Mini-tattoo in the salon: a new service of the PM master

Elena Ponomareva , master of art tattoo and permanent make-up, artist, founder of Akvarelle Permanente make-up tattoo studio (Krivoy Rog), silver medalist of the 2nd Ukrainian Open Championship in permanent make-up PM AWARD (2017, Kiev), conference speaker

At the moment, miniature tattoos on the wrists, collarbones, bikini area and other places are gaining more and more popularity. Small tattoos are now stuffed even by those who are very far from the world of tattoos. Today it is not only a way of self-expression, but something like permanent jewelry.

As permanent makeup masters, we are always on the lookout for the best pigments, the best equipment, and it's all for our beloved clients. And why not expand the scope of your services, especially since tattoos and permanents are similar: the same office, the same conditions, the use of pigments, but only special ones - for tattoos, and needle configurations - play as much as you want. Such an opportunity to better understand the skin! I myself took some “chips” from a tattoo to a permanent and vice versa. For example, the WhipShading or Dotwork technique is a series of dots (pixelation) in shading when shading to add volume to the drawing, and in the permanent we use this technique for spraying eyebrows, lips, shading on the eyelids, but only softer. Or dense coloring, clear lines - this is all that is needed for arrows.

The idea to get a tattoo was born back in 2014. Then I decided to close the ugly scar on my body with a tattoo. And at the moment when the master applied the tattoo, the thought flashed: I can do it, because I have an art education. This idea did not leave me, especially since a colorful delicate branch of sakura appeared on my shoulder. After a couple of months, armed with the support of my dearest and closest people to me, I was trained in a tattoo studio in Dnepropetrovsk. I started doing permanent makeup a little later at the request of my friends and clients, but that's not about that now.

I took on different complexity, color and black and white, large and small volumes of tattoos. By large, I mean when the work is stretched over several sessions, and I'm impatient - I like to see the result immediately. At the same time, I kept a record of clients and performed both permanent makeup and a tattoo (more on the permanent). I soon realized that it was very difficult to fit into my schedule the process of creating large-scale tattoos, and I switched to only one-session works and, of course, mini-tattoo.

Photos provided by the author

So, where does the creation of a tattoo begin? Of course, with the choice of sketch. I discuss with the client in advance all his wishes, take into account the place of application, size, complexity of the pattern, whether the tattoo will be color or black and white. The formation of prices and time spent on work comes from this information. Masters often ask me the question: “What is your price for a tattoo?” Nobody will work at a loss. If I spend about 1.5 hours on a tattoo chosen by a client, and during this time I do eyebrows, then the price of 1.5 hours of work with a tattoo should be equal to the price of eyebrows. For a long time, tattoo artists in Ukraine and Europe have been working on a price list - hourly or session payment (the price varies depending on the level of the master and the region). I return to the sketch - I print the sketch on a printer and transfer it to transfer paper. Then, a transfer gel is applied in a thin layer on the skin, previously treated with an antiseptic agent, and a sketch is applied. You need to press it very carefully, because your further work will depend on a clear and correct transfer of the sketch.

Next, we determine the place of tattooing. It should be appropriate, proportionate, detailed: what is good for the forearm is hardly suitable for the back. Convenient places for application - calves, back, chest, shoulders (due to the peculiarities of the anatomy). On the wrists, ribs - the surface of the body is uneven, which complicates the work for the master during the transfer of the sketch.

Favorite pigments for working with mini-tattoo (my personal opinion) are Eternal Ink, Intenze, Dynamic.

Now I work only with Kvadron, EZ Revolution cartridges. Needle configuration: 1203 RL, 1205 RL, 1203 RS, 1205 RS, 1007 M1C, 1009 M1C, 1015 M1C.

I don't use 1RL in tattoo work, but I really like it in permanents.

If we briefly describe the application process itself, then the contour is first performed and, if it is a color work, dark areas are applied first, and only then light ones. As with permanent makeup, the client must follow the care guidelines because 80% of success during the healing period depends on care.

In my opinion, in the 21st century, a tattoo is a kind of painting on the human body. The semantic meaning is only what the owner himself puts into it.

To the question of the masters of the permanent: “Will I succeed? I have no art education!” - I can answer with confidence: the main thing is not to underestimate yourself, you need to believe in yourself! If you are a permanent makeup master, take a mini-tattoo course, and then you will succeed! And I will gladly help you with this.