Don't Label Me a Scratcher

So it is probably inevitable, but someone at some point is going to call me a scratcher until I get into an apprenticeship. A scratcher is someone who does crappy work out of their house elsewhere who is unlicensed, unsanitary, and probably an idiot in general.

I don't plan to tattoo anyone, or even myself until I am in an apprenticeship and know what I'm doing, I have bought some tattoo machines and everything I need to do a tattoo, I have read the basics about machine operation, maintenance, and construction from the Huck Spaulding Tattoo Bible and also the basics of performing a tattoo, however I don't feel qualified at all.

I hate steep learning curves and feeling inadequate which is pretty easy when you take on something new and so I have been trying to learn as much about the art and the craft involved with tattooing ahead of time, another resource I purchased and have been studing is the Guy Aitchison Binder and while a lot more of what he presents is theory and less instructional I have found that to be just as useful because of it's artistic principles.

Over the last week I have set up my machines to be running like I think they should, but who knows if they are running correctly. All I have to base this on is the information I have read and the experience of hearing a machine run while I have been getting work done. It is painfully obvious I need an apprenticeship after playing around with ink on the practice skin which only does a semi adequate job of simulating the real thing I've heard, the ink does take as well as it does to skin, it doesn't allow you to work your stretch, and even if you rubberband it to yourself it is kind of rigid.