What Can I Tattoo On for Practice?
Every tattooer has to practice before putting real skin on the line. If you’re wondering "how do tattoo artists practice," the answer is: on safe surfaces that replicate the texture and feel of human skin. Over the years, apprentices and pros have experimented with fruit and pigskin. Nowadays, the standard is synthetic tattoo practice skin. Each option has played its part in tattoo history—but today, one clearly stands out.
Citrus: The Old Apprentice Trick
Oranges, grapefruits, and the like—classic training tools for apprentices. The peel gives you a little resistance, so you can practice depth, hand speed, and machine control.
Downside? Fruit dries out, shrinks, and doesn’t react like real skin. At best, it’s good for learning to hold a machine steady. Beyond that, it won’t get you far.
Pigskin
Historically, artists used to practice on pigskin. It has a similar texture to human skin. Butchers and Mexican carnecerías sell fatback, ears, and feet that (some) artists still use.
Pigskin is largely considered an outdated tattoo practice canvas in favor of new silicone tattooable options.Opens a new window
Tattoo Practice Skin: The Industry Standard
Fast forward to today. Fake skin for tattoo practice—also called tattooable synthetic skin—is the most authentic, widely accepted way to practice tattooing. It’s consistent, clean, and built for tattoo artists.
The leader? A Pound of Flesh.Opens a new window
Why artists prefer it:
- Realistic feel: Needle resistance is close to real skin
- Options for every drill: Flat sheets, hands, arms, skulls, even full torsos
- Practice everything: Lines, shading, color packing, placement
- Portfolio-ready: Finished pieces can go on display instead of in the trash
Unlike pigskin or fruit, tattoo practice skin won’t stink up your shop or fall apart. Plus, the finished work looks good enough to put on a shelf, in a display case, or in your online portfolio.
Can You Reuse Tattoo Practice Skin?
Short answer: technically yes, but you shouldn’t. Some artists will clean and rework synthetic practice skins, but the quality of the surface drops after the first pass. If you want to get the most out of your drills, use fresh fake skin for tattoo practice each time.
Tips for Tattooing on Practice Skin
- Lock in stencils with quality stencil stuff
- Don’t overwork—needle depth matters just like on real skin
- Wipe constantly; ink sits on the surface longer than human skin
- Use it for consistency drills, not just “one and done” pieces
How to Tattoo A Pound of Flesh Practice Skin
You'll find the following step-by-step directions in all our APOF listings. But here's a quick ref for you:
Step 1: Apply isopropyl alcohol to a sheet of paper towel. Then wipe the tattoo site with your paper towel to clean it.
Step 2: Soak another sheet of paper towel with isopropyl alcohol. Then run a Speed Stick deodorant directly on the alcohol-soaked paper towel.
Hygiene Tip: Never apply the Speed Stick deodorant directly to the tattooable surface.
Step 3: Rub the Speed Stick deodorant and alcohol mixture directly onto the tattoo site.
Step 4: Apply your stencil evenly. Put pressure on it for about 5–10 seconds.
Step 5: Peel away your stencil carefully.
Step 6: Blowdry your freshly applied stencil for 5–10 minutes. Then let it dry fully overnight.
The Bottom Line
Fruit and pigskin helped the industry get here, but they’re not the future. Tattoo practice skin—especially A Pound of Flesh—is the gold standard. Clean, consistent, realistic, and designed for serious artists.
If you’re practicing, practice like you mean it.
