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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422 Questions

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Last Answer on May 23, 2014

Best Rated

how much does it cost to get a name tattoo

Asked by melinda over 11 years ago

It all depends on where you want it, how big it is, what style lettering, how long the name is, etc. Walk into a shop and talk to someone. Please, whatever you do, don't call a shop to ask. One of the biggest pet peeves of tattoo artists are people who call a shop to get a price quote. You could call and say, "How much does a name cost?" and we're thinking it's a little name on the wrist and say it'll probably be the shop minimum, but when the person shows up, they want "Sarah Elizabeth Smith, aka Princess" tattooed down the back of both arms, and think it's still only going to cost them under $100.

I've been thinking of getting my first tattoo done in white ink right under my collarbone, but I've heard that a lot of tattoo artists won't do just white ink. Is that true, and why?

Asked by Ink Virgin over 11 years ago

White ink tattoos are a fad, and in my honest opinion, a waste of time and money for the customer. They don't show up after the healing process. The only reason they show up in those cute pictures all over the internet is because the skin around the ink is inflamed and red. Doing a white tattoo with nothing around it to help make it stand out is like drawing on a white piece of paper with a white colored pencil. 

White is an accent color in tattoos. It shows up best when placed directly next to a dark, contrasting color. Placed by itself, it gets lost.

If you want a tattoo, get a tattoo. If you don't want people to see it, then don't get it on your collarbone. But a white tattoo will stick around for maybe 3-6 months, and right under the collarbone is not a pleasant area to be tattooed for something that's not permanent.

Are there different inks or techniques you have to use for people with dark skin? I notice that black people typically only have very dark tattoos; is it just because colors won't stand out enough?

Asked by c_adams almost 12 years ago

Generally speaking, that's exactly why. In darker skin, usually the only colors that show up well are black, green, red and blue. The rest of them are too overpowered by the skin tone. In medium toned skin, purples and pinks can show up too, but it's hard to get orange and yellow to really show up.

Have you dealt with underage teens using fake IDs to get tattoos? If you didn't detect that the ID was fake and gave the person a tattoo, are you liable?

Asked by jason over 11 years ago

I haven't had a problem with that, personally. I've had underagers try and tell me they left their ID at home, which is when we rip up the paperwork we started and tell them to go home and get it. They never show back up. All tattoo shops photo copy the ID with paperwork, but if it's a fake one, I'm honestly not sure what would happen.

When choosing a significant other, is it important to you that the person also has tattoos?

Asked by bobbysox almost 12 years ago

For me, it isn't, but I will say that nice looking tattoos do help. I've dated guys with tattoos and without tattoos, though I married one with tattoos. It's all personal preference, and I think generally it doesn't matter unless one person has tattoos and the other person is completely opposed to them. That might cause some problems down the line.

Do you think tattoos can become an addiction?

Asked by No ink... yet almost 12 years ago

Absolutely. I've had several clients over the years that returned each week to get a tattoo just to have that feeling. I used tattoos to help me get through several hard parts in my life, too. It most definitely can become addicting because of the rush of endorphins that the body goes through.

Can you get a tattoo if u have a airbrush tan ?

Asked by Brandy over 11 years ago

Yep. Not if you have an airbrush sunburn, though. (That's a tattoo artist joke...)