David Flores

I would say there is as well, but it still could rub people the wrong way as a technical term that a customer shouldn't even know about, I am more thinking of hypothetical situation than you asking for it btw. Really a silly conversation, but just trying to make a point, Sorry if I got carried away.

Saying you want a certain shading technique vs just saying you want a traditional tattoo are two different things. I was using the needle grouping example to try to illustrate that point. Also I have always contended that the best advice someone can give on the internet about tattooing, is get off the internet and go into a reputable tattoo shop. I didn't learn what I know just hanging out in tattoo forums it required some in real life trial and error at real tattoo shops. There is no book or iphone app that will make you a savvy tattoo customer and 99% of what's on the internet is misinformation.

It would be like a client coming in and dictating what needle grouping they should use to outline their tattoo with is what I think he is getting at. If you just said a really like all those dots and leave it at that it wouldn't be an issue. Maybe it's just how you pose the idea, suggestion vs demand. You are right it is their money and their body, and listening to the tattooer is optional, but that is how a lot of bad tattoos happen. Obviously there will be a lot of input needed, but it's up the tattooer to make your idea into a tattoo and if you aren't receptive, than you aren't really getting there best.

Yeah I liked that over stippled stuff the first few times I saw it, but I think I would rather have a real cool full color bird on top of a skull that has some stiple shading in it, then just an outline and a bunch of dots. I could see maybe a tiny filler piece done that way, but I don't think it would work out very well for larger pieces, too much detail lost IMO.

Honestly no one in my neighborhood talks to me about my tattoos unless they are and older person with no tattoos, and even then very rarely. I don't think anyone has said anything to me in like 6 months. There are two main drags in Portland I live by, one of them people get tattooed mostly by the people from Atlas, there are a few other shops around, but it's crazy to see a whole neighborhood of people with Dan Gilsdorf and Cheyenne Sawyer tattoos. The other drag is not that far, but still see a bunch of people with tattoos from Atlas, but another shop that specializes in more color realism stuff is there, so you get kind of a mix. People in the immediate area of that shop obviously like the tattoos coming out of this shop, but not my style, also it's a little weird to see gutter punks with realistic tattoos of flowers and sunsets. You can kind of tell how long a waitress has worked at the restaurant, by how well you can make out what her tattoo is supposed to be. The funny thing is one of servers at that same restaurant, ended up becoming a tattooer and now works at Elm St. The only reason I know is there are Elm St stickers all over the bar so I asked.

I love the stuff they do there. I think if I ever make it back I want to get tattooed by John Henry, that dude's stuff just cracks me up.

If I ever go back I would go to Diamond Club or get tattooed by Kahill Rintye at Tattoo City. TIm Lehi and Rassier would be cool too.

This isn't directed as a dig at the OP, because I understand how hard it can be to try to book an appointment, especially when we are talking about an international matter, but just maybe some insight on how to approach getting tattooed. That being said, is there anyone who books appointments over Instagram. I always see people commenting on posts trying telling tattooers to call them or email them if they have an appointment available or expecting them to comment back with a price quote of an idea that only exists in their own mind. If you want tattooers to take you seriously (and not just ignore you) you should always look for contact info on people's social media page, most of the time the easiest and prefered way to get ahold of someone is posted clearly, secondly if possible always go to the shop in person (if possible), if not call the shop and ask the best way to book appointment with the person you are looking for. 99% of the time you if you follow this, it's end of story, but if you have to contact someone through social media, make sure it's a private message and make sure you mention that you tried to contact them through conventional routes. Be clear, concise, and let them know you are willing to lay down a deposit to your paypal to secure time with them. Also give tattooers a week to respond before you send follow up emails, or call the shop again.

I have heard people say you can't really see it, but I usually come back with something like "yeah it's natural to have a blue ink around your ear I guess if you are smurf.

It's on the release form, but yeah most people aren't forthcoming with info. I just hum "everyone has AIDS" from Team America to remind me everyday. Have had a few people admit that they are heroin addicts while getting tattooed, but it was no big deal, because you just assume everyone is.

What if tattooers flipped the script? What if you had to provide proof that you didn't have a disease to get tattooed, or they were able to critique your personal hygiene? A tattooer has a routine that ensures the procedure will be safe and sanitary, regardless of the situation, so they don't have to bring up those subjects and make clients feel like filthy diseased ridden slobs.

I think it's kind of a learned behavior and attitude. You can't just go into a place and use a service, you have to complain, haggle, and bust balls so people know you are important. The idea that someone has been operating a business for years doing the same procedure you are asked to be done, and you treat them like you are the first and only person they have tattooed, just tells me you are either a self important asshole or just kind of socially inept. I once stumbled upon a corner of the internet where a know nothing with two tattoos was encouraging people to demand to tour their clean room, before they got a tattoo everywhere. I kindly had to give her my insight that the room stays clean because we try to allow the least amount of people back there to minimize any risk of contamination. Think of walking into a restaurant and instead of ordering food, just demanding proof that all the dishes were washed and all employees washed their hands (treating people like idiots). A generation of people told daily how special they are, which incidentally has become a big part of society and tattoo clients. So you want to the see the package opened up in front of you, cool no problem. But do you know you sterilized those tools? The same asshole you didn't trust in the first place! They are not taking out your appendix, it's just a tattoo. Learning to sterilize equipment and work area is simple and can be taught in ten minutes, and just remember that most of the sterilization process and preventative measures are done so YOU don't spread disease to the tattooer, not the other way around. Most tattoo infections are caused by people using inadequate aftercare (being filthy slobs).

If I thought enough people knew about this stuff or were inclined to go this route I would be active in trying to sway people against it, but at this point I think bringing attention to it, is the worse thing, just leave it alone and hope it dies.

I'd buy a print of that.

I guess the funniest part about it is going to be when someone brings in a design they paid 100 bucks for and the tattooer just trashes it and starts over.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

It kind of undermines the tattooer who has to tattoo the design and the whole process of getting tattooed. I don't get it. I know Angelique Houtkamp will commission designs for people who want custom tattoos in her style, but can't get to Amsterdam, but I think that is different in the sense that people come to her because of work that she has done, and published, as opposed to browsing through a catalog of what seems to be art school students and 1-2 year tattooers (didn't browse through the whole catalog) and hope you get something good. Are people that dumb that they think just because Ami James is on the website that somehow its the way to go.

Some dickhead from this season now lives in Portland, a burger joint is trying to drum up business by showing the show on a big screen and having him attend weekly. The funny thing is they thought the tattoo shop a couple doors down would be stoked to come in and watch the show, they got an invitation to bring the whole crew. The subsequent amount of f bombs that followed, oh dear. I think the best line out of the tirade, was "why don't you stick to making Milkshakes or better yet actually stop by our shop sometime and you can see how a real shop runs, we make money, not drama.

Chucho Garcia is a pretty kick ass tattooer, he has been tattooing since 1980 and has a killer shop up in Bellingham Washington, a must see for the tattoo enthusiast. If you a driving I would stop in Seattle @ Lucky Devil South tattoo and take a look at some of Ernie Gosnell's collection and his shop filled with Higgs, Harrison, and Maaske flash and all his hand painted signage. If my recollection is right Ernie started Electric Ladyland Tattoo in New Orleans as well before he moved up to Seattle and opened his two Lucky Devil shops. Ernie has the best line in the sign painter trailer below. Both these guys are legends in my mind. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Gold-Tattoo/207352882635334?id=207352882635334&sk=photos_stream http://shelby.tv/video/vimeo/61006621/sign-painters-official-trailer

A couple years ago a guy came in and showed us his new Lum tattoo and point out that it didn't have any dicks in it (his other Lum tattoos clearly had dicks in them). Well it didn't have any dicks in it, but the fish he got couldn't have been drawn more like a dick, but we let him have his victory. On the other hand i have seen quite a few Lum tattoos lately that don't have dicks in them. Ashley keeps talking about setting something up with Lum, and I say I will tag along and get a little souvenir tattoo, but at this point I just need to set something up and drag his ass down there.

I think it was pretty funny that Tatu Baby is tattooing Dave Navarro, and thinks that somehow people will care about the tattoo she did, when they meet Dave Navarro. He is a legit rockstar, and you are on the tattoo version of the Real World. Not to mention that Mr Navarro has been tattooed by some real tattooers, so hypothetically if I was talking tattoos with him, I would probably gravitate towards the legends who have tattooed him.

This is a classic thread.

I know Frith Street and NY Adorned exist, but I think it's very few and far between that a person that doesn't tattoo understands what it takes to run a tattoo shop properly. More importantly even if "get it' it's pretty hard to gain enough respect that good tattooers would want to work for you and finally most non tattooers in the know understand that just because they can open a shop, doesn't mean they should. The people who don't apply to these three categorieshelp mold the negative stereotype for non tattooers owning shitty shops.

Good times, fun conversation, good beer, and great tattoos.

I don't think I would go back. Just on the basis of the quality of the tattoo. Infections are a weird thing, was the cause determined to be overworking of the skin, or was it an unsanitary work enviroment, either way really they shouldn't happen, and like I said, really seen very few in a professional tattoo shop. I have had inexperiened tattooers (apprentices) tattoo me and it's taken like a month or two to heal, but has never been infected There are plenty of good people who tattoo in MN, like mentioned before, Aloha Monkey in Burnsville I believe, Uptown Tattoo does good work. My friend just started getting tattooed at a shop called Live Fast Die Young Tattoo they are doing a killer chest piece of a ship. I don't know what shop you got this done at, but that's how I see it.