Deb Yarian

I've always felt a great debt to the people I've worked for.

I am so fortunate the last person I worked for , before opening mine and my husband's shop in the next town, was such a gracious host that after telling him that we were leaving, he allowed us to build our shop, book our customers at his shop - for when we moved and still include us in his shop's Christmas celebration ( 2 months after leaving we even got our Christmas bonus)

I realize this is an extreme case but if you think of tattooing as your life and not just your job-- then hopefully you will develop a relationship with whomever you work with.

If you are not going to tattoo why are you asking the questions?

I thought of also mentioning some of the great machine builders -- but why even share that info?

Pearls before swine!

I'm waiting for someone to yell "SURPRISE!"

This sense of entitlement really irks me.

"You don't know how hard it is to get an apprenticeship, my son can really draw but nobody will give him a chance"

Well, why don't you just send him over to my house, let him eat my food, rape my kids and he can use my car too.

Really!

JoKno

I may be wrong but your post sounds like you feel somewhat entitled.

---- best shop wants two years of art training

While art school is not a necessity, a lack of ability can often be seen in a portfolio.

Do you think this is an unreasonable request?

----next best shops wanted $5000 and 2 years of unpaid training time

Do you think they should just teach you at their expense and supply you with equipment free of cost and then allow you to practice on their customers -- doing substandard work while profiting from it as well?

-----the cheapest wanted $2000 paid in advance

Should they teach you, a stranger, I'm assuming- without any commitment ---- Really? $2000-- how much was your EMT training.

-----next shop said they don't hire apprentices because they just steal everything

You don't think that your walking in to a shop and expecting them to teach you at no expense to you coming and going as you please because of your limited time doing shitty tattoos on their customers amounts to anything but stealing?

-----next, the drunk asleep on the floor

Maybe he was pretending so you would go away?

-----next, flea market guy

You shouldn't be getting any money,YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TATTOO! Perhaps you expect him to pay for all of your supplies , teach you at no cost - tomorrow- and then give up 1/2 of that 6x9 space that you scoff at?

And last but not least --- the people of the great state of South Carolina have been getting tattooed for years --- do you know how? They drive. They cross county lines.

Perhaps you should go to a university and then law school - ask them if you could attend it for free---- provide legal services while attending and keep all the money you get paid. They can supply your text book,briefs, research material, maybe even a new laptop --- also at no expense to you ---- so that you can get your law degree and rewrite the ordinance in Aiken County!

Sound reasonable? Really?

Anyway if anybody has bothered to read this far I guess my real dilemma/question is "When is it acceptable to find a new artist to finish my work?"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

when he said "his teeth hurt and he had to run out and get his medicine

8 hours after your appt!

So far so good, amazing hosts and all we've done is eat, eat, eat. 4th of July party today --- tattoo tomorrow.

This is a test right?

Gone from the shop on the 7th and the state on the 10th

Thank you Ursula!

I have met James in Jacksonville and at State of Grace show--- last year we both got artwork from Ed Hardy and I think James wanted the piece I got(;

I've never tattooed at a convention and the last time I tattooed at someone else's shop (as a visitor) was 20 years ago , I was working in Georgia and traveled to Jacksonville to work at Inksmith and Rogers.

Well I'm en route to Inksmith and Rogers ,again ,to sit in and visit with Mike Wilson and Angelo Miller--- and also the rest of the crew.

I'm a little neurotic and anxious--- but I'm flattered that they'll have me.

I'm not even comfortable working in a different station in my own shop so this is definitely out of my comfort zone.

I'm considering this my 20-30 yr refresher course!

Wish me luck

Ismael the thread is "Tattooers with little to no tattoos"

You have tattoos!

And as a client I like to think that my tattooer is so committed to my project that they carry it around in a special brief case hand cuffed to their wrist till my tattoo appt------ but as a tattooer I find it interesting that clients assume that as soon as they make their appointment- i'll be working on their tattoo non stop - till they're in my chair-

This isn't directed at anyone who posted--- just a side note.

Oh there aren't any girls on my son's high school football team:o

In defense of your tattooer I have done the same, many times.

I take notes during my consultation with my customer--- but because I find that the closer to the appt time we get the more likely the client is to change their design. I do my final drawing just a day or so before the appt.

At the start of each week though I start calling clients in my appt book to confirm their appt and a lot of times what they're getting isn't indicated in my appt book. So I might ask what they're getting or need a reminder

Ami James for influencing the middle aged lady that works at the convenience store down the street and all the girls in my son's high school football team

and Ed Hardy for influencing me.

It is tv folks.

Many of the tattoos that you see are done in sessions and the people are directed to wear the same clothes each time.

Actually the last place we worked had a time clock.From a business point of view he ran a very tight ship.

erik inksmith dosn't have a ton of tattoos and he's still good and doing tattoos to this day

however, i would never get tattooed by someone if they didn't have visible stuff

Tattooing came to Eric later in his life. He was close to forty years old and unlike the majority of other tattooers who become interested in the business and art of tattooing after collecting tattoos , his interest in the art, culture and history and especially the how's and whys of applying beautiful tattoos - came first.

He does have only a couple of tattoos on his arms but on his legs are solid, bold, strong tattoos that he is known for - often as a result of his experimentation early in his career. Eric is a rarity.

So well put Stewart.

I feel exactly what you said.

Hello Ursula,

I guess we have met then and i will see you next week- I will be with Mike and Angelo.

Debra

this an opinion apparently shared by many. what makes people think you have to be jealous to think that these shows are absolute drivel?

what makes people think everyone wants to be on tv? in fact, just about all of the artists that influenced me and shaped my outlook on Our Thing are humble, hard working folks that don't feel the need for the spotlight, and feel no need to get an ego boost or gain any 'fame' beyond what their hard-earned reputation in our community has brought them.

there are plenty of tattooers that intentionally fly under the radar, many of them quite talented and well known in our community, that also agree with my opinion that not only is this is just crap

yes, indeed, there are most likely plenty of envious people that would like to be in that spotlight. but don't be so quick to assume that if everyone is so desperate to be noticed.

I think that someone might think that being on one of these shows might be like winning the lottery.

That financial need might be taken out of the equation, leaving someone to do what they do and to choose their projects based on the enjoyment and satisfaction that they receive from them.

in the first line of your post you said " very cutesy, not my style"

when you say not my style do you mean design or application? Eli's "style" is very masculine in my opinion. But no matter how beautiful or well applied it is if you don't like it, you don't like it. But who's to say you will like what you attempt to cover it with or change it.

So for that reason I am agreement that you should leave it and live with it for a while.

Get right with it.

However if you are one of those people who finds themselves obsessing about what they don't like and you find you absolutely can't live with it, then I would suggest going to Eli first and explaining what it is that you don't like and see what he suggests.

Do you work at a chain shop?

I have worked in shops that have dress codes. But none with uniforms.

Seems like a uniform attempts to remove any display of individuality.

No T-Shirts at one shop- only a shirt with a collar.

No facial piercings or hats at another.

At one time in San Diego , I remember seeing medical jackets. Barber type shirts.

I can understand a dress code--- not a uniform.

Although if you are an independent contractor I think the cost and upkeep of your uniform would be tax deductible.

Check with your union rep.

Just kidding

Today, the grieving mother and sister of one of my son's friends came in to my shop.

The friend, a 17 year old, recently died as a result of alcohol consumption.

They are returning tomorrow to get tattooed. Like so many customers before them, coming not only to memorialize their loved one- but I believe to experience a physical pain, a sacrifice for the one they lost.

I mention this because after they left I was thinking that i was glad that we could help them.

I have recently posted here in regards to the newest reality show, NY Ink and in regards to tattoo magazines in general. I was vocal about not wanting to watch , let alone read what led one to get tattooed and the drama and often gratuitous display of emotion that goes with the explanation. Didn't someone say " oh another dead child in the first

episode".

So after their visit today and thinking about it I realized what it is about the media and their focus on tattooing that bothers me, actually offends me.

it's the intrusion in to my life, in to my business! It sensationalizes and trivializes at the same time. It turns a tattooer into a caricature of one -see Corey Miller in LA Ink prompting the character "oh, that must have been terrible, how did that make you feel?" (nothing against Corey) just tv Corey.

It makes what was once private, public. What was once secret or mysterious- familiar.

Really, I don't resent my clients and their need for meaning in their tattoos, and I'm more than a little honored that they choose me to help them preserve the memory of someone they lost.

It just translates so differently on TV.

Alright, I'm losing my train of thought.

That's my two cents.