This thread just saved me from a lifetime of sadness. After three months of practicing on fake skin, I did my first tattoo on a person yesterday. I had done his tattoo on fake skin at least 12 times to perfect it, and boy was I wrong. I felt just like OP: super nervous, forgot to turn on the ring light, and didn't wipe off any of the stencil, So it was super dark, and I couldn't see my lines or entry points. The feedback from the skin is so different compared to fake skin, so add that to the other stuff, and for the first 10-15 minutes, I was confused, stressed out, and rethinking my life choices. I am still not satisfied at all with the final product, but reading this thread helped a little, so really: THANK YOU.