Tattoo Stencils & Accessories

Tattoo Stencils & Accessories

Tattoos are a beautiful form of body art. One way to properly complete a tattoo is by using a tool called a stencil, which will aid beginners at properly placing all ink in the correct location; it also ensures that a repeating pattern like a tribal band has the same consistent size and spacing for all elements. Here are some tips on how to make and place stencils.

Tattoo stencils are used as guides for doing henna or tattoos. They work by leaving a design on the skin that you can then trace over with a tattoo machine. Rather than having to hold a stencil card in place, they create a temporary tattoo that you can write over to create your body art. Here are two different types of tattoo stencils:

• Hectograph - A hectograph has three layers, the top layer which is used to draw your design on, the center tissue layer which should be removed before using, and the bottom layer where the stencil is transferred.
• Thermal - Thermal stencil paper uses heat to transfer the image from one surface to another. It has four layers...the white layer where the image is transferred, the milky thin layer, the ink layer which is usually purple or red, and the bottom yellow layer.

Using a stencil is simple. There are many different designs of tattoos to choose from, whether it be a star, flowers or a tribal design tattoo. Simply choose a design and get started. Here is how to use a stencil:

• Place the hectograph paper down onto a hard, flat surface with the white side facing upwards.
• Place your design securely on top of the white paper.
• Tape your design down to prevent it from moving and affecting your stencil.
• With either a pen or a pencil, carefully trace over your design. Your stencil will be on the back side of the white paper when you are finished.

Transferring your art to the skin is simple. Here's how:

• Once the stencil has been chosen, clean the skin and dampen it where you want to transfer the tattoo with either water, soap, or a stick deodorant.
• Place the transfer paper on damp skin and press gently. Keep the paper firmly in place while doing this.
• Lift the stencil up and begin tattooing.