Romance & Worship

sweet, thanks kev! i was thinking $100, so i wasn't too far off...kylesa rules, one of my favorites.

so, i have been commissioned to do some t-shirt designs form a friends band, and she wants to know how much i charge. honestly , i don't know what to tell her. in the past, i have done some similar work for people, but i did not charge them because i was just focused on getting my work seen. but these days i am so busy, i can not afford to work for free.

is there anybody out there who does this type of freelance work and could suggest how much to charge for each design? i think i will be doing three different shirts for them.

also, the band's name is CASTLE, from sf,ca. on prosthetic records. check them out if you get a chance, and if you like doom metal. they're good stuff.

thanks in advance!

thanks guys for all of your understanding, support and kind words. it really means a lot.

yes, the mass exodus was a voluntary one on their part. and i know they are really enjoying their new positions elsewhere and are continuing to learn more and expand their crafts everyday. i wish them the best of luck.

i do use facebook daily, and i know i really need to get up to speed with modern marketing techniques, and i do want to view myself as a business and hustle. although, i can't afford an i phone at the moment unfortunately, or else i would be on instagram with everybody else. i know i am missing out by not doing that, so i'm hoping to get one asap. twitter i am still not familiar with using. but, i will be as of tomorrow. i'm also going to get a blog going and see what else i can do to get my work seen.

i feel like i don't have a lot to offer at the moment, mainly because of the short time that i have been tattooing combined with the little amount of time i actually get to tattoo. i need to be able to expand as an artist and get to that point where i feel confident enough to compete in the race, and i just can't do that where i am at. bummin'...

thanks again for the advice folks!

hello ladies and germs.

my name is g. and i am in a bit of a quandary about the future of my tattoo career. i am curious to know what some of you(tattooers especially), may think about my situation and if you care to share your advice with me? i have been on this site long enough to know that this is not the place for another "help with an apprenticeship" story. but i feel this may be a lil' different. so if you have a minute, please let me plead my case. and sorry in advance for the long post.

so, today marks my 1 year anniversary as an apprentice at a shop here in california. i am very excited about this and very proud of the work and time that i have been able to put in up to this point. when i signed on with the shop, there was no real agreement about anything. they kinda said, "well, we'll see how you do and see if you work out." kind of deal. but if i did work out, they mentioned they would like me to stick around as long as possible, and not just learn from them and take off. within the year, i think i have been able to prove my worth and pull my weight with these guys, and even if they don't show it, i think they have come to respect me for all of my hard work and positive attitude through it all. not that i expect it.

within a couple of weeks of being there, i was quick to realize that the shop had virtually no business walking through the door and the folks working there didn't have much of a personal clientele either. also, the shop was very outdated in their methods and basically, kind of falling apart and it felt as though the shop was at risk of closing it's doors any day, and this is still the case today. please don't get me wrong, i still felt very fortunate to be there and in that situation, these guys straight took me in off the street for god's sake! and i am still very grateful for that. we all have to start somewhere, and i appreciate that big time. these were just my first observations.

so, i started tattooing my friends at the shop 4 months into my apprenticeship, and continued to bring in as many people as i could up until june, at which point they said i could start taking the easy walk-ins. the month before, there was a mass exodus at the shop and i was the only one there, other than the shop manager. i really felt like the other folks had really taken a shine to me, and were kind enough to teach me what they knew and i was stoked! i really felt like i was learning. since they've been gone my education seems to have come to a halt. although, i get along with the manager pretty well, i feel like he doesn't really care much to keep teaching me.

we have since hired a new person, and i am at the bottom of the rotation at the counter for walk-ins. they asked me to make cards and the whole deal. although i feel like i am getting somewhere, my problem is this;

there is no business at the shop. and they want me to be tattooing as much as possible, as do i. days go by most weeks without seeing a single walk in and everyone is pulling zeros. and if someone does come in for a tattoo, i'm definitely not getting it. i'm not learning anything most days or progressing with my work at all. i'm completely stagnant. i feel really stuck, and i feel like i am being judged for it. it's hard for a newbie to build up a clientele with no business. i'm doing all that i can, i hand out my card to friends and family, random tattooed people on the train and grocery store, etc. get my stuff on facebook, etc.

the real issue is this; if i was a single bachelor just doing my thing, you wouldn't hear a peep from me, and i would keep truckin' along over there. but i have a child and an amazing wife who has been supporting our family solely, by her self for the past 2 years while i have been persueing this path. we are both starting to feel like that she cannot continue to this for much longer, and it is time that i start carrying some weight in this family, generate SOME income and lighten her load a bit. she has goals and aspirations for this life and family too, ya know? as a man, father, and husband, i can not tell you how hard and stressful this issue has been for me, it weighs heavily on my mind and health and was the cause of nasty anxiety attack a few months back.

i feel like at this point i need to act and advocate for myself and my career. and most importantly, my family. i don't want to break my commitment with the shop so soon, but i feel like i have to in order to get anywhere in this business, or life for that matter. i truly feel and fear i have no future there. i love tattooing with all my heart and i'm not just trying to make a quick buck with shitty tattoos. i had the fullest intentions of doing this right, with respect towards those who taught me, and i have. but i do need to make a living, and i have a very serious passion to learn as much as i can to be the best tattooist i can be. i also realize at this point of my career, i'm not going to be "rolling in the dough." that's not what i ask, how could i? i just need lunch money and something to contribute to my family and rent each month.

i am confident that my tattoos show promise, originality and tradition. even though, i still have soooo much more to learn, and i know we never stop learning as artists or beings. as well, i know a good deal of people in the industry who have been very supportive of my pursuit which has really kept me going. i've got some good people in my corner, and i think there might be some opportunities out there for me if i explore them. should i?

i think i've got a plan for myself, but i would be stoked to gather some advice from some tattooers and people who are familiar with the ins and outs of the profession. it's complicated for me. i don't want to be disrespectful or burn bridges. but i also know for a fact that some of the big hitters out there wouldn't be where they are now, without taking risks and doing what they had to do.

a big thank you for listening.

sincerely,

g.

my lady and i made it out. it was our first time out together since having our son 8 months ago. i missed the tattoo 13/temple show and was bumbed. i really enjoyed this show a lot, all of the work was REALLY cool. "new shit has come to light" by scott and nick's work were so f'n rad man. i feel fortunate to be living here and to have the opportunity to see shows like this, i was stoked!

phillipe's dude! Home page

any shitty looking corner mexican place in downtown l.a. or s.d. is usually the best thing in the world.

and of course, roscoe's chicken and waffles in hollywood.

i love art man! i always loved drawing and arts as a kid. once i started noticing tattoos, i instantly knew i wanted my own. seeing them on older people, punks and gang members always intrigued me and helped me realize the power of personal freedom and empowerment.

after i started paying close attention to tattoo designs and drawing them, i wanted to tattoo. i did a lot of things from graffiti to abstract oil painting before it dawned on me to start seriously drawing my own tattoo designs. it's been the most fun i've ever had with any of my art and it's become my main focus and passion in life, other than my family.

i'm pretty sure that taler at let it bleed in sf did the "chivalry" tattoo, if that helps...:)

I

The other thing l learned from Bob 'always try and mix your own tones...the last thing you want is someone looking at your painting saying that looks like it came out of a tube.'

It's still a constant learning curve, but l can't stop!

FLiP

man, so true. i've been trying so hard to find "my" colors...all in due time i suppose.

this is good!

a bike would be the best thing in the world! there are a few places that rent them, i'm sure a good google search will yield positive results on that one.

keep us posted on your stay while you are here. if the stars align maybe we can get an LST pow wow together or something and you can show off your souvenirs.

either way man, have a blast!

i live in oakland, but i lived in sf for 7 years, and i still work there too. there's definitely a lot of great things to check out. anything in particular that you are into and would want to see?

a list of my favorite things would be:

-the academy of science in golden gate park.

-conservatory of flowers in golden gate park.

-walking across golden gate bridge.

-walkin' and shoppin' in china town.

-baker beach. beautiful view of golden gate bridge.

-dolores park in the mission. this is where all the sf locals and hipsters hang out on most days, especially nice ones. great spot for people watching and a general idea of sf culture, i guess...

music venues to check out:

-the great american music hall

-slim's

-the hemlock

-bottom of the hill

-the eagle tavern

-submission art gallery

-the knockout

-the regency ballroom

good bars:

-zeitgeist... directly next door to blackheart tattoo.

-the buckshot... great collection of original hand painted flash from current and past tattooers including sailor jerry, heath preheim and more.

-molotov's... good local bar across the street from idle hand tattoo.

-the kilowatt. locals bar.

hell, i could go on and on....

Oooh, I'm going. Any art show featuring the Wizardry of all of Tattoo Thirteen, including Austin, is gonna be good!

i got a sneak peak of austin's piece yesterday, it was pretty sweet....

bummer, not everyone can come hang!

i hear that man. somehow i got a friday night off.

i feel like i have been seeing more lion heads out there in the world. i like them with a less realistic feel, and more of a folky traditional feel. i don't see a lot of those. but i did like this one by dan santoro @ smith st. tattoo in brooklyn. i have refrained from posting the picture myself out of respect towards the crew at the shop and the feelings they've stated about it on their blog, which i really suggest you read if you were intrigued by the watermarking and tattoo plagiarism threads. go check it out at: Smith Street Tattoo Blog

here's something cool for all us bay area folks. let's have a drink and look at some bitchin art!

sweet! welcome man. let's see a picture of the new tattoo...

no way?!! that's awesome, that must have been gnarly. i've thought about doing that, but i didn't think it would actually work. fuck man, great job!!

I don't know how many times I've looked at those legs that Stuart did. That is some of the finest tattooing I've ever seen. The whole thing...it's just so fucking cool.

i finally got to see those legs in person two years ago, in san jose at the convention of the tattoo arts. i could not stop starring! and i wasn't the only one, there was a group of people watching him and stuart. it was weird to have a carnival feeling of checking out the "amazing tattooed man" at a tattoo convention. a truly beautiful work of art. who isn't jealous?!!

i like the outline if it works with the design. i think stewart robson at frith st. tattoo did a fine job on this one...

i totally think mario is right too, cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. i always find that the tattoos that make a big impact, are simpler and less involved. filler can definitely look cool, when done right. but i prefer the negative space between tattoos, i also think it gives each piece a stronger impact and it adds more of a storyboard effect to the body, which i think reads better. stuart cripwell at spider murphy's executed this perfectly...

we've been making arugula pesto lately. so good! i stole this idea from the man that runs helloakland cafe on claremont, in the rockridge area. he makes a meeeaaaan bagel sandwich if you're ever in that hood.

i was taking a peek at ross nagle's wordpress just now, such killer stuff...

he posted this eagle that is on his own neck, done by tim hendricks. i thought it needed to be shared here, 'cause it's really cool.

hope you don't mind the stolen material ross?! thanks dude!

i posted a thomas hooper picture at the top of this page, that is pretty small and doesn't do the piece justice. there were a bunch of nice, big close up's of that tattoo added to his website today. it's super sick and worth checking out, his whole website is extremely informative, with an abundance of material that is tattoo and not tattoo related. this picture was just posted there too. fuuuck...

Hoopers Electric – Meditations in Atrament

wow, this is an awesome thread....

this panther by chad koeplinger, is by far one of the toughest tattoos i have ever seen!

this sounds amazing! i can't wait to see this!