Tell me what you think please :)

[MsCreant]

http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee321/Melodies26/554343_10151758165950381_1619789209_n.jpg

A link to the pic...I have been going to the same artist. He is great, wonderful line work, easy to talk to and versatile. He moved away. I had to look for a new tattoo artist. I liked the work done at Armored Souls Tattoos and Piercings (downtown Toronto, Queen West). I originally wanted Suspiria to do a tattoo but when I went in there they all stared at me and asked which artist i liked the best. i felt put on the spot. I said all of them to be honest but mostly to be polite so they handed me to the least experienced one. i thought, 'i just want a traditional dagger so she should be able to do it'......

over priced!!! terrible line work however i do like it! the dagger means something special to me but she charged me so much. anyway i want your opinion on this tattoo...what do you think of it and is there anyway to make it look more professional?? perhaps just going over the lines and making them less shaky?

Thank you! :)

[Scott R]

TO me the following examples are traditional daggers. Nothing wrong with yours just doesnt invoke much of a response. I dont know what can be done technically to ehance your tattoo and I would suggest not going back if you felt overcharged and unsatisfied. dagger by stewart robson frith st. london

matt beckerich kings ave ny

[bulldog]

I think it looks cool.....

[hogg]

Your dagger's just fine, but based on your experience, I wouldn't go back to that artist. And I know that politeness runs deep in Canadians, but you don't have to be so polite next time. It's your tattoo, and you're the one who has to live with it.

[RoryQ]

I think it's fine too. At the end of the day it's going to be one of many tattoos you are going to collect - no point in obsessing over it now. With that said, I guess you learned a tough lesson in terms of not speaking up and trying to get closer to what you knew you wanted.

When I was in Toronto last week I ended up going to quite a few studios with my GF, who was on the hunt for a competent piercer. We called into the Pearl Harbour Gift Shop in Kensington Market at one point. Super place - IMO if I were in driving distance of Toronto I'd be hitting that place up for sure. Tim Pausinger from Germany should still be there at the moment - not sure if it's a guest spot or a full time move but I think there's been there for months.

[hawk]

I have to say that YOU make that tattoo look very cool. Tattoos don't make cool as much as the "Individual" can and YOU pull it off perfect!

I don't mean this in a "horney old man" kind of way either.

You appear as the kind of people who keep tattoos cultural, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

[slayer9019]

From your experience I would say to not go back. There are too many amazing shops that you should never have a bad experience.

My saying for tattooa that you don't like so much is to get better ones next to it.

[Our Endless Days]

i would definitely not go back. they sound like an asshole. and not to be a jerk, but i think that tattoo isn't great. it's not bad, but it's nothing to be blown away by.

[David Flores]

Working on finding a person who can give you an exceptional tattoo and not worry about the dagger for awhile.

There may be something that could be done to make look better, but at this point if you go around looking for someone to fix it, you probably aren't going to find someone good interested in that project. You may find someone who just wants your money and won't be able to improve your tattoo.

However if you find a good tattooer or tattoo shop and become a regular client they might be more likely to fix it if there is anything that can be done. If they say it can't be done at least at that point you could trust their opinion and at least you found a place to get good tattoos.

[Jack]

LST is the new tumblr.

[Dan S]

I'm thinking that a beautiful young Lady shouldn't give a damn what OTHER people think of her tattoo, as long as she likes it herself.

[Natveggie45]

Dan is right.... Forget what people say and what they think. And who says canadians are so polite? Who in hell started that one? Sorry for offending anyone lol ( am canadian...., get it!????????)

[stormface]

I think it looks cool, nice and simple, "cuts" to the core of a dagger. This is coming from a not-yet tattooed person ;)

[Dashenka]

I like the tattoo, but I agree that it might benefit you to have it touched up and have someone go over the lines to make it look more "professional", as you say. Not by the same artist, of course!

[petepunter]

I have always wanted a portrait of my Golden Retriever that died young but have been a bit scared living in Sydney, Australia and there is not a huge amount of top quality artists.

I found a artist recently that did this Staffy in the picture below just seeing what your thoughts are on the quality of work? It is probably not the greatest compared to what the USA and overseas artists offer but I like the work and should a artist that did this be able to replicate the same quality regularly as I am a bit worried about getting a eyesore portrait.

[CultExciter]

hopefully some of the rad folks here will chime in, @Duffa, for example. a bunch of you rad aussie's are present here and can give you quality feedback about where to go in australia. we'd love to have you here in the states or in europe, but there are some top quality folks down under.

[David Flores]

I have always wanted a portrait of my Golden Retriever that died young but have been a bit scared living in Sydney, Australia and there is not a huge amount of top quality artists.

I found a artist recently that did this Staffy in the picture below just seeing what your thoughts are on the quality of work? It is probably not the greatest compared to what the USA and overseas artists offer but I like the work and should a artist that did this be able to replicate the same quality regularly as I am a bit worried about getting a eyesore portrait.

I would make sure and look at the whole portfolio, this could be the best tattoo this person has ever done, then again it could be one of their weaker offerings, one tattoo is not enough to judge. Second have you considered doing a color tattoo, not neccesarily realistic portrait style, but a bolder more traditional take on a portrait. It just seems like it would be cool to show off the shiny gold fur. Plus one thing I think this tattoo you posted is not bad it just doesn't really wow me. It looks solid for sure, just not my style. Lettering that dips up and down in a banner I have never been a fan of, it just doesn't look right, it should all be one height, otherwise the banner ends up being way too wide like in this case or you break the banner the tops of letters, but I know some people don't feel the same way. Super fancy script double line drop shadow no banner would be the way to go IMO.

As far as Australia, I know you said you live in Sydney, but Melbourne seems to be quite the hot spot for tattooing right now, I know it's probably still a trek, but not as far. I know Jed Hill is an amazing surly old time tattooer that can do any style and his is in Ballarat, Victoria. But to be truthful that is the extent of my knowledge, but I have a feeling there are some good tattooers in Sydney it's just a matter of finding them.

[BoMcConaghie]

Solid advice.

[petepunter]

Theres a few good shops in Sydney I was lucky enough to get a consult on his first day and book him up for 16hrs work to get a half sleeve done by Marco Serio while he was doing a guest spot here for 6 weeks a month or so ago.which i think will be the best tattoo I will ever get I would go back there but they have lost a few of their big name artists recently. and most in that shop have a 2year waiting list

Problem being for every good artist in sydney there is more dodgy ones. Shops are opening up everywhere these days

Heres the pic of the dog i am planning on taking into the studios any open ideas are much appreciated I like the idea of colour but if I went with colour you don't think there would be too much gold.

I will probably go into see the artist that did the staffie this weekend as I will be passing the shop when i head out on saturday night and get a quote,check her portfolio and see what she would like to do. I will also check out a few other studios and artists over the next month or two before deciding whom I go with

Edited August 23, 2012 by petepunter
adding picture

[Duffa]

Hey @petepunter - who did the staffy you posted? Portraits for obvious reasons are a tricky one, and to be honest Sydney (Sin City) is probably the city I'm least familiar with... You got a few options In both Brisbane and Melbourne (and I'm sure everywhere in between) Flights aren't that expensive anymore so would you be willing to travel? I'll put my thinking cap on and see what I can hit you back with...

[petepunter]

Happy to Travel interstate if it was a artist I was interested in working with but I would need to get it done in one sitting as I couldn't afford to stay a week to two in between sittings.

The Staffie was done by a artist called Diva at Pretty in ink Tattoo studio West Ryde,Sydney.

I was using Facebook to look at some of the sydney studios recent work and I always drive past that smaller looking studio on the way to my Girlfriends house. I have yet to be in or get any work done there

The Work is not what you will get from the best or special International guests some of the 8hr Traditional Japansese Half sleeve work leave a lot to be desired compared to what I have seen from the likes of Kian Forreal etc... but a lot of the work on the site page I would be happy to live with.

It is in a very strange location/area for a studio and I am not sure what type of business it would bring but judging by its Facebook page it looks like it gets a lot of happy repeat customers

Pretty In Ink Tattoo Studio. Sydney Australia - Tattoo & Piercing - Sydney, Australia | Facebook

I would be more than happy with something like this over a full portrait and it was done in the same studio mentioned above.

[heathenist]

Really? Nobody has mentioned Kaleidascope Tattoo yet? Kaleidoscope Tattoo Art Studio - Best Studio Tattoo in Sydney

Stevie Edge is the only tattooer at the shop who I really know of, but looking through the portfolios, it seems like a really nice shop.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and @petepunter I would avoid going with something like the tattoo you posted above, as it has no outline and is already nearly the same color as that persons skin, if your going to go with color I highly suggest getting something with a black outline to hold all the colors in and make them look nice. From what I've read, and from what I'm sure a lot of people here will tell you, no outline tattoos tend not to age well.

[Dan S]

Portraits...take a look here. I don't know whether Den ever travels to Oz, but I know he moves around Europe regularly, so there's always the chance! If nothing else, you can see what a master of the portrait can do.

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/media/set/?set=a.211477935556591.49544.100000831588077&type=3

[heathenist]

Portraits...take a look here. I don't know whether Den ever travels to Oz, but I know he moves around Europe regularly, so there's always the chance! If nothing else, you can see what a master of the portrait can do.

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/media/set/?set=a.211477935556591.49544.100000831588077&type=3

Link isn't working for me, it just takes me to facebook home page. What's the name of the tattooer?

[Dan S]

Sorry Heathenist...works for me, but...

Anyhow, it's Den Yakovlev. Tattoos in Moscow, and his work is unbelievable. Here's a little thumbnail of a dog portrait he did...here's a link to a bunch more.

http://www.tattooartproject.com/tattoo-artists/den-yakovlev/