Monday January 14th, 2008 @ 8:58 PM
I’m going to be getting a new tattoo done quite soon, and most of the tattoos I already have are smaller pieces. This will be my first larger piece, so I’m going to be spending considerably more on it than usual. My question is, how much do you tip for a larger piece? Is it like going to a restaurant (15-20%) or do I just throw in an extra $40? I’m not too sure how that works….Is there some kind of rule of thumb to go by?
There isn’t a hard-and-fast rule such as the one for tipping at a restaurant…although I know many people who apply the same rule. I personally tend to tip more in the 30%-40% range, but I’m able to do so and I tend to get a hefty discount on my work. When it’s all said and done, an artist working at a shop that isn’t taking advantage of them shouldn’t be depending upon their tips to live, so anything extra you throw in should be appreciated.
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 8:40 PM
So, I am getting my first big tattoo on Monday. (Cue spaz out right now.) But, I am really nervous for the healing process. I work in a hospital, all over actually. And, I am exposed to a lot of icky (for lack of any medical terminology) stuff. I have a lot of contact with stuff like MRSA and c. Diff. Both, of which I would rather not get. Are there any steps that I can take at work that will make infection not possible? Obviously, I won’t be rubbing my leg all over festering boils, or anything… But, is doing that plastic wrap thing an okay procedure to take up while the tattoo is healing? Mucho thankos.
Is there any chance of taking sick leave or a holiday on short notice?
Personally with all the potential problems by putting yourself in contact with MRSA and various others in a Hospital environment, I’d say better to just stay away for a little while,
As working in a hospital you have to factor into the fact that the environment is not completely sterile or clean. People brush against various objects in the hospital, much like they do outside. So I would be VERY concerned/worried about entering into a location such as a hospital which has been the breeding ground for the issues you are bringing up.
As for the plastic wrap concept, there’s two different views on this. Some tattoo artists believe you SHOULD wear plastic wrap and change it often to maintain the tattoo. While others believe leaving the tattoo open to allow it to receive oxygen, and just keeping it clean is best.
My concern with the plastic wrap and being inside the hospital is that essentially you’ll be wandering around the hospital with sweaty lymphing bio-soup leg. And no matter how you swing it a bit of pressure in the right area can cause that liquidy mixture to expel out from the plastic wrap.
Personally if I was in your shoes I would have organized some time off from work, at least a week, to allow for the initial healing process to begin. As it’s just better to be safe then to be sorry. Why risk the potential concept of catching MRSA?
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 7 Comments
Wednesday January 9th, 2008 @ 6:53 PM
I have had 4 tattoos and one piercing by the same artist and been delighted. He’s proffessional, hygenic, on the same wavelength as me, all in all everything I could ask for. However, my fiance noticed that my last tattoo (got a shocking 6 months ago) is a bit raised. It was on my upper arm, near the front, so not an uncommon place at all. Now I’m worried to go back to him, because I would expect it to be a sign of bad tattooing, but I don’t want to replace him. Aftercare was fine, and so are all my others by him. What does a raised patch of blakwork highlight?
Raised skin in the area of a tattoo can mean the skin was overworked somewhat and some scar tissue formed as a result. However, if there isn’t a lot of it, and this is the first time it has happened on any of the tattoos from this person, I probably wouldn’t let it be a “deal breaker”. Perhaps he did get a little carried away in that spot…or perhaps the skin in that particular location simply reacted differently to being tattooed.
Have you considered asking him about it? Based upon the things you’ve said about him, it seems like he would be open to answering any questions you had. He might have some insight into what happened.
Ultimately it will be your call on whether you get tattooed by this person again. Considering all the positives you listed about him though, it seems that discarding him out-of-hand might be a bit excessive.
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 4 Comments
Wednesday January 9th, 2008 @ 6:41 PM
I want to know if I’m totally out of tune with tattoo etiquette.
I have an idea for a tattoo. It’s slightly vague, but I know how I want it to be shaped and placed. I took this idea to an artist whose work I’d seen on the web and asked him whether he might be able to draw up what I wanted with a view to getting it tattooed on me. He liked the idea and we chatted about it for a few minutes.
However, he refused to draw it up, saying he wouldn’t do so in advance (NB I volunteered to pay whatever expenses were required for drafting it). He said he only worked spontaneously, and that I could make an appointment and he’d draw it directly on me and then tattoo it on me then and there. I expressed concerns about getting the tattoo done when the design had only just been finalised, and he said he preferred to work with people who are ‘more decisive’.
That’s upto him, but I wanted to know if I’m likely to encounter this as a stumbling block when getting my tattoowhen approaching other artists. Surely it isn’t abnormal to want to see the design before I get it done? Am I missing something about how tattooists work, or was it just this one guy?
It isn’t unreasonable to want to see the design beforehand…obviously. However, different artists do work in different ways. It sounds pretty obvious that this isn’t the artists for you. As for what you can expect to find with other artists…it’s going to vary from artists-to-artist.
If you are looking for a fairly large/involved custom piece, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding an artist who is willing to draw the design beforehand…especially if you are willing to compensate them for the time they spend drawing it. For large work, many artists require a drawing deposit. This deposit typically comes off the price of the tattoo when you get it done. If you don’t get the tattoo, they then keep the deposit as payment for the time they spent on your drawing.
However, if you are looking for a fairly small/simple design, I know many artists who would simply wait until the day of your appointment to do the drawing. If the design is simple, any changes you want made can be done easily and quickly, so they simply do the drawing when you arrive.
I don’t know the size/nature of your piece, but I hope this helps a little bit. Good luck in finding an artist.
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Wednesday January 9th, 2008 @ 12:28 AM
im looking for the tattoos that say one word one way and when you flip it the tattoo says a different word and also if you know of any good sites to check out this style of tattoo
They’re called “ambigrams” and they’re certainly not just restricted to tattoos - go type the word “ambigram” into Google and you’ll find heaps of websites devoted to the concept, as well as custom ambigram services.
+1 / 1 votes 
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | Comments
Saturday January 5th, 2008 @ 2:18 PM
Thanks to my awesome foreign dad, my arm hair is pretty dark (not a very feminine trait). At some point, I would want to get laser hair removal on my arms. Is it safe to get laser hair removal on an area before you get tattooed? Would there be any effects on the tattoo?
If you do it BEFORE you get tattooed, it will have no effect on the tattoo whatsoever. You really don’t want to do it after you get tattooed, though! 
And take your time and find a good laser hair reduction operator and do your research, there are a lot of different kinds of lasers and they’re all going to have different effects on your skin. Good luck with it!
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | Comments
Saturday January 5th, 2008 @ 2:14 PM
I got a tattoo of a spiral on the back of my neck 3 weeks ago. The tattooist gave me some a & d ointment to put on it for the next week or two and told me it should heal within roughly 2 or 3 weeks. The thing is, my tattoo hasn’t scabbed. It peeled a little, but that was about it.. My mother has 3 tattoos and said that if it didn’t scab, that means that they probably didn’t go deep enough. Is that true? Do I need to be worried about it?? What should I do?
Tattoos definitely don’t have to scab, and in fact, very few of my tattoos have ever scabbed up! Your mum probably just goes to a really heavy-handed tattooist. I wouldn’t worry about it, if I were you.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | Comments
Thursday December 27th, 2007 @ 9:51 PM
I am looking to get a white ink tattoo done on my inner wrist. It will be my first tattoo, and I’m trying to get recommendations of artists who have done a lot of white ink work. Any leads for me around Virginia, DC and Maryland? I am willing to travel further if necessary.
Also, any feedback on inner wrist tattoos? I am very pale and my veins are visible at the place I want the tattoo? Will that be a problem, or does it just depend on the artist?
My friend Flash, at Comes A Time in fairfax, VA would be good for this. Give him a call at 703-383-9666 and let him know I sent you.
Sean
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Posted by Sean Philips | Permalink | Comments
Thursday November 8th, 2007 @ 10:12 PM
I want to get another tattoo (this time in white or UV ink) but since I can’t get a tattoo in my own state (SC, where the legal age is 21), I’ll be travelling to either Charlotte or Augusta. Without travelling down to check places out beforehand, how can I find out more about them? Is there an archive of tattoo studio reviews somewhere?
The internet is a vast ocean of information and misinformation.
Places you should start looking at are: BMEZine.com (of course!), Google.com,etc. On BME you can do searches for specific regional areas and by that you’ll be able to see the work that’s produced from each area.
Look for artists work, look to make sure they have healed photos of the work, make sure they have shop photos (so you know they aren’t working out of a toilet stall) ,etc.
Also try asking various friends you know to see if they know of any studios that they might recommend.
And as a final note make sure you research enough to make a sound decision. Never just go with the first shop that will do it because its the first shop you found. Do the research in depth enough for you to know who does good work and who doesn’t.
Personally I’d say if you’re willing to go from SC to Augusta GA, I’d say take the trip to:
All or Nothing Tattoo
2569 S. Cobb Dr.
Smyrna, Ga. 30080
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 3 Comments
Monday November 5th, 2007 @ 2:30 AM
I searched but I couldn’t find anything related to this…
But, say you were using an instant tanning lotion, would the stain on the skin possibly interfere with the colours of a new tattoo - would the stain possibly be pushed under the skin with the ink, in the situation that one had been using the product prior to getting that tattoo?
For prior to getting tattooed you’d want to make sure you do not have the instant tan product on your body for at least a couple days to like a week or so. AFTER you are tattooed you will want to wait until the tattoo is fully healed before re-applying the instant tan product.. As when its fresh you have a open topical abrasion to the body and complications could arise with the application of this product.
The best thing to always do is error on the side of caution, not test the waters with this.
Also always know that when you apply the instant tan or if you naturally tan,etc the tattoo will not look as crisp and clean as you’re looking at the tattoo with a “stain” over top of it.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
