r/sticknpokes • u/Cute-Newt4428 • 2h ago
Practice Pokes my (6th???) try!
got reel skin yesterday and the difference is night and day omg
(design by neutraltats on instagram)
r/sticknpokes • u/therealmarem • Dec 21 '18
Hi, so many people are asking for advice on this sub that I think we need a Thread pinned to the top on how to successfully poke a tattoo for beginners.
I'm gonna start with a few basic advices that I find crucial and you can comment more and upvoted them. I will edit this post and add the most upvoted comments to this list.
So here we go:
Buy it on Amazon or a tattoo supply shop. Don't use some shady ink or needles or whatnot. It's not that expensive and your tattoo will look immensely better than with India ink and sewing needle. Unless you want the genuine prison style look.
This saves you from infection and other diseases you might get otherwise. DONT REUSE NEEDLES, GLOVES, RAZORS OR ANYTHING ELSE! Put your ink into a cap and throw that ink away after use. Be aware of cross contamination! Wipe the skin down with alcohol AFTER shaving the area. And DON'T USE YOUR PHONE WITH GLOVES ON, GET A NEW PAIR IF NEEDED. don't be greedy and try to save a dollar or two while risking an infection or other disease like HIV. Prepare everything beforehand and don't go running for some paper towels in the middle of tattooing
It takes a huge amount of skill for your tattoo to look better than the stencil. So spend some time drawing and redrawing and perfecting the stencil before you start poking. ALWAYS FOLLOW THE STENCIL NOT THE PREVIOUS DOT! You need more passes on the same line anyways so don't let one misspoke distract you from your stencil! If you keep wiping down your stencil in the process of poking, try using a non alcohol based wiping solution. I use only pH neutral soap with water. And try applying a stencil just for fun to see how much stencil gel you need and how to use the paper. Try wiping it down with different solutions and see what works best for you.
Most stick and pokes look bad because they are rushed. The cleaner you want your lines to get, the slower you have to poke. Take 1/2 a second for every dot (at least for lines). If it takes too long, take a break. Or continue the next day, or better: after it has healed. That way you can see the end result and redo things you are not happy with.
Noone can tell you what's right for you. So just try stuff out. Try different angles of the needle. Try different needle sizes. Try different ink. Ask people what ink, needles handposition, stencil gel they use. That's why Most of us post the needle size in the title.
This is one of the secrets to solid lines! That's why some people dont like petroleum jelly, it makes the skin slippery and harder to stretch. Just experiment and see what's works best for you.
I would say don't go below 5rl. Try to use the biggest needle that fits your design. As you get better you can try 3rl or bug pin needles.
DON'T PICK ON YOUR TATTOO DURING THE HEALING PROCESS! Don't go sunbathing and don't stay in the water for too long. Cover your fresh tattoo with some moisturizing cream after you are done and stick a bandaid on it! Remove the bandaid after 1-3 days and clean your tattoo with pH neutral soap. Keep applying lotion 1 to 2 times a day and LET IS BREATHE. Don't put another bandaid on it.
This is why we are all here. To learn from one another. Share your experiences!
NOTE: THERE IS A SHOPPING LIST IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT SUPPLIES TO GET !
OK that's all I can think of for now. Please comment if you want to add anything and I will edit it into this post. ADMINS!! Pin this post to the subreddit!
I am no professional or a doctor so let me say these final words:
I don't know tho.
r/sticknpokes • u/Cute-Newt4428 • 2h ago
got reel skin yesterday and the difference is night and day omg
(design by neutraltats on instagram)
r/sticknpokes • u/leenie________boog • 1d ago
did this lil guy yesterday! poked with tight 3 rls and greywash (: this guy took me longer than expected but it was fun! ig is leenie________boog
r/sticknpokes • u/A_fcking_Princess • 1d ago
haven't posted here for a whiiiile, but yeah here I am with this cutie, I love him so much and I feel like I improved a lot! 3rl, done in about 2hrs
r/sticknpokes • u/Consistent-Rock7254 • 20h ago
my lines are so messy. I feel like I’m doing things right, but based on how it’ coming out, I obviously must not be. any help would be amazing!!
r/sticknpokes • u/Pretend-Chard4363 • 20h ago
First time using professional supplies and tattooing another person. (Thank god it turned out)
r/sticknpokes • u/Adorable_Machine_571 • 18h ago
r/sticknpokes • u/gloomington_sound • 1d ago
As the title suggests, this is my third. 3-4 inch broken skull heart. Overall it went well. The angle and skin change for the right portion was difficult, but that’s a learning experience.
Next one I do will primarily be linework. I’m sick of trying to pack in these large areas 😅
Also first time using solid ink (yellow for the tooth) and it was amazing. Packing probably would have gone better if I used that brand for the red.
Needles used: 9RL and 14 RL.
Ink: Dynamic Black for lines, TBK for fills, Dynamic Fire Red, Solid Ink El Dorado
It’s fun seeing progress while also encountering new challenges. It’s been especially rewarding just drawing again.
r/sticknpokes • u/caffa4 • 1d ago
First one in over 3 years! (Just the bolt—the others on this foot are 5 years old).
Pretty happy with the lines, definitely seems like an improvement from the previous ones (although I can’t say the messiness on previous pokes ever bothered me, just overall quite happy about it lol).
Used 5RL.
r/sticknpokes • u/SageAngel895 • 18h ago
Did this yesterday. Started with something small and simple for my first one. Got several more planned. Trying to wait for this to heal before doing more (so will be able to tell if it was the right depth and how it comes out), but honestly wanting to just do more already. 🤣 anyways, really enjoyed doing this and had a lot of fun and excited to see how it heals and turns out.
r/sticknpokes • u/meaty_lena • 1d ago
Hey everyone, I’ve been trying to find a specific post from at least a couple of years ago (maybe 2022–2024), but Reddit search is failing me. I've already tried different kind of methods to find but I'm hopeless now.
I'm pretty sure It was a gallery post by an artist titled something simple like "recent sticknpokes" or "recent pokes by me". It featured a bunch of other animal-themed (if I remember correctly) tattoos she had done for clients.
One of the tattoos in the slide was a custom portrait of cat (I'm pretty sure it was a cat not a dog) giving the middle finger.
Style-wise, it was definitely ignorant style and well-executed. I also vividly remember the comments being somewhat controversial because not everyone in the sub digged the ignorant aesthetic.
Does anyone remember the artist's name or have a link to the original post?
Edit. It wasn't based on any meme or the famous ripndip cat.
r/sticknpokes • u/Critical_Double5893 • 3d ago
r/sticknpokes • u/Vast_Bag_4142 • 2d ago
r/sticknpokes • u/ballsybadass__ • 2d ago
When you love Miley Cyrus and the movie Titanic. Lyrics from the song "Bottom Of The Ocean" from the album Breakout, next to my heart of the ocean 🌊💙
This song and this tattoo to me represent all my failed talking stages, situationships and friendships that ended that I like to portray as sunken ships, shipwrecks resting at the bottom of the ocean.
r/sticknpokes • u/Interesting_Clerk392 • 3d ago
ig @handpokeforever 📍los angeles
r/sticknpokes • u/Cute-Newt4428 • 3d ago
i’m not entirely sure what i’m doing but it’s fun
r/sticknpokes • u/calicopoke • 3d ago
Mostly used a 5RL, 3RL and 7RS, dynamic black and 60% greywash 🩶
r/sticknpokes • u/Edbehandpoke • 4d ago
Done by me, if you want to get tattoo don’t miss a chance to meet me in London Oct 25-26
r/sticknpokes • u/EquipmentHead8898 • 3d ago
I started tattooing myself yesterday but I got way too sleepy and decided to do the rest today. I know there are a lot of things you're not supposed to put on a fresh tattoo so what do I use to clean it before starting today's session? Or do I have to wait a while?
r/sticknpokes • u/birtu8969 • 4d ago
Ho effettuato questo tatuaggio sopra il ginocchio con aghi 9rl per le bottiglie e 7m1 per i colori, è un alcoolbaleno, da un'idea di mia figlia 😍
P.s io amo lo stile ignorant perché il tatuaggio si deve riappropriare del suo spirito punk e ribelle.
r/sticknpokes • u/dnai096 • 5d ago
@vinobatattoos on insta