How to tell if an Artist is Genuine?

[Ducky15568]

Ive been wondering this for awhile now and was wondering if an artist says they are excited to do a piece on you if they are genuine in saying that or they just say that to every one of their clients. (My artist always tell me he is excited to do my pieces, but i think it could be because we both enjoy the content i get) has anyone else wondered this?

[Pugilist]

I think it's not reasonable to expect a tattooer to be very excited about every single thing they do. It's a profession like any other in the sense that some tasks you get super psyched about, and others less so. The mark of a professional is that you do the best job you can regardless of how excited you are about a piece. I teach, and I enjoy some classes much more than others, but I work hard at all of them. I think it is not necessarily productive to speculate about whether or not a tattooer is being "genuine".

[yourfutureartist]

Not every piece you do is one you will be super excited about. But just because the piece might not be your particular favorite does not change the fact that every client deserves the best possible tattoo you can give them. I find that if I have a piece I am not thrilled about I get feedback from my staff and brainstorm as to how I can do something different with the tattoo while still meeting the guidelines my client has given me. If I do some homework generally I can find a way to make the design something I can get excited about. If an artist truly does not want to do the tattoo then perhaps he or she can share the work with another artist in his or her shop? As a professional it is best to not let your lack of enthusiasm show, however I do not think that this means that artists are any less genuine in their efforts to serve a clients particular needs.

[JeffK]

Probably the same way you tell if anyone is really into anything. There's just a look in their eye or you can hear it in their voice and they have focus and interest the whole way through. They can say whatever they want but it'll just show in the amount of effort they put in and their general attitude.

I know, kind of a blanket answer, but it's all I got. Other than being a psychic it's all there is to go on. Non-verbal cues.

[kylegrey]

If you come away with a good tattoo .

[Ducky15568]

  Pugilist said:

I think it's not reasonable to expect a tattooer to be very excited about every single thing they do. It's a profession like any other in the sense that some tasks you get super psyched about, and others less so. The mark of a professional is that you do the best job you can regardless of how excited you are about a piece. I teach, and I enjoy some classes much more than others, but I work hard at all of them. I think it is not necessarily productive to speculate about whether or not a tattooer is being "genuine".

I never said the tattooer needed to be excited about a tattoo, just that when they do say if they are excited that they are genuine. I was not using myself as a reference saying i always wonder about if a tattooer is "genuine." my speculation towards this subject is only to see if others who get tattooed have experienced the same question i have, that is all.

[kylegrey]

A guaranteed way to tell if your artist is excited about your tattoo is to ask them to tattoo some one else's flash . I got a Mike Malone piece from Ian Flower and he said " I'll even tattoo it with my Malone machine for no extra charge " ha ha.

[paprika]

  Pugilist said:

I think it's not reasonable to expect a tattooer to be very excited about every single thing they do. It's a profession like any other in the sense that some tasks you get super psyched about, and others less so. The mark of a professional is that you do the best job you can regardless of how excited you are about a piece. I teach, and I enjoy some classes much more than others, but I work hard at all of them. I think it is not necessarily productive to speculate about whether or not a tattooer is being "genuine".

I think Stewart Robson described it best in his interview when he wanted checkers across his arm, chest, etc. and ended up with Steve Byrne iirc. Although it probably wasnt the style of tattooing Steve might have preferred or even wanted to do, he still gave a shit, applied himself to the best of his abilities, stood back, eyed it up, looked at composition, rhythm, flow until he was happy with it and then did it.

Whether the tattoo/artist is straight up and simple "you pick em, I stick em" style or its a big custom piece, or adding to a blank spot on the arm that has previous work, a genuine tattooer will look at all the variables and fine tune it to the point where they are happy with where it is, how it sits, how its works with other work, etc.

[Hogrider]

I think it's pretty easy to tell. i was kicking around ideas with my artist. I could tell he wasn't excited about a Koi back piece, but when I asked for suggestions, he got very excited about a Tibetan skull. He was so excited that I got excited and now guess which one I'm getting?

[Brock Varty]

  Hogrider said:

I think it's pretty easy to tell. i was kicking around ideas with my artist. I could tell he wasn't excited about a Koi back piece, but when I asked for suggestions, he got very excited about a Tibetan skull. He was so excited that I got excited and now guess which one I'm getting?

We'll be tibetan skull backpiece buddies!

[Great Lakes Tattooing]

If you are getting what they are drawing and painting during that time, Its a safe bet they are being genuine.

[Hogrider]

  Brock Varty said:

We'll be tibetan skull backpiece buddies!

Kool! I was apprehensive at first since I've seeni so many bad ones, but I looked at a bunch of the ones he's done, plus he did my sleeve and chest panel so now I'm stoked.

[JAllen]

People can be honestly excited about your tattoo even if its not related to the imagery. They might just enjoy tattooing you and talking to you or getting to be a participant in some design that is significant to you or many other reasons one might get excited about it. Its not always about the imagery.

[OutOfIdeas]

After all but one of my tattoos from a particular guy, he's said something along the lines of "yea, I really like how that came out, I'm gonna need a picture of that one" and used his personal phone to take a picture. The one time he didn't do that, he said he liked how it turned out and used the shop camera. He also commented that he enjoyed the subject matter I choose, because it tends to be classic traditional style tattoos, with a unique twist.

That being said, I also wonder sometimes whether he says that kind of thing to everyone, or pulls out his personal phone and acts as of that tattoo is special, to make them feel even better about the tattoo they just got.

ALL of that being said, I'm always super pumped with the stuff he puts on me, and always feels he gives his 100%, so at the end of the day I'm not too worried about whether he's super into the images or not.

[Brock Varty]

  OutOfIdeas said:

After all but one of my tattoos from a particular guy, he's said something along the lines of "yea, I really like how that came out, I'm gonna need a picture of that one" and used his personal phone to take a picture. The one time he didn't do that, he said he liked how it turned out and used the shop camera. He also commented that he enjoyed the subject matter I choose, because it tends to be classic traditional style tattoos, with a unique twist.

That being said, I also wonder sometimes whether he says that kind of thing to everyone, or pulls out his personal phone and acts as of that tattoo is special, to make them feel even better about the tattoo they just got.

ALL of that being said, I'm always super pumped with the stuff he puts on me, and always feels he gives his 100%, so at the end of the day I'm not too worried about whether he's super into the images or not.

I think the key part in all of this is what you hit in the last part of your post. No matter if your tattooer is excited or pumped to do a tattoo or not, if you know he gave 100% and you are happy with it, then thats it. Don't read anymore into it. I work in a shop with some good people...I can use that as an experience reference. I know for a fact that not everyone is always happy to be doing a tattoo. BUT, I do know that everyone trys to give everything they have to every tatoo. We try to make sure the client gets the tattoo they want and deserve. Even if a tattooer doesn't seem excited to do a tattoo, you can bet that a good one, will be excited to do a GOOD tattoo for you.

[hgiles]

  Hogrider said:

Kool! I was apprehensive at first since I've seeni so many bad ones, but I looked at a bunch of the ones he's done, plus he did my sleeve and chest panel so now I'm stoked.

Jesse's Japanese is heavily influenced by Filip Leu and Kurt Wiscombe, which is a good thing -- and his Tibetan Skulls are always killin'!! Can't wait to see it!

[Hogrider]

  hgiles said:

Jesse's Japanese is heavily influenced by Filip Leu and Kurt Wiscombe, which is a good thing -- and his Tibetan Skulls are always killin'!! Can't wait to see it!

Me too. You've got that killer tibetan skull from Chad Koeplinger, right? I'm thinking about getting a lady head from Nikki Balls from Tattoo Paradise, I thing Chad works there too.