What better use of the computer controlled x y motors of a 3D printer than to give yourself a tattoo. Tattooing straight lines and perfect circles are super hard so the enigmatic crew of Appropriate Audiences have solved that problem by attaching a tattoo machine to their 3D printer to give the perfect circle tattoo (not the band logo).
This should be listed under ‘do not try this at home’ as many territories have different laws on who and how to you can get tattooed. To follow their process so you can see exactly how not to try this at home, Pierre Emm and friends have shared their how (not) to on Instructables.
Please say this is NOT so. Things to note WHY this should not be done:
1. A tattoo artist adjusts the speed of the machine he is on depending upon things like: the density of the skin of the recipient, the moisture level, the place it is being done (closer to bone etc), the type of needle being used, if it is shading, or line work, or color being applied.
2. An artist works WITH the body to organically design the art work to flow with the body so that as a biomechanical organism the tatoo lives IN the skin, and isn’t a stain on the outside
3. An artist understands the differences in color hues and skin pigmentation
4. An artist knows how to work on scars, and changes according to the type, density, size shape etc.
5. NO machine controlled by a computer will know how to design the ink, and what will and won’t work either long or short term. Some ink like the crap done by some artists fades because it is not done right, it would be magnified by a computer
6. Skin density varies, and not only does the speed of the machine matter, but also the needles used vary and HOW they are used (angle, flick technique, curves etc).
These all done right make different effects with the ink in the skin, and would not be possible to be done with a computer correctly or dynamically as an artist can,
The ONE thing I can think this might be good for, is replace the tattoo machine with a pen, and use it to do the trace on the arm, and MAYBE it would allow an artist better control, but considering the equipment they use to do the designs already includes many varied set pieces, that cost only a few $$$, not thousands for a 3D printer.
Hey Inked Bear,
This is more of an experimental art project then a commercial process, but maybe this an indicator of how things proceed, there is always some resistance and risk with a new technology.
I am sure the first person to use a motorized tattoo machine freaked the hell out of the people doing old stick n poke tattoos until the technology matured, the process understood and it became the norm.
Also, what if the needle head was coupled with a sensor to detect and respond to the changes in density, curvature and scars. The machine learning could produce some amazing results that would be incredibly tedious to do by hand, it would also open up the tattoo work to the next generation of digital artists whose process is less tactile and tangible, but are still interested in adorning the body as a canvas.
A lot of people get tattooed because they like the artist (human) who’s tattooing on them. Some people don’t care. And some tattoo artists are quite horrible at the craft. I probably wouldn’t want a tattoo from a robot unless it was a tattoo a human simply could not do. I imagine it would be hard with a machine if you were feeling a lot of pain and wanted to take a break because it would probably be impossible to line it up exactly where you left off. I can see a few instances where a robot artist would be desirable, but the human interaction is a huge reason why people get a tattoo and from whom.
I would never sign up for this experiment, but props to those that would! What about a henna tattoo? I’d go for that!