Sometimes, morbid curiosity...

[PhilB]

...will get the best of your better judgement.

I had been hearing about this guy for a while now: To the Point Tattoos Charles Parent

(you can easily Google and see his website, more on that in a second).

This place just happens to be not very far from where I live, and I felt like taking the dogs to a new destination on their walk...Went there and the man himself introduced himself to me, claimed he had "34 years" doing this. The shop is in his house, although he at least converted the garage to what looks to be a fairly decent shop environment. Proper chairs, etc...There was one other lady and two other young guys working there.

But...

He showed me the coverup he did himself on one of the young guys that works there. The young guy showed me and proudly exclaimed this was all freehand, none of "that stencil shit" (yeah, why would you want to draw something in advance, position it, etc?).

It's here: Charles' Gallery - To The Point Tattoo (if that doesn't work, go to Home - To The Point Tattoo, then pick Charles' gallery)

Go all the way to the last two pictures, the first one is titled "Coverup extraordinaire", then a closeup of it. I don't know if "Crayola drawn on by a 12 year old" was the desired effect, but that's what I got from it. It was hard keeping a straight face looking at it, but I walked out, never to darken that doorstep again (unless someone I know and like is on their way there to get tattooed, then I'll have to go stop them!) Don't know if there's any truth to the accusations of him stealing stuff for his portfolio, but let's just say looking at his gallery shows me two different calibers of work: 1- Nice and clean, and 2 - Horrendous. That is usually not done by the same person, unless he's heavily medicated at times!

Anybody know this guy?

[Jaycel Adkins]

Loves the 'Recognized Expert Worldwide!!'

The two exclamation points are icing on the cake.

[PhilB]

Oh, come on, he's the only officially recognised (by himself and no one else) master tattoo artist in Canada (read: his brain).

[PhilB]

Also, some of his ads on Craigslist (that's where all the world-renowned artists advertise, right?):

vancouver, BC all for sale / wanted classifieds ""709-5098"" - craigslist

Also, this "British Columbia Body Art Association" that certifies him as a "master"? He's the chairman (shocking, I'm sure). Anything I find in relation to that association has to do with him only (once again, shocking, I'm sure). Heck, the website is even hosted on the same domain his shop site is. The one entry in the guestbook is...charming! Guestbook - The British Columbia Body Art Association

[hawk]

There really is a need for a "tattooed people of WalMart" site. And believe it or not, my local WalMart boast's 3 "pro tat artist's"....underground of course because they are full time employee's of Walley World. And even they have the "award wining" thing on their Facebook last I looked.

[jade1955]

Our Guns Make Art...Not War. You don't say.

Well how come most of the work looks like a bombsite.

[Scott R]

i need to click some pictures in wal mart here in oklahoma, you guys may loose all hope

[truejew]

$150/hour... Impressive! He must be good.

[PhilB]

I mean, hard to beat people like this person: Synyster Ink Tattoo (most here should be familiar with that and his/her facebook page), but at least that individual doesn't claim to be someone with 30+ years in the field...

I wanted to find the person Charles claims to have apprenticed under (Dana Smith of London, Ontario), but, so far, the only references I can find to him/her are...from Charles. (try to hold back your surprise).

I'm seriously considering creating an "Expose your local scratcher/con man tattoo artist" site...Except for the fact that most people who would get tattooed by these scumbags would never check it!

I am the only one who feels sad when he sees it horrible work on people? I mean, if they're happy with it, why should I give a shit that someone is out there butchering people? I mean, it makes the whole craft/art look horrible, but those people are considering a running joke by people who really know the industry. On the other hand, warning people who *don't* know any better and would be unhappy with the result (and it sounds like there are a lot of those) might be beneficial...

Sounds like some of his former associates are already doing that, though: To The Point Tattoo - Surrey, BC - 11917 98 Ave | Canpages

(the reference to "after you and I were in Fraser together" refers to a local correctional facility.

[Hogrider]

I mean, hard to beat people like this person: Synyster Ink Tattoo (most here should be familiar with that and his/her facebook page), but at least that individual doesn't claim to be someone with 30+ years in the field...

Is this site a joke? I can't believe anyone would get a tattoo from someone who showed that work.

[PhilB]

Is this site a joke? I can't believe anyone would get a tattoo from someone who showed that work.

Nobody ever got rich underestimating the stupidity of people.

[Hogrider]

Nobody ever got rich underestimating the stupidity of people.

As Mark Twain said, The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

[Mush]

So his daughter has the shop in st Thomas... I may have to go for a little drive, or at least ask around Haha!

[PhilB]

So his daughter has the shop in st Thomas... I may have to go for a little drive, or at least ask around Haha!

Yeah, I was trying to find more out about her. She has exactly one piece I see on her gallery where you can see what it is. The rest of the pictures just seems to be looking at her tits.

[Mush]

Not having a computer I can only see the gallery cover on my phone and there is only the one picture on their/her Facebook page. I'll hop on the misses computer tonight and investigate some more. Is she good looking? Haha. I have nothing planned for Saturday... Recon mission

[PhilB]

Here's another of their websites, not sure which one is the more recent one: Home .

You can see some interesting patterns when looking at the gallery. For example, almost every tattoo that looks decent is a close-up. You can't really see where it was taken.

On most of the ones that look like shit, you can tell the picture was taken there. In most of the pictures of them actually tattooing, you can't tell what they are working on at all.

For example, there's a sweet sugar-skull madeup lady in the gallery for that second site. The pictures seems to have been taken in front of a blue piece of furniture. Do you see any blue furniture in any of the shop pictures (new or old)?

The guy with the sleeve that looks like it was coloured by someone's kids? He's clearly at the shop. The Cheech and Chong portraits are hard to judge because the picture is blurry, but they definitely look better than some of the other work. Notice that the picture is taken with the client's leg on top of one of those good tattoo chairs that are fully customizable and have split legs, so you can lift just one or the other? Notice that the shop pictures show two tattoo tables with solid, one-piece leg sections.

You can see more pictures of the daughter (even on your phone) here: Around The Shop (Photos) - To The Point Tattoo. Not sure if that's her looking like she's about to lick her dad in the picture at the top here: Bios - To The Point Tattoo (not creepy at all).

[Androosh]

They have a gallery of "Tattooed Hotties". That's just...fucking corny.

[Jaycel Adkins]

As Mark Twain said, The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

As Mark Twain, also said, 'It's not what you don't know. It's what you know, that just ain't so.'

[Mush]

@PhilB nice find on that other site. I saw all the pictures and I've decided, st Thomas Saturday it is. Maybe I can get a sweet tat from the legendary "mad tatter's" daughter, "the iron butterfly"...... (need eye rolling smily thing)

[PhilB]

They have a gallery of "Tattooed Hotties". That's just...fucking corny.

I also wonder how many of those are just pictures stolen off the web.

[PhilB]

@PhilB nice find on that other site. I saw all the pictures and I've decided, st Thomas Saturday it is. Maybe I can get a sweet tat from the legendary "mad tatter's" daughter, "the iron butterfly"...... (need eye rolling smily thing)

@Mush: Oh, please do let us know how that goes...

[PhilB]

Oh, fuck, it gets better! Apprentice Chronicles - To The Point Tattoo

Couldn't make it past either of the two videos, but did get to the part where Charles lets us know a tattoo is "equivalent to a 3rd degree burn" (so, nerve damage, then?)

[PhilB]

Well, coincidences never cease to amaze me. I've never met anyone who has even met this guy. Tonight, I was at the drugstore, playing show and tell with the pharmacy tech (she was showing me her latest tattoo, and vice versa). This guy hears us and says:

"Man, I got butchered by some guy."

Me: "Who?"

Him: "Some guy who lives up there...He works out of his house."

Me: "Charles Parent, To the Point Tattoo?"

Him: "That's it!"

Turns out this guy did a bunch of reno work on the shop. They worked out that he did about $4k worth of work, and, in exchange, he was to get a sleeve. Apparently, this first part got done by someone who worked there (not Charles):

(full-size: http://philb.ca/charles2.jpg)

According to Charles, said employee was on drugs and ripped him off, but, fear not, because "Just wait until you see what I can do".

Well, this is what he could do:

(full-size: http://philb.ca/charles1.jpg)

Apparently, it felt like his arm was on fire when he was getting it done. Not sure if something is up with the ink, or the depth, or what (besides the obvious horrible art and technique. Those lines are so shaky, I doubt he could be a masturbater, let alone a master-tattooer!).

Needless to say, this guy isn't going back. I asked him if I could take pictures and post about it here. Sorry for the crappy pictures, but they were from my phone.

I really hope for him this can be fixed.

[Cork]

That's a pretty good leper geisha.

It looks like half the pics in those galleries are ripped off.

[Scott R]

not gonna bag on this dude but that tattoo looks like its had a few sessions of laser