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.
It all depends on the tattoo. Without seeing it, it's hard for me to tell someone if it can be fixed, is better covered up, or should just be removed.
Think before you get something. Don't cover your body in small, random tattoos because you'll regret it (speak from experience). If you like tattoos, commit to them and plan parts of your body out for big pieces. Always look at an artist's portfolio before getting tattooed by them. Always get tattooed in a shop. Let your mother see the drawing to approve it before you get it (lol).
If you weren't half bad, as you say, you wouldn't have closed a U and made it look like an O.
My advice to you is quit tattooing yourself, go see an actual tattoo artist in a shop to fix it, and if you want to be a tattoo artist, do an apprenticeship like everyone else who becomes a tattoo artist. Then you'll be taught how to not turn a U into an O.
It all depends on the place of the tattoo and the person. For me, the ribs are the worst- up there around 9, but the lower back didn't hurt a bit. I've had customers almost jump out of my chair on a lower back piece, so it's all according to the person's pain tolerance. I usually try and just get them to concentrate on something else, read a magazine or talk to me.
Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
Chick-fil-A General Manager
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Maybe a week?? It all depends on the artist. Some artists have wait lists 2-6 months long. But, if he cancelled on you, he should make it a top priority to fit you back in. I wouldn't wait long.
Tattoo removal is very easy nowadays. They just blast it with a laser. Painful, yes, but effective. Dark black ink takes a few sessions to be removed, reds take a few more. Color ink (other than red) is usually removed in 1-2 sessions. A much less painful approach is covering up the old tattoo with a new tattoo, but it all depends on the old tattoo. Tribal is almost impossible to truly cover up, unless it's thin tribal or severely faded. And the customer has to be open to the design being used as a cover up. It has to have lots of lines and shade points to disguise the tattoo below, so things like faces and words won't work to cover up tattoos.
There is definitely a difference. Many people are pick-it-and-stick-it tattooists. I would never call these people tattoo artists because they can only replicate the flash on the wall. If you wanted a custom piece, they'd be lost. Tattoo artists are that- artists. They can draw, get a light source correct, and create custom pieces. Thank goodness there is a rise of tattoo artists as society accepts tattoos more, but unfortunately there's still an abundance of tattooists out there.
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