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.
The ink may not be done settling in your skin. During the healing process, especially if the area slightly scabs, the colors will go from vibrant to muddy brown and back to vibrant once the final healing stages are done. If you still aren't happy with the colors once it's completely healed, head back to your tattoo artist and have them put the golds and browns in.
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.
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.
It all depends on the tattoo and the proficiency of the artist. I've seen artists knock out entire sleeves in one day.
Professional Blogger
How long did it take you before you could quit your day-job?
Zookeeper and Animal Trainer
Are a lot of people in your line of work vegetarian/vegan?
Peace Corps Volunteer
Are Peace Corps volunteers just a bunch of "hippie freaks?"
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.
Black ink that heals dark green is cheap ink. Good quality black ink stays black.
Yep!
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