Wildgrass Scene | Handpoke
Organizing photos from the end of 2023 to now. Originally, I had already pierced so many images on real skin.
Starting hand poke was an unexpected situation. Qi Yi and Zhi Yin came to Dali and agreed that Qi Yi would pierce me, but before the tattoo tools arrived by express delivery, they both left Dali. The tools were left in a box for a long time, and one day during a move, I remembered them.
When Zhi Yin left, he said: "You can pierce yourself, maybe you'll even learn a new skill in the process."
Then, I really pierced myself.
But before piercing myself, I bought fake leather to practice. The more I practiced, the more I wanted to try on myself. I couldn't resist that curiosity. So, not long after, I started rubbing on myself. The feeling of piercing real skin is different from fake leather, with different depths. One pass, two passes, three passes—skin that has been pierced shows redness and swelling, but seems to have no other reaction. I felt exhausted and discouraged. That day, I only remember the dazzling sunlight outside, even in winter, my forehead was sweating quite a bit. There was no alcohol at home, so I drove to the pharmacy at the hair salon to buy alcohol and healing ointment. I continued piercing at home, on the spots I had already pierced. From noon until evening, finally, it showed results.
Now thinking about it, I feel so silly—how could I pierce for so long without coloring, yet be so persistent, not afraid of pain. The mental excitement really can withstand the pain.
He Chen is my first customer and an important person who encouraged me to do hand poke. He unhesitatingly and confidently let me try on his hand, and bought several boxes of tattoo needles for me, which I still haven't finished using. This spirit of encouragement and creation is somewhat similar to Jason. Although Jason didn't let me pierce him casually, overall, his encouragement played a significant role in supporting me to keep doing childish things.
If you want a simple tattoo of a plant, animal, or a feeling on your body, you can tell me. I can draw it, or you can choose from my usual drawings. Some friends who have never drawn before bring their own small drawings to pierce, which is usually very adorable. In fact, everyone is born with the ability to draw, just like these I drew—even a 3-year-old can do it. Even so, it seems I haven't been hindered from showing them. Those things don't seem to require special learning; we learn naturally when walking in nature.
About handpoke:
It is a traditional tattoo technique that does not use any machines, relying entirely on hand-poked needles to pierce the skin. Simply put, handpoke is more like handmade sewing, leaving some rustic marks. I really like this handcrafted feel.
About pain:
The pain varies depending on the body part and the individual, but overall, it is less painful than machine tattoos. Because hand-poked needles stimulate with less force, the recovery time is usually faster.
I drew 🤪
