Tattoo Artist

Tattoo Artist

Tatted Mom

Tucson, AZ

Female, 32

I'm a tattoo artist who underwent a standard apprenticeship under a certified tattoo artist. I am an artist first, tattooer second, which means I put creativity and art into my tattoos, not just the 'you pick it, we stick it' type of tattooer. Apprenticeships for tattooing vary by state, according to the laws. I'm also a trained body piercer, as well. Any questions about the job or apprenticing, I'd be happy to help!

PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT price tattoos. Seek a shop for that.

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Last Answer on May 23, 2014

Best Rated

I just got my right upper arm done shoulder too elbow full color and oddly it seems too be in bad pain four days after it was finished. I've washed it twice with soap and apply the a&d ointment and it still seems too cause my whole arm soreness.

Asked by Jordan over 11 years ago

That's completely normal, especially when you get a part of your body tattooed that you use on a daily basis- upper arms, calfs, stomach areas- all of these are sensitive, and when you get large areas covered in one session, it will cause that area to be sore for a while.

How do I tell a shop manager that my tattooist put the wrong word on me? I had my drawing, everything was spelled right, everything was perfect as I've been designing it for years. Its a completely different word. I dont want him to think im a jerk.

Asked by Ashtoreth over 11 years ago

You tell the shop manager that the artist screwed up. This is on your body forever. You won't know the tattoo artist forever, and if it goes unmentioned, he may screw up again in the future. 

I'm looking to get a tattoo of a drawing, however, I only want some minor changes. Would it bother a tattoo artist if I went in and didn't want it changed very much?

Asked by Natalie over 11 years ago

Some tattoo artists are fine with that, and other's aren't. It depends on the drawing, too. Some people want a drawing done just the way it is, but the drawing isn't tattooable. Drawings for tattoos are way different than most drawings. So, talk to your artist and see what they say.

Hi, I just got my first tattoo yesterday. It's 2 inches in diameter and on my forearm. I understand that I'm supposed to stay out of the sun but I have practice outside 5 days a week and I can't avoid it. How should I deal with this? Sunscreen?

Asked by Matt over 11 years ago

Sunscreen is a tattoo's best friend. =)

I just got a tattoo of a flower that needs more definition/outlining. Do I need to wait until my tattoo I'd healed or can it be done sooner?

Asked by Melissa almost 12 years ago

You definitely need to wait until the tattoo is finished healing. If a tattoo is gone back into before it's ready, it's like dragging a needle on the outside of a filled water balloon; things may go fine, but you may hit that sweet spot that causes the skin to break open and bleed out, resulting in loss of ink, too.

Hey! I was wondering if it is possible to tattoo over scars, and if so what kind of designs cover them up the best? Thanks

Asked by Mikka over 11 years ago

It is possible to tattoo over scars, but you have to make sure the scar is fully healed. New scars are dark in color; a tattooable scar is light or white in color. If you tattoo over an area with a fresh scar, you run the risk of breaking open the old wound. You have to understand, too, when covering up a scar, that tattoo artists are able to disguise the abnormal coloring of skin where a scar is, but we can't take away the puffiness or shape of the scar.

Cover ups are best if the image used has a lot of lines and a lot of shade points; it makes it easier to cover whatever is underneath. Things like flowers, dragons, owls, etc, make for great cover ups, because the artist can layer ink and shade well.

I got my rook pierced and it is mostly healed now, but is swollen. The swelling hardly hurts, my sister got her industrial pierced and the swelling was like scarring, I was just wondering if this will go away or if the swelling is permanent?

Asked by Shelby Jones over 11 years ago

Swelling isn't permanent. If a piercing is still swollen and hurts weeks after it's done, it needs to be taken out. Chance are, it's infected, or wasn't pierced correctly. If there is swelling around the entry sites, it may be a keloid, or a pocket of oil that sometimes develops after a piercing. Keloids shouldn't be popped, and they can be treated with tea tree oil, but there's a chance they may never go away.