Reddit reviews Cosco Green Soap 1 Pint + SQUEEZE BOTTLE 8oz

Poke with your needle at a 45 degree angle, use a sort of hooking motion to deposit more ink into the skin as well. You'll hear a slight popping, if you go to deep the ink will spread under the skin and won't look great. You're better off poking too soft than too hard, you can always go back over your lines if need be. Search on YouTube and you'll see some people using this "hooking" motion.

Put a very thin layer of vaseline or aquaphor wherever you are going to tattoo before you start poking, this will keep the ink from spreading everywhere so you can see what you're doing. Also, dab your needle on a paper towel after dipping it in your ink to get extra ink off; this will also ensure that you can see what you're doing, as you won't have tons of extra ink sitting on the skin. Wipe with a dry paper towel after you go over a section, and repeat with the vaseline/aquaphor and poking.

Poke one section at a time, don't try to do the whole tattoo over and over. Get a solid line in one section, and then move to another.

If you're using a stencil allow 5-10 minutes between the time that you put it on and you start poking. This will keep the stencil from coming off super easily, you don't want to have to try and eyeball it or re-draw it if you don't have to. Only use a wet (with green soap, if you don't have some buy some) paper towel if you really need to, or when you're finished with the tattoo to clean up all the excess ink. If you use a wet paper towel before you're finished it will wipe off/fade your stencil.

Shave where you are going to be tattooing before you start (I hope everyone knows this already). If you don't have green soap, get some as I stated earlier. You can use it for shaving with, cleaning the tattoo, etc. If you don't have access to green soap, you can use witch hazel for cleaning the tattoo during/after poking. You'll need shaving cream for shaving (assuming you don't have green soap), don't use witch hazel.

Keep everything sanitary, the last thing you want to do is give someone an infection! Use gloves, wipe things down, make a sanitary workstation, use sterile tattoo needles only (NOT SEWING NEEDLES OR PINS), use tattoo ink only (NOT INDIA OR OTHER INK). For other tips on a sanitation check YouTube for a standard tattoo work station!

Last but not least, have some fun! Start off with small things, and work your way up to your own designs! If you like an artist's work, go get a tattoo done by them instead of copying it :)

Here is a link to green soap

Here is a link to very basic tattoo needles - You'll want to use the RL's for lining, and the RS' for shading

Here is a link to some good black ink. I recommend starting with the 1oz bottle, this will last you a long time.

Feel free to pm me or drop a comment if you (or anyone else) needs help! I've only been doing this for a few months, but I feel like I've done a lot of research and have a pretty good idea of how things work!

I got mine off Amazon. Make a solution for wiping by diluting with water. I use the same mixture to transfer stencil to skin which is super convenient too.