An introduction is in order

[Kristen R Holbrook]

Hullo all,

I'm probably going to be one of the oddballs here and say that I have no tattoos on me, and nor would I ever want to go through that painful process. I have a very low pain tolerance and looking at a needle coming near me makes me light-headed and sick (true story right there). But! I do love drawing tattoo designs. I just could never be an actual body art artist.

With that being said, I've been drawing ever since I was a young'n. I never really thought about drawing tattoo designs until around...'99 maybe? A coworker of mine saw some of my art and wanted one of them to be tattooed on her back--and she did get it tattooed there much to my surprise. After that, I wanted to get into drawing tattoos for people. I took a year in college for advertising art, but it wasn't my thing and I ended up dropping out and not drawing for a whole year. Not sure what got me back into it, but I did start drawing again, and I've had a few more coworkers asking me to design them some tattoos.

It was only just recently that I got a job as a tattoo designer for an online website, which made my day.

I figured I'd join up and talk with other tattoo enthusiasts!

[Graeme]

A tattoo enthusiast has tattoos. You're a tourist at best.

[Kristen R Holbrook]

Ah, well I suppose you're right in a way. I can't exactly label myself as a tattoo enthusiast since I have none of my own, but it's still nice to be around those that love the art that tattoo designers do for them.

[Graeme]

You mean tattoo artists, "tattoo design" websites are a scam and a "tattoo designer" isn't a thing.

[tatB]

I'd love to see some of your designs.

[Patrick Bateman]

Welcome, post some of your designs.

I understand where you are coming from as I was into looking at tattoo art since I was about 20.

I just got my first tattoo in May and I'm 31.

[Kristen R Holbrook]

I'd love to see some of your designs.

Hey Brian!

A lot of my newer designs right now are in a sketch phase and I've got two clients I've been working with, but here are some links to a few of them! :)

• Phoenix sketch
  
• Blossom tree and lucky cats
  
• Heart
  
• Hummingbird and flower
  
• Wolf and wings
  

Patrick, glad to see someone knows where I'm coming from, haha.

[Patrick Bateman]

Hey Brian!

A lot of my newer designs right now are in a sketch phase and I've got two clients I've been working with, but here are some links to a few of them! :)

• Phoenix sketch
  
• Blossom tree and lucky cats
  
• Heart
  
• Hummingbird and flower
  
• Wolf and wings
  

Patrick, glad to see someone knows where I'm coming from, haha.

I'm digging em. wolf and wings ;)

[misterJ]

I don't get it... Needles bother the crap out of me too. Getting tattooed is a very different experience and sensation. You can't have a passion for something and only watch kinda from the sidelines.

Go get something

[marley mission]

meh - just git a 'lil one...jus a wee tiny one...

[CultExciter]

I'd love to see some of your designs.

I see what you did there.

[tatB]

How much do you charge?

[CultExciter]

Ladies and gentleman, he's back!

[tatB]

Ladies and gentleman, he's back!

Your sarcastic remarks are not appreciated. Please let me engage in quality conversation about quality tattoos without further tattitude from you mister tatty mctat pants.

[Kristen R Holbrook]

You mean tattoo artists, "tattoo design" websites are a scam and a "tattoo designer" isn't a thing.

I get where you're coming from with tattoo design sites out there being full of crap. However, just because someone isn't specifically a tattoo artist doesn't mean an artist can't design a tattoo for someone seeking one with a specific theme in mind, DeviantART being a prime example. In the end, the tattoo design will more than likely be tweaked by the actual tattoo artist, due to them being the one inking the skin. I get that's why most people go to a tattoo shop, because it's one of their jobs to draw the art first, rather than asking someone who's simply an artist.

I don't get it... Needles bother the crap out of me too. Getting tattooed is a very different experience and sensation. You can't have a passion for something and only watch kinda from the sidelines.

Go get something

It's not just the needles, it's my low pain tolerance as well. And the whole passion thing is misleading. Just because someone is allergic to fur doesn't mean they can't love cats and dogs--they can make up for that by donating to no kill shelters or sponsoring animals so the animals don't die by inhumane ways. I might not want a tattoo on me, but that doesn't mean I won't work hard at designing a tattoo that a client wants.

meh - just git a 'lil one...jus a wee tiny one...

Sigh. Such peer pressure.

[polliwog]

I really don't want to turn this into a pile-on, but had you browsed this forum a bit more deeply before joining (particularly the posts written by tattooers), you might understand why what you do isn't exactly being welcomed with open arms here.

[Kristen R Holbrook]

I really don't want to turn this into a pile-on, but had you browsed this forum a bit more deeply before joining, you might understand why what you do isn't exactly being welcomed with open arms here.

I think I get where the death glares are coming from. I'm not searching for clients or anything on the site. (Is that the issue? Stealing ideas/designs?) I've got my own tattoo ideas simmering in my brain and once sketched out I would've posted them in the respectable forum category to hear people's thoughts and their interpretation of the art.

I'll admit, I didn't browse too deeply. I was searching for an active forum regarding tattoos and this was one I found (the other needing me to pay them to actually sign up). But as I said, I'm not looking for people to pay me for my art. There are other sites out there for such a thing.

[tatB]

Do tattooers give a steep discount if I bring in a pre drawn design? You did all the hard work so they just have to do a paint by numbers, right?

[Kristen R Holbrook]

Do tattooers give a steep discount if I bring in a pre drawn design? You did all the hard work so they just have to do a paint by numbers, right?

It would be nice, but as I'm sure you know tattoo artists either have an hourly rate to go by or have a set price range, which from what I hear is normally the case when a customer comes in with a pre-designed piece.

[tatB]

It would be nice, but as I'm sure you know tattoo artists either have an hourly rate to go by or have a set price range, which from what I hear is normally the case when a customer comes in with a pre-designed piece.

So I end up paying more?

[Kristen R Holbrook]

So I end up paying more?

Quite possibly, yes. And if there's a tattoo artist that can design the tattoo in the style you'd like to see it on your skin, then perfect! The reason people go out of their way to ask an artist to design them a tattoo is specifically for their style. And yes, people will pay out the ass to get the perfect style of a tattoo before going into a tattoo shop and paying the tattoo artist, despite them being able to draw it themselves.

This is the oddest introduction conversation ever.

[tatB]

Why would someone do that?

[Graeme]

Quite possibly, yes. And if there's a tattoo artist that can design the tattoo in the style you'd like to see it on your skin, then perfect! The reason people go out of their way to ask an artist to design them a tattoo is specifically for their style. And yes, people will pay out the ass to get the perfect style of a tattoo before going into a tattoo shop and paying the tattoo artist, despite them being able to draw it themselves.

This is the oddest introduction conversation ever.

And you'd know this because you've been tattooed how many times again?

[Kristen R Holbrook]

Why would someone do that?

Honestly? I'm not quite sure. Maybe they love an artist's artwork so much that they just have to get a design from them personally and nobody else. Then again, people in general do a lot of questionable things.

Actually Brian, I think I might know. There's probably a famous tattoo artist that you'd love to do artwork on your body right? Even if they're out of state, wouldn't you be willing to go the distance just to get art from them if that's the case? That's probably why people commission plain artists to do the designing, then pay the artist to do the bodywork.

And you'd know this because you've been tattooed how many times again?

I don't have to be tattooed to know this.

Here's a DeviantART link of commissioned tattoo designs, a large amount of the artists not even capable of working a tattoo machine. The clients commissioning them like their style and their art, despite paying not just the artist doing the design, but also the tattoo artist that will place it on their body.

[tatB]

Sounds perfectly reasonable.