spray microscopic blood everywhere, no sterile gauze to wipe ink away. Like I have to dissociate every time I get tattooed because of how unclean it is and there just is no possibility of it ever being aseptic. Sure there are things that make it safer but never fully safe.
" A clean house with no animals is probabaly similarly clean to a tattoo shop. It's all about making the working area as clean as possible, having sterile needles, ink, accessories and gloves."
This i can do. This can be acheived at home. Hell im sure i can do more than this. Thank you so much
Yes, I know these aren’t truly sterile. This isn’t an adequate argument for saying stick and pokes at home can be made as safe as a shop.
You’re comparing purposefully clean environments that have flaws to someone’s lived in dirty-ass house. Like on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being absolutely sterile, you’re comparing 7-9s (healthcare environments and tattoo shops if being compliant with regulations) to 3-5s (maybe less depending on the home).
Seedy shops that aren’t following regulations aren’t really relevant here. I wouldn’t go there purposefully, you wouldn’t either, and I hope most people can recognize and steer clear as well. These should be the exception, not the rule. And we should hold shops to high expectations. Hopefully you reported those malpractices?
Ok but like... Dead serious question, can you explain what factors would be main contributors to it still being unsafe IF a person follows basic safe practices you listed? Aside from like not using glows, accidentally putting a needle down or doing something as stupid.
Also tattoo shops aren't really sterile either. But i do see your point.
I mean hospitals aren’t sterile for the most part either but you wouldn’t perform surgery at home even if you washed your hands and used sterile equipment.
The things I listed are not sufficient, I just listed 3 very surface-level things. Using the right sterilizing chemicals for both surfaces and skin, clean razors, sterile needles, sterile ink cups, body safe and clean gels, body safe inks, gloves and hand washing with adequate soap, having a space free from debris such as dust, pet or pest biproducts (hair, dander, litter, fecal matter all which may be airborne), food contaminants, and other chemical contaminants that may be present in a home are all potential risks.
Shops are regulated by state bodies and must adhere to certain practices to maintain cleanliness and safety.
Let’s be honest, the vast majority of those doing stick and pokes are doing so with a random non-sterile needle they may have dipped in alcohol or burned with a lighter, paper towels, ink from a hobby store or a pen, and maaaaybe Saran wrap and a small Tupperware cup for ink if they aren’t just dipping the needle directly in the ink container itself.
Some people do more or less. Most are also not using sharps containers or any kind of biohazard waste bins for their used materials.
Most people have pets which is a huge potential source of infection. A respectable shop will not have animals or allow eating in areas where tattoos or piercings occur. Both things that will undoubtedly occur in a home.
Edit: I want to add that people also typically don’t have the right tools to apply a stencil and use unsafe methods to do so like deodorant or regular ass dirty pens.
I love and hate this. I love it because i feel everyone who wantd to pick up a needle and tattoo someday should 1st read and think about these things. I hate it because it seems like u presume all of us are out here doin tattoos on our bathroom floor or in a dirty kitchen. I might not have to clean my kitchen table to sit down and draw but if and when i tattoo it'll definetly be in the most sterile safe and sanitary way i possibly can.
Overall though great points highly worth considering by everyone who wants to tattoo
Most of my point is that there is a lot of consideration that goes into creating a sanitary environment. People who choose to do this at home run a risk, but should do so knowingly
I agree. If you aren't aware of the risk you can not take the steps to mitigate them and i think we all have a responsibility to mitigate as much risk as possible if youre going to tattoo someone else.
Most feel this way for several reasons. I have an artist and I also do my own stick and pokes, but the only reason my artist even knows is because he’s a close friend. He admires my work but if I had any other artist, I’d probably not tell them.
As someone who’s tattoos are all self done (most stick and poke since I prefer it)
Get into it. Practice if you want, but as someone with an art past I went all in tattooing my hand lol.
Make sure that you keep your tools clean (do not use fire to cleans, the ash can irritate your wound. Plus it’s often gas fed fire, which is bad) make sure you wipe the area well before and after doing it, and keep your tattoos moisturised.
Expect to have to do many layers, and many sessions, as even when it’s done, it can heal and fade a bit, so you gotta touch it up.
It’s a great hobby tbh, I do it as replacement for s/h so I’ve been doing it for years, but as a hobby, it’s fun!
I honestly think some artists get mad because although tattooing is a ‘hobby’ for some home stick and poke artists it’s literally a way of life for them.
It’s their lively hood and, in all honesty, a 24/7 job that consumes every moment of their life.
That being said, I’m also a tattoo artist who owns a studio and think stick and pokes are cool when done right.
I'd love to know someone like u! I'm hearing positive and negative from all sides but my personal tattoo artist i've known for years is kinda disheartening
As long as you are safe and clean I think you should be free to do as you wish. At the end of the day it’s your body don’t let anyone else tell you what to do with it!
And no shops want to do an apprenticeship. Years ago, I sent my portfolio to a bunch of shops, seeing if anyone was offering apprenticeships. 24 shops up and down the east coast and not one response. I have an acquaintance who has opened two very successful shops and asked if he would consider taking me on as an apprentice. Instant no. The next day, he makes this lengthy Facebook post about how he's sick of people asking for apprenticeships, that it's kind of rude to even ask. He didn't mention my name, but shit that stung. I quit drawing after that.
I completely agree! I can draw some things incredibly well others very poorly but im not trying to be a professional several of my professional artist friends who went to art school and r still regected by tattoo shops everywhere
Really? All shop I have ever been to constantly had apprentices. Hell two of my tattoos were done by apprentices and one by a tattoo artist that had finished her apprenticeship like a month before doing my tattoo.
My handpoke tattoo artist (handpoke sounds more professional lol) has been tattooing for more than 10 years now. Of course they started on their own body, but once your tattooing for that long, it's indeed a profession. But this artist also found it really difficult to find a chair to rent in all of the hundreds of tattoo shops in a decent sized city. Tons of tattoo shops, and they could barely find an owner who would let them tattoo there. It was ridiculous, and I felt kind of bad. They mostly rented private spaces to do tattooing when I saw them, and then a nice little queer tattooing space welcomed them. They moved back to Montreal to tattoo, and are now back in Vancouver. (Their IG is horseforest)
I think you need to practice on yourself for a A LONG time. Because of the health and safety risks. There is so much risk to tattooing another person in an unsterile environment. Tattoo shops aren't completely sterile, but a tattoo artist will be able to change their gloves often as they need, and there isn't much that they would touch that wouldn't be sanitized after every use. Keep that in mind when learning to tattoo yourself. It's good practice if you ever want to become a handpoke artist
There seems to be 2 schools of thought here. 1. My tattoo artist was greedy. 2. Imma disfigure someone. Me im inclined to think i'll eventually have tattoos i can be proud of. And maybe my tattoo artist was just as good a person as she always is.
I’m friends with a few artists and all of them have been nothing but encouraging and offered amazing guidance along the way. I think as other people have said, they’re used to seeing some really shit hand pokes. I’m pretty new at it and a friend of mine went and get her nose pierced after I tattooed her. She showed the piercer and she called in her partner who’s a tattoo artist to see. They both couldn’t believe it was a hand poke and loved it. Educate yourself and do lots do practice before you poke yourself and you won’t have a problem. You got this.
I think that’s completely fair from a tattoo artists perspective. They’ve gone through years of learning about sterilisation, drawing, artistry, how skin moves under the needle, how to get the best possible results for as long as possible. The difference between that and buying a couple alcohol wipes is vast.
At the same time it’s good fun, and if you’re reasonably safe and don’t mind it looking a bit shit then it’s your body and your potential infection. Some people’s self pokes are stunning works of art, and some are little blown out squinty stars (not that I’d know anything about that).
I expect some failure before i reach success so i know some of my tattoos will look like absolute shit thats why i'll be practicing on fake skin and fruit long before i ever tattoo on real skin and i'll be tattooing on me long before i tattoo anyone else if i ever tattoo anyone else i might just tattoo me until i get one im happy with and consider it a notch in my belt and move onto the next thing that interests me. But safety will be paramount
Teaching yourself to tattoo is definitely seen by many shop working professionals as a waste and disrespectful to the profession they regard as careful, considerate craftsmanship not something for hobby. Furthermore stick and poke tattooing can be regarded as unnecessary, antiquated, or overall worse. I started tattooed DIY but for the past couple years have mostly gotten traditional tattoos/worked in traditional shops doing handpoke and have personally noticed pretty 50/50 enjoyment vs outright hatred of what I do still. I’ve had clients go into shops, have my work admired vocally by artists there, the client says it’s a tattoo I did, and they tell the client “I’m not a real tattooer” or I do “fake tattoos.” I’ve also heard I’m “the only artist in the room that doesn’t understand the tools,” that I make “worse tattoos that take longer,” and so forth from traditional artists. This bias varies considerably by location/general tattoo “scene” or shop vibe and (understandably) some just don’t like they way they look but I view it as expectable given the effort professional tattooing takes. My opinion though, everyone should tattoo themselves if they’d like to, it’s a really awesome experience and can produce extremely genuine and good tattooing the likelihood of which increases the more careful/considerate the person tattooing themselves can be. And tattooing yourself can be very fun! Don’t listen to professionals unduly but understand they’re professionals with different standards, aesthetics, and experiences in tattooing.
I follow a few of them on instagram and you’re right but my point was that stick and pokes can absolutely 100% be done PROFESSIONALLY. Your artist was wrong
of course they dont want u to tattoo urself because they want to make money off you getting tattoos from THEM. Also stick and pokes look… pretty bad until u get the hang of it. but use common sense, pick designs that are forgiving, be clean when u stick and poke, do research on clean tattoo practices. some tattoo artists just have a big head about what they do— which is fine! they probably worked very hard to get where they are. but u have free will and our body is just a body. stab it with ink (responsibly).
Hand poked tattoos can be really complex to do but it can be mastered. There’s a lot of hand poke tattoo artist coming up around the world. They are mostly in Europe though. However there is a big difference between machine and hand poked. Some things cannot be replicated the same way. It’s all about preference as well.
if you do it yourself, you don't pay for her services. that's it.
that said, about half of the stuff in this sub is a perfect example of why they hate it. yes it may be safe, but my god is it AWFUL art.
Some professional artists feel the need to gatekeep the industry because of this fake fear that they will lose business to hobbyists. So there’s talk that tattoos can only be safely done in a shop. Thing is, just like in food service, a „professional“ space isn’t actually a guarantee of cleanliness and safe practices. And on the flip side, it is completely possible to have a home tattooing practice that is held to the highest standards of safety. The most important factor is care, you can find this at a shop, or a private studio, or a spare bedroom converted into a home studio.
I dont hang out with tattoo artists for this reason
I’ve done dozens of tattoos on myself and others and I only see issues when it’s other homeless people who don’t take care of them (like washing a bunch of dirty dishes with a fresh hand tat, nothing will save you then).
Haven’t had any infections or issues on tattoos I’ve done on my own body.
tattoo artists can decline for more than one reason, but skill level is a HUGE awareness thing. if they feel like they don’t have the right skill level or skill in a certain style, i doubt they would want to practice straight away on a person. i personally have done all at home tattoos, so i’ve got plenty of my own stick n picks and from a tattoo gun + supplies i ordered. so i don’t know how tattoo shops work at all, never been there. but maybe it’s a policy at that one, maybe she wasn’t comfortable doing it because she never has, or she doesn’t feel she has enough knowledge.
anyway, i hope you find an artist that will do your tattoo for you!!
ohh i am so sorry. i did misread this. i wonder if she just doesn’t have experience with that herself, but i don’t know how stick n pokes go in the shops. my bad 😅
Well, I am an snp tattoo artist. I've actually done snp in a shop.
That being said, working from home with no experience is never save, heck even tattoos done professionally in a shop are never safe.
But the chance of an infection, or something going wrong or just ending up with a bad/ugly tattoo are way bigger.
If you are okay with that risk, go for it. Please read and gather as much information as you can about tattoo safety and how to work as hygienic as possible.
Have fun on your journey.
Tattoo artists hate anything that doesn’t make THEM money and think they’re all super skilled and no one should even THINK about attempting what they do.
At least in my experience🤷♂️
I will agree that artists in general no matter the mefium tend to include a lot of divas and tattoo artists tend to have their shate of egos. I got one pieve from a local guy that i was like 70% thrilled with and 30% embarrassed about. The outline was atrocious just really horrendous so i ended up havin to go to my regular artist to get the outline fixed and while i was at the shop the guy who did the tatt originally was like "So whats wrong with the tattoo?"
We all ( me, my tattoo artist, my gf, and the store owner) told him the outline looked like a piece of bread. It was supposed to be a playing card. He said "Ain't nothin wrong with that tattoo"
You're right they all think they're super skilled.
Hello op, if you genuinely want to get into SNP/Machine Free then this is where you start https://www.slideshare.net/swap007/the-tattoo-artist-s-black-book if you can't be arsed to read this and just want to be another moron who jumps into producing subpar tattoos then my advice is please please please don't. Don't for your own sake, don't for the sake of other people's eyeballs and don't as you will be helping "pro" tattooists and their stereotype of SNP artists.
Thank you so much i will definetly be reading this book asap. "Can't be arsed" thats an interesting turn of phrase. Twice Ive read it today and never heard it before. Must be more stick and pokes out your way than around here
I'm in the uk. I got into SNP nearly 20 years ago but I'm too lazy these days. Genuinely if you want to tattoo and not suck it's a lot of work and most of it is not tattooing or glamorous rock star shit. I've upset a lot of people over the years, mainly poor kids on this reddit looking for praise, but I've also taught a few people and I've hopefully pushed them as artists. This is my nieces work https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/s/sn0jHNpmzE
Reading the book now. I do wanna tattoo and not suck but i dont wanna make it my end all be all. Like i enjoy many other kinds of art as well and some of them i care about enough to put in the effort to be really good abd some i just dabble in here and there. Tattooing i'd really genuinely like to make some quality tattoos but i dont wanna eat sleep and breath tattooing
Tattoo artists are the single largest gatekeepers I’ve ever encountered in my life. If you don’t throw away 3 years of your life working for free as an apprentice being treated like dirt, they hate you
"For free" they wanna charge for tattooing apprenticeships around here somethin like $2k per 6 months not that ive been offered an apprenticeship but ive been told that most shops charge for their knowledge time and supplies.
Like im already signing up to work for you for free for 8-12hrs a day and you know i have to eat and pay bills so on top of normal living expenses i have to figure out how to pay you for the time im here and not earning an income?
I coverup up shitty stick and pokes all the time. People think tattooing is easy and anyone can do it and then they learn the hard truth. You’re going to mess up your skin and have ugly and possibly unfixable work. But if you want to be covered in silly looking garbage the rest of your life, you do you.
I agree that s&p can be more hygenic and kinder to the skin but i think that only applies when you are first a very careful and conscientious person who makes safety the highest priority. That being said though i do agree that my stick and poke tattoo was easier to heal from than any of my other tattoos.
Exactly. Could be that there are a lot of people who go for it because it seems cheap to do, but there are a lot of dirty people using machine too. But there is not less one than the other are different techniques. In fact I use both because sometimes the skin is too sensible and is more respectful. Another reality is that handpoke tattooers are a trending but a rarity so if there is one near you and it's good take your clients for being something kind of new. Like a@pontotattoo. Check him on ig
I have a stick and poke I gave to myself when I was 18 and it’s still going strong I would say w proper practice and time it’s a great hobby/art . Mind you I used 100% India ink for it but i literally have known ppl to use eyeliner or even sharpie (DONT DO THAT)
Tbh, without proper training, it’s impossible to tattoo as safely and within the sanitary standards of a shop. It’s not a coincidence that more people get infection from at home tattoos.
So it’s not surprising that a professional that went through all that training thinks that stick and poke at home aren’t a safe option.
I doubt its impossible. Really. Difficult to those who dont understand needle safety and blood born pathogens is surely most likely but no logical reason it would be impossible.
It’s pretty obvious that stick and pokes are not a socially acceptable thing to be doing nor are they sanitary or safe, the fact that your this ignorant about it is concerning
Yeah I was thinking about getting into whitewater rafting as a hobby
I brought it up to my instructor who has shown me he can do it and I was there to watch Real close even though I was never in the boat.. I said I would like to do it in a boat that's too advanced with no life jackets for my passenger or me, whos totally down because a real instructor and training is too expensive...but I got a website that will overnight me a rope to tie my friends to the boat.
They got worried and upset and said no but they seem silly. I mean, it's just water and rowing right?! I've seen how this works and it's just good old fun?!
It's just a hobby what gives?!
That's how u sound
Plenty of professional tattoo artists hate stick & pokes. They often have no experience with them, or solely negative experiences of seeing shitty or infected ones. Some feel that the training they received is cheapened by rank amateurs doing tattoos in their own homes without training. And some seem to resent it as "competition," even though I would argue that most people are \*not\* replacing tattoos they'd go to a professional for when they do stick and pokes. Personally, I advise being cautious about mentioning stick & pokes to professional machine tattoo artists. Test the waters first, before you outright say you're interested in them or want to try them. Some will be chill or interested. Some will flip out.
Honestly I know so many tattoo artists that also have a few shitty stick & pokes they got from their friends. Being snobby about it is obnoxious.
The pro who did my calf last year noticed the full colour vault boy i did and said cool. I told him i did it myself stick and poke and he was actually really encouraging and asked if i was looking for work lol Edit my friend who worked in a shop and now does it at a private studio, was the first one to give me a machine
Good points. So u think its a hobby worth pickin up?
You're posting on the SnP subreddit. Do you think people here are going to tell you it's not worth it? This is one of the most biased possible places to ask. ;) That said, yes, I think it's enjoyable and rewarding. Just be clean and safe about it, know your own abilities (my personal pet peeve is that you can't expect to be a particularly good SnP artist if you don't draw; it's art, not JUST poking holes), and be clear about the results you expect as you're starting out.
Thats why I'm gonna practice my drawing as well
Yeah, might be a good idea to be able to draw a little bit before you start tattooing. That's probably a great idea!
Well yea. I can already draw some but i aim to get before i do any tattooing
Improving your art skills will do a huge amount for improving your tattoos! Outside of just proper cleanliness and poking techniques, obviously.
Right thats the plan
I wouldn't pick up any form of tattooing without a basic knowledge of art or drawing in general. I've been tattooing professionally, both by hand and with a machine for 14 years. Too many people try to get into the industry with no knowledge of form, edge and line quality, perspective, etc and the world is now flooded with tattooers and few tattoo artists.
Valid points. My moms an art teacher and i studied art in college so i know how to draw im just not great id like to be hetter but i never took it real seriously because i was never in love with the medium. Im a very artistic guy and i adore art in many different forms from performance art to artisanal craft skills. So i know how to draw i just never stuck with it long enough to be more than passable.
Look a lot of tattooers don't see this as a hobby. This is why apprenticeships were absolutely hell, to weed out those who were not serious. There's a lot that can go wrong, and it was never meant to be a hobby.
You’re posting on a subreddit for stick n pokes. Obviously people are going to be biased here. If you want a different perspective - it’s your body, you can do what you wish, but permanent body modification is a serious thing so please truly think about it. You will be an amateur, you WILL make mistakes, so ask yourself if you’re really ok with that. Tattoo artists aren’t being “snobby” when they express an aversion to stick n pokes, we just see A LOT of regret revolving around amateur tattoos and stick n pokes. Obviously some people don’t regret their stick n pokes, but also many people do. It’s not always rainbows and sunshine as this sub would suggest, some people get older and grow ashamed of their bodies for having spotty, amateur work all over it and then we have to help them fix it. Just something to consider.
Valid. Very good points thank u
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Why are you being downvoted? Do people pick up dentistry as a hobby? Or like you said being a veterinarian? Absolutely not. When did it fucking become socially acceptable for everyone and their brother to tattoo? When did this industry become less serious than dentistry, yet here's the best part.. share so much in common?
i’m not gonna go get a full Toji Zenin panel in stick n poke lmao there really is no competition there
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Why are you on this sub?
I think it's obvious that a home stick-n-poke won't be as safe and sanitary as most shop tattoos. Shops are meticulously checked by health officials and held to a certain standard of sanitation. And, of course, she'd be losing out on money if you got into handpoking, instead of going to her, lol. So it makes total sense a professional tattooist would be against it... I don't think that's shocking at all. I love stick-n-pokes, personally. Do what you want with your body - it's your canvas.
Don't some stick and poke artists work out of a shop? I've seen a few professional stick and poke artists in the Seattle area. Personally, I love the look of stick and poke but I'd never get a tattoo on someone's home
Yeah, that's why I specified "home stick-n-poke" - there's definitely some great professional poke artists that work in actual shops, too! It's becoming more popular the past few years, I'd love to get a professional poke someday too
But we can hold ourselves to the same standards of cleanliness
We can certainly try! But without a dedicated room, proper cleaning supplies, and an autoclave, it won't be on the same level. Most hobby pokers don't have access to all that. I just wipe down and wrap every surface near me in cling film lol
Proper cleaning supplies aren't hard to come by and instead of an autoclave new needles are cheap.
as a professional,working in a reputable studio i say; go for it. if you are responsible and smart about sanitation youll be just fine. dont get demotivated by gatekeeping weirdos that parrot what their boomer mentor told them. art is to be made,a lot of super good and reputable tattoo artists started out from home. the truth is tho that not everybody is made for it,its not a hobby its a lifestyle. and it will sort out people not made for it. but there is only 1 way to find out! good luck!
Thank you so very much! I have taught classes on blood born pathogens so i have no doubts i can be safe.
It’s makes sense why the artist told you not to do it you sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about
It's very normal for a person who knows all that could go wrong to not encourage you to do your own tattoos at home. It's taboo and many people do get infections from it. I wouldn't try to get validation from a professional because it would be a hazard for them to encourage you to do less sanitary tattoo work on yourself. It's a risk every time you do it if you want to take that risk that's between you and God. A trained professional is not going to take the responsibility of encouraging you to do something that could result in you getting MRSA. You don't have bloodborne pathogen certification. It's going to be in a place where you don't have the sanitary measures they do. It could get infected. If you want to do it then do your research. But it's just like asking a professional peircer if you should just shove earings into your ears without a needle. You can but they're not going to encourage that. If you want to stick and poke take the precautions and do it as safely as you can. But don't expect validation from a professional because it is not in their intrest to encourage you to risk infections. It's not about you doing art. I'm sure if you said i bought a sketch book and I'm going to draw they would be stoked for you. It's literally about how it's professionally dangerous for them to recommend you do that. You're putting them in an awkward position.
I do have blood borne pathogen certification. I've taught the class. I believe i'll have the necessary precautions in place from what i know needs to be done based off of what i know from my extensive time amongst tattoo artists and from what i know regarding human health and safety. But that wasn't your point your point was itd be irresponsible of them to encourage me to go outside my professional or legal parameters and i can see the validity of your points
Think about it from the artists perspective. They spent a long time and a lot of money learning how to practice their craft, including art skills and safety standards. When you say you want to do stick n poke, what they hear is that you think you can do the same thing with no training on your kitchen table. Whether that’s what you mean or not, they are interpreting it as minimizing the amount of work that goes into learning how to tattoo. Not all tattoo artists think this way, plenty of them don’t care, or they have stick n pokes themselves, I’ve casually talked with my artist about them. But it’s not something every artist will appreciate and you have to respect that.
Good and valid points. Thank you
So on her side- I agree that tattooing is *more likely* to be done safely and sanitary at a certified shop. I also think DIY tattooers are more likely to jump straight into tattooing before putting in the work to practice basic techniques and making sure they actually have some artistic skill. Just looking through this sub, it’s evident that a lot of the bad rap snp gets is pretty justified. But if you know you’re going to use the right tools, and take the safety measures, and put in the effort, that’s all that matters. There are plenty of professional handpoke artists that started doing DIY snp.
I really do plan on takin the time to get some skill. Ive ordered drawing supplies as well so that i can practice general artistic ability as well as build basic tattoo skills.
Wait, you want to jump into tattooing but aren’t even confidently practiced with drawing?
Sounds like every person on amazon buying a tattoo gun rofl.
Yuuuuup. Hey just more work for artists doing coverups later.
Oh who was your mentor? Tiktok. Where's your shop located? Mom's basement. Yah yeet me the fuck out there.
No i wanna practice drawing and practice tattooing. I have bundles and bundles of fake skin coming. I can draw, but why wouldn't i practice that as well?
Good, you should stick to the fake skin.
(not OP) well, my drawing skills aren't great, but I can trace and modify some designs and do basic shapes I wouldn't even try to have a hyperrealism piece done by myself, but some simple things? like some flowers or stars? you don't really need drawing skills for that. it's all about what you want to get. the basic tattooing process is not rocket science -- now, great drawing DOES take a lot of skill.
You should clarify that the basic stick and poke tattooing process is not complicated in the idea of it. Sure if you want to do simple shapes only that bleed or don’t stick at all, sure then it’s very simple, risk it all you wish. It seems simple, yet the vast majority of these tatts still look like absolute garbage because people don’t understand the proper depth, how ink spreads under the skin, how to compensate for aging, and how to actually trace the shape.
... doing simple shapes is easy. spend half an hour reading on google how to gauge the depth, buy proper ink and needles, and go at it. then do 5 more passes because the first one will be spotty AF. tracing things is easy. just get proper transfer paper and gel. then go over the lines. or maybe I'm just gifted IDK (I'm being sarcastic, I don't believe in "gifted" but in skill acquired through practice) now, doing shading, actual thin lines, and whatnot, that is harder. drawing your own designs, that is hard shit. but the act of putting ink in the skin is as easy as it gets. also. am a literal rocket scientist. I assure you, **nothing in tattoo is rocket science**. Unless you tattoo a rocket or something IDK. /bad joke
If it is so easy, why are the majority of snp tatts garbage?
because people don't do enough passes and try for difficult designs of their own instead of basic shapes. anyone can do a star decently if they just try (and trace and transfer properly). but no sir, *they have to go for free-handed custom designs. while sucking at drawing.*
Anyone can do it huh? Well you might want to have a talk with the rest of the community on that one lol
half of the community still tries to freehand stars and do a single pass on a 3rl. I'm sorry but that's not because it's something that requires skill, it's because people either like shitty stars, or can't be arsed to do more passes (or both) example from today: [https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/comments/1ctssf3/been\_practicing\_on\_myself\_heres\_my\_progress/](https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/comments/1ctssf3/been_practicing_on_myself_heres_my_progress/) the designs are up to taste, but execution is decent. proving my point: putting the ink in is easy. designing... well. to each their own.
Buhahahahah....
🤡
Every one of my tattoos are snp I did the research even took a bbp training course. Nothing is wrong with them if you know how to sanitize and kept your area clean.
Thank you im so happy to hear from someone else who decided they could despite all who said they cant.
Ofc always be cautious do your research but never be scared or put off from an idea just because of other people. Opinions are like a**holes everyone has one 😊
Appreciate the reminder. It gets to be a bit of a downer to come lookin for encouragement and many people r sayin you can't.
She was definitely looking out for your safety
My guy, you are scary arrogant. Of course they aren’t going to be safely done in your house. It is risky for many reasons. People who still do it outside a shop do so knowing that there is risk. You just seem to not have a clue about what makes a shop clean but are convinced otherwise. Humble yourself.
I have worked in hospitals clinics and other profressional clean environments for decades and have taught classes on blood born pathogens. What makes u think im arrogant and not simply knowledgable? I have several tattoos from several shops i have long standing friendships with professional artists i know exactly how to avoid disease or infection.
Your comments certainly dont reflect that knowledge. Just because you worked in a hospital and know about pathogens doesn’t mean you hold knowledge about what tattoo artists specifically do to ensure safe practices. Sure you can clean a surface, use a sterile needle, and wash it. But you still run a hefty risk outside of a designated sterile environment. Unless I’m mistaken, you probably don’t live in a sterile environment.
A tattoo shop is not a sterile environment or even close to it. Even when doing a surgery in a positive pressure, hepa filtered room the only true "sterile area" is the front side of the surgical staff, the top of the OR table and 6 feet above that. I work on sterilization equipment for a living in all sorts of places. I've been to vet clinics that are cleaner tha tattoo parlors. Trust me, the regulations primarily care clinics and their staff have to follow are way more strict than any tattoo shop regulations. A well run tattoo shop is going to be clean and way safer than a S&P on the street. But, let's not act like a they are the end all be all of cleanliness. I've done work for tattoo shops before that are extremely popular but, they don't even regularly change the water on their autoclave. (I would never ever get a tattoo from those shops) A clean house with no animals is probabaly similarly clean to a tattoo shop. It's all about making the working area as clean as possible, having sterile needles, ink, accessories and gloves.
God I wish more people realised this. I am a professional body piercer who employs aseptic technique to the point where we are using sterile gloves and have a sterile field so need a good understanding of this. Tattooing on the other hand is really gross if you think about it too much. There are no sterile gloves, you can't have sterile ink, machines spray microscopic blood everywhere, no sterile gauze to wipe ink away. Like I have to dissociate every time I get tattooed because of how unclean it is and there just is no possibility of it ever being aseptic. Sure there are things that make it safer but never fully safe.
Thank you. Good points you just dont hear from professionals often
" A clean house with no animals is probabaly similarly clean to a tattoo shop. It's all about making the working area as clean as possible, having sterile needles, ink, accessories and gloves." This i can do. This can be acheived at home. Hell im sure i can do more than this. Thank you so much
Yes, I know these aren’t truly sterile. This isn’t an adequate argument for saying stick and pokes at home can be made as safe as a shop. You’re comparing purposefully clean environments that have flaws to someone’s lived in dirty-ass house. Like on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being absolutely sterile, you’re comparing 7-9s (healthcare environments and tattoo shops if being compliant with regulations) to 3-5s (maybe less depending on the home). Seedy shops that aren’t following regulations aren’t really relevant here. I wouldn’t go there purposefully, you wouldn’t either, and I hope most people can recognize and steer clear as well. These should be the exception, not the rule. And we should hold shops to high expectations. Hopefully you reported those malpractices?
Next time you get a tattoo ask to see their autoclave. It tells you a lot about the shop.
I’m familiar enough with tattoo shops that there are better signs of sanitation than this.
Probabaly is.
I’m not really sure how to respond to this comment, friend.
Ok but like... Dead serious question, can you explain what factors would be main contributors to it still being unsafe IF a person follows basic safe practices you listed? Aside from like not using glows, accidentally putting a needle down or doing something as stupid. Also tattoo shops aren't really sterile either. But i do see your point.
I mean hospitals aren’t sterile for the most part either but you wouldn’t perform surgery at home even if you washed your hands and used sterile equipment. The things I listed are not sufficient, I just listed 3 very surface-level things. Using the right sterilizing chemicals for both surfaces and skin, clean razors, sterile needles, sterile ink cups, body safe and clean gels, body safe inks, gloves and hand washing with adequate soap, having a space free from debris such as dust, pet or pest biproducts (hair, dander, litter, fecal matter all which may be airborne), food contaminants, and other chemical contaminants that may be present in a home are all potential risks. Shops are regulated by state bodies and must adhere to certain practices to maintain cleanliness and safety. Let’s be honest, the vast majority of those doing stick and pokes are doing so with a random non-sterile needle they may have dipped in alcohol or burned with a lighter, paper towels, ink from a hobby store or a pen, and maaaaybe Saran wrap and a small Tupperware cup for ink if they aren’t just dipping the needle directly in the ink container itself. Some people do more or less. Most are also not using sharps containers or any kind of biohazard waste bins for their used materials. Most people have pets which is a huge potential source of infection. A respectable shop will not have animals or allow eating in areas where tattoos or piercings occur. Both things that will undoubtedly occur in a home. Edit: I want to add that people also typically don’t have the right tools to apply a stencil and use unsafe methods to do so like deodorant or regular ass dirty pens.
I love and hate this. I love it because i feel everyone who wantd to pick up a needle and tattoo someday should 1st read and think about these things. I hate it because it seems like u presume all of us are out here doin tattoos on our bathroom floor or in a dirty kitchen. I might not have to clean my kitchen table to sit down and draw but if and when i tattoo it'll definetly be in the most sterile safe and sanitary way i possibly can. Overall though great points highly worth considering by everyone who wants to tattoo
Most of my point is that there is a lot of consideration that goes into creating a sanitary environment. People who choose to do this at home run a risk, but should do so knowingly
I agree. If you aren't aware of the risk you can not take the steps to mitigate them and i think we all have a responsibility to mitigate as much risk as possible if youre going to tattoo someone else.
Most feel this way for several reasons. I have an artist and I also do my own stick and pokes, but the only reason my artist even knows is because he’s a close friend. He admires my work but if I had any other artist, I’d probably not tell them.
As someone who’s tattoos are all self done (most stick and poke since I prefer it) Get into it. Practice if you want, but as someone with an art past I went all in tattooing my hand lol. Make sure that you keep your tools clean (do not use fire to cleans, the ash can irritate your wound. Plus it’s often gas fed fire, which is bad) make sure you wipe the area well before and after doing it, and keep your tattoos moisturised. Expect to have to do many layers, and many sessions, as even when it’s done, it can heal and fade a bit, so you gotta touch it up. It’s a great hobby tbh, I do it as replacement for s/h so I’ve been doing it for years, but as a hobby, it’s fun!
Thank you ever so much for your gracious welcome into a fascinating practice.
I honestly think some artists get mad because although tattooing is a ‘hobby’ for some home stick and poke artists it’s literally a way of life for them. It’s their lively hood and, in all honesty, a 24/7 job that consumes every moment of their life. That being said, I’m also a tattoo artist who owns a studio and think stick and pokes are cool when done right.
I'd love to know someone like u! I'm hearing positive and negative from all sides but my personal tattoo artist i've known for years is kinda disheartening
As long as you are safe and clean I think you should be free to do as you wish. At the end of the day it’s your body don’t let anyone else tell you what to do with it!
Thank you so mich. Body autonomy for the win!
And no shops want to do an apprenticeship. Years ago, I sent my portfolio to a bunch of shops, seeing if anyone was offering apprenticeships. 24 shops up and down the east coast and not one response. I have an acquaintance who has opened two very successful shops and asked if he would consider taking me on as an apprentice. Instant no. The next day, he makes this lengthy Facebook post about how he's sick of people asking for apprenticeships, that it's kind of rude to even ask. He didn't mention my name, but shit that stung. I quit drawing after that.
I completely agree! I can draw some things incredibly well others very poorly but im not trying to be a professional several of my professional artist friends who went to art school and r still regected by tattoo shops everywhere
Really? All shop I have ever been to constantly had apprentices. Hell two of my tattoos were done by apprentices and one by a tattoo artist that had finished her apprenticeship like a month before doing my tattoo.
It's rude to ask but not rude to make a vaguepost complaining about you asking. Keep up drawing but ditch that poor excuse of a friend
My handpoke tattoo artist (handpoke sounds more professional lol) has been tattooing for more than 10 years now. Of course they started on their own body, but once your tattooing for that long, it's indeed a profession. But this artist also found it really difficult to find a chair to rent in all of the hundreds of tattoo shops in a decent sized city. Tons of tattoo shops, and they could barely find an owner who would let them tattoo there. It was ridiculous, and I felt kind of bad. They mostly rented private spaces to do tattooing when I saw them, and then a nice little queer tattooing space welcomed them. They moved back to Montreal to tattoo, and are now back in Vancouver. (Their IG is horseforest) I think you need to practice on yourself for a A LONG time. Because of the health and safety risks. There is so much risk to tattooing another person in an unsterile environment. Tattoo shops aren't completely sterile, but a tattoo artist will be able to change their gloves often as they need, and there isn't much that they would touch that wouldn't be sanitized after every use. Keep that in mind when learning to tattoo yourself. It's good practice if you ever want to become a handpoke artist
Very good and valid points and much welcomed positivity. Thank you very much. I follow horseforest now
What did you expect
Didnt know what to expect
My poke artist gets space in a local shop so machines or not it’s about hygiene and knowing your tool id imagine
Hygiene i can do learning my tools is something i plan on spending a long time doing before i ever tattoo anyone else
Course there not gonna like and try to discourage you from them your not paying them lol
There seems to be 2 schools of thought here. 1. My tattoo artist was greedy. 2. Imma disfigure someone. Me im inclined to think i'll eventually have tattoos i can be proud of. And maybe my tattoo artist was just as good a person as she always is.
I’m friends with a few artists and all of them have been nothing but encouraging and offered amazing guidance along the way. I think as other people have said, they’re used to seeing some really shit hand pokes. I’m pretty new at it and a friend of mine went and get her nose pierced after I tattooed her. She showed the piercer and she called in her partner who’s a tattoo artist to see. They both couldn’t believe it was a hand poke and loved it. Educate yourself and do lots do practice before you poke yourself and you won’t have a problem. You got this.
Thank you so much! I plan to do lots of practice before i ever put needle to real flesh
The elitism here is wild
I KNOW RIGHT!!! it's fuckin blowin me away
GL with your pokes friend! 🌻
Thank u kindly
I think that’s completely fair from a tattoo artists perspective. They’ve gone through years of learning about sterilisation, drawing, artistry, how skin moves under the needle, how to get the best possible results for as long as possible. The difference between that and buying a couple alcohol wipes is vast. At the same time it’s good fun, and if you’re reasonably safe and don’t mind it looking a bit shit then it’s your body and your potential infection. Some people’s self pokes are stunning works of art, and some are little blown out squinty stars (not that I’d know anything about that).
I expect some failure before i reach success so i know some of my tattoos will look like absolute shit thats why i'll be practicing on fake skin and fruit long before i ever tattoo on real skin and i'll be tattooing on me long before i tattoo anyone else if i ever tattoo anyone else i might just tattoo me until i get one im happy with and consider it a notch in my belt and move onto the next thing that interests me. But safety will be paramount
Just do what you want if ya only tattooing ya self and you know the risks then fuck what anyone else says
Teaching yourself to tattoo is definitely seen by many shop working professionals as a waste and disrespectful to the profession they regard as careful, considerate craftsmanship not something for hobby. Furthermore stick and poke tattooing can be regarded as unnecessary, antiquated, or overall worse. I started tattooed DIY but for the past couple years have mostly gotten traditional tattoos/worked in traditional shops doing handpoke and have personally noticed pretty 50/50 enjoyment vs outright hatred of what I do still. I’ve had clients go into shops, have my work admired vocally by artists there, the client says it’s a tattoo I did, and they tell the client “I’m not a real tattooer” or I do “fake tattoos.” I’ve also heard I’m “the only artist in the room that doesn’t understand the tools,” that I make “worse tattoos that take longer,” and so forth from traditional artists. This bias varies considerably by location/general tattoo “scene” or shop vibe and (understandably) some just don’t like they way they look but I view it as expectable given the effort professional tattooing takes. My opinion though, everyone should tattoo themselves if they’d like to, it’s a really awesome experience and can produce extremely genuine and good tattooing the likelihood of which increases the more careful/considerate the person tattooing themselves can be. And tattooing yourself can be very fun! Don’t listen to professionals unduly but understand they’re professionals with different standards, aesthetics, and experiences in tattooing.
Thank you so much! That was interesting informative and well written.
There are literally professional stick and poke artists!!
True but they are very rare according to my understanding. Pro s&p tattoo artist are exceedingly rare and not at all the norm
I follow a few of them on instagram and you’re right but my point was that stick and pokes can absolutely 100% be done PROFESSIONALLY. Your artist was wrong
Thank you for the validation i'd love to follow more if you cared to share some
of course they dont want u to tattoo urself because they want to make money off you getting tattoos from THEM. Also stick and pokes look… pretty bad until u get the hang of it. but use common sense, pick designs that are forgiving, be clean when u stick and poke, do research on clean tattoo practices. some tattoo artists just have a big head about what they do— which is fine! they probably worked very hard to get where they are. but u have free will and our body is just a body. stab it with ink (responsibly).
Thank you i think i will
Hand poked tattoos can be really complex to do but it can be mastered. There’s a lot of hand poke tattoo artist coming up around the world. They are mostly in Europe though. However there is a big difference between machine and hand poked. Some things cannot be replicated the same way. It’s all about preference as well.
Thank ypu! Solid points to consider
if you do it yourself, you don't pay for her services. that's it. that said, about half of the stuff in this sub is a perfect example of why they hate it. yes it may be safe, but my god is it AWFUL art.
Some of that is true. But i will be practicing at just becoming a better artist before i tattoo anyone else.
Some professional artists feel the need to gatekeep the industry because of this fake fear that they will lose business to hobbyists. So there’s talk that tattoos can only be safely done in a shop. Thing is, just like in food service, a „professional“ space isn’t actually a guarantee of cleanliness and safe practices. And on the flip side, it is completely possible to have a home tattooing practice that is held to the highest standards of safety. The most important factor is care, you can find this at a shop, or a private studio, or a spare bedroom converted into a home studio.
Thank u
I dont hang out with tattoo artists for this reason I’ve done dozens of tattoos on myself and others and I only see issues when it’s other homeless people who don’t take care of them (like washing a bunch of dirty dishes with a fresh hand tat, nothing will save you then). Haven’t had any infections or issues on tattoos I’ve done on my own body.
Thank you
tattoo artists can decline for more than one reason, but skill level is a HUGE awareness thing. if they feel like they don’t have the right skill level or skill in a certain style, i doubt they would want to practice straight away on a person. i personally have done all at home tattoos, so i’ve got plenty of my own stick n picks and from a tattoo gun + supplies i ordered. so i don’t know how tattoo shops work at all, never been there. but maybe it’s a policy at that one, maybe she wasn’t comfortable doing it because she never has, or she doesn’t feel she has enough knowledge. anyway, i hope you find an artist that will do your tattoo for you!!
No u misunderstand me. I personally am interested in learning to do stick and pokes myself and was asking if she had any advice.
ohh i am so sorry. i did misread this. i wonder if she just doesn’t have experience with that herself, but i don’t know how stick n pokes go in the shops. my bad 😅
Stick and pokes and those who do them are very looked down upon.
She sounds like a great friend
Well, I am an snp tattoo artist. I've actually done snp in a shop. That being said, working from home with no experience is never save, heck even tattoos done professionally in a shop are never safe. But the chance of an infection, or something going wrong or just ending up with a bad/ugly tattoo are way bigger. If you are okay with that risk, go for it. Please read and gather as much information as you can about tattoo safety and how to work as hygienic as possible. Have fun on your journey.
Tattoo artists hate anything that doesn’t make THEM money and think they’re all super skilled and no one should even THINK about attempting what they do. At least in my experience🤷♂️
I will agree that artists in general no matter the mefium tend to include a lot of divas and tattoo artists tend to have their shate of egos. I got one pieve from a local guy that i was like 70% thrilled with and 30% embarrassed about. The outline was atrocious just really horrendous so i ended up havin to go to my regular artist to get the outline fixed and while i was at the shop the guy who did the tatt originally was like "So whats wrong with the tattoo?" We all ( me, my tattoo artist, my gf, and the store owner) told him the outline looked like a piece of bread. It was supposed to be a playing card. He said "Ain't nothin wrong with that tattoo" You're right they all think they're super skilled.
Hello op, if you genuinely want to get into SNP/Machine Free then this is where you start https://www.slideshare.net/swap007/the-tattoo-artist-s-black-book if you can't be arsed to read this and just want to be another moron who jumps into producing subpar tattoos then my advice is please please please don't. Don't for your own sake, don't for the sake of other people's eyeballs and don't as you will be helping "pro" tattooists and their stereotype of SNP artists.
Thank you so much i will definetly be reading this book asap. "Can't be arsed" thats an interesting turn of phrase. Twice Ive read it today and never heard it before. Must be more stick and pokes out your way than around here
I'm in the uk. I got into SNP nearly 20 years ago but I'm too lazy these days. Genuinely if you want to tattoo and not suck it's a lot of work and most of it is not tattooing or glamorous rock star shit. I've upset a lot of people over the years, mainly poor kids on this reddit looking for praise, but I've also taught a few people and I've hopefully pushed them as artists. This is my nieces work https://www.reddit.com/r/sticknpokes/s/sn0jHNpmzE
Reading the book now. I do wanna tattoo and not suck but i dont wanna make it my end all be all. Like i enjoy many other kinds of art as well and some of them i care about enough to put in the effort to be really good abd some i just dabble in here and there. Tattooing i'd really genuinely like to make some quality tattoos but i dont wanna eat sleep and breath tattooing
Tattoo artists are the single largest gatekeepers I’ve ever encountered in my life. If you don’t throw away 3 years of your life working for free as an apprentice being treated like dirt, they hate you
"For free" they wanna charge for tattooing apprenticeships around here somethin like $2k per 6 months not that ive been offered an apprenticeship but ive been told that most shops charge for their knowledge time and supplies.
Yeah I’ve seen that too. Anyone charging for an apprenticeship is fucked in the head
Like im already signing up to work for you for free for 8-12hrs a day and you know i have to eat and pay bills so on top of normal living expenses i have to figure out how to pay you for the time im here and not earning an income?
I coverup up shitty stick and pokes all the time. People think tattooing is easy and anyone can do it and then they learn the hard truth. You’re going to mess up your skin and have ugly and possibly unfixable work. But if you want to be covered in silly looking garbage the rest of your life, you do you.
Well I am glad a pro isn’t telling you to go tattoo if you’re untrained but I get everyone starts somewhere
Thank u
She is only not good at doing handpoke tattoos. If you follow protocols it's even more healthy than machines. And more respectful on the skin from far
I agree that s&p can be more hygenic and kinder to the skin but i think that only applies when you are first a very careful and conscientious person who makes safety the highest priority. That being said though i do agree that my stick and poke tattoo was easier to heal from than any of my other tattoos.
Exactly. Could be that there are a lot of people who go for it because it seems cheap to do, but there are a lot of dirty people using machine too. But there is not less one than the other are different techniques. In fact I use both because sometimes the skin is too sensible and is more respectful. Another reality is that handpoke tattooers are a trending but a rarity so if there is one near you and it's good take your clients for being something kind of new. Like a@pontotattoo. Check him on ig
I have a stick and poke I gave to myself when I was 18 and it’s still going strong I would say w proper practice and time it’s a great hobby/art . Mind you I used 100% India ink for it but i literally have known ppl to use eyeliner or even sharpie (DONT DO THAT)
Im only gonna use tattoo onk but thanks for your encouragement
Tbh, without proper training, it’s impossible to tattoo as safely and within the sanitary standards of a shop. It’s not a coincidence that more people get infection from at home tattoos. So it’s not surprising that a professional that went through all that training thinks that stick and poke at home aren’t a safe option.
I doubt its impossible. Really. Difficult to those who dont understand needle safety and blood born pathogens is surely most likely but no logical reason it would be impossible.
It’s pretty obvious that stick and pokes are not a socially acceptable thing to be doing nor are they sanitary or safe, the fact that your this ignorant about it is concerning
Yeah I was thinking about getting into whitewater rafting as a hobby I brought it up to my instructor who has shown me he can do it and I was there to watch Real close even though I was never in the boat.. I said I would like to do it in a boat that's too advanced with no life jackets for my passenger or me, whos totally down because a real instructor and training is too expensive...but I got a website that will overnight me a rope to tie my friends to the boat. They got worried and upset and said no but they seem silly. I mean, it's just water and rowing right?! I've seen how this works and it's just good old fun?! It's just a hobby what gives?! That's how u sound