Better Than You'd Ink
@betterthanyoudink.bsky.social
Alt account for @painterkirby; this page is dedicated to my ongoing tattoo apprenticeship progress! (Better banner image to come.)
I'm alive, just had to pause my apprenticeship due to a number of factors, but with a friend's guidance, I MIGHT be able to start on guinea pigs here in the next couple of months. (plus I REALLY need to get my Insta worked on.)
a person is laying on the ground with blood on their feet
ALT: a person is laying on the ground with blood on their feet
media.tenor.com
September 11, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I'm alive, just had to pause my apprenticeship due to a number of factors, but with a friend's guidance, I MIGHT be able to start on guinea pigs here in the next couple of months. (plus I REALLY need to get my Insta worked on.)
6-10 and 6-11 practice! I will start running the pictures through Ibis Paint's AI disrupter so I can get Insta going again 😤
The Berry character on the right is my art of PicklesArt's Braixen character :}
The Berry character on the right is my art of PicklesArt's Braixen character :}
June 11, 2025 at 10:19 PM
6-10 and 6-11 practice! I will start running the pictures through Ibis Paint's AI disrupter so I can get Insta going again 😤
The Berry character on the right is my art of PicklesArt's Braixen character :}
The Berry character on the right is my art of PicklesArt's Braixen character :}
6-4-25! Redo of the Houndstone piece from October. Lines are getting better, and shaders kinda confirm my theory from yesterday's practice. We're getting there!
June 4, 2025 at 8:30 PM
6-4-25! Redo of the Houndstone piece from October. Lines are getting better, and shaders kinda confirm my theory from yesterday's practice. We're getting there!
6-3-25, felt adventurous and wanted to try glowy effects! Unfortunately the brown didn't stick well and the skin tone got rejected completely (why his hands look scalded) but I think the fake skins just don't like round mags because the shaders seem to work fine.
June 4, 2025 at 8:27 PM
6-3-25, felt adventurous and wanted to try glowy effects! Unfortunately the brown didn't stick well and the skin tone got rejected completely (why his hands look scalded) but I think the fake skins just don't like round mags because the shaders seem to work fine.
As much as I LOATHE Meta/Instagram for wanting to AI scrape every picture, Bluesky still isn't as widely used and I NEED to expand my reach. I will be reworking my Insta and adding anti-AI deterring filters to my pictures once I find a good solution. :)
May 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM
As much as I LOATHE Meta/Instagram for wanting to AI scrape every picture, Bluesky still isn't as widely used and I NEED to expand my reach. I will be reworking my Insta and adding anti-AI deterring filters to my pictures once I find a good solution. :)
May 28, 2025! Back to using bigger pieces of my own as practice :}
May 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM
May 28, 2025! Back to using bigger pieces of my own as practice :}
Basic shapes are still kicking my butt, but we're getting there! These designs are not mine, again just grabbing a bunch for practice's sake. Hydrate or Diedrate skeleton by DaInsaneEmporium on Etsy.
May 17, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Basic shapes are still kicking my butt, but we're getting there! These designs are not mine, again just grabbing a bunch for practice's sake. Hydrate or Diedrate skeleton by DaInsaneEmporium on Etsy.
April 29, 2025! I think I did really good on my lines today! I don't claim any of these designs, I put together a bunch to practice on from various artists and flash sheets online.
April 29, 2025 at 9:41 PM
April 29, 2025! I think I did really good on my lines today! I don't claim any of these designs, I put together a bunch to practice on from various artists and flash sheets online.
There is a cruel irony in practicing your lines and doing what you think is a fantastic job--until you realize you forgot to take the looseleaf paper out before stenciling 🫠
April 29, 2025 at 9:39 PM
There is a cruel irony in practicing your lines and doing what you think is a fantastic job--until you realize you forgot to take the looseleaf paper out before stenciling 🫠
April 22, 2025, forgot to post! Please go check out starsalts on etsy and buy this incredible sticker (and their even more incredible Pokemon stuff!!!)
April 29, 2025 at 9:35 PM
April 22, 2025, forgot to post! Please go check out starsalts on etsy and buy this incredible sticker (and their even more incredible Pokemon stuff!!!)
4-16-25, I was really shaky on Yoshi, but I did better on Dry Bones. Trying some different techniques next time.
Mentor says I'm doing really good so far!
Mentor says I'm doing really good so far!
April 16, 2025 at 8:05 PM
4-16-25, I was really shaky on Yoshi, but I did better on Dry Bones. Trying some different techniques next time.
Mentor says I'm doing really good so far!
Mentor says I'm doing really good so far!
4-8-25, squares are NOT my friend apparently, so still need to work on fundamentals, but we're getting there!
April 16, 2025 at 8:04 PM
4-8-25, squares are NOT my friend apparently, so still need to work on fundamentals, but we're getting there!
April 2, 2025! Mentor popped in after a week of recovery from surgery to give me praise, and then I completely butchered the line art 😂
BUT the goal is real skin by the end of the month!!!
BUT the goal is real skin by the end of the month!!!
April 8, 2025 at 4:14 AM
April 2, 2025! Mentor popped in after a week of recovery from surgery to give me praise, and then I completely butchered the line art 😂
BUT the goal is real skin by the end of the month!!!
BUT the goal is real skin by the end of the month!!!
April 1, 2025! I'm doing great with greywash.
April 8, 2025 at 4:12 AM
April 1, 2025! I'm doing great with greywash.
3-12-25, worked on lines of my husbando! Original panel by Takeshi Konomi, author of Prince of Tennis, featuring Atobe Keigo. Will try hiding the stencil stain with shading next week. :D
March 12, 2025 at 9:59 PM
3-12-25, worked on lines of my husbando! Original panel by Takeshi Konomi, author of Prince of Tennis, featuring Atobe Keigo. Will try hiding the stencil stain with shading next week. :D
3-5-25 and 3-11-25, did the lines and Marth last week and finished Mewtwo yesterday. Hand was struggling a lot with circulation, so I couldn't practice colorpacking on the sky. ):
March 12, 2025 at 9:07 PM
3-5-25 and 3-11-25, did the lines and Marth last week and finished Mewtwo yesterday. Hand was struggling a lot with circulation, so I couldn't practice colorpacking on the sky. ):
February 18-19, 2025: practiced greyscale, did the right side on the trees on Tuesday, and then forgot I used a round mag and made the left side a little less attractive on Wednesday, lol oops. The shading looks great on the character, at least!
March 2, 2025 at 12:46 AM
February 18-19, 2025: practiced greyscale, did the right side on the trees on Tuesday, and then forgot I used a round mag and made the left side a little less attractive on Wednesday, lol oops. The shading looks great on the character, at least!
September 2024 (left) versus February 12, 2025 (right)! Huge progress! (Forgot to color in the black spots before outlining the blood on Barry in red, but that's also a tattoo I highkey want one day)
March 2, 2025 at 12:35 AM
September 2024 (left) versus February 12, 2025 (right)! Huge progress! (Forgot to color in the black spots before outlining the blood on Barry in red, but that's also a tattoo I highkey want one day)
February 11, 2025; basically sat January out due to severe wrist inflammation. Stencil hadn't 100% dried and apparently Mast ink is NOT great with fake skin and turned the area black when I tried wiping. Considering I couldn't see what I was doing and a month rusty, not too bad!
March 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM
February 11, 2025; basically sat January out due to severe wrist inflammation. Stencil hadn't 100% dried and apparently Mast ink is NOT great with fake skin and turned the area black when I tried wiping. Considering I couldn't see what I was doing and a month rusty, not too bad!
Progress through December 2024! Sanji's hair was going to be colored last since we saw what happened to Mimikyu. ^^; image on left is the original piece for reference, I did a lot of my stenciling practice by hand.
March 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Progress through December 2024! Sanji's hair was going to be colored last since we saw what happened to Mimikyu. ^^; image on left is the original piece for reference, I did a lot of my stenciling practice by hand.
November 13, 2024; continued Sanji with color, starting with roses and trying a few different techniques. The roses may have been done over 2 days, I believe.
March 1, 2025 at 12:44 AM
November 13, 2024; continued Sanji with color, starting with roses and trying a few different techniques. The roses may have been done over 2 days, I believe.
November 5, 2024; another practice with my own art, starting with lines. Getting better!
March 1, 2025 at 12:39 AM
November 5, 2024; another practice with my own art, starting with lines. Getting better!
October 30, 2024; more color packing practice, also greyscale shading practice! We found out this particular fake skin HATES yellow ink, as you can see from the giant yellow stain. ^-^;
March 1, 2025 at 12:36 AM
October 30, 2024; more color packing practice, also greyscale shading practice! We found out this particular fake skin HATES yellow ink, as you can see from the giant yellow stain. ^-^;
October 8 and 9, 2024; practiced shading on a second Ew Doctor, and started color packing the next day. Unfortunately, the super light brown color we picked ended up being that disgusting muddy color on the lighter parts of Cubone. :')
March 1, 2025 at 12:28 AM
October 8 and 9, 2024; practiced shading on a second Ew Doctor, and started color packing the next day. Unfortunately, the super light brown color we picked ended up being that disgusting muddy color on the lighter parts of Cubone. :')