tattoo
Paint my World Tools used by tattoo artists to lock inventive stains permanently skin deep in order to make tattoo fanatics brag of their inked spots. - Kshitiz Singh
Tattoo enthusiasts, pursuing their passion and the economic high tattooing holds, have mushroomed to practice the body art, breaching the traditional barriers. Despite having a body modification history surrounded by strong Newari and Tharu culture, trained tattooing practice is considered to be fresh in Nepal. The newly introduced profession, now nurtured in many corners, has its highs and lows. Nevertheless, the proud circle of tattoo artists have been prancing, dodging the possible negative facet. And, contrary to the contemporary customs that still portray dreadful messages in societies chained within cultural and traditional perimeters, body art fanatics too have sprouted in remarkable numbers. The revolutionary leap of coming together of skin modifiers has made the use of modern gears, international style, innovative ideas, and hygiene more considerable. Traditionally practiced in dot format with insanitary ink and metal rods, the style and tools have now been replaced by organic and contamination-free vegetable ink, sanitized needles, and safer machines. A line of equipments comprising motors, petroleum gel, sanitized gloves, and aftercare ointments too have been L&T BazaarPlus 70
added to modern tattooing kits. However, most artists or apprentices admit to having used cheaper inks for convenience. This results in many poorly done tattoos, skin allergies, and several unsatisfied clients. With gradual rise in standards, the colors artists use too are being upgraded. Sudeep Khadka, regarded as one of the most influential Nepali tattoo artists, explains, “Like many, I too started with drawing ink. The results were not as I expected them to be.” Cruising through such times, Khadka is now known for using world-class inks and equipments. “Intenze, Fusion, and Dynamic
are some brands I use. They are internationally famed for their smoothness and texture. In the Nepali market, the price of these brands can range from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,500 per bottle.” He further states, “The novices need not have fear considering the overly priced rates of colors. There are good quality products that work just fine. Primary set is used by beginners. This set is made of 12 basic colors. And there is also an option of choosing a more advanced 52-color set.” These colors, dropped on small tubs, are transfused to body parts via metal needles attached on a pen-like machine