Pets are present in the daily lives of many people, and they are part of the family.
Without asking for anything in return, pets offer unconditional love and can become great life companions.
Paying tribute to them in tattoos is the way that many people find to keep them closer and build a stronger bond.
As a tattoo professional, you must be prepared and know some tips.
Knowing how to make pet tattoos is an ace up your sleeve that will give you more tools and possibilities when offering your services.
Keep reading to know more!
What do pet tattoos say?
The symbolic and emotional value attributed to these animals is as great and broad as the species themselves. Everyone has a story to tell about their pets, and that makes pet tattoos so compelling.
It is often said that pets share similarities in personality and character with their owners, which makes the bond between them even stronger.
For this reason, they are not just animals, and there is an emotional value that makes them exceptional.
Accuracy in expressions
In pet tattooing, it is crucial to respect the features.
Pet owners know their animals better than anyone, and the challenge for you is to be able to render their expressions on their faces in the best possible way. To achieve this, understanding realistic technique is key.
Any mistake or misinterpretation could cause you to end up tattooing any other animal and not your client's pet.
On the other hand, if you have knowledge of Realism, it will give you a great advantage when composing and designing. In addition, you will be able to detect errors in time as a fundamental tool.
The reference image must be of the best possible quality, and this is key. Otherwise, you will spend your time trying to decipher the animal's face and its details, and you will end up tattooing just pixels.
Something that many tattoo artists recommend is that before the session, the client shows you more than one photograph so that you can choose the best one together.
In this way, with your expert eye and your knowledge as a professional, you will be able to guide it judiciously and select the one that best suits the design. In addition, you will become familiar with the animal's face and pay attention to other important details.
Tips when making pets tattoos
All animals are different, and this poses a challenge as a tattoo artist, you will learn something new.
Below are some relevant points to work on pets and animals in general. When tattooing, pay attention to the following:
- First of all, patience is key. It is the most obvious thing to say, but approaching work very calmly is essential.
Depending on the complexity and size of the design, they can become long sessions, and rushing the times will only make a bad tattoo.
- Fur direction. Analyzing the direction of the fur is essential to achieve a realistic effect. Animal fur has extremely diverse and irregular ways.
Keep in mind that the fur takes the longest to make, so pay attention to the previous point. Never skip this step.
On the other hand, some tattoo artists recommend the use of 3RL needles and then, to highlight some areas, 7RL needles. Practice a lot to figure out when you need to resize.
- Lines. Unlike the portrait of people, many recommend that for pets and animals in general, defined lines be used. This is because some areas, such as the eyes, whiskers, mouth and teeth, are marked in strong ways, so applying fine lines can be highly recommended.
- Pay attention to the eyes. When we think of pets, perhaps one of the things that most convey emotion to us is their looks.
Emotion determines this type of tattoo, and it is important not to lose it, so we recommend that you be very rigorous when drawing them.
Another tip is that for the details in the eyes, some recommend using 7RL or similar needles since better definitions can be achieved with these. But the choice of the needle will depend entirely on the size and type of design.
- Use white ink to enhance details. Use white ink to apply highlights, especially on the fur. This help makes the design feel more realistic and not look like a cartoon.
Be careful and remember to practice a lot on light and shadow before tattooing.
- For color tattoos, turn on calorimetry. And not only for these tattoos, but for all of them in general, you must know about color theory and the chromatic circle.
Paying attention to the most outstanding colors and thinking that using a single tone would be enough is a big mistake!
When it comes to such complex designs, it is normal for colors and tones to be mixed, which is why having knowledge in this area is essential.
A mark that remains forever
Today, there are many clients who want to wear their pets on their skin, and knowing how to do it is a great advantage.
Remember that pets are special and important to their owners, ¡so being accurate in their portrait is essential!
Did you know that animal tattoos are a great way to get started in Realistic Tattooing?
Not only are they less challenging than portraits, but they are also highly sought after.
Coreh López is an expert in this field, he has the ideal system to learn how to tattoo any type of animal you set your mind to...
And he teaches you step by step and in detail in our MasterClass: How to Tattoo Realistic Animals.