So you guys totally blew me away with the amount of readers on my last blog "Things You Should NEVER Do In a Tattoo Shop (Unless You Want to Look Like a Total Asshole)". So to follow up, here are things you should ALWAYS do in a tattoo shop. 1: Look at the artist portfolios! Don't just go for the cheapest price. This is probably the most important thing, that only about 15% of people actually do. The majority of the time, potential clients come in and simply ask for a price, without even bothering to even skim through any of our work. This makes it pretty obvious that you are only looking for the lowest cost, as opposed to looking for a high quality, well executed tattoo. You have to keep in mind that, especially in this industry (I hate that word, but that's what it is), YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Say I give you an estimated quote of $250 for the piece you want. You think that's kinda high, so you go to the hack shop down the street. They quote you $100 for the same piece. So you think to yourself, "Why should I go to her? She's asking $150 more! Overcharging bitch! I'm going to the $100 shop." Yeah...usually a pretty bad idea. Did you even bother to look at either of our work? Definitely not, or you wouldn't just jump on the cheapest deal. The "artist" who quoted you the $100 piece just started last week, has no idea what he's doing, and will probably mess your whole world up. You'll walk out with a traced flash piece, with crap line work, choppy shading, no solid color saturation, and probably tons of scarring. That's why it was so cheap! Look at the work, and spend the extra money to get it done right. You will probably have to look at it for the rest of your life, unless you choose to try and get it salvaged by someone who knows what they're doing, and guess what...now you have to pay MORE that the original quote to get it done right in the first place! 2: Get a babysitter! Okay, I get it. I'm a mom myself. It's hard to find a decent babysitter, and it's another expense. But seriously, you really shouldn't have your 2 year old with you while you're getting tattooed. You can't really watch your kid too well, and it's not like you can jump up every 15 minutes to grab your kid up and keep him out of trouble. So make sure you line up a babysitter! 3: Have a basic idea of what you want. You don't need to be insanely specific. In fact, if you're not crazy specific about every single little tiny detail, you'll probably get a better tattoo. Obviously if you want lettering done, you should specify what you want it to say, and if you want something significant included, you should definitely let your artist know. Aside from that, have a basic idea/theme and location/size. If you have reference pictures, bring them with you, but allow for your artist to get creative and design you a tattoo that is made custom for you. Trust me, you will get a better tattoo if you allow your artist creative freedom. 4: Eat before you go! I can't even express how important this is. Even if you just have a PB&J...EAT SOMETHING! Getting tattooed takes a lot out of you, and getting one done on a totally empty stomach is never a good idea. I've had people come in for three hour (or longer) sittings, when they haven't eaten a thing all day. They're fine in the beginning, but after about an hour, lightheadedness starts to kick in, and that is never a good thing. So eat before you come! Oh, and bring a drink with you too. Water's always good, but something with a little sugar is always better. 5: Practice good hygiene. "You shouldn't even have to put this on the list, right? That's just common sense.", you're probably thinking to yourself. I really wish I didn't have to include this, but apparently not everyone HAS common sense. I've had people come in fresh from the gym, people who haven't showered all day, haven't brushed their teeth in what seems to be years. All kinds of disgustingness. So wash your ass & brush your teeth before you come in. Do not subject your artist to your various body odors. It's not cool. 6: Prepare the area that's getting tattooed. I'm not saying go get a wax job so you're completely hairless or anything crazy like that. Shaving the area is part of my job, and I'll probably do it out of habit even if you had just shaved. If you're a girl, and your getting a tattoo on your foot, maybe get a pedicure before. You won't be able to for a week or two anyway. It also prepares the skin with the exfoliation & moisturizing, also your foot won't smell horrific (see #5). To prepare your skin, exfoliate (don't go crazy and damage the skin), and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!! Especially on rougher skin like elbows, knees, etc. It will soften the skin and allow the entire tattooing process to go much more smoothly (pardon the pun!). 7: If you don't like something about the design, SAY SOMETHING!! So many people think that they're going to piss me off, or annoy me by asking me to change something. You won't piss me off, and you definitely won't annoy me. It is my job to create a piece of work that you love. If there's something you don't like about the design, tell me! 8: SIT STILL DAMNIT!! Tattoos hurt. They all hurt. I have over 300 hours of work on me, and I can seriously tell you that every single one hurt. Some hurt a little, some totally killed. You know it's gonna hurt going in. Don't drag the process out longer than necessary by squirming around. Now for leg tattoos especially, you will get involuntary muscle spasms. THIS IS NORMAL, and a good artist should be prepared for this. Just try to relax your muscles and focus on your breathing. That'll actually make it hurt a little less also! 9: Always pay attention to the aftercare instructions that your artist gives you. We give these speeches for a reason people! Not every artist will give the same exact aftercare instructions. I've always said that if you put 10 artists in one room and ask them all for aftercare instructions, you'll probably get 10 different answers. I personally ask my clients (if they have other tattoos) what they used in the past. Unless it's something horribly wrong that will screw up the tattoo (like using Vaseline or Neosporin for healing ointment...DON'T DO THAT!), and it worked for them the last time, stick with what you know. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, especially if you're a tattoo virgin, PAY ATTENTION! We usually have aftercare instructions printed out available for you, should you need it. Follow them, and you won't have a crappy healing process. 10: Don't be afraid to ask questions! Ask! Ask away! It's part of our job to answer them! We WANT you to ask them if you are unsure about something! 11: TIP! You tip your hairdresser. You tip your waitress. You tip the pizza guy. TIP YOUR TATTOO ARTIST!!! Most artists are only actually getting between 40-70% of the money you paid for the tattoo. The other portion goes to the shop. I mean seriously. You tip the guy who brings the Chinese food to your house, but you don't tip the tattoo artist who spent hours drawing up your tattoo, then a couple more hours actually doing the tattoo. Does that sound like it makes any sense to you? No! Because it doesn't! So tip!! (Unless you are not at all happy with your tattoo, but that goes without saying) That's pretty much it. Not too complicated. If you do these things, you will have a good tattoo experience....unless your artist is a total asshole. If that's the case, you should probably get a different one. That's all I got this time! Please follow my blog if I made you think, or laugh, or eat ramen noodles, or ANYTHING....and feel free to comment if you agree, or disagree, or just want to discuss the possibility that unicorns exist or the revelation you had the other day that you may be a mutant! I'm not here to judge you! But I do have an opinion on a LOT of things, and if you can help me understand yours, in a logical and reasonable fashion....you might just change my mind! But probably not. I love you, and I hope you have a glorious day! Tweet me: http://www.twitter.com/nytatt2chick Facebook me: http://www.facebook.com/nytatt2chick Instagram me: http://instagram.com/nytatt2chick YouTube me: http://www.youtube.com/therealnytatt2chick G+ me: https://plus.google.com/+LauraCeruti Email me:
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Things You Should NEVER Do In a Tattoo Shop (Unless you want to look like a total asshole!)1/14/2014 Hi everyone in internet land! Miss me? I missed you! Anyway, let's get right into the topic at hand: Things You Should NEVER Do In a Tattoo Shop (Unless you want to look like a total asshole!) There are so many things that so many people do at tattoo shops that should never, under ANY circumstances, unless they want to look like a complete asshole, that I can't list them all, but here are some that aggravate me the most. 1: Asking for a price on a tattoo, without giving any specific details, and in some cases, no details at all. This happens a LOT. Someone comes in with a really vague idea of what they want to get tattooed, and barely an idea of where they want to get it tattooed on them. That conversation usually goes something like this: Client: "I want to get a dragon tattoo" Me: "Okay. What style dragon? Oriental? Mid-evil? New school? Traditional? Realism?" Client: "I'm not really sure." Me: "Okay...color, or black and gray?" Client: "I don't really know." Me: "Umm...okay. Where do you want to get it?" Client: "I don't know, I was thinking maybe my thigh, or my arm, or my ribs." Me: "Are you sure you're ready to get this done? It doesn't seem like you've given this too much thought." Imagine playing 20 Questions every day, except the person who you're playing with doesn't have any of the answers. Sounds irritating as hell, doesn't it? Well it is. It's even worse if someone doesn't even have a basic idea of what they want. If you don't know what you want, how can you expect me to know what you want? 2: Coming in and pulling up a picture (of a tattoo that's already been done) on your phone, and demanding to get that exact tattoo done, without allowing any changes. This one is pretty much the polar opposite as #1, but it's just as annoying, if not more so. There are a lot of tattooers out there who have no issue with tracing someone else's work, tattooing it onto a client, and, in some cases, claiming the design as their own. I am not one of these tattooers. You're more than welcome to bring in a reference picture to give me an idea of what you want. In fact, that's fantastic if you do. It gives me an idea of the basic design that you want. However, a reference picture should be used as REFERENCE, not traced to be identical. Not only does this show that a total lack originality and creativity, but it's also stealing. You are stealing the original artist's work, AND you're also devaluing the original piece. 3: Saying anything about how your boy does "sick tatts" out of his house at a much cheaper price. (Especially if you're covered in his horrible work!) Not only does this make you look like an asshole, but you also sound like a total idiot. If your "boy" can bang out a totally rocking rib piece for only $30, then why are you here? Oh...that's right. You boy's garbage, and you know it. That's why you came to me: to get it done right. 4: Trying to talk down the price to some ridiculously insulting number. I'm usually pretty fair with my pricing. I know it's just as hard for you to come up with money as it is for me. That doesn't mean that I should give you such a low price that I wind up getting screwed. 5: Asking for a "hook up" This one is probably the most irritating to me. If you are a regular client, I'm already giving you a lowered price. If you don't know me, or if I tattooed you 3 years ago one time...don't even bother asking this. It's just going to piss me off. There's probably a billion other things, but I can't really think of any right now. If I do, I'll write a part 2. That's all I got this time! Please follow my blog if I made you think, or laugh, or lick a kitten's face, or ANYTHING....and feel free to comment if you agree, or disagree, or just want to discuss the possibility that unicorns exist! I'm not here to judge you! But I do have an opinion on a LOT of things, and if you can help me understand yours, in a logical and reasonable fashion....you might just change my mind! But probably not. I love you, and I hope you have a glorious day! Tweet me: http://www.twitter.com/nytatt2chick Facebook me: http://www.facebook.com/nytatt2chick Instagram me: http://instagram.com/nytatt2chick YouTube me: http://www.youtube.com/therealnytatt2chick G+ me: https://plus.google.com/+LauraCeruti Email me: To all apprentice hopefuls & kitchen wizards:
If you are seriously trying to get into this industry because it's "easy work", and "fast money"...I've got news for you, dumbasses. First of all, IT IS NOT EASY!! When you are a LEGITIMATE tattoo artist, you are not ONLY an artist. You need to do MANY different jobs. Once you begin a consultation with a client, you have now become a MIND READER. You have to basically take what they have in their mind, get the image into your head, and turn it into a "tattoo friendly" piece, that will look right on their body contours, and (if it's a coverup), how to use the right coloring and shading techniques in order to eliminate the existing tattoo. Now that they've magically beamed the image they want into your head, it's time for you to, maybe, do a little research, and get to drawing. THIS DOES NOT MEAN TRACING ANOTHER ARTIST'S CUSTOM TATTOO WORK!!! The ONLY TIMES that it is acceptable to trace something is when: A- It's a flash piece B- It's a portrait/photo realism piece. (And this should be traced ONLY from copies of photos...not other artist's work) C- It's in a sketchbook, that you have purchased (or your coworker, client, etc.), where there are no disclaimers in said sketchbook to NOT RECREATE the work done within. D- You have obtained WRITTEN CONSENT by the original artist to use his/her work. ANYTHING ELSE IS TATTOO THEFT, AND YOU COULD BE SUBJECT TO A LAWSUIT, DUE TO COPYRIGHT LAWS. Or, at the very least, be subject to ridicule, and basically blackballed by the tattoo community. It's always better to draw your own pieces. If you cannot do this...you probably should just stop tattooing right now. You NEED to have a strong drawing background in order to become a good tattooist. Ok, so now you've got your (hopefully) original piece drawn up. Time to show it to your client. If your client loves it, and is good to go, THAT'S GREAT! But, you should probably prepare yourself for a very heavy critique, and numerous explanations as to why some things don't transfer well to tattoos, how some things won't hold up well over time, how "adding something" could make it look too busy/cluttered, why certain parts are necessary to cover up the older piece (if it's a cover up), and you may need to redraw the piece (if your client requests you to do so). Do NOT catch an attitude, or treat your client like they are annoying you, or like they're bothering you. It's your JOB to create a physical reproduction of what they have envisioned in their mind! (unless they're giving you free reign) So STOP WITH THE ATTITUDE, BUDDY! Remember, you're tattooing it, but they will have it on their skin for the rest of their lives. That being said...in this profession, THE CLIENT IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!! Yes, they have to be happy with the tattoo you create for them, but most clients don't really understand what makes a great tattoo, or what will make a tattoo stand the test of time. This isn't because they're "stupid"...it's because they're not a tattooist! It's your JOB to explain why certain things won't work. It's your JOB not to trace the picture they brought you from Google...but to draw something similar, and with your own style!! So, again...don't catch an attitude. So now your finally going to tattoo your client. This is the easy part, right? WRONG!! For those of you reading this who DO tattoo, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about here. First of all, if your client's an asshole, be ready to slap a fake smile on your face for a couple hours, because you will have to deal with them the entire time you're tattooing them (duh...it's not like they can leave their arm/leg/whatever behind, so you can work on it, and come and pick it up later!). I've been pretty lucky so far. The majority of my clients are friggin awesome. If you're not a "people person", or you're super shy, or YOU'RE an asshole, or anything like that...don't even think about taking up tattooing. It's not for you. You have to deal with every type of personality in this profession, and if you're antisocial or something like that...well, you're not going to go very far. You're also going to get the "squirmers". You know, the people who can't sit still while you're tattooing them? You know what? SAY SOMETHING! They might not even be aware that they're moving that much! Need someone to move, so you can reach the area you're trying to tattoo easier? SAY SOMETHING!! You cannot expect them to know what YOU need them to do! If you're thinking that tattooing isn't a very physical job...you're totally wrong. It's EXTREMELY hard on your body! Those long 6-7+ hour sessions are MURDER on your body!! Your back will kill you. Your neck will be sore as hell. Your arms will be sore and tired. Your hands will hurt. Your fingers will either be numb, or killing you. Your shin and feet will be in pain from using the footswitch. You will be doing the same motions, again and again for hours. You will be twisting your body up in the most awkward positions, and staying like that for hours. Basically, your entire body will be sore and exhausted. I can't even tell you how many times I've come home from a long day, and felt like I was going to collapse on the floor as soon as I walked in my house. There ARE very important things you must do to help with this. A- Stretch!!! This is insanely important! Before you start tattooing, stretch. During the tattoo, stretch! After the tattoo...STRETCH!!! Focus on stretches that focus on the back, neck, and hands...but be sure to do full body stretches as well. B- Take a break! Now I'm not saying take a break every 15 min, but if you need a break, TAKE ONE! C- Do exercises that build up your muscle strength! Do full body workouts, and exercises that specifically focus on your core, back, and hands. D- NSAIDs are good for pain, and won't get you all twisted in the head like a narcotic. Use them if you have to, I like Motrin, but don't overuse them. Still sounding like "easy money"? It's not. Far from it. And this only covers the drawing, tattooing, and the "dealing with clients" aspects of tattooing. There's a whole lot more to it than just that. Maybe I'll go over that another time. But for now, I think I'll call it a night. You're friendly, neighborhood tattoo artist, Laura xoxo |
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