Customskins Tattoo: May 2011

Saturday 28 May 2011

Sugar Skull tattoo meaning, design and pictures

Continuing on from our Blog about Skull tattoo meaning, design and pictures, there’s also Sugar Skull Tattoos.

Sugar skulls are commonly used in conjunction with the Day of The Dead festival which is a Mexican Tradition.
On November 1st is All Saint’s Day which is a celebration of children & infants that have passed away throughout the year and November 2nd is All Saint’s Day, a day for celebration of all adults have passed away.

Just like skulls, some people get Sugar Skulls to commemorate a death of a person, a renewal of life, or just because they like it!

By Andy

By Jimmy

Skull tattoo meaning, design and pictures

Skull tattoos have a number of symbolic purposes. Majority being death and mortality. At first glance they may look gothic or negative, they don’t always mean what they resemble !

Skulls can be drawn as cutesy doodles, demonic spirits, celebrations etc. Each person that has a skull on them has a reason for it. In not every case they are meaningful but in some, they may be !

Skull symbolism may include:
* Overcoming death or a tough time
* A past life or changes in ones life
* Protection
* Power
* Strength

Some of our work:

By Andy

By Andy- Jimmy’s hand

By Andy

By Jimmy

By Jimmy- Freehand

By Jimmy- Freehand (part 2)

Tribal tattoo meaning, design and pictures

For the majority, tribal tattoos are originally from ancient tribal art and don’t really have a significant meaning. Although some designs do have certain meanings for specific tribes.

Most designs have solid black lines and tend to be random patterns of lines and curves that are put together to create an abstract form of art.

Here’s some of our work:

Jimmy fix up- Before

Jimmy fix up- After

By Jimmy

By Andy

Tattoo Process- Part 2 – Sterilization & Prep for Your Tattoo

Any puncture wound has potential for infect and the transmition of diseases so most of the process focuses on the safety of the tattooist and the clients.

To eliminate the possibility of contamination, majority of the materials used in tattoos are disposable and single use only, including:
* Inks
* Ink cups
* Gloves
* Needles

Most single-use items arrive in sterile packaging, which the artist will open in front of the customer.
Reusable materials (the needle bar and tube) are sterilized before every use!
The only acceptable sterilization method is an autoclave (a heat/steam/pressure unit often used in hospitals and dental clinics) they kill every organism on the equipment.

Before working on customers, tattoo artists wash and inspect their hands for cuts and abrasions and put clean gloves on. Then they do the following:
•Disinfect the work area with an EPA-approved viricide.
•Place plastic bags on spray bottles to prevent cross-contamination.
•Remove all equipment from sterile packaging in front of the client.
•Shave and disinfect (with a mixture of water and antiseptic soap) the area to be tattooed.

They will then dispose of the gloves used to set up, and put a fresh set on before commencing work.

Tattoo Process – Part 1 – Ink, Machine & Your Body

Tattoo artists create your permanent tattoo by injecting special ink into your skin.

This is all possible by using an electric-powered tattoo machine (It’s not a tattoo “gun” as people believe: GUNS KILL, MACHINE CREATE!).

The machine moves a solid needle up and down to puncture the skin between 50 to 3,000 times PER MINUTE!
Don’t worry though, the needle only penetrates the skin by around a millimeter!

Modern tattoo machines have the same basic components no matter what brand of machine they are using:

•A sterilized needle
•A “tube” which draws the ink through the machine
•An electric motor linked to a tattoo power supply
•A foot pedal (just like those used for sewing machines, which controls the movement of the needle)

When you are looking at a tattoo, you are looking at the ink through the Epidermis (outer layer of the skin).
The ink is actually in the Dermis (second layer of skin) which is more stable, hence the permanence of the tattoo!

Edit this entry.

Lettering & Word Tattoos

Wikipedia’s definition of “lettering”:The letters inscribed on something, esp. decorative ones

Wikipedia’s definition of “words”:A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed.
We love hearing stories about why people get certain names, words or quotes permanently tattooed onto them… Best thing, there’s no rules about it!
Just like any tattoo.. You get what you want, the style you want and where you want it !

Here’s some of the tattoos our artists have done lately:

By Andy

By Jimmy

Get to know us- Custom Skins Tattoo- AKA Gabba Tattoo Studio

Andy “Fang” – Tattooist

James “Jimmy” – Tattooist

Brett “Brett~O” – Tattooist

Lauren “Lolly” – Apprentice tattooist & Receptionist

Meaning of your tattoo

The meaning of tattoos are something that MOST people think about before they sit down in the chair to get inked.

Tattoos are an express of individuality and always have been, so the same symbol on one person may mean something to the next person.

That’s the beauty of tattoos!! It’s your skin so it doesn’t matter what the “traditional” meaning is, it’s what it means to you! It could remind you of someone, of an event or just because you like it!!
It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, it’s your skin so it’s your decision!!

History of The Word “Tattoo”

The word “tattoo” itself first showed up in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 1777.

The original origin is unclear but most historians trace it back to Captain James Cook, who returned to Europe from a South Pacific expedition in 1769. He described the markings of certain Tahitian tribes. They called the markings “tatau” meaning “to mark” (though Cook originally spelled it “tattaw”).

Most people believe that this is most likely where the current word comes from, eventhough the practice existed for thousands of years, this is the term we’ve all learn to love!

Tattoo Aftercare Advice – From the Protat Aftercare Guide !

(Please note, the following is from the Protat Aftercare guide. We, at Custom Skins Tattoo (AKA Gabba Tattoo) use, sell and recommend Protat Aftercare! www.protat.com.au- AUSTRALIAN MADE, AUSTRALIAN OWNED- Just like us!)

Your skin art has been hygienically applied with sterile equipment. To preserve a fresh unfaded result, it is essential to avoid infection during the healing period. Always wash your hands before applying cream or touching the new tattoo.Your new tattoo will take from 5 to 10 days to heal, the healing time is related to the amount of physical damage to the skin and moisture in the area. The skin must be moisturised and protected from the damaging UV rays of the sun.

WASH
After your skin art has been hygienically applied your artist will cover with a dressing to protect the artwork until you get home. It is at this point that the initiation of scab formation occurs. Under the dressing, the weeping tattoo allows blood platelets to begin collecting on the surface of the skin. To prevent further formation of a scab it is necessary to remove the blood platelets. Remove the dressing and wash the fresh tattoo ( within 1 hour preferred) in warm running water(shower)using Protat Tattoo Cleansing Foam. DO NOT use bar soap as it can contaminate and dry the fresh tattoo. Using Anti Bacterial soap is not recommended as the tattoo applied by a Professional Artist is done so using clean and aseptic techniques to avoid the introduction of ‘nasty’ bacteria. The skin has a natural, friendly population of bacteria that actually help to protect the surface of the wound. Therefore, the use of an anti-bacterial product could kill any nasty bacteria if they were present, but it would also greatly reduce the natural bacteria population and leave the skin with out its primary defence mechanism. After washing rinse thoroughly. DO NOT USE a wash cloth or sponge. Pat dry. DO NOT RUB OR SCRATCH. Use Protat Tattoo Cleansing Foam once or twice a day until the tattooed skin heals. After drying wait 40-60 minutes to allow excess water in the tattoo to evaporate and inflammation to subside.

APPLY CREAM
Apply Protat Aftercare Cream (Protat Premium Cream for normal skin or Protat Soothing Cream for sensitive skin) Always wash your hands before applying cream or touching the tattoo. Evenly apply cream over the tattooed skin. Use only as much cream as the skin will absorb. Rub cream in gently as this will help stimulate the skin and bring blood flow to the area which helps in the body’s natural healing process. DO NOT leave a thick film on the surface. Most people experience a mild tingling sensation after the first few applications, this is quite normal. After 10 minutes or so, clothing will not stick to the tattoo. Apply cream 2 to 3 times a day or as necessary to keep the tattoo slightly moist. DO NOT allow the skin to dry out. Wear clean clothes. Avoid close fitting clothes as they may absorb cream and dry the freshly tattooed skin. If you suffer from any allergies, seek advice from your GP and advise your body artist. Discontinue use of any product should irritation occur.

AVOID
During the healing period:
Sunbathing. Chlorine. Soaking in a bath. Unwashed clothes. Touching with unwashed hands. Scratching. Salt Water. Oral Contact. Swimming.

SHAVING
Most Tattooists will shave the area before tattooing to apply the stencil. Hair is on our body to protect our skin and on its removal the body’s protective system sends fluid to the area. Where shaving has been done against the grain of hair, it can cause shaving rash and ingrown hairs which can cause little white heads.To avoid this it is recommended, 3 to 7 days before being tattooed, to shave every day, shaving with the grain, the area you want tattooed plus 2 inches or 50mm around it. This will help the skin to be over any rash that may have appeared and to be ready to concentrate on the healing of the tattoo.

MOISTURISING
When your body art is fully healed apply Protat Moisturising Cream regularly to rejuvenate and hydrate the skin and retain the quality of the artwork.Protat Moisturising Cream can be used over the entire body.

SUNSCREEN
Use Protat SPF 30+ broad spectrum Sunscreen whenever you expose your body to the sun. Regular use can aid in the prevention of premature skin ageing, pigment fading and skin cancer.
These products have been formulated especially for, and in the long term interest of, the tattoo Enthusiast. On going supplies of Protat Moisturiser and Protat SPF 30+ Sunscreen are available at your professional Tattoo Studio. Protat Products are for external use only.

Tattoos hurt! But here are some ways to make it less painful

If someone tells you that their tattoo didn’t hurt.. They’re full of it!
But there are ways to minimize the pain involved. Here are some tips that will help you deal with the pain.

1. Never show up for your appointment on drugs or drunk. This will make your blood thin, causing you to bleed more.

2. Choose a tattoo artist that you are comfortable around. If you have confidence in your artist it will make the process much easier for everyone involved.

3. Show up at the studio excited about your new ink!!! Tattoos take time- quality work is an art – and should never be rushed.

4. If the pain becomes too much for you to bear, you should let your tattoo artist know immediately. He/she will allow you to take a break, or stop and come back later. You can always break up your sessions, as tattoos don’t need to be finished immediately.

5. Keep yourself occupied while getting your tattoo!! Talk to the artist (but don’t distract him too much!), listen to music, play a game, read a magazine or read our blog (hehe). This way, you are focusing on something other than the tattoo.