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Just got this one today. Thought I'd share. The artist is Dale at Frontline Tattoo in Oceanside, CA.

Don't know how I pissed anyone off. Walked in to the shop, told them what I wanted, the guy drew something up based on a design I found, the artist said it will cost this much, I said OK. I got exactly what I was looking for and I love it. Here's the before and after. There was no cheap-ass haggling. He asked what my bugdet was, I told him, he asked if I could go higher, I said sure and it was on. Very cool guy. His name is Dale at Frontline Tattoo in Oceanside. I'm no expert, but I'd recommend him. Might even go back myself. Anyway, here's the results. I'm sure someone will critique it to death, but I am VERY happy with the way it came out. Took about 2 hours total.

Disclaimer: No offense intended. My expressed views are not a reflection of this website as a whole.

After reviewing this thread (especially your last analogy), you sound like you don't really want a tattoo, you just want a "tattoo". I know that sounds confusing but it's the best way I know to say it. If you really wanted a good tattoo you would loosen your hard set belief that you won't venture far and you won't spend even a decent amount of money on it. It sounds like you like the idea of a new tattoo but don't care enough to actual go and get a good one. If I am correct this is a viewpoint shared by more people than I care to admit that I know. They love the idea of getting tattooed but could care less who does it as long as it's cheap. For them it's similar to going t-shirt shopping. You kinda killed it for me when you said you dropped 2k on a bike, but before you were talking about having to pay for your family... It's either you are trying to be cheap on a tattoo and you are doing pretty good financially or you are reckless with money and dropped 2k on a bike and now want to get tattoo as well.

I think anything that was going to be said was said, and a ton of good advice was given. I feel that you are just trying to get justification from us here on going cheap, and/or trying to find a cheap tattooer in your town.

You hit the nail on the head. I want a tattoo. I don't want to be tattooed. I had to establish a price I'm willing to pay before going in to this. I make plenty of money to get a more expensive tattoo, but based on the tattoo I want I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference between a good one and a great one. All I want is a simple traditional style eagle. Nothing real fancy. If tattoos were my passion I would surely come up with more money. By the way, my bike is on the low end of middle-of-the-road bikes. I ride with guys who spent $2000+ just on the wheels. High end bikes are in the $7,000-10,000 range. It's an expensive hobby when you throw in all the goofy clothes, carbon fiber shoes, pedals, constant upgrades, race tires...I can only afford one hobby. I'm sure some of you are sporting $10,000 in tattoos.

Really didn't mean to stir the pot. I will admit that tattoos are a lot more expensive than I expected. With the bike analogy, I started with a $400 bike, then decided I really liked cycling and sold it for $500 (yes I made $100 on a used bike) and put that towards a $1000 bike. Which I sold later for $1200 and applied to the new bike. I logged in over 3500 miles last year on the bike. It's something I love to do and I was willing to pay a bit to get a nice bike.

Anyway, I have an appointment this Friday to get my tattoo. I never heard back from the girl in Escondido, so I decided to check out some places in Oceanside. Found one, talked to the artist and we came up with exactly what I am looking for. I can't freaking wait. I wanted to do it today, but he was booked. I appreciate everyone's honest input. This is absolutely the most mellow forum I've ever been on. I'll post pictures this weekend.

Yep. My artist is almost an hour away (and across a border). I did 13 sessions for my leg alone, sometimes driving back past midnight after a seven hour+ session.

I'll gladly do that to go to an artist I trust and like. This is not something I would personally skimp on or compromise about.

Also, the budget would be my last concern. First, figure out what you want, find someone you trust to do it, find out the price, and save until you can afford it. That's what I would do, but to each his or her own.

I understand your point of view, but keep in mind I am not a tattoo enthusiast. I just want a nice tattoo on my shoulder. I am not really concerned about how famous the artist is or that the shop is well known. Price is a big concern because I really do have to keep things in persepctive. I just spent $2,000 on a new road bike. I'm sure some of you would think that is crazy ($2000 for a bicycle?), but I am a cycling enthusiast and the price was worth it to me. That is my "thing". I'm sure your 13-session leg tattoo cost a small fortune as well, but that is your "thing". Please don't take any of this as a flame on tattoo enthusiasts. I'm just trying to explain my point of view. I'm just looking for a nice tattoo at a price that I am willing to pay. The artist's name is of no concern (I have no idea who did the two I already have). I think I found a good local shop and I hit it off with the artist. I told her what I want, gave her my price range and she said she could do it. We just need to come up with a final design.

Sounds like the way to go. If you like this artist's portfolio, and you like what she draws for you, get it done, then share pictures...

No, but Great Googly Moogly! There is a reason any good artist you talk to will recommend a proper apprenticeship. If you want your tattoo to end up looking like some of those pig's feet (and, remember, those are the pictures they put up on their own website, so it's probably some of their best work *shudder*) at best, go right ahead!

The girl was so young looking that it caught me by surprise. I thought she was the receptionist. The tattoo school was just something that came up that I had no idea even existed. I've lived here for 5 years and have never heard of this place. The pig's feet pictures are a little creepy.

here's a perfect solution... go get tattooed by Marcus Kuhn during his guest spot at Full Circle. pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

Full Circle Tattoo | visualamor: Marcus Kuhn, the*Gypsy...

check out this site and get yourself stoked...

Marcus Kuhn's - The Gypsy Gentleman - Marcuskuhn

Thanks, but I'm going to keep it local to where I live in Escondido. Checked out a couple of places today. One was kind of creepy and one was very professional and just had a better vibe to me. Talked to the young lady behind the counter for a while and came up some ideas. Turns out that she's one of the tattooers, even though she looks like she's still in high school. Very friendly and has a really good portfolio. Going to send her some pictures of exactly what I'm thinking about and she said she would design something original and keep it in my budget.

I also found out that there is a tattoo school in Escondido. I was actually contacted by one of their guys who is having their artists take a look at what I want. Anyone familiar with this school? Tattoo Schools | How to Tattoo | Learn To Tattoo | Tattoo School

there is so much chat on this thread about numbers....who gives a shit. If you like the person,if you like the work, thats all that matters. there are so many good tattooers nowadays that I have never heard of. ''long after the sweetness of a cheap price has worn off,the tattoo is still there'' .....everyday I am confronted with shoppers, Its tiresome. this kind of crap, is why very few know who I am, I burned out and quit. If ya aint got no bread, ya cant get a tattoo. just remember,for the 1 that's tryin there's 20 that suck, and have no business in it. A lot of the people on here live nowhere near San Diego. Turn off your computer, start walkin, drive your car, get a buddy to drive ya,take the bus,whatever.go get a mark. It might suck,It might be a good one. At least,start livin.wow I just looked at yer profile ,an almost retired marine ,yer supposed to have some crappy devil dog already.hell I just did one yesterday and Im nowhere near a marine base.....Here's the problem nowadays,...too many options.Too many choices.Its just a fu#KIN tattoo.

I hear ya'. I'm definitely over-thinking this whole thing. Checking some places out tomorrow. The funny thing is with the two tattoos I have already, I didn't put much more that 5 minutes of thought in to them and they turned out pretty good. The first was after I finished basic training and decided "what the hell?". I was coming back from McDonalds and dediced to stop in at the shop outside Quantico. The second was about ten years later when a buddy came over to the house completely out of the blue and said "Hey, let's go get some tattoos". I said "OK" and off we went to the nearest shop right outside the gate. After reading some of my previous posts, I guess I am being a PITA.

@Blank you're starting to sound more and more and more like the customer everyone can't stand.

Quit posting and GO TO A TATTOO SHOP

Then come back and tell is what happened if you want.

At this point you're not going to find out anything new without going into a shop.

As far as the guy who charges $200 an hour and has a two month wait VS the $70 an hour walk in guy. I shouldn't have to explain this because it seems obvious to me but the $200 an hour, booked till the moon guy is probably a much better tattooer than the other one.

If driving around all day to find someone competent to do the work is too much of a hassle, you don't need to be getting tattoos. Put the $200 you plan on spending towards a nice day out with your family.

I'm really not trying to be a PITA. Just trying to learn as much as I can. You guys have been very helpful and patient and I appreciate it. I am going to drop by a couple of shops tomorrow and check them out.

@Blank, is it possible for you to just go to the shop? Can't beat a one-on-one interaction.

Yes, I can visit. The problem is that I live in Escondido and San Diego is a big place. A lot of the shops being recommended are all over the city. I really don't want to drive all over the place doing interviews with artists or get in with the guy 40 miles away and find out that a simple eagle is going to cost $500. I might even check out some street shops in Escondido. To be perfectly honest, I do not have a very critical eye when it comes to tattoos. I've looked at literally dozens and dozens of local portfolios and they all look pretty similar. A couple really stood out as superior (which I'm sure are out of my price range) and a couple were just real bad, but the huge majority seemed very much the same. How do you know when you've found the right guy?

I think it depends on the content of the review. If you checked out their portfolio, you should be able to see the quality of their work. Reviews can let you know if the tattooer's an asshole before you go talk to 'em or give you some insight as to the atmosphere of the shop. gotta take all good and bad reviews with a grain of salt and judge for yourself.

only thing i know about mirimar is that's where they trained in top gun!

I'm sure the guy does a ton of work with the Marines right there (holy crap do Marines love tattoos). My concern is that there are some really bad reviews on-line about the shop. Can't tell if it's just a couple of bitter clients or if there is a real issue.

Most shops have a bad review online if you look for it.

That's the thing with online reviews, while useful a lot of times there's always those people out there who are determined to have an awful experience no matter how hard you try to please them.

If you like the work go talk to them and see what's up.

His portfolio looks good and he charges $70/hour. Finally got an e-mail from Champ at Guru. He charges $150-200/hour and has over a 2 month wait.

I grew up right near Miramar. You go there for two things - tacos and furniture.

Well, like almost every Marine Corps base Miramar has a few tattoo shops. Got my first tattoo at a shop outside the gate of MCB Quantico, the second was at a shop right outside the gates of NAS Pensacola.

I use several computers throughout the day and one of them won't let me post on this forum. I can post in other forums on that computer, but not this forum. Is there a computer setting somewhere I need to check?

Anyone familiar with Rose Tattoo in Miramar? A friend recommended the shop but when I looked it up it got a mixed reviews. The portfolio looks pretty good, but should I be concerned if there are a few bad reviews?

All, thanks for the pointers. Much appreciated. I think I can bump the budget up to the $300 range plus tip. I think if I went any more than that my wife would never let me hear the end of it. Got to put everything in perspective. I know it probably sounds very weenieish, but a $500+ tattoo is just out of the question for me. I think I'm going to just poke my head in to a couple of local shops and look around and talk to some tatooists. I'm still having a little difficulty figuring out exactly what I want, hopefully they can give me some ideas. I assume checking a place out in the day (like early afternoon) would better than at night when the walk-ins show up. I don't want to keep anyone from business with a ton of questions.

Now that is what I am talking about. I would make sure you find a guy who does good traditional work for those. I would suggest Rob @ flying panther or Chris @ Avalon II.

Cool, thanks. Checked out both those sites. This tattoo from Alessio at Avalon II really caught my eye.

Instead of USA in the scroll, put USMC. Shrink it down a bit to fit the shoulder and that could be a winner!

I echo every one and say save your money. Don't miss the opportunity to get a fucking stellar tattoo since you're in Cali, over the issue of money.

Are California tattooist better?

actually gouge is right, you should put the $200 or whatever amount it ends up being towards some new tattoos! I guess that is if you plan on having lots of tattoos and not just the one...

I don't plan on having a lot of tattoos, but I'd like to have one really nice, unique piece. The ones I have are pretty tame. I think I can just add and eagle or a panther to the one on my shoulder and have something really cool.

I think that if you're saying "I have this much money, what can I get?" you're already in trouble.

I do have to keep it reasonable. I've been reading a lot of threads here and from what I gather it is important to establish a budget before deciding on what to get, or else I might end up with a $700 tattoo and end up not being able to feed the kids.

$200 where I'm from will get you about a palm or baseball sized tattoo, maybe a little larger depending on the design/detail.

At the same time there's places that will charge $200 for an entire days work. Point being, good work costs more. Prices are 100% dependant on who's doing the tattoo. It's really really hard to say without seeing what you want and without knowing even what you might want as a design.

To answer your question straight forward though, no $200 is not a lot for a shoulder sized tattoo on a larger sized man. To me when you say shoulder I'm imagining the top of your arm. Is that where you mean? Or do you mean the top of your back behind/beside your arm?

I have the top shoulder part of both my arms done. One of the tattoos cost me I think $150 and the other was I think $200, they were done by Richard Stell and Eli Quinters. Both those guys are friends so I did get a bit of a price deal. I am also pretty small and the tattoos are maybe 6x6.

Like everyone else said though, the more you can save towards the tattoo, the bigger, better tattoo you'll be able to get. If I was you, I'd wait till I had at least $300. Also keep in mind although it's not necessary to tip the artist, it's always a nice thing to do if you're happy with the work. On a $300 tattoo, personally I'd want to tip about $50-$75.

Whatever you do end up doing, please please please please do not try to call the shop and get a quite over the phone.

Yes, just the upper arm on the deltoid. I have to be able to cover it with a t-shirt. I'm not a real big guy, 5'8", 175lbs. About a 6X6 or 5X5 would be perfect. The more that I think about it, the more I want to just build something around the tattoo that is already there. I sent an e-mail to Champ at Guru with my budget and my ideas just to get his thoughts. Told him quality is more important than quantity, so if I have to go smaller and less complicated, that's fine.

Maybe I just need to incorporate my existing tattoo in to a new. Kind of build around what is already there instead of covering it up.

So is $200 not a lot for a shoulder sized tattoo?

@Blank I would keep refining what you want and save more money. I think the tattooer and you will be happier, you will get what you want and he wont have to be confined to your smallish budget allowing him to put down a more visually pleasing tattoo.

I still have to figure out what I want. I want something Marine Corps/patriotic themed, but I don't just want a standard "USMC" or just an EGA all by itself. I want to incorporate a few images together like an EGA, a panther and a cool eagle with a flag in the background. I might be pricing myself out of my budget.

1. yes it is more difficult, especially if the original tattoo is black or another dark colour. The tattooer you end up choosing will be able to advise you on the cover-up-ability of the tattoo you have.

2. It sounds like the guy you're referring to is an asshole. Designing custom artwork for clients is one of the main parts of being a tattooer. It's not totally out of control to ask for a deposit on large artwork (for example a back piece). This is so that when you never come back they won't have wasted their week designing your large scale tattoo. Any tattooer worth a shit should have zero problem designing your tattoo. If they aren't super busy it's not unreasonable for them to have a drawing to show you within a week or so. Like I said they may want a deposit of usually $40-60 which should go towards to the total cost of the tattoo. I do not recommend having a non-tattooer design your tattoo. They don't know what will work and what won't, especially with a cover up.

3. Generally tattoos on arms and legs cost less than having the same design done of the chest, stomach or ribs. This is because it ends up taking longer due to the tricky area and generally the pain level is a lot higher and causes the client to want more breaks. Sounds like you're thinking of your shoulder though so it should be a fairly easy area to tattoo. As far as a realistic eagle vs. and old school one, both can be done quickly, and both can be dragged out into super long sessions. It's really hard to say without looking at an actual drawing, but you are correct, the bigger and more detail, the longer and more expensive.

4. At the shops I am familiar with, $200 with get you about a palm sized tattoo, maybe a little larger. What you are describing would fit into that budget or close to it, that is assuming you don't have gigantic biceps and the tattoo getting covered is fairly small. Keep in mind when covering a tattoo you will have to get a much larger one over top. So look at your tattoo and then imagine one 2-3 times the size to cover it.

My advise since you live in California is to check out the LST Preferred Professionals list. There are sooooo many amazing, and I really mean amazing, tattooers in Cali. Pick out some that you like and go visit their shop, chat with whoever's there about the tattoo you want and see what they think. Ask them for a quote and be up front about your budget so they know what you're working with. There will be a moment when you go into a shop and realize that 'this is the place' and 'that's the tattooer'.

Here's a link to the Preferred Vendor list I mentioned : http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/member-referrals/43-lst-preferred-tattoo-professionals.html

Also I'm sure that the guys who run the site would always be happy to help you out, they can be found at BlackHeart Tattoo in San Francisco

Great stuff. Thanks! I've been looking at local shops on line that have been recommended here. I really like Guru so far. Champ's work really impressed me. I think I'll shoot him an e-mail and see what happens. The piece I'm covering is pretty small and faded.