For TATTOOERS ONLY - most hated tattoo requests?

[Patriot Ink Tattoo]

Cherry Creek Flash. Great selling sheets but they get old really fast.

[InkPlease]

What if its a quote?

[Jon Bass]

I don't enjoy doing full paragraphs of lettering in a "type face" style.If someone asks for something "hidden" in their tattoo,such as lettering or a name,I ask them......Why are you getting something tattooed on you that you aren't proud enough to wear openly in the world? I was taught to tattoo anything that walked in the door and I hardly ever turn down a tattoo.I just cannot understand the reason that people want to mess up a perfectly nice tattoo with,names.initials,vines that turn into names,names in white ink,names hidden in flowers,etc.. I wish more people in this area would figure out what they want,stop watching TV and get a tattoo that in no way involves a sad story or their favorite 15 lines of Sylvia Plath poetry or a half page of bible verse tattooed with brown pigment.I quit doing solid bands around anything and I have never tattooed a face.I don't believe in it.Inner lip is fine.I just tell them that it's going to be the most painful and expensive 10 minutes they have had in a while.

[Tim Goodrich]

If times weren't so rough I would say tribal.....shoveling coal for hours..........but these days I will do it all.

[brimstonesix]

rib tattoos on first timers,definitely

[LeoKraft]

feathers and monochromatic tattoos and in between fingers.

[G.Uristti]

the hidden anything is so annoying.

but even more annoying is when someone only asks for a partial cover up(happened just recently). or when someone sends you an email or phone call everyday changing their minds on what they want. and then they show for their appt and change it again. all the other bad ideas are a cake walk in comparison for me.

[ZachZanone]

Honestly, fairies and stars and all of that shit are pretty fucking annoying but I have to say the tattoos I hate doing the most are tribal, any kind of armbands, etc. Luckily they aren't really that common of a request anymore but every time I'm asked to do tribal I cringe. I actually have to do a tribal tattoo from the elbow to the wrist in the next week or so.

[hgiles]

I didn't realize owls were so poular.

[G.Uristti]

names hidden in shit can suck it

[JAllen]

there have been lots of people lately wanting all kinds of stuff turned into rings, mostly lettering. that or lots of script on the side of their finger, this seems to be the most requested thing lately. also had a few people request that i draw ambigrams using peoples names, it totally wrecked my brain trying to draw that stuff.

[hogg]

there have been lots of people lately wanting all kinds of stuff turned into rings, mostly lettering. that or lots of script on the side of their finger, this seems to be the most requested thing lately. also had a few people request that i draw ambigrams using peoples names, it totally wrecked my brain trying to draw that stuff.

Ugh! I've seen the LIFE DEATH ambigram so many times. There are lots of online ambigram generators, but they all seem to charge for it. You could use one and factor that into the price.

[David Flores]

Ugh! I've seen the LIFE DEATH ambigram so many times. There are lots of online ambigram generators, but they all seem to charge for it. You could use one and factor that into the price.

We have the love and hate one up on the wall twice one right side, one upside down. IF you pick the love it's 20 dollars cheaper, but haven't had anyone notice it yet or get it for that matter. Have had a couple people come in recently with stuff like this, but I can't remember what the ones they wanted said. I think one was beloved and cursed.

[David Flores]

Don't know if this has been brought up, but when people ask for something feminine it kind of confusing to me, usually because each person means something different and usually has nothing to do gender. First usually the person is asking you to give gender characteristic to either an intimate object like a ship, a gender neutral design like a flower, or animal where male and female aren't really that different, my example of this would be an owl. Usually it's not a case of slapping a pair of tits or an evening dress or a tiara on the tattoo. I mean usually they are referring to not making the drawing as bold or to not use as much black, sometimes they want the drawing more new school or cartoon like. Sometimes it's the colors they want you to use in the tattoo. I usually point out that femininity can't really be lost by getting a tattoo, which is what people are putting into these young girls heads.

[JAllen]

Don't know if this has been brought up, but when people ask for something feminine it kind of confusing to me, usually because each person means something different and usually has nothing to do gender. First usually the person is asking you to give gender characteristic to either an intimate object like a ship, a gender neutral design like a flower, or animal where male and female aren't really that different, my example of this would be an owl. Usually it's not a case of slapping a pair of tits or an evening dress or a tiara on the tattoo. I mean usually they are referring to not making the drawing as bold or to not use as much black, sometimes they want the drawing more new school or cartoon like. Sometimes it's the colors they want you to use in the tattoo. I usually point out that femininity can't really be lost by getting a tattoo, which is what people are putting into these young girls heads.

usually it means put some swirlies (filigree) around something and i'll like it. some but not all of them may include stars as well.

[Shannon Shirley]

I like it when men act like or say '' I would never get a rose or a butterfly'' as if that meant you werent masculine.

usually it means put some swirlies (filigree) around something and i'll like it. some but not all of them may include stars as well.

[JAllen]

I like it when men act like or say '' I would never get a rose or a butterfly'' as if that meant you werent masculine.

man, those guys didn't live in the 80's/early 90's when it was cool to just have a tattoo. i like looking through old photos at the shop of dudes with unicorns and stuff that people would never think of getting now unless it was some ironic version of it. shit i've got a pretty terrible cresent moon with a face in it on my shoulder. terrible stuff. ahahahaha

i do like though when a guy wants a panther or something tough and then they look at the colors i have out and say "what's the pink for?" hahahaha

[Shannon Shirley]

man, those guys didn't live in the 80's/early 90's when it was cool to just have a tattoo. i like looking through old photos at the shop of dudes with unicorns and stuff that people would never think of getting now unless it was some ironic version of it. shit i've got a pretty terrible cresent moon with a face in it on my shoulder. terrible stuff. ahahahaha

i do like though when a guy wants a panther or something tough and then they look at the colors i have out and say "what's the pink for?" hahahaha

Scott Sylvia did this on me @ 97' very feminine......hehehe ,apparently none of these fools ever saw ''Papillon''with Steve McQueen the baddest MFer on the silver screen.

[Valerie Vargas]

Don't know if this has been brought up, but when people ask for something feminine it kind of confusing to me, usually because each person means something different and usually has nothing to do gender. First usually the person is asking you to give gender characteristic to either an intimate object like a ship, a gender neutral design like a flower, or animal where male and female aren't really that different, my example of this would be an owl. Usually it's not a case of slapping a pair of tits or an evening dress or a tiara on the tattoo. I mean usually they are referring to not making the drawing as bold or to not use as much black, sometimes they want the drawing more new school or cartoon like. Sometimes it's the colors they want you to use in the tattoo. I usually point out that femininity can't really be lost by getting a tattoo, which is what people are putting into these young girls heads.

Haha. Sticking a pair of tits on a tattoo when they ask it to look more feminine. That thought proper tickled me.

[I Pray To Crom]

Don't know if this has been brought up, but when people ask for something feminine it kind of confusing to me, usually because each person means something different and usually has nothing to do gender. First usually the person is asking you to give gender characteristic to either an intimate object like a ship, a gender neutral design like a flower, or animal where male and female aren't really that different, my example of this would be an owl. Usually it's not a case of slapping a pair of tits or an evening dress or a tiara on the tattoo. I mean usually they are referring to not making the drawing as bold or to not use as much black, sometimes they want the drawing more new school or cartoon like. Sometimes it's the colors they want you to use in the tattoo. I usually point out that femininity can't really be lost by getting a tattoo, which is what people are putting into these young girls heads.

I hear ya. This happened a lot at the last shop I worked at. My default fix was to put long eyelashes on it if the piece is an animal. If its a inanimate desgin I just use the power of suggestion after drawing up the design and telling them, "see what I did there? (points to whatever) That's to give it a more delecate feminine vibe"

They almost always go with it.

[tak30204]

Honestly I just hate it when the customer doesn't know what they want. I'm a tattooer, not a shrink or a image consultant. Given my own choice I'd tattoo mostly skulls and naked chicks. Or skulls on naked chicks, lol.

Its frstrating when customers bring in reference, want me to draw something based on it but with my own style or whatever, then aren't happy with my drawing because it doesn't look like the reference they brought in. I'm happy to trace your sticker, t-shirt, whatever and make a tattoo out of it, just ask for that.

As far as flat out bad requests? Its usually wanting too much in too small a space, or just a bad space. I seldom allow my personal taste to come into the equation too much, unless asked outright.

Not a customer request, but a common customer comment that does push my buttons.... After I've explained to someone that I'll be glad to take their money but a rainbow family tree with no black outlines and the name of every Jones that has ever lived on the east coast on the bottom of their foot is a bad idea their response is "oh, well I'll just find someone who can do it." Those are the folks I'm sometimes tempted to follow screaming into the parking lot.

[truejew]

Not a customer request, but a common customer comment that does push my buttons.... After I've explained to someone that I'll be glad to take their money but a rainbow family tree with no black outlines and the name of every Jones that has ever lived on the east coast on the bottom of their foot is a bad idea their response is "oh, well I'll just find someone who can do it." Those are the folks I'm sometimes tempted to follow screaming into the parking lot.

lol I hate that.

[autosdafe]

Tattoos inside of lips. I did one once, and I almost passed out. I don't do well with drool I guess.

I hate lips too u gotta hold them like a trout lol

[onaquesttoseeamoose]

Most if not all of my newer clients are brought through word of mouth. Recently, I had a client who I have a language barrier with, but he does fully understand me. Well, during our consult for his custom design, I explained that the amount of detail he wants is too much for the size of the design. Well, he continues to ask me to make it smaller, and I continue to amend the detail. When we discuss each edit, which I labor over for free of course...AGAIN AND AGAIN, he gets frustrated, and speaks to me as if I'm, for lack of a better term..Dumb! Why is it that my 24 yrs of experience, and immense amount of patience and understanding of the clients wants and the tattoos design limitations, and my lack of an exotic accent, make me dumb? WTF? Any other U.S citizen with a standard grasp of the English language ever feel treated like that? It's some kind of reverse "ism" that's for sure!

[G.Uristti]

Most if not all of my newer clients are brought through word of mouth. Recently, I had a client who I have a language barrier with, but he does fully understand me. Well, during our consult for his custom design, I explained that the amount of detail he wants is too much for the size of the design. Well, he continues to ask me to make it smaller, and I continue to amend the detail. When we discuss each edit, which I labor over for free of course...AGAIN AND AGAIN, he gets frustrated, and speaks to me as if I'm, for lack of a better term..Dumb! Why is it that my 24 yrs of experience, and immense amount of patience and understanding of the clients wants and the tattoos design limitations, and my lack of an exotic accent, make me dumb? WTF? Any other U.S citizen with a standard grasp of the English language ever feel treated like that? It's some kind of reverse "ism" that's for sure!

it happens man and im always just tempted to scribble on them for an hour or two. theyre lucky i have pride. when people get difficult i just tack in on in the end, im not doing extra work for free these days.