Tattooers with little to no tattoos

[Tassos Sgardelis]

I see some guys TRYING HARD to play the lawyers of not tattooed tattooers!!!!WHY?

A lot of guys put it very correct so its no need to say more to proove that -come on guys!!!!of course you should be heavily tattooed if you are a tattooer.Its a matter of love and need at first.You cant do otherwise.No if we need 4-5 pages of talking to find that yes there are 3-4 tattooers -respectful tattooers-that says it all.

[Shannon Shirley]

if the plumber shows up and he looks like a lawyer I would be very confused.

[Tight-Lines]

if the plumber shows up and he looks like a lawyer I would be very confused.

[LilMountain]

Do surgeons have to get operations for every little thing to be talented and passionate about their job? I can understand that loving what one does doesn't necessarily mean wanting someone else to do it to you and I can't believe so many people here are so cliche-ish that they demand a tattooer conform to a stereotype.

[MadeIndelible]

Do surgeons have to get operations for every little thing to be talented and passionate about their job? I can understand that loving what one does doesn't necessarily mean wanting someone else to do it to you and I can't believe so many people here are so cliche-ish that they demand a tattooer conform to a stereotype.

That is a terrible analogy. You are related something like tattooing (a personal choice) to something like surgery (a medical need). Of course a surgeon is going to get surgery if he or she needs it. BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THEIR 'CRAFT'. If someone believes in putting needle to skin and permanently marking people with images of pure humanity, if they truly believe in it, he or she will commit to it and live by that belief by getting tattoos.

[LilMountain]

That is a terrible analogy. You are related something like tattooing (a personal choice) to something like surgery (a medical need). Of course a surgeon is going to get surgery if he or she needs it. BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THEIR 'CRAFT'. If someone believes in putting needle to skin and permanently marking people with images of pure humanity, if they truly believe in it, he or she will commit to it and live by that belief by getting tattoos.

Fine, a plastic surgeon. Do they have to get every little imperfection fixed to be good at what they do or to be passionate about helping OTHERS achieve their ideal look?

[LilMountain]

Do photographers have to try to inject themselves into as many photos as possible to be considered passionate about their craft? Heck I know photographers who are downright camera shy, because for them it is about being able to capture the beauty they see in the world, but are uncomfortable with being on the other side. Similarly someone may love bringing other people's designs to life, and then being able to know that those images will stand the test of time permanently etched into people's skin, but might only have a few pieces that they feel strongly about and dont otherwise want to cover themselves simply for the sake of looking tattooed

[MadeIndelible]

Actually, and this is just a hypothesis, but i would put money on the fact that plastic surgeons get plastic surgery. I would also go as far as to say that if they didn't, they're just feeding off of other people who do want plastic surgery. I mean they must know the risk involved, and if they don't believe that the risk is worth it themselves, then they shouldn't be doing it to other people. That kind of passion has bad motives.

I was tattooed by Cris Cleen back in July, and I have to say that I respect that he has a shit ton of tattoos and dresses the way that he does. I may be naive in thinking this, but I think that he puts forth an image that represents his beliefs. I know some people here have a strong resentment for Cris, and I would like to hear their side of the story.

EDIT:

To your above post- I find it hard to believe that a person could feel strongly enough about someone else's designs to put them permanently on that person, yet not be able to relate to enough of them to be able to cover yourself in something similar. I mean if you're a tattooer, you see countless ideas roll through your hands and into your clients' skin. Humans relate to other humans unless they have some kind of complex where they think that they are so special that no one on Earth could possibly be like them. That's why traditional designs last so long. They're inherently human. Anyway, I am rambling...

[Iwar]

Did you read the entire thread @LilMountain ??

And please be humble... Quotes like "I can't believe so many people here are so cliche-ish that they demand a tattooer conform to a stereotype" won't get you far here. Have you tried to understand why the majority of artists and enthusiasts here feel that tattooers should be tattooed, or was your mind made up before you clicked on the thread?

Oh, and comparing tattoo artists to plastic surgeons or photographers is just downright silly if you ask me...

[DRABFURS]

I personally don't think it would bother me if the artist had tattoos or not. The most important aspect is you get a piece you are happy with. You could get a crap tat from an covered artist or a great one from one that has little or no coverage.What would you go for?

Surely the artist with no tats is the stronger person because they feel they don't have to follow the lemmings and believe they have to be covered to be accepted in to the industry.They may love the business far more than covered artists.

Either way if you love tattoos you don't have to prove it to anyone else, he/she will know deep down.

[LilMountain]

Did you read the entire thread @LilMountain ??

And please be humble... Quotes like "I can't believe so many people here are so cliche-ish that they demand a tattooer conform to a stereotype" won't get you far here. Have you tried to understand why the majority of artists and enthusiasts here feel that tattooers should be tattooed, or was your mind made up before you clicked on the thread?

Oh, and comparing tattoo artists to plastic surgeons or photographers is just downright silly if you ask me...

Yes. How am I not humble for being surprised at how unreceptive people are to tattooers who dont fit a certain mold? I read all the reasons, but while I understood an artist needing at least a few to better understand what a client is going through, I still didnt understand why someone would need to be covered in tattoos, and was put off by the intensity of general hostility, going so far as to label them all as parasites.

Well a plastic surgeon is also a bit of an artist who makes permanent changes to people, I dont see how it isn't analogous

[gougetheeyes]

Nobody who tattoos simply to make a living, to put food on the table becomes 'great'. Maybe it's starts that way, but somewhere along the line something will change. Anybody who became 'great' at anything sacrificed a lot to get there. That's where the respect comes in.

Tattooing isn't just another artform to 'express' yourself. It's something very different that has similarities to other crafts and arts but it's something that stands alone. You can draw similarities with other fields (and it can be fun to dream them up) but in the end nothing else has the same mix of craft, decoration, artistry, service and an emotional connection.

The respect doesn't come from the amount of tattoos someone has.

The lack of respect comes from the hypocrisy to dare to do to others what you cannot allow to be done to yourself. A subtle but very definite distinction.

I would like to add that ANY craft is sacred. The time and energy spent perfecting any craft is akin to spiritual devotion. Anybody who fully understands their craft deserves respect.

It's impossible to fully understand tattooing without having tattoos. One or two small ones doesn't count.

I understand that visible tattoos are not for everybody, but that's not what's being discussed here.

Anybody who buys supplies, attends conventions, buys magazines etc, serves the 'industry'.

Those who get heavily tattooed and take their shirt off for a photo shoot, serve the 'industry'. - I never mentioned them, or the industry, as they are a different argument that I have no interest in.

Tattooers who aim for quality and get tattooed serve the CRAFT.

They also HAVE respect for the craft, so they deserve nothing but respect in that regard.

Being 'cool' has nothing to do with it.

@LilMountain and other newcomers, check out KeithReed and Stewart's other responses on page 3 of the thread. Quoting Stewart here from another of his comments because he always seems to sum shit up in a really articulate way.

It's more than simple empathy, or trying to fit into a mold. It's getting tattooed to learn, to immerse yourself in the craft, to participate in something that you not only have this frenetic drive to be a part of, but to support and absorb everything that is a part of tattooing. And yes, that goes for the social side as well. Plenty of tattooers have said that they have learned the most from getting tattooed, by watching and feeling the application ––*and you can't get that just from hovering over someone's shoulder while they tattoo someone else. You can't fake that. That's why pinky tattooers are called parasites or tourists. And that's why it's difficult to compare it to another trade, because so much gets rolled into one.

It's a lot easier to understand the more tattoos you receive yourself. I won't drag out this thread anymore, no use in going around and around, I think everyone's said their peace at this point. I'd just encourage you to poke around some more on LST. And also get more tattoos.

[TheCursed]

I completely agree with @gougetheeyes and Stewart articulated it perfect. If you live the craft and respect everything involved with it, as a tattooer you would want to be tattooed. For learning, supporting tradition and respect.

To compare a surgeon and tattooer is just retarded.

[Ursula]

All this talk of surgeons made me want to say two things

A) if you think doing a tattoo is the same as doing surgery you are fucking stupid.

B) yes I would be more comfortable getting a nose job from someone who's had one them selves, however you can't learn about surgery by having it done on you since you're not awake during the part that's going to teach you something.

Now can someone please start or bring back some of the threads that are actually worth reading? Sick of logging on everyday and seeing 6 new 'I'm new here' threads and nothing else.

[Iwar]

I personally don't think it would bother me if the artist had tattoos or not. The most important aspect is you get a piece you are happy with. You could get a crap tat from an covered artist or a great one from one that has little or no coverage.What would you go for?

Surely the artist with no tats is the stronger person because they feel they don't have to follow the lemmings and believe they have to be covered to be accepted in to the industry.They may love the business far more than covered artists.

Either way if you love tattoos you don't have to prove it to anyone else, he/she will know deep down.

If you love tattoos you'll probably be covered in them, or atleast have the desire to be. I'm not even going to comment on what you said about "artist with no tats is the stronger person"

"Serenity now!" as Frank Costanza would say...

[Shannon Shirley]

pearls to swine. If they dont get it,they just dont get it.

[gougetheeyes]

[nicky papers]

pearls to swine. If they dont get it,they just dont get it.

well said Shannon.

[Shannon Shirley]

this happens everyday,'' you just can't reach them all'' GTC

[slayer9019]

All this talk of surgeons made me want to say two things

A) if you think doing a tattoo is the same as doing surgery you are fucking stupid.

B) yes I would be more comfortable getting a nose job from someone who's had one them selves, however you can't learn about surgery by having it done on you since you're not awake during the part that's going to teach you something.

Now can someone please start or bring back some of the threads that are actually worth reading? Sick of logging on everyday and seeing 6 new 'I'm new here' threads and nothing else.

I would saying tattooing someone is very similar to surgery but it does not work both ways. Inserting ink into someones skin to me is minor cosmetic surgery, BUT slicing and dicing someones face is not like giving a tattoo. That being said it is like apples and oranges, both are fruits but they are not the same.

[Gregor]

What about skinny chefs ???!!! sorry !! only joking .... I wouldn't let a tattooist with baldy skin touch me i'm afraid ....

[Ursula]

Part of choosing a tattooer for me is about their personal artistic style, having lots of tattoos shows me what kind of tattoos you like to get, which are usually the same type of tattoos you would like to do. So basically, if you are covered in bio-mech/tribal/new school then I'd assume that's the kind of tattoos you like to get and give so I'd probly not really get tattooed by that person because it's not my thing. If I met someone who was covered in awesome tattoos by great artists and who's own portfolio showed all the things they learned from getting those tattoos, well I'd probably get tattooed by them.

Yeah being covered in good tattoos doesn't mean you're going to be a good tattooer but it certainly helps.

@slayer9019 - to me tattooing is not like surgery at all really. Even the most minor surgery is going to go much deeper than tattooing. It's going to involve a more complicated and lengthy healing. It requires a completely different skill set, I think. I've done a tattoo, yes it was horrible, and yes the person who got it knew it was going to be bad. I would never ever attempt to preform surgery on someone, in even the most minor way. Why? you ask, because I have zero knowledge on the procedure and wouldn't want to cause permanent injury. To me, the only thing in the body mod world that comes close to surgery is some of the more extreme piercings and mods. Some of them are straight up surgery. Giving someone a tattoo, even a large one will never come close to slicing some dudes dick down the middle, or cutting 1 inch holes into someones ears/cheecks/nose/whatever. The only thing I'd think would be similar to tattooing is when you take a skin biopsy or have a layer of skin removed for whatever reason and I only say that because it's the only thing I can think of that doesn't go deeper than a tattoo needle would. If someone here is actually a doctor/nurse feel free to inform me otherwise.

[embers]

how can a client take them seriously when theyre telling them how to take care of something they dont know how to themselves. i dont even understand how you can be, not only artistic, but also into tattooing and not get them yourself. i think about tattooing about 45 out of 60 minutes every hour and i dont even tattoo haha... shit,

maybe im an obsessive freak though.

[slayer9019]

Part of choosing a tattooer for me is about their personal artistic style, having lots of tattoos shows me what kind of tattoos you like to get, which are usually the same type of tattoos you would like to do. So basically, if you are covered in bio-mech/tribal/new school then I'd assume that's the kind of tattoos you like to get and give so I'd probly not really get tattooed by that person because it's not my thing. If I met someone who was covered in awesome tattoos by great artists and who's own portfolio showed all the things they learned from getting those tattoos, well I'd probably get tattooed by them.

Yeah being covered in good tattoos doesn't mean you're going to be a good tattooer but it certainly helps.

@slayer9019 - to me tattooing is not like surgery at all really. Even the most minor surgery is going to go much deeper than tattooing. It's going to involve a more complicated and lengthy healing. It requires a completely different skill set, I think. I've done a tattoo, yes it was horrible, and yes the person who got it knew it was going to be bad. I would never ever attempt to preform surgery on someone, in even the most minor way. Why? you ask, because I have zero knowledge on the procedure and wouldn't want to cause permanent injury. To me, the only thing in the body mod world that comes close to surgery is some of the more extreme piercings and mods. Some of them are straight up surgery. Giving someone a tattoo, even a large one will never come close to slicing some dudes dick down the middle, or cutting 1 inch holes into someones ears/cheecks/nose/whatever. The only thing I'd think would be similar to tattooing is when you take a skin biopsy or have a layer of skin removed for whatever reason and I only say that because it's the only thing I can think of that doesn't go deeper than a tattoo needle would. If someone here is actually a doctor/nurse feel free to inform me otherwise.

Yea I was more along the lines of skin biopsy (we all have different definitions of minor). I would be guessing since I never had tattooed someone or plan to ever but after seeing it done to myself I have formed an opinion on it. Im guessing as a good tattoo artist you need to be knowledgeable to an extent on how different skins (or in general) would react to minor trauma. Also the whole blood-born pathogens deal with autoclaves and whatnot require a bit of knowledge in the medical area as well. Again I could be completely backwards but just throwing out my opinion.

PS... some of those 'hardcore' mods scare the shit outta me...after being through surgery myself quite a bit I can't see opting in for cosmetic surgery!!!

[Ursula]

Dude have you seen that movie about body mods? I think it's called Modify. There's some pretty real shit in that movie. A lot of the people seem nice enough, it's just hard for me to understand going that far I guess. I always wonder if it comes from the same place inside as wanting to be heavily tattooed or if it's something else. I've had about 9 or 10 different piercings over the last 15 years, I still have one in each ear, septum, and one on my lower lip but kind of lower then the ring ones I don't know what it's called. I feel like when I was a teenager I was only getting pierced because I wasn't allowed to get tattooed and it was hard to find someone who'd tattoo teenagers too.

I should also mention by saying I did a tattoo, I mean I horribly scrawled my initials onto my dudes leg with no instruction. I'm not saying I know how to make a good tattoo or even a passable one. I'd still be totally fine with doing a shit tiny tattoo on a friend who wanted that then cutting off a weird patch of skin on a friend who didn't have the loot for a real doctor.