The life of a passionate tattoo artist
Planning on going under the needle? Read this first.
Some artists prefer working on canvass or paper using paint or pencils, but a Randfontein artist uses the human body as her canvas.
Elly Els is a tattoo artist for Black Ice Tattoos and agreed to speak to the Herald about the ins and outs of getting a tattoo, what to look out for as a beginner and how she got into inking the body.
When the Herald arrived, Elly was tattooing her business partner and fellow artist Willem van der Heuwel. Willem was as cool as a cucumber. With over 100 tattoos, he’s used to it by now.
Getting a tattoo doesn’t feel like an injection. It causes a burning sensation,” Willem explained.
In between the buzzing of the machine Elly told her story. She got her first tattoo at the age of 14. “I was rebellious at that age and got a tattoo with my best friend. It was of the moon and stars. It’s covered up now of course,” she laughed.
Elly has been in the business for around eight years. “While visiting friends I complained that nobody buys paintings anymore. I mean, does nobody like art anymore? My friends said I should do tattoos if that’s the way I felt. It’s one way of buying art.”
Elly explained being an artist puts you at the bottom of the proverbial food chain. She said she does not do tattoos for the money. “If you’re doing it for the money, you’re doing it all wrong. It’s a passion.” Willem added that it’s a lifestyle.
The duo explained that many things need to be taken into consideration when tattooing.
You need to know the place where you have it done is legitimate. If you haven’t had a tattoo before, first check out a few different parlours. Ask to see the artist’s portfolio and watch them do a tattoo. You should know your artist very well,” Willem said.
Elly said there are three important things to look out for – sterilisation, products and setup. “You need to see where they sterilise their equipment, what kind of products they use and what the setup is. It would be best if you don’t get a tattoo from a parlour in someone’s house,” Elly explained.
WIth regard to products, there are certain standards that need to be upheld. She also shed some light on allergic reactions. “Red and green are the two most common ink allergies people get. If you got a red tattoo and it goes pink, you’re allergic to it. With green, it just gets much lighter,” she said.
The two also explained the importance of caring for your tattoo. If you just got a tattoo, it needs to be covered. Thereafter it needs to be washed with mild soap and lukewarm water.
Do not use a washcloth because it has tonnes of bacteria on it. You then need to apply Vaseline or baby bum cream. Never pick at or scratch your tattoo,” Willem said.
He also said new tattoos should not be submerged in water. “New tattoos basically are open burn wound and should be treated as such until they have healed,” Elly explained.
Should you believe your tattoo to be infected, they suggest you see the artist immediately to determine whether it really is an infection or whether it’s only still healing. People with infections can visit a doctor or if the infection is mild, use Bactroban topical ointment.
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