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 had a consult in may and 2 four hour sessions booked for mid oct/nov.. forgot to ask the artist if I get to see the work leading up to appt? and how long in advance I could excpect to see it? what's the etiquette here?

Asked by desucca over 11 years ago

Every tattoo artist is different. Some get their drawings done ahead of time, some wait until the day of the tattoo to produce their artwork. Just ask your tattoo artist and see how they do things.

Would my lower stomach , not on the hip bone , but near it , be a painful place for a first tattoo?

Asked by Katelynn over 11 years ago

Pain is relative to the person. I have that section of my body tattooed and I couldn't stop laughing. I've seen people almost come off the table while getting that area tattooed, and I had one customer fall asleep.

When artists ask for a visual to help with the design of the tattoo, be it an object or photo, is it insulting if the person wanting the tattoo brings in a picture of another tattoo design that another artist has done?

Asked by CRG1289 over 11 years ago

Nope, not at all. Many people surf the internet and find already-done tattoos that they like. Taking them to an artist and asking them to reproduce that tattoo exactly is insulting, but tellling them that they like the style of the tattoo and want something custom drawn that has that feel or look, is perfectly fine.

I got a cross tattoo a couple years ago in SC. Its a just a simple cross with red shading in it. after a few years the red seems to have faded and I don't really like how it looks in that color. Is it possible to go over the red ink with black ink?

Asked by Kenton over 11 years ago

Yes. Black ink can go over red ink.

I went to my local tattoo artist for a Celtic cross with elements of four family crests incorporated in it. A month later, not drawing. I'm told the drawing will be ready the day of the tattoo. Is this right/professional?

Asked by Maikeli over 11 years ago

Yes and no, lol. If the piece is a custom piece, the artist should have you stop by a day or so before the appointment to see the drawing, so they can make any necessary changes to it before the day of the tattoo. Do many artists conduct business this way? Unfortunately, no. Many of them, depending on the tattoo, don't draw them up until the week of the appointment. I've seen a lot of artists (the busier ones), sit down on a Sunday and draw out all of their tattoos for the week, regardless of whether the appointment is that Monday or Friday. Each artist has a method to their madness.

Will it annoy my artist if I ask him to touch up my tattoo one more time? I see just a couple of tiny spots that need to be touched up but I am afraid I'm going to bug him if I ask for one more touch up :/

Asked by Abby over 11 years ago

It depends on the artist, the tattoo, and how much time has gone by. If a tattoo needs multiple touch ups in a short amount of time, chances are, artists start to wonder if the person was caring for the tattoo correctly during the healing process. If that's the case, that a customer wasn't caring for the tattoo correctly, then chances are the artist won't touch it up without charging you the shop minimum. If it's in a rough area, too, like the hands, elbows or feet, where it's more difficult for the ink to stay bright, they may limit the number of touch ups a customer gets. And, if months (or years) have passed, chances are, they will charge you for a touch up.

How can I tell if I've messed up my new tattoo or not? I got it yesterday and whenever I pat it dry, little black specks come off of the tattoo onto the napkin. Is this normal?

Asked by Worrier over 11 years ago

That's normal. The skin will push out excess ink during the first few days of the healing process. If it scabs, don't mess with the scab, though, because pulling that off could result in pulling necessary ink out of your tattoo.