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

Hullo! I got a tattoo on the outside of my foot two weeks ago. I was able to go almost a week and a half with keeping it uncovered, but now I need to cover it. I've used gauze and bandaids - both had ink on them when I took them off. Advice?

Asked by Nichole almost 13 years ago

You should not re-cover a tattoo after the first few days, and especially not 2 weeks later. However, to answer your question, tattoos can take up to a month to heal, depending on the area of the body, and ink can purge from the skin at any time during the healing process. The only concern is when the tattoo scabs and the scab rips off before it's ready; then you might be left with an empty spot where the ink came out completely.

I WANT TO GET THE SERENITY TATTOOED ON MY RIGHT SHOULDER BLADE AND I WANT IT LIKE 4 INCHES BY 4 INCHES APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH WILL THAT COST ME?

Asked by mia over 12 years ago

I don't price tattoos. Head to a shop and ask the artist you'd like to have do your tattoo.

Can i present a picture of a tattoo i like to an artist or does it have to be a drawing?
http://www.tattoostime.com/nautical-compass-tattoo-for-men/
was thinking of getting that as my first tattoo but cant find any drawings like it.

Asked by Josh over 12 years ago

You can present anything to a tattoo artist that gives them an idea of what you are looking for. I had a customer bring me the plaster stepping stone that had her son's handprint in it as a reference one time. I've been brought pictures, drawings, t-shirts, birthday cards- just about everything.

When it comes to blacklight tattoos, is it possible to use anythin like shading? I'm savin to get a tattoo and the idea is to have fire spring up over in blacklight - but I do NOT want cartoony. I want the fire realistically shaded. Is it possible?

Asked by Shine over 12 years ago

Tricky question to answer. Tattoos can be shaded, yes, even if blacklight ink is used. Now, blacklight ink is brighter than regular ink, so, in my opinion, it can look a little cartoony just because it's a neon color. 

Please note, too, that blacklight ink is NOT FDA approved to be tattooed onto humans like those websites tell you. It's FDA approved to tag fish for classification purposes. AND, blacklight ink does NOT last as long as regular ink. My advice on blacklight ink is to pass on it. It's more expensive than regular ink, so the tattoo artist generally charges more, and it only sticks around for, on average, a year. I'd get a regular tattoo and forget about the blacklight ink.

My tattoo artist screwed up a name tattoo an it wasn't noticeable ontill the swelling went down and if scanned then peeled!! What can I do about it or how do I go about it

Asked by tweety over 12 years ago

I'd go back and talk to the artist about it. I'm not sure how they screwed it up to say whether it can be fixed or just needs to be covered up.

What is the best way to ask a tattoo artist if I want to listen to some music on my phone while he/she is tattooing so I can deal with the pain?

Asked by leroy over 12 years ago

Just tell the tattoo artist that you want to listen to music on your phone. I have no idea why a tattoo artist would object to that. It's a very common request. Hell, I listen to music on my phone while I'm tattooing people sometimes. Many customers don't want small talk. They want to zone out, and that's understandable. Some want small talk to keep their minds off it. Just tell your artist how you like to cope with the tattooing process, and I'm sure they will be fine with it.

i just got my first tattoo on my wrist a week ago now red bumps, blisters, or zits have been appearing everywhere on that arm. it is infected?

Asked by adam about 12 years ago

Sometimes red bumps on and around the tattoo can be ingrown hairs from where the tattoo artist shaved the area, or people sometimes have a reaction with the A&D ointment used during the tattoo process. If the bumps form white heads, and are located on the actual tattooed area, with no bumps around the tatttoed area, I'd see a doctor.