Remember, it’s not necessary to start and finish your procedures with the same needle. You can use a couple of needle configurations and sizes during one procedure to create various looks by starting with one needle and switching to another count or type as needed. Nowadays, though, single-needle techniques are very popular, and many artists use one needle for everything that they do. This approach can sometimes mean spending a lot of time on a procedure and overworking the skin.   Pro tip: We advise exploring various needle configurations to see whether they are useful in your practice and can save you time and create better-quality procedures. Begin learning on a practice pad. Use a 90-degree angle and pendulum movement, the same way you do for a single needle. Be sure to stretch the skin throughout, apply more hand pressure to push your needle (the more needles in a grouping, the more pressure is needed), and use a slower speed.  You can also try the pointillism movement, that is, the in-and-out motion. This technique works well for very sensitive skin and is thought to cause the least trauma to the skin. Draw several shapes on the practice pad and fill them with various needle configurations to get a sense of their imprints and how they can be useful in your work.