I must've figured wrong. Considering how many hits the "Why you shouldn't get a tattoo" post on my other blog gets, you'd think these posts would be read. Maybe people are looking for pictures. If so, you are indeed in the wrong place.
If you are looking for pics 'cause you don't know what you want for a tattoo, or you've got a vague idea and are poking around on the Web. . .well, here's a suggestion:
I've written before about finding a tattoo artist who will design custom work. If you want to find your own imagery, be creative: don't look at tattoo flash. There is so much art out there in this world (and on the web)!
Besides painting, there is jewelry design, fabric design, tile design. . .I could go on and on. The "Art Nouveau" period seems to lend itself well to tattoo design.
So, go out there and investigate!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Your first tattoo
I presume you've picked out a good tattoo studio and know what you want for a tattoo. There's a few things that most tattooists rarely tell people before they come in for their first tattoo. I know I always forgot to mention this stuff and/or the person was a walk-in customer and so there was no opportunity.
Some people are either so nervous or so excited about getting their first tattoo that they don't eat that day. Eat something! It's not unusual for people who haven't eaten anything to pass out. You don't want to pass out, so eat something! The same goes for piercings.
No matter how normal and even traditional it is to be drunk while getting your first tattoo, it's a terrible idea. I never really noticed that drunk people bled more than others (which is the conventional wisdom), but I certainly did notice how drunk people were pretty much the only customers whom I didn't like tattooing. Drunk people, even those who have had just a few, move around alot and they don't even know it. You can tell 'em to stop, but they just can't help themselves.
On the day of your first tattoo, you should ideally be:
1. Well rested
2. Sober
3. Not high
4. Well fed
5. Sharing a ride if driving is neccessary
6. Excited
Afterwards, you can do whatever you want.
Some people are either so nervous or so excited about getting their first tattoo that they don't eat that day. Eat something! It's not unusual for people who haven't eaten anything to pass out. You don't want to pass out, so eat something! The same goes for piercings.
No matter how normal and even traditional it is to be drunk while getting your first tattoo, it's a terrible idea. I never really noticed that drunk people bled more than others (which is the conventional wisdom), but I certainly did notice how drunk people were pretty much the only customers whom I didn't like tattooing. Drunk people, even those who have had just a few, move around alot and they don't even know it. You can tell 'em to stop, but they just can't help themselves.
On the day of your first tattoo, you should ideally be:
1. Well rested
2. Sober
3. Not high
4. Well fed
5. Sharing a ride if driving is neccessary
6. Excited
Afterwards, you can do whatever you want.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Flash from the web
Flash is the artwork that you pick off the walls or books at the tat shop. These days, you can also buy flash off of the web. Here is the single biggest complaint I've had and I've heard about Web flash: people print it out way smaller than it can be tattooed properly. Then, they bring it to the tattoo shop and the tattooist says "It's too small to be done right." Customer: "But I got it from an official tattoo site." Tattooist:"It was printed too small." Customer (getting whiney):"But it didn't say anything about that." Tattooist (getting pissed off): "They aren't the ones tattooing it." Ad nauseum.
Hey! Listen to what the tattooist is telling you! Why people argue with tattooists when they're telling a customer that they can't do something well is beyond me.
If you really don't trust what the tattooist is telling you, then you shouldn't be getting a tattoo from them anyway.
You can find a tattooist who will do anything you want. Personally, I don't trust these kinds of tattooists, but that's me. I know that a tattooist knows a hell of a lot more than the person getting tattooed, or at least they ought to. If that's not true, get out of that shop fast!
Going to an opinionated tattooist is a hell of a lot better than going to one who isn't. You may not like this person as much, but they are more likely to know what they are doing. Or they could just be a great bullshitter. Don't forget to look at photos of the work they do! In this case, a picture is worth 1,252 words.
Hey! Listen to what the tattooist is telling you! Why people argue with tattooists when they're telling a customer that they can't do something well is beyond me.
If you really don't trust what the tattooist is telling you, then you shouldn't be getting a tattoo from them anyway.
You can find a tattooist who will do anything you want. Personally, I don't trust these kinds of tattooists, but that's me. I know that a tattooist knows a hell of a lot more than the person getting tattooed, or at least they ought to. If that's not true, get out of that shop fast!
Going to an opinionated tattooist is a hell of a lot better than going to one who isn't. You may not like this person as much, but they are more likely to know what they are doing. Or they could just be a great bullshitter. Don't forget to look at photos of the work they do! In this case, a picture is worth 1,252 words.
Long tattoo sessions
Let's say you want your arm fully sleeved (which means, if you don't know, having your entire arm tattooed). It's highly improbable that you'll do it all at once. Even if you could stand it, the tattooist probably can't (though s/he may not admit that).
Common sense alone says "do it in sessions". How long should a session be? Well, there's two people involved in this activity, and it's important that you let the tattooist work in the way they like. If your tattooist says they won't tattoo for more than three hours, respect that. If they say they want to tattoo you for twelve hours and you think you can't handle it, respect yourself and find someone else.
In my opinion, a four to six hour stretch of tattooing is the longest amount of time that a sitting should be, for both the tattooee and the tattooist. Of course, there are always exceptions. I was at a convention once where a woman got a tattoo that took 13 hours (and the tattooist was working hard and fast). When they were done, they both looked halfway dead. So, yeah, if you want to get tattooed by someone at a convention or when you're visiting somewhere far from home, the ordinary rules get thrown out the window.
But optimally, four to six hours is the limit. For one thing, you, as the person being tattooed, is going to run out of adrenaline and all the lovely chemicals the brain makes that are "natural opiates" which keep you from feeling pain clearly. When tattooing, I noticed that the average person runs out of steam at about 3 1/2 hours. For some people, it takes less time and, of course, others can go on and on and on. But at some point, it starts to really hurt, and I mean it. Tattooists joke about the fact that even the most hardass tat addict is gonna feel like that damned paper towel with the soothing cool water on it suddenly feels like coarse grain sand paper. And around that time, most people start to bleed more, so tattooing them becomes more difficult.
If you got lost in my wordiness, I had written that this takes four to six hours, but trutfhfully, four hours is most peoples' limit.
After four to six hours, you will probably also be shaky, cold, tired and in need of a good meal, a beer and a lot of sleep. I'm not kidding, but after a really long tattoo session, you are not fit to drive. If you must, sit yourself down and eat some red meat first.
Note: If you are paying your tattooist by the hour instead of by the piece, give them a tip. Even though they may be charging a good sum per hour, tattooists make more money doing small pieces with set prices. When they're working by the hour, you are usually getting a good deal. The tattooist is psyched and they (mostly) tend to work fast under these conditions. So, be a good sport and give 'em a tip.
Common sense alone says "do it in sessions". How long should a session be? Well, there's two people involved in this activity, and it's important that you let the tattooist work in the way they like. If your tattooist says they won't tattoo for more than three hours, respect that. If they say they want to tattoo you for twelve hours and you think you can't handle it, respect yourself and find someone else.
In my opinion, a four to six hour stretch of tattooing is the longest amount of time that a sitting should be, for both the tattooee and the tattooist. Of course, there are always exceptions. I was at a convention once where a woman got a tattoo that took 13 hours (and the tattooist was working hard and fast). When they were done, they both looked halfway dead. So, yeah, if you want to get tattooed by someone at a convention or when you're visiting somewhere far from home, the ordinary rules get thrown out the window.
But optimally, four to six hours is the limit. For one thing, you, as the person being tattooed, is going to run out of adrenaline and all the lovely chemicals the brain makes that are "natural opiates" which keep you from feeling pain clearly. When tattooing, I noticed that the average person runs out of steam at about 3 1/2 hours. For some people, it takes less time and, of course, others can go on and on and on. But at some point, it starts to really hurt, and I mean it. Tattooists joke about the fact that even the most hardass tat addict is gonna feel like that damned paper towel with the soothing cool water on it suddenly feels like coarse grain sand paper. And around that time, most people start to bleed more, so tattooing them becomes more difficult.
If you got lost in my wordiness, I had written that this takes four to six hours, but trutfhfully, four hours is most peoples' limit.
After four to six hours, you will probably also be shaky, cold, tired and in need of a good meal, a beer and a lot of sleep. I'm not kidding, but after a really long tattoo session, you are not fit to drive. If you must, sit yourself down and eat some red meat first.
Note: If you are paying your tattooist by the hour instead of by the piece, give them a tip. Even though they may be charging a good sum per hour, tattooists make more money doing small pieces with set prices. When they're working by the hour, you are usually getting a good deal. The tattooist is psyched and they (mostly) tend to work fast under these conditions. So, be a good sport and give 'em a tip.
Can I get a tattoo when I'm sick?
I was quite surprised to discover that this is a question that people google. I rarely heard anyone ask this when I was a tattooist. Is it because they thought it was a dumb question? It isn't a dumb question.
Now, even though people didn't regularly ask if getting a tattoo when they're just plain ol' sick was okay, people who were battling cancer or other life threatening illnesses would always ask (though I'm sure there were many who didn't, and I had no idea they were ill). My policy was this: I wanted a doctor's note telling me that it was medically safe. I may have stuck needles in people, but I was not a doctor. Also, I had to think of my own liability issues. If I didn't have a doctor clearly state in writing that it was medically safe to tattoo a person, I felt I could be susceptible to a lawsuit if the tattoo made that person more ill. This is not a small thing!
So, is it okay to get a tattoo when you have a cold or something like that? Sure, it's okay. It won't kill you. It might make you stay sick a bit longer. Then again, it may not. However, getting a tattoo is a challenge to the immune system. It may not amount to much, especially if you are getting a small tattoo, but don't forget, getting a tattoo does some "damage" to your body. The tattoo machine pokes zillions of tiny holes in your skin and they bleed. Even if you think getting a tattoo is pleasureable (and some people do), your body will respond as it would to any stressor that includes low grade injury.
But think about this: if you are going to get a tattoo, do you want to do it when you're not feeling your best? In my way of thinking, I want to be as fully present to the experience of being tattooed as I possibly can. It is an experience! Of course, some people would rather be numbed out to the experience and they get tattooed while drunk or high. Getting a tattoo while sick is similar, as odd as that may sound.
Lastly, I've noticed that people who are sick tend to experience pain more readily.
So, my advice? If you're sick, stay home and save your tattoo experience for another day. I'll write more about getting tattooed when one is battling a serious illness another time. That is a deep topic and one that deserves a post of its own.
Now, even though people didn't regularly ask if getting a tattoo when they're just plain ol' sick was okay, people who were battling cancer or other life threatening illnesses would always ask (though I'm sure there were many who didn't, and I had no idea they were ill). My policy was this: I wanted a doctor's note telling me that it was medically safe. I may have stuck needles in people, but I was not a doctor. Also, I had to think of my own liability issues. If I didn't have a doctor clearly state in writing that it was medically safe to tattoo a person, I felt I could be susceptible to a lawsuit if the tattoo made that person more ill. This is not a small thing!
So, is it okay to get a tattoo when you have a cold or something like that? Sure, it's okay. It won't kill you. It might make you stay sick a bit longer. Then again, it may not. However, getting a tattoo is a challenge to the immune system. It may not amount to much, especially if you are getting a small tattoo, but don't forget, getting a tattoo does some "damage" to your body. The tattoo machine pokes zillions of tiny holes in your skin and they bleed. Even if you think getting a tattoo is pleasureable (and some people do), your body will respond as it would to any stressor that includes low grade injury.
But think about this: if you are going to get a tattoo, do you want to do it when you're not feeling your best? In my way of thinking, I want to be as fully present to the experience of being tattooed as I possibly can. It is an experience! Of course, some people would rather be numbed out to the experience and they get tattooed while drunk or high. Getting a tattoo while sick is similar, as odd as that may sound.
Lastly, I've noticed that people who are sick tend to experience pain more readily.
So, my advice? If you're sick, stay home and save your tattoo experience for another day. I'll write more about getting tattooed when one is battling a serious illness another time. That is a deep topic and one that deserves a post of its own.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Welcome
I have been getting many hits on my other blog, Everything is Interesting, due to a post entitled "Why you should not get a tattoo." This one post, which was written in jest, has gotten so many hits that I regularly see all sorts of questions about tattooing on my daily blog analysis.
At first, as an ex-tattooist, I was rather irked that my ex was following me around. But then, I worked as a tattooist for almost fifteen years, so I figured it was bound to, and besides, I still like talking about tattoos now and again.
This morning, at 8:30am, a time one should not call any tattooist (not ever), I received a phone call from a woman asking about how she could rid herself of a tattoo she didn't want any more without paying for laser surgery. I wound up talking to her for about twenty minutes. Since I am unemployed at present, I wished I could have charged her for the call (especially since she called before 9:00am).
Well, to make this short story long, I decided that I wasn't going to buck the trend. I have plenty to say about tattoos, and I've always had the patience to answer peoples' questions (okay, not always). I figure I'm a good person to answer questions, for I have no investment in whether you actually do get a tattoo. I'm not selling anything. However, if you do find what I have to say to be of use to you, I wouldn't mind a tip. Please note the Amazon paybox on the right. It accepts payments of as little as one buck (though I only get 61 cents). How many things can you get for a dollar these days?
I am happy to answer your questions. Feel free to leave them in the comments section or on my other blog. I'll get around to them in due time. Cheers!
At first, as an ex-tattooist, I was rather irked that my ex was following me around. But then, I worked as a tattooist for almost fifteen years, so I figured it was bound to, and besides, I still like talking about tattoos now and again.
This morning, at 8:30am, a time one should not call any tattooist (not ever), I received a phone call from a woman asking about how she could rid herself of a tattoo she didn't want any more without paying for laser surgery. I wound up talking to her for about twenty minutes. Since I am unemployed at present, I wished I could have charged her for the call (especially since she called before 9:00am).
Well, to make this short story long, I decided that I wasn't going to buck the trend. I have plenty to say about tattoos, and I've always had the patience to answer peoples' questions (okay, not always). I figure I'm a good person to answer questions, for I have no investment in whether you actually do get a tattoo. I'm not selling anything. However, if you do find what I have to say to be of use to you, I wouldn't mind a tip. Please note the Amazon paybox on the right. It accepts payments of as little as one buck (though I only get 61 cents). How many things can you get for a dollar these days?
I am happy to answer your questions. Feel free to leave them in the comments section or on my other blog. I'll get around to them in due time. Cheers!
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