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I have hundreds of hours of video of Cliff tattooing naked. Think they'll license that? When the jock douchebags who'll likely be the first wave to wear the Raven line (Cause Ed Hardy and Jerry are SO last year) start showing up at the mall, I'll post it on the Huffington post... "Wait.. he was a tattooer AND a homo? Man, I'll go back to Abecrombie and Fitch!". Douches.

Just saw this tattoo video of Henk Schiffmacher and figured others on here would enjoy it.....

you watch too much TV...

uggggnhhhhh

swing by my blog; I just put up the trailer/show schedule, so you'll know when new episodes come out.

What's next Stoney St. Clair butt plugs?

Our prayers have been heard ladies and gentlemen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZGON1G45A8 Tattoo Age -- Trailer - Tattoo Age | VBS.TV

I think that one thing to consider here is the difference between American and European governments, and who's deciding things on behalf of the masses. In America, corporations have more power than individuals, and decisions are made to favor the corporations' profits. As many powder pigments come directly from Dupont, they will certainly not change anything that would interfere with Dupont's bottom line. If the U.S. gov't were to get in bed with Dupont on this particular issue, all that would happen is that pigments would get much more expensive, and maybe a little radioactive waste would get "recycled" into it. (It is currently legal in the U.S. to recycle "low-level" radioactive waste into materials such as concrete and metals for consumer goods.) Based on the example of many European nation's resistance to genetically modified food, as opposed to the U.S. gov'ts subservience to Monsanto, I think that maybe European gov'ts do have more of the public's health and well being in mind, even if their attempts to regulate ink safety are misguided. Clearly we need China to step in and manufacture tons of empty knock-off "approved" ink bottles to fill with the good stuff. Personally, I have a t-shirt that says Waverly's inks are kosher, that's all the safety data I need.

There's your one-liner!

This is sadly very true. The day we are forced to use pigments that have passed a safety test is the same day we tattoo with food dye. Six months later, your tattoo will look like shit. Maybe it will seem to someone that this is a good idea - just pay for regular touch-ups, but it isn't. keep tattooing the same patch regularly and it will be an inflexible scar in a couple of years or so. It hurt enough the first time too, thanks. The reason tattoos are permanent is because the ink is NOT safe for the body. The skin protects the body (organs, muscles etc) by holding the ink/pigment where it entered. Yeah, we don't want to use pigment that corrodes the skin and we don't want to use ink that's contaminated. But I like my tattoos to look good. I know they are not 'safe', I paid someone to break my skin and draw skulls, tits, devils, dragons an' shit. Sadly, in mainland Europe Shawn's scenario has began to be real. Certain brands of ink are blacklisted and approved brand's bottles must have batch numbers and expiry dates etc. An un-announced visit by the health board that discovers blacklisted ink can result in your shop being shut down. The brands are not blacklisted because they make shitty tattoos, nor because they are dangerous. Almost anyone reading this will have some of that ink in their skin. Personally, as a tattooer, I like the idea of a craftsman using tools and materials that are the result of another craftsman's passion, experience and expertise. Some of the highest quality materials in tattooing (ink, machines, grips, pens, power supplies etc.) are made by individuals or at least 'cottage industries'. I love being able to speak to the guy who made my equipment and buy it directly from him. Giving him/her feedback about it improves the product too. Demanding that your tattooer use government approved equipment will harm the end result. Not to mention inflate the price drastically. Lets not even get into the discussion of working across different states, countries or continents with 'approved' equipment. Jeez. I need to lighten up and post more one-liners.

Without Ed Hardy there wouldnt have even been reality tattoo shows.

so far i am enjoying this backlash against tattoo reality tv with things like this and the gypsy gentleman. i am curious how it will pan out down the road.

And regarding "safe" inks looking like shit and fading, I have some experience with this in relation to "permanent make-up." A lot of people think that the same pigments are used, but they're not the same, the molecules in cosmetic tattoo pigments make up larger molecules than traditional tattoo pigments. When cosmetic tattooing began, the pigments were designed and administered by doctors only, and they did take "safety" into account. The woman who tattooed on my eyebrows ($800) learned from a doctor as doctors were pushing to make it legal for "licensed" practitioners to do it, (licensed by them) because it was not proving to be profitable. (Weird? Who knew someone could make more money practicing medicine than tattooing?) Anyway, the larger, "safer" cosmetic tattoo molecules push themselves out of the skin, so even if you liked exactly what you had, it will be gone in 5 or so years. The lady who did my eyebrows was the best, and she included 3 free touch-ups BECAUSE the pigments almost always CHANGE COLOR in your skin. The taupe brown turned reddish orange in me, and now it's faded to look like the color of a faint scar. I didn't go back after my first touch up, fuck it, like Stewart said, "that shit hurt enough the first time." I'm cool drawing on my own eyebrows everyday, thanks. Hopefully, we all get tattoos that are superior to what we could draw on ourselves quickly each morning, we certainly don't want them changing colors and disappearing in a few years. (Or if you do, that's a whole 'nother issue.)

It took the Village to raise the Child of tattooing we see today.

Hahaha! Great shit Shawn! But on a serious note. How many mainstream people even have heard of mister Raven? Whats the point of the wine etc? WHY?

"Paging Dr. Bill Waverly, Bill Waverly to the white courtesy phone please."

When I walk into a shop I usually just ask any questions I have to the first heavily tattooed person I see behind the rail. Even if they aren't the person to ask they can usually lead you to the person who is.

I'm going to ho off the fence into Ed Hardy's corner, here. I get what you're saying, though I think Ed Hardy's been a lot more influential. From my perspective, anyway. I don't own a TV (I'll admit I've seen one episode of Miami Ink.. maybe two of LA Ink?), yet adore tattoos to the point where I'm making a living writing about them. Furthermore, I could look at a tattoo from Ed Hardy and know it's by him straight away- can't say the same thing for Ami James. I'm fairly sure I'm not the only person with this perspective.

George Burchett and the guys that trained him (had to look it up) Tom Riley and Sutherland MacDonald, that is another mark in history. Its funny when you think about it. You start going further anzd further back from George etc. anz the designs most likely change and change some more. That in mind, what can ve defined as Traditional tattooing? You cant call it americana because George and the lads were English. Did they learn the trade from other sailors or in a island somewhere. Or did they just one day start poking themself with needle and some ink or soot? I do not know... But, that is just part of labeling in a way. Doesnt really matter, but its cool, still.

I don't think you can put Ami in the same arena as Ed Hardy.As far as i know Ed was one of the first American's to be doing big Japanese work.He was a big influence to a lot of tattooers years before Ami was born.I remember when Ami was tattooing in NY for a little while and wasn't impressed with his work.I don't think many people even heard of Ami until he got on TV.His work wasn't good enough to put him in the spotlight,but being on these shows certainly did.

I agree with Mario (again) but I'm trying to ignore most of the back-and-forth boring shit about encouraging beginners like it was some kindergarten project and just say: Price is dictated by demand. That's it. If people want your stuff they will pay whatever you ask. Regardless of quality. But you did lay out your work before some of the best in the world (I don't mean me, btw) and expect it to be well received. Even after you declared it your first attempt. Sell something when you've learned to do it properly, not the first few clunky attempts. I went to art school and worked as a professional designer/illustrator/etc for almost a decade. I don't think it helped my tattooing too much. I learned how to take a brief from a client as a professional. I learned a bit of art history at university. Those were plus points. For me the worst influence art school has on potential tattooers is the sense of entitlement that it fosters. Art school 'kids' are taught that they have a special vision or gift. Taught that hey have a duty to broadcast their vision to the world and the world should think itself lucky to feel the rays of brilliance from a living genius. Tattooing and drawing tattoo designs teaches you (if you are lucky) that you are the current incarnation of an artistic lineage and that you are borrowing everything, attempting to take care of it for a while, to pass it on to a later generation. It also teaches you humility and the value of hard work, in spades. If smiling.politely had wanted advice, they would have asked how to improve the drawing before painting it. Instead they chose to seek acceptance and a confirmation of the 'special vision' probably with the hope of an offer of a tattoo apprenticeship. Genuinely, I wish you good luck with all those things but if you expect people to pay you money for something, it better be the best you can do. Especially in a saturated market. Be that tattoo style 'art' or whatever you choose to pursue.

Point is, everyone wants to take things from tattooing. People keep taking.

I guess that would take care of the customers asking "uh, do you work here?" The guys at the shop keep threatening me with a uniform, because they're all rock and I can go pretty hippy or yuppy in regards to clothing. Sometimes I'll come in in a skirt just to mess with them. It's good for laughs. If I walked into a shop where they wore uniforms, I'd probably base my opinion off the artist portfolios, but I would find it odd.

I'm gonna start this off by saying I am NOT a tattooer. What I have learned from being around the tattoo community for a while now is that it's more about the quality of work than being a tattooer or as you call it an outsider. (I don't consider myself an outsider because I have just as many tattoos, know all the same people and have worked in shops) If your art holds up to the test, it doesn't matter where you came from or who you are. I have had zero problem selling my hand embroidered flash and sewn items to tattooers and outsiders alike (after working on my craft for over 10 years) If you love art do it. And if stay with what you love in the end it doesn't matter. The one last thing I'd like to add is this: if you make money off the tattoo industry in any way you better damn well put some of that money back into it by getting tattoos, or buying other people's art.

fake tattoo flash by parasites...you went to college, get a job, leave us alone.

THIS is a tattooers uniform! Maybe it should be in the "Tattooers with little or no tattoos" thread too. :p Awesome photo.

"Per Scott, all artists must wear Squidpants. This is non-negotiable. Thank you"

FUCK THAT. that being said, i do think people should be presentable, clean and wearing clean clothes, decent shoes, etc. i heard a saying from rollo..."if you're gonna ask somebody for $100, you better look like $100". but as for official uniforms, FUCK THAT.

HAHAHA 30 Pieces of flair. "uuuummmmmmm yaaaaaaaa I am going to havvvvve to umm ask you to come in saturday. . . yaaaaaaaa and then again on sundayyy ok that would be greeeaattt *takes sip from coffee mug*". oh office space you crack me up.

To be totally honest, I always thought it was cheesy to wear a t shirt with your own tattoo studio's name on it. It's like bands who wear their own merch, I just think it's kind of lame (well, except those bands who are so broke they have no choice by the end of their tour, haha!). A few of the tattoo artists I see regularly actually wear other studio's t shirts on them, and I always thought that was a really cool, and sort of humble thing to do. I'd much prefer that if you're going to be wearing any studio related shirt.

i have a uniform for work. it's whatever is clean in my house haha! i'm a slouchy person so most of my clothes are slouchy, i wish i could care more about the way i dress but i can't seem to. being comfortable is important to me, physically and psychologically, i simply feel like a dork if i try to match an outfit together. i live in jeans and plain tshirts. on the shop uniform thing though, i couldnt imagine working in such an environment. to me it speaks of the shop's ethos. at frith street the emphasis is on the tattoos that come out of our shop, not the way we appear to the client. we dont turn up smelling of booze or wear offensive slogans/tshirts, we're a tidy bunch, but we try to let our work speak for itself instead.

There was a time that I could be pretty sure - that at any given time , I was the only tattooist on a plane flight or at a baseball game or at parent- teacher school open house. That if I met another tattooist at such an event it would be like meeting a former schoolmate while vacationing in a foreign land. What are the odds of that? I remember a time that I could tell , just by looking , that someone did what I did and we shared a common bond and if you spotted one another at an amusement park or a mall- you knew one or the other of you had travelled out of your own territory. There was a time when introduced into the life of a child that they would remember you, for the rest of their lives as the tattooed man or lady. There was a time that when responding that I was a tattooer, when asked what I did for a living - was met with the same awe, disbelief or astonishment as if I had answered that I was an alligator wrestler, an astronaut or in the French Foreign Legion. That was a great time!

i wonder how many times he's been stabbed in the face before he decided to get that tattoo.

I'd like to know why there are at least 3 pictures of the dude being taken at the same time. Was there a line behind them with everyone in the ER getting there cameras ready? Oh and as far as a story, he is accident prone and this sorta thing happens to him monthly bases. After a few years he got that tattoo, still holds true... so far.

tat-zaps, tat-wizard, ink, get some ink, inked up, get inked, tatted, color bomb, trad, neo-trad...