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Showing results for tags 'tattoo shops'.
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Hows it going? My names Lacey...I'm from fl. I've been getting random ink since I was legally able and I've kind of gotten into a bad situation. I joined the forum because I do have a passion for the ink and I love seeing how creative people can be and their own ideas. My situation happened whenever my main tattoo guy went mia and it took several years for me to find him. Since I couldn't find him I went ahead and tried out a new guy that had a decent rep at the local tatt shop...needless to say I gave him my idea and he drew it up nicely. What didn't happen properly was the placement of a couple things...i'll post them later so you can see and the line was crap. as soon as I saw it I just stopped him, we shared words and I left. Right now I cant really leave my state and cant afford to go to the derm to get it lasered so I'm looking for a shop in fl that does it at a decent price...and I finally got found my old tatt guy, he'd had to go to NY for his mom. After he saw what I had to work with he agreed to work with me and help me cover it up, but some of it has to be faded and he has a couple tats he would like to get rid of himself....any help would be awesome and I don't mind conversing with random people...so if you ever want to chat, hit me up :cool:
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Ian from Castro Tattoo, SF, CA, here. I'm the manager of this fine establishment, and just wanted to take a moment to introduce the shop. I think our mission statement sums it up pretty nicely: At Castro Tattoo, we strive to bring all clients a clean, fun and relaxing environment for your next tattoo or piercing. Owner Hannah Wolf has tattooed all over the United States and the world; won multiple awards, been published in books and magazines and aspires to bring that experience to local and visiting clients. Castro tattoo has served the neighborhood for over 14 years; providing a unique quality in the heart of the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. We have many talented artists on staff, ready to help conceptualize your next tattoo or piercing vision. Our artists range in all styles, bringing diversity and excellence every day. We have a full service piercing studio, offering only the highest quality jewelry. At Castro tattoo we check our egos at the door and let the quality of our work speak for itself. So yeah, come on in and say 'hi'! I'm the scruffy guy at the front! -Ian @ Castro Tattoo Tattoo By Owner Hannah Wolf
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Forgive me if this has already been discussed at length, but I tried searching for a topic like this and couldn't find any info about it. I'm moving from the east coast to the west coast in the next few weeks and I'm trying to increase the Rolodex of shops/tattooers to check out in that neck of the woods. My knowledge of west coast tattooers is pretty limited to California (namely just in SF and Oakland), but I was curious who you all recommend checking out in the Pacific Northwest area while I'm living out there. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!
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Les Collier opened this shop recently,and he does some real nice work. Searchlight Tattoo | Facebook Searchlight Tattoo
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One thing I haven't heard discussed is how cool and important having a good name for a tattoo shop is. Maybe I am kind of a snob,but if a shop has a dumb name, it sets off red flags for me and makes me a little unsure right off the bat. That being said obviously naming a tattoo shop, shouldn't and sometimes doesn't have anything to do with quality of work, but my hunches rarely let me down. So I don't think there is a set rule for what a good tattoo shop name is or isn't, but I have a few things I look for 1. Is Tattoo in the name. I would rather go to Hello Kitty Tattoo, than insert random city here INK or such and such art studio. Tattoo City, Chicago Tattoo, The Tattoo Emporium, Liberty Tattoo, Electric all kick ass names all have tattoo in them. 2. No more than Four words in the name. I want to be able to remember the name. Freedom Ink, Odds and Ends tattoo, Flying Tiger Tattoo, Hot Stuff Tattoo, Rock of Ages Tattoo, Inksmith and Rodgers Tattoo, gets the point across and sticks with you without writing it down. 3. Alliteration, whether you have tattoo in the name or not, it works for me. Shamrock Social Club, Absolute Art, True Tattoo, Temple Tattoo. Obviously there are way too many good shop names to list and it's not the deciding factor whether a shop is good or not, but the right amount of creativity goes a long way. I thought up this post when I saw a business card in a public place and the name of the shop is Breaking Ink. My first thought was they were going through stuff on the DVR and Breaking Bad and LA INK were on the list so they just decided to blend them, then of course I looked them up on my iphone and that probably is about right. But It really just reminded me of how many better names there are for shops out there. Anyone else have any thoughts or insights?
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Look what I just stumbled over! FST: On the Shoulders of Giants is a documentary film, currently in production by Stewart Robson, a tattooer at Frith Street Tattoo (FST) in London. This project is expected to be completed in late 2013. Shooting started in August 2012. Stewart has interviewed his friends and colleagues, some of them world-renown in tattoo circles but all of them have worked in the cramped infamous basement shop in the heart of London’s seedy soho district, to share this portrait of one of the most interesting, vibrant and influential modern tattoo shops. FST: On the Shoulders of Giants There's a bunch on cool teasers from the different interviews on the blog too. I'm super stoked for this to come out! You gotta share stuff like this with us @Stewart Robson - - - Updated - - - This was great by the way! (Also by Stewart)
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Who are some good tattooers in Vancouver? I know about Matt Houston at Gastown. But, other than that, I don't really know of any other good tattooers from that city.
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I'm in Boston for work for the next 2-3 weeks and was wondering if there was anywhere/anyone in particular worth seeking out to get tattooed by while I'm here? I just got tattooed by Steve Boltz twice, Eli Quinters, and Bailey Hunter Robinson while I was in Brooklyn for work as well this past month and I'm hoping to keep the streak alive! :)
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Ami James latest venture. One or two artists I might be interested in getting a tattoo from but not on the basis or them choosing my artist. Ami James -
Passing along for Little Chico from Black Cobra Tattoo who's guest spotting at a shop for 1 day Contact him directly, not me. -
We needed a new thread to get back to talking about what matters. I would say this is pretty dang close to "Latest Tattoo Lowdown" so mods, feel free to adjust accordingly. Bubble-berries need not apply. What is your next planned tattoo? When? And what? I'll go first (even though most of you all know): Working on my Fenris-Wolf by Chris O'Donnell. Next appointment is at the end of September.
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Good recommendations in either Savannah or Charleston? Asking for a friend and I am wholly unaware of what goes on down there. Thanks dudes!
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I'm heading to Philadelphia in about 2 weeks. I'd like to get a tattooed by someone 'notorious' in their own part of town. Care to help? I've done a bit of research on Google & all that jazz but, also taking personal references.
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I will be taking a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia at the end of next month. So far I have seen Jinx Proof in D.C. and Super Hands and Hold it Down in Richmond. Are there any shops that I am missing that are in the area? American traditional only, por fa. Also, any LSTers live near Charlottesville?
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So the itch to get tattooed is getting unbearable waiting for my next session and want to pick up something kinda small in the NJ-NYC area. Any good suggestions? I already know Smith Street is awesome but any other suggestions? (also any local artists chime in if you want). I also remember Thicker than Water being mentioned
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Planning on getting my next tattoo sometime soon.. As in a week or so & I'm looking for a shop that I could hopefully regular whenever my budget is up. Would really like to hear about some well done work but at a decent cost, and not all that far from my area ;-) which by the way, is near Midway Airport. Or near Cicero, whichever helps capture the image better. Lets go!
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Going there in march for a flogging molly show, figured might as well see if there are any decent shops to check out while i'm there
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So after reading Iwars' San Fran travel blog, I'd made a comment a long the lines of "maybe I'll do the same for my next Japan trip..." I'm pretty sure the response from @Iwar was "you better blog the shit out of it". So, for Iwar & the rest of the LST crew, here is a blog/travel log of my last trip to Japan, in December 2011 to complete my sleeve by Horinao at The Cat Claw Tattoo-Z in Kyoto. And to catch up with my Japanese fam ;) (This is my first blog type thing ever so my apologies ahead of time if I waffle on or if it's boring as shit lol. You have been warned :) ) For those of you who just tuned in, I'll do a really quick (ok, not so quick) update to get y'all up to speed on where we are at :cool: In June last year (2011) I'd gone to Japan to visit and stay with friends in Osaka, and to do a few more things I wasn't able to do on my first trip the previous year (October 2010). Probably the number 1 item on my list was to get a tattoo while I was in Japan (I really love Japanese tattoos, so why wouldn't I want to get one in Japan?). I knew what shop I wanted to go to and who I wanted to get something from, so before I'd left I'd sent off a couple of emails to Catclaw trying to figure out if I could get a booking and when. Unfortunately, I never received a reply... but that wasn't going to deter me ;) Yosuke (My japanese friend who I knew from Australia and who was helping as my translator and local ye olde inn keeper) and myself set out to find the Catclaw and see what we could make happen... When we've walked in to the shop, Horinao was at his station painting and Hiro was working diligently on, funnily enough, another Australian. Speaking to Rina (pronounced 'Lina') the shop manager and Horinao via Yosuke (and my bad Japanese lol) we decided on a Hannya. Horinao asked what colour I wanted, and my reply was "Aka" (red) making a real emphasis with my body language to say "I wanted this baby really really red" (For those playing at home different colours represent different stages of transformation and different standings in society) Horinao got this cheeky little smile, nodded and knew exactly what I meant. And from pretty much from that point we where total BFF's... lmao. Rina said to come back in an hour and we could start, so Yosuke and I went and grabbed some food and headed back when it was time. 2 1/2 hours (maybe 3 including a break) I walked out with this: I was pretty damn happy to say the least, and at that point knew that I wanted him to finish the sleeve... IF it could be finished due to needing a cover up that wasn't going to be that easy. Well, there was that and the fact that I'd need to somehow figure out how to get back to japan for this to happen ;) I get back home and about 4 days later, without going into to much detail, I get some bad news from my Mum but with this news also comes some money and I can only think of one thing I really want to spend it on. I even jokingly said to Mum "You know what this is going on don't you?" and in typical Mumsie style, she responds with "Yeah, I kind of thought that. Just let me know when you book your flights" and that was that... The next piece of luck was that Jetstar where having another sale to Japan! It's the only way I've been able to go as often as I have - I've never paid anymore than $450 return ;) thank you Jetstar. So I emailed the guys and asked if Horinao thought the tattoo I wanted covered could be... This is what I wanted covered: Yes, it's Venom from Marvel Comics' Spiderman series. I'd gotten it when I was 19 I think if memory serves correct? It had a lot of black in it, as well as a nice assortment of colours, so I wasn't sure what could be done. Laser was an option of course, but I figured i may as well just spend that money on the tattoo. Horinao said it'd be all good and asked what I wanted. Although I'd never wanted a Dragon or a Koi as such, I also knew they where probably my only two options. Horinao agreed, and said that a Koi would work best and so thats what we agreed upon. I booked my flights for the end of August, booked 2 days in and after that trip I was left with this: August 2011 Day 1 (A little over 6 hours not including breaks): August 2011 Day 2 (4 hours not including breaks - Horinao had a gig that night lol) He drew everything directly on to my skin to make sure it all worked and flowed as well as possible. I have to admit I was in awe just watching him sketch onto my arm. I couldn't make out shit, but knew I was in safe hands ;) He also never shaved my arm (except for the first time with the Hannya) which I found on later isn't super necessary unless your quite hairy, and it helps lesson the itching during healing :) (hairs aren't growing back) I got back, twiddled my thumbs until Jetstar had another sale and the second they did, I booked my tickets back for December... Well, that pretty much brings everyone up to speed with where I was at before I left in December last year. I'll make this the first post, and do the next few as individual days me thinks? So if possible just hold off on any replies until I say "FIN" lol :D (don't worry, they're coming right now!)- 31 replies
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Today I found an offer I couldn't refuse for a round trip to New York. The flight is booked, so hopefully I can get appointments with some tattooers as well. I will be visiting from May 27th through June 7th. Anyone up for an LST eastcoast gathering around that time?
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I got back from my road trip just to find my shop trashed. My landlord tried to blow insulation on my drop ceiling and got it everywhere. It's going to take 2 weeks to have it Cleaned professionally. Between being on the road and this I may be open to a big change in my life. We all know there are too many shops and closing mine may be the first step in making this business better. Id really enjoy just tattooing and painting and not worry about owning a business. I guess if it's meant to be I'll get an offer I cant refuse. It would really be nice to get back in to a shop where I am inspired by my co-workers every day. -
I moved to a town called Twin Falls, Idaho a short time ago and there aren't really any good artists in this area. The closest place is Boise, Idaho and if anyone knows of any good artists that I should check out some feedback would be awesome. Peace
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Seems like everyone is wondering how we will survive/adapt to what reality television and the Internet has turned tattooing In to. It's no secret that EVERYONE you meet either tattoos or want to learn how. Honestly every 3rd person I meet with a tattoo is some form of a self proclaimed tattoo artist. What people haven't realized is that the recent rush of new tattooers is putting tattooing in a dangerous state. It's simple economics...supply and demand. When 100 customers in one city want a tattoo in a day and there are 200 tattooers in that city..well half the artist are going to starve. This isn't anything new...we all know the mass media has glorified tattooing and made it accessible to every kid that can sign his name. This won't change but what can we do about it. 2 years ago I moved to a city of 15,000 people and opened the only shop in this city. I assumed lowering my bills and cutting out all the extra expenses would be the answer. It may still be but at this point I'm not sure. I enjoy not having to tattoo in a scene. I really love tattooing people that have no expectation of what their tattoo should look like. If they come in for an eagle they don't try to micromanage what the eagle looks like. The clients in small city's just truly appreciate the time and care that I put in to the tattoo. My problem is I've worked hard since 1992 and I'm still sitting on my hands most the week. It's really got me thinking if this was the right choice and if I can survive what tattooing has become. I have thought of two scenarios that may help those of us that have put in the hard work and want to survive. 1. Take tattooing underground.. (private studios..no signs and make customers find us) 2. Create power shops...( gather the top 5-6 tattooers in one area and open 1 shop) Sorry Power shop sounds cheesy as shit. Larger cities already seem do this. Let's just take a city like Reno as an example. With out mentioning names there are really good tattooers there. For the most part each shop has a decent tattooer in it and a bunch of hacks. If all the legit guys got together and rounded up all the best talent In Reno you would defiantly see some shops losing clients and closing doors. The mediocre tattooers that were left would more then likely get a majority of their work at the "power shop". It would be a force to be record with. Since there are so many people trying to do tattoos and getting I to it most of them would want to go to these big shops to be tattooed. Shop owners are hiring one good tattooer and filling the rest of the spots just to line their pockets. We can stop this. If all the good tattooers left these types of shops and banned together and took control of tattooing we could make a difference. I know too many great tattooers that are broke and bouncing from shop to shop or working for piercers. It shouldn't be this way. We honestly need to take some responsibility and take back tattooing. Strong shops can and will survive. But if we are all spread out it's going to destroy the market for tattooing. Sacramento is a great example of this. There are under 3-4 great shops in Sacramento out of almost 200. Most of these shops are dog shit. There are a handful of decent tattooers that opened their own shops and just filled 3-4 stations with hacks. Why are we doing this!?! This only promotes that more people become tattooers. I know this isn't ground breaking or a new idea. But I do think that there is a large percent of good tattooers that haven't had the opportunity to work In A shop like this. And let's be honest once shops like this are made people tend not to leave. Bottom line is we have to use the thing that has put us In this position. Take advantage of the Internet and stay united. We are the ones that have to set the standards and come to gather to take back what we love and what was once sacred. Sorry about the rant...there aren't too many people to discuss thing like this wish in mid Missouri. It does feel good to get it out though.
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ok, just for fun: I'm mostly talking quality of tattoos being put out, but I suppose we can also consider art collections, amenities etc. I'm gonna start out with some of my favorites from the US only. (I wouldn't even know where to begin if including shops beyond) Black Heart (not just because this is Scott's forum either) King's Ave Smith St Slave to the Needle Immaculate
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I need some serious help with my next tattoo design, I'm looking to do a traditional japanese piece incorporating the koi in the first pick and the shadowing in the second. I am not an artist and I have no idea how to incorporate it all together, just for more information I'm looking to have it start at my side and go up my back. Ideas and help would be awesome. Thanks :cool:
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Ok, so my shop has been going through shop helpers like underwear. They're not apprentices, we pay them. BUT they're either incompetent ( from absolutely no social skills, to poor hygiene, to possible thievery!) or bail unannounced. My question is how can I attract a reliable, hard working person to this slightly mundane position? Craigslist has been questionable, but I'm also a little leery of posting something on our website. Customers becoming employees just seems a little strange to me. And please don't reply "I do it myself... Or you should do it yourself." that's really doesn't help me.
