ApprenticeLife

As requested, here's an almost healed picture of my tatau. There were a couple spots that were pretty hard to heal, but I'm so stoked on the result. It's amazing that this was done with a couple of sticks and a huge row of needles. I have massive respect for the men that get a traditional Samoan Pe'a. I have no idea how they endure the whole process. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I'm inking tatts all day with my tat gat. Zapping Sacred G on underboobs, tramp stamping tatts on canvases, guns buzzing... I'm an inker. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I'm pretty sketchy. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

How do I fix the title? Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I received an email from a guy that wanted a tattoo. His friend was getting a tattoo by my teacher and he decided he would come and get his first. I told him I was an apprentice, so I am limited in what I should be doing. He replied, "Super simple design." I wrote back asking what the design was. He wrote, "Easiest tattoo ever, bro! Anyone could do it in 5 minutes!" I wanted to sarcastically write back, "Oh... so, how long have you been tattooing?" For the third time, I asked him what he wanted. He wrote back, "I just want a single line, equilateral triangle on my forearm." Long story short, small and simple doesn't mean easy. It's really the opposite. There are no opportunities to hide a hiccup. Either way, I told him about 100 times how hard it was, but he was really digging my apprentice rates. My teacher said that I made it perfectly clear to him how I felt about it, but I need to challenge myself, so if he wanted to let me try, I should do it. Here's my 9 liner, equilateral triangle. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Currently residing in Scab City!! Back of the knee is brutal to heal. I'm house/pet sitting too, so this little French Bulldog puppy keeps scratching my knee. I'll post pics when healed. Thanks for checking out my story. I swear there's a needle stuck in the back of my knee! Haha Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Got this tree colored in awhile back. Done by my teacher. The foundational grey wash was already done, so it was all dark to medium browns, some orange-ish burnt sienna and he did it in about 2 hours. By far the easiest heal ever. My teacher is known for his easy heals, but just for fun, we did a hot pack before bandaging. Holy shit, that hurt. Took a whole bunch of paper towels and ran them under all the way hot water, then immediately slapped them on my leg. Almost levitated out of the chair. Took the bandage off once home and washed, waited a minute, re-scrubbed, then turned the water up until it was unbearable. Got on the couch and elevated it for 2+ hours while it dried. Super red and swollen the next day, but after a few weeks it only ever developed a papery scab and healed beautifully. I use Ohana Organics tattoo butter after day 4 or 5 and it's great. It goes a long way though, so a little does a lot. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I got a 3 hour Samoan tatau all the way around my knee this past weekend. The knee cap, the sides, the ditch... all of it. As I walked back to my convention booth, a lady stopped me to look at it. My knee looked like a bloody watermelon. She actually said, "Did you feel it?" I said, "What?" She replied, "I know some tattoos hurt, but could you even feel this kind of tattoo?" I told her that it felt like they were trying to cut my leg off... and hobbled away. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Love Shawn's style. His apprentice, Pat Whiting, is one of my favorite up and coming tattooers. Dude has hit his stride and is doing some awesome work. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I sit here, sore, swollen, in a daze... but I have to share my story. I am an apprentice tattooer and have been in my apprenticeship since September of 2014. I have always had a deep respect for tattooing, but it has now been solidified even deeper. Last year at the Lady Luck Tattoo Convention, my teacher was asked to receive a traditional Samoan tatau by Sulu'ape Si'i Liufau of A-Town Tattoo. My teacher has known Si'i for about 10 years through the convention circle. We were sharing a booth with A-Town, so I was preparing for a pretty close view of the event. As they were preparing, Si'i came to me and told me that he only had his apprentice, Genesis, available to stretch skin for the tatau and they would need my help. I have a previous post describing the experience, so I won't elaborate further on it here, but it became one of the biggest honors of my life to be involved in that tatau on my teacher. Fast forward to this past weekend: We were working the Lady Luck Convention again and had a pretty slow schedule of clients. My teacher intentionally did so, because he wanted to hopefully help stretch on a tatau. It is a huge honor to receive a tatau, but it is an equal honor to assist in one. Saturday night, we are all in the bar, relaxing and having a good time. It was a group of about 20 tattooers from all over the country. Talk of the process of tatau began and I took the opportunity to interject and publicly thank Si'i for asking me to assist on my teacher's tatau. I told him it was one of the biggest honors of my life and I would never forget it. He nodded to me and said, "What are you doing tomorrow?" I said, "No tattoos, just working our booth." He said, "I should give you tatau tomorrow." Without hesitation, I stuck my hand out and said yes. We shook on it and he went over to discuss it with his apprentice. They were making gestures around the lower thigh area and kinda laughing a little. I jokingly said, "You guys are laughing too much! You gonna fuck me up tomorrow?!" Si'i responded, "We're gonna try something new on you, Nate. You're not gonna like it... but you're gonna like it." The next morning, I went over to the A-Town booth and Si'i had me remove my shoes and put on a sarong. Without discussion, he started shaving my knee area, all the way around. He drew on a couple reference lines, where he then called over my teacher and told him he would be assisting his apprentice with stretching of the skin. I've already written a lot, so I will skip along. It took 3 hours of, by far, hands down, the most painful tattooing I've ever received. Almost my entire knee, and all the way around back, through the ditch. At the end, I was congratulated. I didn't move. I didn't squirm. I made no sounds. Inside my head, it felt as though they were cutting my leg off, but I knew I had to show my respect and gratitude by being silent. It was incredible. To be a part of my teacher's tatau and for him to be a part of mine has bonded us even closer. We are both so humbled and blown away by it all. As he did a final cleaning of my leg, I asked Sulu'ape Si'i what I needed to pay him for this (I was actually kind of worried, because I'm a broke apprentice). He said, "Meaalofa. It's a gift for you. You earned my respect when you sat for hours and stretched for your teacher last year." He also said, "Now Nate, this tatau has the ending placement of a traditional Pe'a, so when a Samoan sees it coming out of your shorts, they are going to question you. When they do, you tell them it was a gift from Sulu'ape and if they have any more questions, they can come talk to me." I'm still in awe. I look at my leg now and it is so much more than a tattoo. It is history. It is honor. It is respect. I just wanted to share my story. Thanks to all that read it. Here are some pictures of the whole thing. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Drew a reminder. Hold fast. Stay the course. Be dope or fuck off. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I drew this today. I realized I haven't participated much lately and my apprentice tattoos don't totally fit the style of the site, so I don't share those often. Figured I'd show y'all what I get down on in the 2 minutes I have that aren't occupied with work. Had to get a second job to fill my days off, so life is intense. If the apprentice life were easy, every jerk would do it ; ) Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Thank you, Bali Singh : ) I drew that one at the Inked Hearts tattoo convention in Humboldt, CA. It was my conversation starter. People would come up to our booth and I'd ask them, "So... what's your addiction?" It told me a lot about the person, because some would say Facebook or YouTube... then others would blatantly say, "Coke!" Haha

Wish I were nearby. Great stuff.

Picture 1: This is style I draw for my first 20 tattoos (I've done 12 so far) Picture 2: This is what I draw with NO clue how to tattoo it yet ;)