Technique and Application

Linework – Needle hang 1.5 – 2 mm, (7 – 9 volts)

• Stretch the skin, tight in three directions

• Keep consistent speed and hand pressure, don’t rush or slow down mid-line

• Needle angle: 45 degrees, steady hand — keep your needle perpendicular enough to penetrate skin evenly

• Dip often and always have enough ink in your tip to avoid patchy lines

• Warm up with long straight pulls on fake skin or paper before working on clients

Shading – Needle hang 2 – 2.5 mm, (6 – 8 volts)

• Use pendulum or whip motion for smooth gradients

• Dilute your black ink (gray wash) in different cups to build depth gradually

• Don’t overwork an area

• Stretch the skin gently, too much tension can make your shading patchy

• Always wipe gently to avoid irritating or tearing skin mid-shade

Packing – Needle hang 2 – 3 mm, (8 – 10 volts)

• Small, tight circular motions 

• Saturate fully before moving on

• Always wipe with green soap + distilled water mix to see true saturation

• Work dark to light to avoid muddying colors

• Use larger mags for even coverage

Fineline – Needle hang 1 – 1.5 mm, (6 – 6.5 volts)

• Light hand, low voltage

• Single-pass lines only