Posted on Jul 13, 2018
Freehand Ink Tips From The Pros
With the release of our Freehand Ink Pro Kit, we thought we'd round up some of the top tips from Freehand Ink professionals. Our Pro Kit comes with everything you need to become an inkbox expert: free...
With the release of our Freehand Ink Pro Kit, we thought we'd round up some of the top tips from Freehand Ink professionals. Our Pro Kit comes with everything you need to become an inkbox expert: freehand ink, shading ink, tip pack, transfer paper and pencil, skin-safe pen, an exclusive sticker sheet, and well as the pro kit pouch. We chatted with some of the artists currently working out of our Toronto semi-permanent tattoo studio to gain some expert insider info that will take your freehand game to the next level.
Shake it up
"I like to shake the bottle, tip side down to get all the ink to the top. I then squeeze a bit of ink out onto a scrap sheet of paper to ensure the ink will flow nicely. I repeat this step throughout the inking process." Sarah Skrlj
Clean your canvas
"Most important things are patience and cleanliness. Remember to clean the skin with alcohol before drawing with the skin safe marker (or else the oil in the skin will resist the ink). Clean your tips so the ink doesn't get blocked or come out messy. Stay steady and don't panic. Oh, and be a boss. That helps." David Clifton
Sketch to skin
"When I opened the freehand studio, deciding whether or not to do custom tattoos was a big factor in the planning process, especially considering how much time it would take and exactly how we would execute the designs from paper to skin. Using the skin-safe marker is my favourite way of drawing custom designs because I can quickly and easily sketch the idea on paper and stencil it on the skin before going in with the ink. I find the marker works best when the skin is thoroughly wiped down with Ethanol pads so it's clean, dry and rid of any oils." Talia Missaghi
Show some support
"The thing that seemed to help me the most was using your non dominant hand as support for the drawing hand. This meaning if you are trying to make a smooth long line you rest the wrist of your drawing hand on your other hand for optimal stillness! It has helped me a lot and gives your drawing hand a break!" - Celia Lees
For clean and straight lines
"Drape longer lines in order to keep them straight and clean. Apply pressure to the tip of the bottle and once you have ink coming out, slightly lift the bottle and pull it in the direction you'd like your line to go. By tracing just slightly over the skin, the ink will apply evenly and straight. This is especially helpful for longer lines." Jasmin Pannu
Avoid smudging your work
"For larger tattoos it's helpful to work your way from the part of the design that's furthest away from your dominant hand. This will assure that when you need to rest your hand, it is sitting on bare skin and not smudging your artwork." Jasmin Pannu
"Try to work from the top left corner so you don't smudge your design as you go along. (opposite if you are left-handed!)" Ella Mazur
Create contrast
"You can create contrast and more visual appeal in 3 ways: by shading, by thickening lines and by using negative space. To shade: drag your tip away from the line you're shading with. Gradually decrease pressure to create a gradient look. To thicken a line: either use a larger tip, or double your lines to add emphasis. This works great for borders and outlines for specific areas you want to highlight. To use negative space: Leave room between your motifs, this space will further accent the artwork and help guide the viewers eyes." Jasmin Pannu
Shop the Freehand Ink Pro Kit here.