Jason Lee

Not trying to claim all designs are original, so some may look familiar. just using this as a learning experience. all are hand painted, acrylic on bristol board. had a lot of fun doing this...plan on doing a set of originals now.

Nate capps at booneville tattoo & co.

Most people I just simply tell them they watch too much TV and I don't want to talk about my tattoos because they bring up a dark part of my life and I paid my debt to society. Either that or that I was really drunk and don't remember why I got them.

In the shop talking to customers, I usually use a sports analogy. I explain that tattoos are what I follow, like most would follow a sports team. Can you imagine being able to book a couple hours with your favorite sports star and have a permanent souvenir. The experience holds more meaning than the tattoo,but the tattoo is a reminder of the experience. I usually let the tattooer pick the image, because I want a tattoo that represents their style, so I remember where I got it from.

They either get it or just continue to mouth breath, until I start talking about their idea again, but either way it shuts them up. I think the most important thing is having people in real life an on the internet to vent about these things and understand we to some degree go through the same things having tattoos.

I just wanted to say as a tattoo artist i wish there were more people like you out there. kudos to you

I dont want to give the impression that there are no good artists in the area, just that im new to the area and havent had a chance to find any. with that said, if anyone knows of good artists around des moines, pls let me know.

thanks for the heads up, i messaged her, hopefully she will know some people...

are any of these guys in iowa? or anywhere near des moines?

i think it may have to do with the area the school is in as well. I've been asked to come speak to my daughters gifted class to give a presentation on tattooing, both modern day and the various histories of it as well. this was a room full of 6th graders, and they had some very intelligent questions, not at all what you would expect walking into the room. I enjoyed the experience and i believe the kids got something out of it, other than tattoos are cool and i should go get one tomorrow. I believe the censorship that school is using is only going to harm those kids in the long run. tattooing would come a long way if more people were educated about what makes a professional tattoo worth waiting for. thats just my opinion tho...

Guess I'll take a turn at this, name's nate, but i've been called everything under the sun. I've been told by my friends im the biggest ninja they know. Grew up in bfe missouri, left home at 17. bounced around till i ended up outside of kcmo, where i joined the navy. spent my time there, did a deployment, came back home to bfe to drive truck over the road. quit that to have more home time, and started working as a cnc machine operator. moved on to working as a corrections officer in a private holding facility. Then back to driving truck, this time for a road construction company. decided after getting laid off for the winter to pursue an apprenticeship, which i was lucky enough to get the same month. traveled to panama city area in florida for spring break and worked as at the front desk overnites for a motel on the strip. came back to kc to finish up my apprenticeship and started working as a tattoo artist in kc. moved outside of kc about 50 miles on the promise of better work during the slow season which didnt pan out. Now im working in a new shop outside of des moines, hoping to turn this into one hell of a classy shop that i can make a living at. also hoping to meet new friends/artists, and new clients if possible while im at it.

just to put my two cents in, I am what you would consider lightly tattooed for a tattoo artist, but as an artist that has seen what is available out there, i dont want to fill my canvas with joe shmoe nobodies that do half ass work, which seems to be the majority of the people im surrounded by. I dont work in a busy shop, i dont have buttloads of money, i devote my time to my shop instead of working a side job, and i live in the midwest without the time or funds to travel. Someday i hope to change some of that but in the meantime im more than happy to be lightly tattooed. That just gives me the space to get stuff done when i get to start going to conventions and meeting some of my tattoo heroes. And on a side note, not trying to say the midwest doesnt have some good artists, just none within a short drive that i know of, and i have no funds to pay any of them anyways.

Lots of people only get tattooed ONCE in their lifetime. Maybe this is it for them. You see the people around... one little fading washed out tattoo on an arm, maybe on their ankle. No plans to get it freshened or slap something awesome over it.

Rob

this is true, Im talking specifically about the people doing sessions to fill up half their body with something they thought looked cool in a magazine. most people getting tattooed once in their lifetime think about that decision before they put ink on their body. It means something to them. And a majority of people that get that one little piece often come back for more. I can understand someone loving the idea of getting a galaxy scene, or a garden full of flowers and butterflies, or a hand drawn custom tribal sleeve. im talking about the people that throw 40 or 50 hours into getting something they thought 2 minutes about getting. Its frustrating to me.

congrats to dan for being well informed. I personally cant stand racism, but to hate on a symbol for what you view it as is wrong. if you dont want to do the tattoo, then dont. but you shouldnt hate on the symbol, it was around long before one crazy asshole used it to promote hate and intolerance.

Granted not everyone started tattooing after completing an apprenticeships, but a majority of good respectable artists tattooing today did complete some sort of apprenticeship. Dont tattoo at home, no matter how clean you think it is. Go learn how to set up, complete a clean professional tattoo, and tear down in a sanitary way. there are too many things you dont know that will get someone sick or worse. it took me ten years to get an apprenticeship, and i can say it was worth the wait.

I agree with almost everything said so far...but for me personally I love to watch someone ask to have stars from neck, down shoulder blade, across ribs down hip and stop on the thigh. also applies to butterlies and tribal. I dont have a personal issue with any of those subject matters, but to cover that much area with something you obviously thought two seconds about getting just irks me. two years down the road when you have a kick ass idea for a tattoo and you have nowhere left to put it I bet you feel like a dumbass. unfortunately i get to feel that way for you before you even get it.

I usually advise my clients to get subject matter over lettering. Find something that symbolizes the girls to you, whether it be her favorite flower, or sport, hobby, toy, show, you get the idea. that usually gives the tattoo artist something cool to draw up and tattoo, and gives people a reason to ask what that tattoo is about. the stories that go with the tattoo is half the reason for getting it in my opinion.

Alan Taylor at Lucky 7 or Rod Creamer at Sideshow, both in the Kc area are legit with what they do. Also in that area would be kimo, worth checkin out, or weird harold at weirdo's. wes Grimm. Couple i cant remember the names too right now...it will hit me when im gettin ready to pass out im sure

Names Nate, or nomad, or tiny, or fng, or whatever you feel like calling me. Im laid back, old school respect kind of guy. been tattooing for about 5 years now, currently in a new shop in Booneville, Ia, which is just outside of west des moines. Worked around Kansas city and outside of it for a couple years before coming up here. before that i was a truck driver, a cnc machine operator, a corrections officer, and a third class petty officer in the navy. Been most of the way around the world, and in 49 of the 50 states. Love to meet new people, feel free to drop a line, never to busy to bs with anyone.

later,

tiny