Tattoo Artists that do it cause it's cool, or just for the $$...

[Jennifer Stell]

We all know one or two of these types... To call them out or not to call them out? That is my burning question...

Porn Stars, Models, wanna be's.... If it's not your full time job/passion/obsession should you really be doing it?

[sbj619]

Well, I don't think Ke$ha should be tattooing. Ke$ha Uses Needle and Pen to Tattoo a Fan | PopEater.com

[KeithReed]

If you do not do it full time, you don't get it and should not do it at all. Drives me nuts when people ask me what my other job is. Other job? At what point do i do that? My seven days a week at the shop as owner or tattooer isn't enough? Drives me nuts. Either throw yourself into, work hard, and reap the benefits or get out.

[brimstonesix]

tattooing isn't something that should be done part time or "on the side". dedication is what it takes

[thebriguy]

Definately agree with the last post...tattooing should be a full time thing. Put your heart and soul into it. Because the art you put on some lasts the rest of their life. But at the same time dont get greedy and think of yourself as a rockstar. All we do is tattoo.

[David Flores]

Yeah there is a shop that opened up down the street from us. The owner and her husband(her helper) only play tattoo shop on the weekend. The rest of the week they have a bunch of kids straight out of tattoo school fucking up people's skin. One of the kids came in to our shop, not to ask permission, but to let us know he was opening up down the road. I could tell my boss was pretty pissed but he kept his cool while he was there and merely let him know that he had been tattooing in Portland for over 20 years and when he started out it was customary out of respect to know who owns the other shops in town especially the one down the road. They had no clue he what he was talking about and invited him to stop by their shop. Bad Move! I wasn't there but I heard he went down there and kind of took them all down a notch in front of a lobby full of customers. Don't know if did any good, probably not, but made us all laugh.

[thebriguy]

Where I live there are a bunch of new shops opening up literally around the corner from each other then trying to build their clientel by simply trashing the other shops nearby. Its pitiful. A great artist work will speak for itself.

[Shadow]

I agree. As a customer I don't want someone tattooing me who only is in it for money or to look cool. I want them to be dedicated and passionate about it. I'm a teacher and I feel the same way about teaching. A teacher can have a huge impact on a kid and really change his life. We don't make enough money to justify just being in it for the paycheck. If it isn't your passion, then go find a new job.

[David Flores]

Where I live there are a bunch of new shops opening up literally around the corner from each other then trying to build their clientel by simply trashing the other shops nearby. Its pitiful. A great artist work will speak for itself.

Great work does speak for itself, it's just too bad that most people can't tell the difference. But the ones who can reap the rewards.

[thebriguy]

Definately Dave. I believe in not over charging for work but still the folks that go to the shop down the street just because "its" cheaper will regret it in the end.

[David Flores]

Definately Dave. I believe in not over charging for work but still the folks that go to the shop down the street just because "its" cheaper will regret it in the end.

Then there are the people who charge a low hourly rate, but milk the tattoo for three times a long as it should take. I can only help those who will listen.

[slayer9019]

Then there are the people who charge a low hourly rate, but milk the tattoo for three times a long as it should take. I can only help those who will listen.

Haha I actually experienced this. The cheaper guy did a tattoo that size and dificulty were the same as my awesome artist was but ended up costing literally three times the cost for lower quality work. I started to notice about halfway through the cheaper guy was running the clock.