By TAN CHOON SAM
It seems like a career as a tattoo artist is becoming a viable option for more young people in Malaysia these days. Tattoo parlours are sprouting up everywhere and becoming more prominent, especially in urban areas and city centres.
However, the road to becoming a full-fledged tattoo artist is not an easy one.
Starting out
Winson Ngu, 25, who works at Grasse Tattoo in Kuala Lumpur, started out by attending a month-long course offered by his employers. It took some dedication as well as a lot of patience to hone his skills and be able to draw as well as he does today.
Apart from that, Winson also had to contend with his parents not supporting his decision to become a full-time tattoo artist initially. But with time, as Winson explained what his job entailed, his parents started to support his dreams.
The course that Winson attended was held at Grasse Tattoo and supervised by the company’s senior tattoo artists. Course fees depend on which tattoo kit you choose to get – it ranges between RM1,800 and RM3,800 and comes with a few basic paint colours. The price might be steep for some people, but Winson says that it is worth the money.
“The fees are actually just for the kit; the actual learning of how to tattoo is free,” he adds.
As part of their training, students practise their drawing on fake skin. They need to perfect the skill of drawing lines and colouring on fake skin, which means days and even weeks of practising, before they are allowed to tattoo on a customer.
While some people take up courses or apprenticeships to learn how to tattoo, there are a few talented artists who are able to learn the skill all by themselves. One such person is Carlos Benny Majakil, 28, who owns Inked in Petaling Jaya.
Carlos Benny Majakil, 28, already owns several tattoo parlours, including one in Vietnam.
Carlos’ development as a tattoo artist was wholly independent as he received no formal training from anyone. Instead, he practised tattooing on his friends, and even on himself. He did his first body art when he was only 14 on his right leg, and it looks nothing like a novice’s work.
“It was just an interest of mine that I felt strongly about. Even my tools were home-made,” shares Carlos. He explains that he used the dynamo of miniature toy cars and connected them to a sterilised needle to form his very own rotary tattoo machine.
“I wouldn’t advise anyone to do it themselves, though. I had to because back then, there were no established tattoo artists that provided apprenticeships,” he says.
Majakil is very dedicated and passionate about his trade.
Now a full-fledged tattoo artist, Carlos has taken 10 apprentices under his wing, some of whom have gone on to open their own tattoo parlours. Carlos takes his role as trainer very seriously, teaching them not only the basic skills of tattooing, but also making sure they know how to deal with customers’ requests.
“They need to be able to make a client feel comfortable so that the tattooing process becomes an enjoyable experience,” he notes.
For Elton Ike Nonin, 38, a tattoo artist at Black Cats in Petaling Jaya, it took him close to 18 months before he was able to work on clients.
He started his career as an apprentice to his brother, Joshua, and had to learn how to stencil the graphic designs on paper as well as set up the instruments required, such as the paint and the rotary tattoo machine.
“My brother is very particular about his artwork, hence the long apprenticeship,” says Elton.
He also practised on friends who were willing to be his “guinea pigs” as he sought to improve his artwork. In doing so, he learned to interact with his clients as well as to gain confidence.
“I am very grateful to them for helping me improve by letting me tattoo them,” he adds.
More than meets the eye
The job of a tattoo artist is not easy. On the surface, it looks like all they do is paint one’s skin. But tattoo artists have many rules and guidelines to adhere to, and to ensure that customers who get tattoos walk out as healthy as when they walked in.
Hygiene is one of the main concerns as the wounds could easily get infected if the equipment used is not properly sterilised. Not only is the cleanliness of the equipment emphasised, but the cleanliness of the environment is equally important. Many of today’s tattoo artists recognise the importance of hygiene and take extensive precautions to prevent mishaps.
“We use disposable needles so that no needle is ever reused. Also, our tables are properly wrapped, and the paint tubes are sterilised. We don’t do any freelance work as well because of hygiene concerns,” says Elton.
At Grasse Tattoo, the wrapping on the furniture as well as the equipment is changed before every procedure. The colour palettes and rotary tattoo machines are cleaned using ultrasonic cleaners.
The coil machine is used to drive the needle.
Says Winson, “We also need to be very professional when it comes to tattooing, as there are many things that can go wrong if we are not careful.” Tattoo artists need to stay focused on what they’re doing and at the same time make the clients feel as comfortable as they can because a tiny laugh or a single twitch from the client can sometimes result in a disastrous “mis-tattoo”!
Besides that, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the client’s health as some tattoo procedures can take up to nine hours. Winson normally checks if the client has had enough sleep the night before and whether he has eaten sufficiently.
“When he starts to feel dizzy or light-headed, we stop and take a break to make sure the client is comfortable before proceeding,” he says.
“Some tattoos can also take up to a few years to complete, as large ones have to be done in parts. We can only work on it maybe once between two and three weeks as we need to wait for the swelling to reduce before we are able to continue.”
At Inked, Carlos uses an autoclave machine, which literally “cooks” the equipment to sterilise them. After every session, he places all the tools (except the disposable needles) that he used into the microwave-like machine.
Carlos stresses the importance of tattoo parlours using the autoclave machine. “If a tattoo parlour does not have one, do not get a tattoo there,” he advises.
He also insists on checking to see if his client is intoxicated or under any kind of medication before starting to work on them. “Under these conditions, we do not proceed with the tattooing process. The customer has to come back another day, when they are well rested,” he notes.
Artistic talent
Tattoo artists obviously require a strong artistic instinct. Artists are responsible for turning the client’s visualisation into reality, and thus need to be able to interpret the client’s wishes accurately.
“You need to have a strong artistic background, as well as be able to visualise the tattoo. You need to do some research as well because colours do not look the same on paper as on skin. Colours often appear darker on the skin,” says Elton.
Tattoo artists need to constantly practise their drawing skills, as well as expand their catalogue.
Carlos also shares this sentiment. “It depends on the person’s skin tone, as well as the exposure to sun that the tattoo gets. Usually, tattoos exposed to sun fades faster, especially the colour yellow,” he reveals.
As for Winson, he does not think that being able to draw is necessary to becoming a tattoo artist. Instead, he thinks it is just an advantage.
“Since we use stencils these days it is not really necessary for one to be able to draw, but it helps. Even then one still has to be diligent to progress further. The more dedicated one is, the faster he will progress,” he says.
Tattoo artists also practise a certain amount of social responsibility, such as requiring parental consent for clients under 18. Winson says they would usually encourage younger clients to get tattoos in concealed areas of their body, as most of them are still students, and having tattoos in plain sight might jeopardise their future.
“For example, they need to make a good first impression in interviews. Having a tattoo may be detrimental to their chances of getting a job or scholarship.
“We also advise couples to think twice before tattooing their partner’s names on their body because you never know what might happen. Tattoo removal is a long and painful process, not to mention costly!” says Winson, half-jokingly.
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