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 got a nipple ring but it never really healed and then kept getting shallower under the skin til i showed a piercer who insisted he remove it or else it would grow out completely. Is that common and why did it happen? I took really good care of it.

Asked by Ryan about 12 years ago

Many people have the problem of their body rejecting a piercing. I had my eyebrows pierced 6 times before I finally accepted the fact that I wasn't meant to have eyebrow rings. Every time I had them pierced, my body pushed them out. It's common. It happens because the body senses a foreign object and does what it can to remove the foreign object. Some people are fortunate enough that their body accepts the piercing and they never have a problem. And, unfortunately, it doesn't have anything to do with how well you take care of it. Your body just attacked it and forced it out.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how much does it hurt while getting a tattoo? How do you get customers to hold still while in so much pain?

Asked by gummyshoe about 12 years ago

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.

I have my kids name on me and it didnt come out good can it be fixed?

Asked by dee almost 12 years ago

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.

I am seriously considering getting into tattooing, but when I see intricate custom pieces that seem to be drawn from the artist's imagination, I feel baffled! I can only draw something if it's in front of me. How do you bring your ideas to life?

Asked by Aubrey about 12 years ago

I happen to be one of those artists who has to look at a refernce to draw, as well. I'm great at piecing things together, so if I have a custom piece to draw, I usually either take pictures myself of different components to piece together, or search for actual reference pictures on the internet. One of my favorite pieces was a custom compilation of animals that my client had seen on a nighttime safari trip in Panama. I looked up pictures of each animal and drew them together in the shape of the country of Panama to create the custom piece.

I feel most tattoos seem to lack a specific light source? I feel many confuse light source with shading. Is this because some are tattooist and some are true artists? Do you feel there is a difference?

Asked by TheIcon about 12 years ago

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.

Would having my infection control certificate significantly help me get a foot in the door towards an apprenticeship

Asked by Tweak1991 almost 12 years ago

Most definitely. With a proper apprenticeship, you wouldn't be allowed to even scrub tattoo tubes unless you've had infection control training. I did my first aid, CPR and infection control classes before I even stepped into a shop to ask about an apprenticeship. That way I was able to start the very next day! It shows them you are serious about wanting to apprentice and take initiative. 

Hi, I started tattooing on my own and Im not half bad. I did a piece on my arm and I need some advice on how I can fix is. It's the illuminati symbol. I made a mistake and closed the letter U so now it looks like O. How can I fix it so it will show

Asked by AL almost 12 years ago

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.