I'm a Tattoo Artist - Ask me anything

[stilldontgiveaf]

Ask me anything 🤷‍♀️

@thenightsky I think the poster meant Grim Reaper. I'm hoping I wasn't wrong now 😂

What do you refuse to tattoo? I'd assume racist/nazi stuff, but anything else. What is your stance on facial tattoos, they seem to be growing in popularity.

Thanks still

It’s only 4 days old so hasn’t started peeling yet but it didn’t bleed or ooze at all at any stage. Hoping therefore that I will be able to at least have a little dip every now and again with DS!

Reallllly should have thought about the timing 🙄

How did you get into tattooing? Did you serve an apprenticeship, and do you have art training, e.g. degree in fine arts or graphics. Also how many tattoos do you have and who is your favourite tattooist?

@GimmieTheCoffeeAndNooneDies

I was offered a tattoo apprenticeship by a long time family friend who owned a few studios. I'd thought about it before, and considered it. I was, however, at the time studying law and had just passed training in becoming a Legal Executive (strange I know.) I left that studio after 6 months as I didn't get on with a particular tattooist, and was given the opportunity to work at an amazing studio after. I didn't tattoo until I'd done about a year of working as an apprentice. I spent time tattooing pig skins, fake skins and myself. Then I eventually moved onto people I knew. I worked there for five years before moving on.

I have two GCSE's in Art and Graphic Design. I dropped A Level Art because I hated it, but I have always been artistic. I started drawing portraits when I was in year 6.

I have lost count of how many tattoos I have.

I don't have a particular favourite artist. But anyone who specialises in realism and portraits are the ones I like the most.

Your very talented!! Is it an automatic no if You have a ppd allergy?

I would like a small tattoo with fine lines - are the lines likely to stay small and fine or will they spread out over time? Have attached pic of what I fancy

@cheesenpickles I've never really had anything ridiculous per say, but one springs to mind from last week. I had someone email me asking for ridiculously small tattoos. He wanted "a poison bottle with a snake in it and a skull on the front" but he wanted it 2 inches big... He wouldn't budge on size even though I said it was impossible that amount of detail in a tattoo of that size 🤦🏼‍♀️

@ComeTheFuck0nBridget I do. I have both arms, hands and fingers covered. I have a chest piece and a stomach piece. I also have my legs done but not fully.

Sorry forgot to attach pic 🤣

Or this...

@InsertFunnyUsername Thank you!

I've not had a weird place yet, but I did once have a lady come in who wanted her ribs tattooed. On the side, very small. It sat under her bra line, and told her she could lift her top and keep her bra on. She decided to strip fully top half and I had her tits in my face unnecessarily and I didn't know what the fuck to do. That was so embarrassing.

What do you refuse to tattoo? I'd assume racist/nazi stuff, but anything else. What is your stance on facial tattoos, they seem to be growing in popularity.

@GimmieTheCoffeeAndNooneDies Oh this is a tough one...

I have had someone ask for a nazi symbol on their neck and I told them to get fucked. (I'm not usually rude either)

Facial tattoos, I don't disagree with. I have a very small dagger on the side of my face by my ear. A lot of people don't notice it. If someone was already heavily covered in tattoos, I'd have no question in doing it. You are correct though, they are becoming very popular especially in young people who have hardly any tattoos. We call them "soundcloud rappers" in our studio. My brother has recently just asked me to tattoo something on his forehead but small. He isn't what I would called "covered". If someone tattooed it on him, I'd be furious (as an older sister would be) but he wants me to do it. My mother would never speak to me again. I'm just hoping he forgets he asked me 😂😂😂😂

@PseuDenim when are you going? And are you going abroad?

Do white ink tattoos fade away completely over time?

@Terrysyogurt with PPD allergies, what I would is something called a "dot test". I would tattoo 2 tiny dots on the client, one black ink and one red ink. Red inks in particular have pigments in that a fair few people react to. I react to certain inks with red pigments in and blister. But I'm not allergic to hair dyes or certain glues. Doing the dot test would allow me to see the persons reaction. If the dots become irritable or bumpy it's a no to tattoos.

@jaggynettle No reason they wouldn't stay fine, unless the artist "blows out". This is where the needles goes slightly too deep and the ink spreads under the skin slightly. The artist would have to use a very fine needle and be light handed.

Do white ink tattoos fade away completely over time?

@ComeTheFuck0nBridget pretty much, yeah.

Do most people come to you with their own idea/design or do they usually ask you to create a bespoke design for them?

I assume there is no copyright on a tattoo? So someone could copy one of your designs? That must be frustrating especially if it is badly executed!

Do most people come to you with their own idea/design or do they usually ask you to create a bespoke design for them?

I assume there is no copyright on a tattoo? So someone could copy one of your designs? That must be frustrating especially if it is badly executed!

@FizzBuzzBangWoof 99% of the time it's ideas and I draw them.

There is no copyright, you're correct. I've had a local artist trace my tattoo that I posted a few years back. That was very disappointing because that was a particular design for my best friend. The person had it in the same place as well on their arm. That artists version wasn't as good and he charged more than I would have done. 🤷‍♀️

Where are you based? I'm down south and need a new artist!

Do you ever judge people's designs? Most tattoos I've seen are fine, but I'm more meaning things that would show up on tattoo fixers, like sexually offensive or plain stupid, thanks!

there is copyright in a tattoo! it's a really interesting development in tattooing. The designer of the Bowie Blackstar font / artwork waived his copyright on it for tattoos.

I wanted to ask whether you've ever spelled anything incorrectly or had someone come back the next day with terrible regret?

I was in the galapagos islands once, last port / land between S America and australasia, about 6k miles. Lots of sailors making the most, many tattoo parlours. A drunk american student awoke with a blinding hangover and what he thought was a row of black stitches up his inner thigh; it turned out to be a tattoo in black italic writing "this way to heaven" with an arrow to his cock :-(

@QueenoftheBayou I am based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. :)

copyrightalliance.org/ca_faq_post/tattoos-copyright/ for eg on tattoos of copyright material, but there is also c'right in the artwork that is created. It's art; copyright exists on creation. No difference whether it's on skin or paper or a wall

Do you ever judge people's designs? Most tattoos I've seen are fine, but I'm more meaning things that would show up on tattoo fixers, like sexually offensive or plain stupid, thanks!

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee If I thought a design was offensive and they'd asked me to do it, I'd definitely tell them what I thought. I would tattoo someone who wanted something like that. It's not clever and it's not funny.

I do secretly judge tattoos that have already been done though yes 😂