How to stretch the skin

This is another important skill that you will need to learn; stretching the skin is a must for anyone creating a tattoo. You might like to consider that when you have taut skin it is similar to working on a hard canvas in other words it is smooth and stable to work on. You won’t be able to tattoo correctly if you don’t stretch the skin during the process.

This is how you should stretch the skin;

On a leg or an arm; get your free hand under the leg or arm and pull the skin from underneath so that it is taut on the top where you will be working. It is important that you don’t squeeze the leg or arm because this will cause increase the size of the tattoo area thus creating a false area. You need to be pulling your fingers and not squeezing so as to make the skin tight.

While working on a large surface area; you should put your free hand into a ‘C’ shape.  At the top of the tattooing area you will have your four fingers and at the bottom will be your thumb. You will spread the area by pulling down with your thumb and upwards with your middle and index finger. It might be a good idea to get a colleague to help you when working on a large area. Having somebody else stretch the skin for you can leave you free to work on your design. If this is not possible then you should take your time and stretch the skin using the ‘C’ shape technique mentioned above.