Saturday, April 25, 2009

News and New Tatoos!!!

News and New Tatoos!!!

Hey everyone! Here are a few new tattoos from the last few weeks (see below). The first sessions were done with Neuma, but I finished them with coil machines (Next Generation Orion to be specific). It was great to use coils again.

Right away I noticed how fast I could work vs Neumas. I am hoping the Hybrid's new cam design will reduce the drag of the Neuma (I hear it does), because this is the main cause of the slow down. Comfort wise...coils still suck. LOL! So clunky and awkward...It is a trade off for speed in some cases though...

I will say this, Neuma did change the way I tattoo and think. I found myself running my coils in a way that duplicated the feel of my Neumas. Once I found that Neuma-ish sweet spot It was no problem to do all the effects and techniques I have come to expect from Neuma. Again the difference ws less drag and more speed.

Conclusion...I still see myself tattooing with Neuma (especially if the Hybrid addresses all the issues it is supposed to), because the comfort and ergonomics are simply the best. I also see myself using coil machines (as I did for 15 years), but with the sensitivity and techniques I developed in the last year or so of using Neuma. For the record I prefer light-weight aluminum machines. My favorite is the Orion from Next Generation. I have some great "Irons" too, but I get hand fatigue from them.

NEWS:
  • I am giving my seminar in Miami @ Visionary Expo.
  • Also look for my first DVD release later this year.
  • Lastly, I will be holding a tattoo artists' "Summer Boot Camp" two day seminar that will go beyond the "Keep it Real" seminar and deal with all styles of tattooing, portfolio review, basic painting techniques in oil & acrylic, photography, basic photoshop skills, machine tuning and care, tattoo workflow...a soup to nuts two day adventure. Seating will be limited to 20. Date and price TBA
Hope all is well, email me if you have any questions,
Keith

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6 comments:

tat2dpinoy said...

Have you used the hybrids yet? What are your thoughts on them? Are you still primarily using coil machines? I am a new neuma user and was just curious on what machines you use today thanks!

Unknown said...

Yes, I am using hybrids now too. I don't have any experience with the electric motor yet, but hopefully by the end of this month.

For the most part I'm entirely Neuma. Even though I had some fun with coils recently, it went back to the same old troubles. I went away from coils for good reason. They run inconsistently.
Neumas are my favorite. I tattoo a little slower, but the quality of work and the comfort are more important than speed for me. The hybrids are better for hard lining and large mags over 15s than the N2, but I still tattoo mostly with my N2s. The for me the electric motor will be the option that will make the hybrids my travel macines. Hope this answers your question.
K

tat2dpinoy said...

Your videos talked me into the neumas, and I was shocked to hear you steered away from them (I had read alot of people going back to coils, of course after I had ordered them). My first neuma experience was with the hybrids and I loved them, but I grabbed a n2 just to try out the original. I use them all regularly for different effects, and have been fully neuma and disposables since. I read Mike Devries actually prefers the hybrid with the motor attachment. Thanks for all your help and for putting me in the neuma direction!

Unknown said...

"Steered away from"...Oh no. I went back and re-read my post and I see how you would think that. I gave in to a little bit of peer-pressure to go back and try coils again. Bottom line I like Neuma the best. Hybrids seem to run quicker with less drag, so they live up to all the claims. Hopefully I will be able to review the motor performance soon.
Thanks!
Keith

Anonymous said...

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Unknown said...

Love your work...


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Jenifer
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