Zacaijing | handpoke

Sorting through photos, from the end of 2023 to now. It turns out I've tattooed this many images on real skin.

Starting hand-poking was an unexpected situation. Qi Yi and Zhiyin came to Dali, and we agreed that Qi Yi would tattoo me, but before the hand-poking tools arrived by express delivery, the two of them left Dali. The tools were left in a box for a long time, and one day when I was moving, they were remembered.

When Zhiyin left, she said: "You can tattoo yourself, and maybe you'll learn a new skill."

Then, I really did tattoo myself.

However, before tattooing myself, I bought fake skin to practice. But the more I practiced, the more I wanted to try it on my own body. I couldn't resist that curiosity. So, before long, I started poking on myself. Poking on real skin feels different from fake skin, and the depth is also different. Once, twice, three times, the poked skin seemed to have no reaction other than redness and swelling. I was tired and discouraged. That day, I only remember the sunlight outside was dazzling. Although it was winter, my forehead was still sweating a lot. There was no alcohol at home, so in the middle of it, I drove to the pharmacy in Toupu to buy alcohol and healing cream. I came home and continued poking, poking over the areas I had already poked. From noon to evening, finally, it appeared.

Thinking about it now, I feel so silly. How could I poke for so long without getting color, yet be so persistent and not afraid of pain? Mental excitement really can resist pain.

He Chen was my first customer and also an important person who encouraged me in hand-poking. He let me try on his hand without hesitation and trust, and bought several boxes of tattoo needles for me, which I still haven't used up. This spirit of encouraging creation is a bit like Jason. Although Jason didn't let me poke randomly on him, overall, he also played a significant role in encouraging me to keep doing childish things.

If you want to tattoo a simple plant, an animal, or a feeling on your body, you can tell me, and I'll draw it, or you can choose from my usual drawings. There are also friends who have never drawn before, bringing their own little drawings to poke. Such situations are usually very cute. In fact, everyone can draw by nature. The things I draw, a 3-year-old child could draw too, and even so, it doesn't seem to stop me from showing them. Those things don't seem to require special learning. Walking in nature, we learn naturally.

About handpoke:

It is a traditional tattooing technique that doesn't use any machines, relying entirely on hand needles to pierce the skin. In simple terms, handpoke is more like hand-sewn clothing, leaving some plain marks. I really like this handcrafted feel.

About pain:

Each body part and each different person will have varying degrees of pain, but overall it is less painful than machine tattooing. Because the stimulation of the hand needle is smaller, recovery time is usually faster.

The one I drew 🤪

Photos