Bart Bingham

Kahlil is great, super nice dude and incredible tattooer. I am actually surprised at how few people know who he is when i mention him.

no one has ever given me a large chunk of skin to "do whatever i want" on. ever. I appreciate all of my clients business and i verbally thank every one of them for getting tattooed by me. i am polite and do my best to give everyone a tattoo they'll love for as long as they have it. I draw every thing at the last minute because i can and because thats i like to work. when i'm drawing i make tons of mental notes about how im going to render thet final product(the tattoo). if i draw a tattoo a week in advance then by the time i sit down to do that tattoo all those mental notes are gone. I feel like it brings more creative energy to the tattoo.
i like to think that when people get tattooed by me it is because they liked my work and are confident that i am going to give them a good tattoo and not because they are doing me a favor. and that they are paying me for a job well done and again not because they are doing me a favor. just like when i choose a hair stylist, dentist, doctor, mechanic, plumber or etc., etc. i pick them because they have the ability to to the job i want and i dont feel like im doing them a favor.

depends on who youre dealing with really... personally I draw EVERY tattoo the night before or the morning of the tattoo or sometimes i draw it on the client with markers when they get there as do a vast number of top notch tattooers that i know do as well. I've been drawing for 30 years and drawing for tattoos 5-7 days a week for 15+ years. so when it seems like i drew your tattoo in 15 minutes, really i drew it in 30 years and 15 minutes as Bob Ross would say. There are tattooers who can work on a simple design everyday for a week and have it suck and there are tattooers that can draw the most complex and large designs in 5 minutes and create an amazing tattoo. its all relative. like i said it really depends on who your working with. everyone works differently.

thank you guys. I own just about every "how yo draw the head" book there is and im always looking for more . i'm always studying them and real faces when i can trying to grasp and understand as best i can. so thanks for letting me feel like it's paying off even a little bit.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

i was 16 or 17. i got a small tattoo on my calve. back then i never wore shoes or socks. as soon as school let out the shoes and socks came off. so the day after i got it done i was in the kitchen and i had socks on(to hide the tattoo) and the conversation went like this
mom "so letes see it"
me "see what?"
mom "the tattoo. dont play dumb"
me "i dont know what youre talking about"
mom "BS, youre wearing socks. youre hiding something."

my horror story is that i never apprenticed or tattooed out of my house. i lied about having years of experience and got hired at a shop and started tattooing the general public for money in a shop my very first day. it was awful, i couldn't ask for help because i didnt want to give away that i didnt know what to do. i didnt use rubber bands for my first couple of tattoos and even when i started using them i didnt know why i just saw that everyone else was using them. my first tattoo was "ranch industry" written in 1 inch old english and it took me almost 5 hours. every tattoo i did was lined with a 3 but looked like it had been tripled lined with a 14 round because i kept going over the lines thickining them in an attempt to "clean" them up. when asked why i was doing the outlines so thick i claimed that i was also a graff artist and that that was the style.

i was 16 or 17. i got a small tattoo on my calve. back then i never wore shoes or socks. as soon as school let out the shoes and socks came off. so the day after i got it done i was in the kitchen and i had socks on(to hide the tattoo) and the conversation went like this
mom "so letes see it"
me "see what?"
mom "the tattoo. dont play dumb"
me "i dont know what youre talking about"
mom "BS, youre wearing socks. youre hiding something."

poor Dan. he left and tried to distance himself from tattooing and persued music only to find himself playing and looking out on audiences packed full of tattooers that look just like him. dude cant get escape.

all the best can be traced straight back to Ed hardy. when it comes to tigers and eagles Ed pretty much set the standard. thats my opinion anyways.
there are a lot of folks doing awesome looking cats but if i had to pick the best of the best of the best i would have to say
Ed Hardy
Chris Trevino
Tim Lehi
Jason brooks
Mike wilson
Chris garver

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I think it's kind of a learned behavior and attitude. You can't just go into a place and use a service, you have to complain, haggle, and bust balls so people know you are important. The idea that someone has been operating a business for years doing the same procedure you are asked to be done, and you treat them like you are the first and only person they have tattooed, just tells me you are either a self important asshole or just kind of socially inept. I once stumbled upon a corner of the internet where a know nothing with two tattoos was encouraging people to demand to tour their clean room, before they got a tattoo everywhere. I kindly had to give her my insight that the room stays clean because we try to allow the least amount of people back there to minimize any risk of contamination. Think of walking into a restaurant and instead of ordering food, just demanding proof that all the dishes were washed and all employees washed their hands (treating people like idiots). A generation of people told daily how special they are, which incidentally has become a big part of society and tattoo clients.
So you want to the see the package opened up in front of you, cool no problem. But do you know you sterilized those tools? The same asshole you didn't trust in the first place! They are not taking out your appendix, it's just a tattoo. Learning to sterilize equipment and work area is simple and can be taught in ten minutes, and just remember that most of the sterilization process and preventative measures are done so YOU don't spread disease to the tattooer, not the other way around. Most tattoo infections are caused by people using inadequate aftercare (being filthy slobs).

"So if you run into someone who asks to see packages opened, it isn't because they don't trust you"
it's exactly because they don't trust us.
As i said in my previous statement I have absolutely no issue with opening packages in front of folks, its not a big deal and while i dont get butthurt i do feel a tad insulted by the request ONLY because i know almost undoubtedly that that person asking me has never asked a doctor or nurse or dentist or even acupucturist to do the same because they view those individuals as professionals they can trust while we're just a bunch of filthy bikers. you make a good point about the stricter certs for those folks but really that isnt whats going through most peoples minds when the ask to watch a setup.the exception to that being people who work in the medical field. what is going through the average non medical field persons mind is based purely on our looks and on preconceived notions that we're mostly a bunch of dirty bikers.
I worked in 2 of the busiest ERs in the country for 6 years and in that time i've seen plenty of nurses, doctors, phlebotomist etc., etc cross contaminate and break the sterile chain regardless of all that certification. sometimes out of laziness but mostly out of just plain ole absent mindedness i think folks SHOULD be asking to see packages opened. my problem isnt that they ask me, its that they ask ONLY me.
i cant speak for every state but the last three states ive worked in including NY where i am now have all required me/all tattooers to be individually licensed as well as pass a test demonstrating basic knowledge of universal precautions/bloodborne pathogens.
side note : a large part of why i personally prefer clients not see me setup is that i worked hard to learn this craft and get every little nugget of info that i could. setting up a tattoo machine for optimal performance and efficiency is not common knowledge and so i don want to give trade secrets out to every aspiring tattoo artist that comes in the door any more that KFC wants us to know what their 11 herbs and spices are.
with that being said i do get where youre coming from and respect your side of the debate.

"So if you run into someone who asks to see packages opened, it isn't because they don't trust you"
it's exactly because they don't trust us.
As i said in my previous statement I have absolutely no issue with opening packages in front of folks, its not a big deal and while i dont get butthurt i do feel a tad insulted by the request ONLY because i know almost undoubtedly that that person asking me has never asked a doctor or nurse or dentist or even acupucturist to do the same because they view those individuals as professionals they can trust while we're just a bunch of filthy bikers. you make a good point about the stricter certs for those folks but really that isnt whats going through most peoples minds when the ask to watch a setup.the exception to that being people who work in the medical field. what is going through the average non medical field persons mind is based purely on our looks and on preconceived notions that we're mostly a bunch of dirty bikers.
I worked in 2 of the busiest ERs in the country for 6 years and in that time i've seen plenty of nurses, doctors, phlebotomist etc., etc cross contaminate and break the sterile chain regardless of all that certification. sometimes out of laziness but mostly out of just plain ole absent mindedness i think folks SHOULD be asking to see packages opened. my problem isnt that they ask me, its that they ask ONLY me.
i cant speak for every state but the last three states ive worked in including NY where i am now have all required me/all tattooers to be individually licensed as well as pass a test demonstrating basic knowledge of universal precautions/bloodborne pathogens.
side note : a large part of why i personally prefer clients not see me setup is that i worked hard to learn this craft and get every little nugget of info that i could. setting up a tattoo machine for optimal performance and efficiency is not common knowledge and so i don want to give trade secrets out to every aspiring tattoo artist that comes in the door any more that KFC wants us to know what their 11 herbs and spices are.
with that being said i do get where youre coming from and respect your side of the debate.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I just had some major dental work done a couple of weeks ago. As a result i had various instruments all up in my mouth. Because he's a professional i didn't ask or even think to ask my dentist to prove to me that he ran a clean operation, nor did i lose any sleep over it later.
I worked in an ER for 6 years and in that time I never witnessed a single person ask to see proof that the syringe, tongue depressor, speculum, scalpel or sutures etc. etc. were new or ask to see it being removed from the package.likewise, I'd bet the farm you have never asked a dentist or doctor to prove they're using clean instruments either.
to answer the OG question; Much like a doctor is only allowed to use a scalpel blade once we are only allowed to use a needle once and just as the doctor has no legal obligation to open the blade in front of you nor do tattooers have a legal obligation to do so.
that being said, i will gladly and without hesitation open and assemble any and all tools in front of anyone who asks if it makes them feel better and more at ease. I'll do it with a smile on my face AND i wont even mention that when they said "i need to see you open the needle in front of me" what i really heard was " hey, you're a heavily tattooed person and therefore i assume that you're most likely a dirt bag that i cant possibly view as being a professional with ethics so i need for you to open that needle in front of me although i would never ask that of my dentist because i would feel like i was insulting him/her"

I just had some major dental work done a couple of weeks ago. As a result i had various instruments all up in my mouth. Because he's a professional i didn't ask or even think to ask my dentist to prove to me that he ran a clean operation, nor did i lose any sleep over it later.
I worked in an ER for 6 years and in that time I never witnessed a single person ask to see proof that the syringe, tongue depressor, speculum, scalpel or sutures etc. etc. were new or ask to see it being removed from the package.likewise, I'd bet the farm you have never asked a dentist or doctor to prove they're using clean instruments either.
to answer the OG question; Much like a doctor is only allowed to use a scalpel blade once we are only allowed to use a needle once and just as the doctor has no legal obligation to open the blade in front of you nor do tattooers have a legal obligation to do so.
that being said, i will gladly and without hesitation open and assemble any and all tools in front of anyone who asks if it makes them feel better and more at ease. I'll do it with a smile on my face AND i wont even mention that when they said "i need to see you open the needle in front of me" what i really heard was " hey, you're a heavily tattooed person and therefore i assume that you're most likely a dirt bag that i cant possibly view as being a professional with ethics so i need for you to open that needle in front of me although i would never ask that of my dentist because i would feel like i was insulting him/her"

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

I read an article in I cant remember what magazine many years ago that pointed out that almost every question we get asked about our tattoos can also be directed towards a new teen mother
example:
"did that hurt?"
"what do your parents think about that?"
" you know you're stuck with that for ever, right?"
"i cant believe you'd do that to your body?"
"why would you do something so irresponsible?"
etc., etc.

my advice is draw more from life and less from tattoo flash. example: It's a lot easier to draw a good traditional tattoo style eagle if you understand the anatomy of an actual eagle as opposed to if you try to draw one based on someone elses already skewed anatomy.