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

is it true a lot of tattoo artists won't touch up another's work? I got tribal work done on my ribcage and the outlines ended up blurring. The original artist is no longer nearby and i would like to ask my current artist to do it-- is it ok to ask?

Asked by rocky over 11 years ago

Ask away. Many artists will touch another artist's work, especially if the original artist is no longer available.

Can I send you pictures of what I want my tattoo to be and you draw it up for me and send it back?

Asked by Samantha over 11 years ago

It's best for the person who will be doing your tattoo to be the one to draw it up. 

I want to cover up my tattoo on my foot. it is a heart with four letters in it.. I want to cover up the tattoo with something like "ohana" with my family members. any ideas ?

Asked by lilly about 11 years ago

Using words as a cover up is nearly impossible because of the spaces between the letters.

Hey. just wondering if i'm going to a tattoo store do i ask them for designs or do i bring a design of my own i'm not sure of what to do and its my first time.

Asked by leo over 11 years ago

You can do either. You can look at the flash on the walls or bring them ideas for a custom tattoo that you've collected before you go to the shop.

I have some ideas for a tattoo. a collage kind of thing but i would like to see a drawing of it before i commit.

Asked by jay over 11 years ago

Okay. I'm missing a question with this one. I would definitely have your tattoo artist draw something up before tattooing you. That way you don't get flying genitals tattooed on you as a joke...

I made an appointment to get a good size thigh tattoo and was quoted at $400 in the shop. I had emailed the artist earlier and they told me $600. My question is does each artist have their set price? Should I expect the artist price or the shop price

Asked by Alicia over 11 years ago

Most artists price their own tattoos, but most shops do have a shop average. To explain better, I'll give you an example. Where I live, there's a great shop downtown. The shop runs $100 an hour (which is about average), but there is one tattoo artist in the shop that is known nationwide, and is way above average, so he's $350 an hour. So, your pricing depends on your shop and your artist. I've also seen front desk help price tattoos completely unreasonable, which is understandable because they aren't actually doing the tattoo and don't know all the work going into it.

A quote is just a quote, too, just like when you take your car to have work done. At first glance, the mechanic will shoot out a number they think will cover the job, but once they get in there, there may be a lot more work to do, so the estimate goes up.

In the end, your artist knows how much time and effort goes into that tattoo, and therefore will price it accordingly. They are doing the actual tattoo, not the shop.

I've noticed that some tattoo artists put some kind of clear liquid in the tattoo ink and mix it up before tattooing. Do you know what this liquid is and why they add it in?

Asked by Lynn over 10 years ago

It's water. They add it in to thin the ink out some. Over time, ink thickens in the bottle, so thinning it out makes it cover easier.