First Tattoo ? How to Get the Best Tattoo for You

So You Think You Want to Get Your First Tattoo?

Oh I remember what it felt like to be you. Curious about tattoos, thinking it would fun/cool to have a tattoo. Imagining drawing up a really nice image or maybe asking a friend to do one. Maybe finding something on Pinterest. Not really too worried about who would do the actual tattooing – I mean the real work is the drawing, right? Curious about how much it would cost. $100?  $200?  Five hundred dollars?! Ahhh innocence. When it comes to getting tattooed, ignorance really can be bliss. Getting your first tattoo is exhilarating, nerve-wracking, frequently confusing, and a unique experience to be savored and treasured. You will carry a permanent reminder of it for the rest of your life (until you realize your first tattoo is garbage and have it covered not once but twice) so take some time to really think about that first tattoo so you can make it a good one.

I am a proud survivor  client of Teresa Sharpe – not my first tattoo artist and probably not my last but definitely my most involved. Teresa has spent more time staring at my up under lady regions than most people I have dated – and yet she continues to smile.

How can you say no to that face? I couldn’t.

Teresa was the tattoo artist I worked up to. Over time I developed a deeper appreciation for the art of tattooing as well as a willingness to yield control (and potentially a good deal of my common sense) to an incredible artist with the kind of charm and charisma that makes having your foot and ass tattooed seem like a great idea. I can’t prove Teresa is a witch but her talent is bewitching in every conceivable way. Pro tip – if you are getting tattooed by Teresa DO NOT expose skin you don’t want to be tattooed. I removed my sock and ended up with a tattooed foot. I wore a thong and well – ass pictures will eventually follow. Of course, I LOVE every single millimeter of my leg sleeve. But before you get your first tattoo you should know – you will want to talk about it, show it to people, stare at it, hell you might even start a blog so you can write entire articles about it. Tattoos. Are. Addicting.

Teresa’s victims’ clients occasionally befriend each other and trade war stories and hopeless plans to turn our crushes into reality. One such gentleman is my comrade in arms – Stephen Williams. Stephen has only been getting tattooed for a couple of years and he started with Kelly Doty, followed by Eric Chance and now Teresa. I don’t even know why I like him, really. Probably just raw envy. Oh and he is a writer, and funny, and likes creepy dead stuff. Here is Stephen’s first tattoo story in his own words;

 

I’ve always wanted to be covered in tattoos, but I didn’t take the plunge until 2016. I needed to be ready. After all, you only have so much skin to work with—and I don’t do casual very well. After extensive research and crafting the perfect email, I chose The Queen of the Damned, er, I mean The Queen of New School Tattoos, Kelly Doty.

Once that decision was made, I had a slew of other logistics to sift through. What was my budget? Where would I stay? Did I trust my pain tolerance for multiple sittings, or would a one-shot piece be better? Of course, getting tattooed by Kelly also meant that I’d have to leave my tiny desert town and fly to her shop in Salem, Massachusetts—in February—during a blizzard.

I got lucky. My request for an appointment went through in that sweet spot just after she’d opened Helheim Gallery and just before she disappeared into the Ink Master void. And while flexibility and the strength of your idea ultimately determine whether or not you’re able to get in, trying to book with an artist who is literally the best in their field is still going to require crossed fingers and toes. Anyone reading this who is thinking about getting their first tattoo, know that this chain of events is not typical. I said it once and I’ll say it again, I got lucky.

When the day finally arrived, we were the only two who braved the elements—we had the shop all to ourselves. She answered every question I could come up with, from what goes into designing a tattoo to how she chooses her color palette. The atmosphere was relaxing, like a massage parlor built inside the guts of a crypt, and she’s so funny that I almost didn’t notice as she punched needles into my calf for nine hours.

Almost.

 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep – but I have been tattooed for nine hours and feel like I am going to die.

The whole experience sounds crazy, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it (even walking back to my hotel, at midnight, in a foot of snow). I guess someone should have warned me I was falling in love with the most expensive hobby you can have—but would that have stopped me? Now that I’m so deep it’s impossible to imagine it working out any other way. Tattoo collecting is my destiny.

 

Lately, Stephen has been letting Teresa murder his back with incredible results.

Oh that tattoo doesn’t end there – Stephen forgot my #1 pro tip. Leave your pants on.

We were chatting through Instagram and shared this exchange;

So what have we learned? Stephen and I need to charge our phones ASAP, getting a first tattoo is exciting and potentially crazy. Some people are just lucky

Thanks, Stephen. One day when we meet in real life I will buy you a drink at GWAR Bar and we can show each other our asses. You should buy Stephen’s book, too.

Book:

Website:

www.nohappyendings.net 

 

I have another friend – that I have met in real life – who has no tattoos but thinks he has arrived at the place where he will actually begin. Let’s call him Mr. Bowles (he knows why).  Like most first-timers he wants to know where he should get tattooed, who is a good artist to work with, how big should he go for the first tattoo, how much control he can have over the process? These are all important questions.

He doesn’t know exactly what he wants or where. Has some general ideas. Those are good things. The less specific you are the more likely the chance to work with a top artist. Top artists are very hard to pin down. Stephen isn’t kidding – he really did get lucky. Kelly’s books are now closed. But back to Mr. Bowles. How does someone with no tattoos or tattoo knowledge locate excellent artists that they might want to work with and then contact them and actually get a response? The answer? Carefully and with great patience.

Tattoo artists are kind of notorious for not returning emails. Successful artists have their pick of clients. To get that coveted spot you have to have the perefect blend of concept, size (the better the artist the bigger they are going to want to make that tattoo) and flexibility.  Want to micromanage every little detail? Go to your local shop and give a hard-working artist your money. Not every tattoo has to be a unique piece of art – but if you want your tattoo to be extra unique then you have to let your tattoo artist be an artist – not merely a technician.

My friend knows my thoughts on this matter. By now he has gleaned that asking tattooed people about tattoos and tattoo related subjects will likely result in an extensive soliloquy that can leave your eyes glazed and mind wandering. Talking about your tattoos and tattoos, in general, comes with the territory Mr. Bowles – you should know what you are getting yourself into. Based on his general concept ideas, his desire for an excellent tattoo and a willingness to pay for it, and some other considerations I am suggesting trying to book with either Jeff Gogue, or Roxx from 2Spirit. I am trying to get his expectations into line and prepare him for a long, frustrating wait. Watch. He will land a spot with Gogue right out of the gate or some Stephen Williams style bullshit.

And that is the way the tattoo world works a lot of times. There is alchemy in connecting with the right artist at the right moment and viola – your journey has begun. All you first-timers out there – do your homework, save your money, read up on how to not be a dick at a tattoo shop and why you should tip your artist and go out and make a memory and an impression with your very first tattoo. I will be rooting for you.

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Tattoo Design – Contemplating Completing My Canvas

The journey of a tattoo collector is arduous and frequently full of stops, starts, and sudden unexpected twists. My journey from the owner of one, small, crappy tattoo to a serious collector is a long, slow burn and if you like unedited content, non-sequiturs, and BS, can be explored in full on this site. I am in the home stretch – 2 sessions left (says Teresa Sharpe who is a notorious liar when it comes to how much more work we have left) on my leg sleeve of the Hell Courtesan or Jigoku Dayo

Tattoo design by Teresa Sharpe

A work in progress – tattoo by Teresa Sharpe

This project began as a 1-day leg piece at a convention almost 2 years ago and has grown and morphed into the most beautiful thing I own made possible by a tour de force of scrimping, justification, and self-indulgence. It has been a  pure delight working with such an amazing and talented artist. But now that I am almost done I have all this other skin asking the question, “What next?” Tattoo design can mean many things from flash to bodysuit and there are many types of collectors and no right or wrong way to get tattooed. But I fall into the category of “go big or go home” collector and find myself stuck on where to go next.

A uniquely satisfying way to plan tattoos…

I don’t have the answers yet but I am starting to give it some thought. I asked a friend with a discerning eye for help determining what should be left clean and where the next pieces should go – not content – I have a swirl of concepts and ideas and will ultimately let my artists have a big say – but more along the lines of negative space and flow. When you have a large collection the space between the tattoos speaks as loudly as your ink. It is hard to see yourself from all angles accurately so I enlisted the second pair of eyes. Japanese calligraphy brushes,  Sumi ink, and free rein resulted in some interesting conversations about where I should consider getting my next tattoos and what I should leave clean.

Like many pleasures in life, the anticipation carries at least half the fun. The delicious waiting. I am starting to feel the pull of my next tattoo(s) and not knowing what they will be yet make it all the more sweet and mysterious. That is one of the many aspects I love about tattoo collecting. The tattoo design, the concept, the hunt – sometimes even the chase of the artist. Even the practicality of planning travel and squirreling away precious resources is part of it. We value what we work hard for. It is a pleasure reserved for those who find pleasure in it and I can’t wait to see where I will go next.

 

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The Black Hat Tattoo Studio – An Artistic Gem in Dublin Ireland

THE BLACK HAT TATTOO

One of my favourite parts of writing about tattoos and tattoo culture is learning about different shops and tattoo artists from around the world. I have a special treat for you as I shine a light on a great shop with a wonderful work ethic and mindset – not to mention talented artists and a shop manager with a cute French accent (swoon) located in Dublin Ireland. When I first took a look at The Black Hat Tattoo I immediately wanted to go visit and check it out in person. The team from The Black Hat was kind enough to answer a few questions – with several team members chiming in. Of course, I encourage you to read their answers while imagining their gorgeous accents. So if you are lucky enough to be in their part of the world or attending a convention they are at I encourage you to make an appointment for some excellent ink. The Black Hat will be attending The Dublin Tattoo Convention in August 2018 sooooooo,  I’m off to price flights to the Emerald Isle 

Tattoo Tourist:  How long has The Black Hat Tattoo been open? How did it come about?

The Black Hat: The Black Hat Tattoo is open for 2 years – It came from the will of Sergy and Lena to work together (partner at work and partners in life).

TT: How long have you been tattooing? How did you get started?

TBH:  Sergy has been tattooing for 20 years. Sergy has drawn since he can hold a pen. He started in Russia with mates asking him to reproduce on their skins the drawings he made. Sergy started out by making his own tattoo machine.

 James started 2 years ago. He joined the shop last in August 2017 to finish his apprenticeship.

 Lena (shop manager): I do not tattoo, I draw and paint a lot, for custom designs when a customer wants to get one of my drawings on his skin. I am happy this way and I am not willing to take the tattoo leap.

 Ceri has been doing Handpoke tattoos for 6 months.

TT:  Who are some of your biggest inspirations artistically?

TBH: Sergy: Leonardo (Leo) Manco an Illustrator Artist – and a bit of everything around

Lena: Gustave Klimt and Marc Chagall – As for Contemporary Artists I really like the work of Dave Koenig (amazing drawings and paintings) and as a Tattoo artist Mike Stockings and Kelly Violet

James : Each Oldschool tattoo artist is an inspiration for him. James draws every day and chooses to paint by using tattoo ink to be closest as possible to the colours and effect that will do on the skin.

Ceri: does not really have a biggest inspiration yet.

TT: What are your favourite styles to tattoo?

TBH: Sergy : After 20 years, Sergy can tattoo everything – He really enjoys Blackwork, Realistic Black and Gray and Neotraditional (Black and Gray)

 James : James is totally crazy about the freedom and the rules of the American Traditional / Old school style. He gets his inspiration from the various timeless and traditional styles.

 Ceri : Fine Line Handpoke

TT:  What is the tattoo culture/scene like in Dublin?

TBH: Lena : Busy and challenging – There are 200 tattoo studios and 2000 artists. A huge amount of scratchers and tattoos are done at home or in low hygienic conditions. We are lucky that our customers recognize quality and artistic work and it helps us to keep going with our shop.

 Sergy : We have customers from all over Europe living and working in Ireland or visiting every year. You can add people from the US and you see that we tattoo people from all around the world. It is amazing to see and work with such different nationalities and cultures. It’s really rich for work opportunities

 James : Most of the tattoo places are small, only a few offer more than one artistic style. There is an important customer base for Oldschool Tattoos and that’s a good point for me.

 Ceri : In Ireland, there is a tattoo studio on every street. Best shops are located in the city centre.

TT:  What is your favourite part of running a shop/being a tattoo artist?

TBH: Lena: The challenge and the creativity, you have to work hard to drive a studio and being creative is mandatory to prepare for the future of the studio and the future of tattooing in Dublin.

 Sergy : Being independent and working for myself, even with the responsibilities that belong to the business owners. I am really happy to drive well a project like we’ve done the past two years.

 James : It is good to work in a shop like The Black Hat Tattoo, as a resident artist I have the opportunity to grow and learn a lot. The studio welcome guests mostly from Europe and It is nice to learn from them. There is a lot of tattoo shops in Dublin but not all of them are as artistic as The Black Hat Tattoo. I enjoy the Art Classes we have twice a month to improve our skills in live model drawing and painting.

 Ceri : I am not a morning person, I am at my best from 12 pm to 9 pm so working in a Tattoo studio is really the job for me. It’s a good place to work with Sergy and Lena.

TT: What are your plans for The Black Hat Tattoo ? (conventions, guest spots, etc.)

TBH: The Dublin Tattoo Convention in August 2018,  keep going with our values and working hard, we would like to welcome two more resident artists in 2018 and 2019.

TT: What do you want to tell potential clients about your shop/artists?

TBH: We are a collective of artists who collaborate together in the pursuit of the same values.

We believe that tattooing is an art and has to be done with the respect of the customer and the artist. 

We believe that every passion leads to excellence and we at The Black Hat Tattoo Studio work only to reach this excellence.

We care about the quality of our work, from the inks and materials we use to the respect of a strict hygienic process in order to provide high quality, unique and custom tattoos.

We collaborate with some of the worlds best artists either as residents or guest artists in our studio situated in the heart of Dublin.

We care for our customers from the very first step into our studio until the completion of the tattoo process.

No matter if your tattoo is big or small each piece is special for us, we know that a tattoo is a big commitment and we are happy to help our customers build their projects.

We are always available to answer all of the questions you may have and welcome you for a consultation in a warm and friendly environment.

 

Well if you are not already googling flights to Ireland what are you waiting for? And if you are lucky enough to live near Dublin and The Black Hat Tattoo Studio then go treat yourself to an excellent tattoo in a professional environment run by a group of true artists and professionals. And tell them The Tattoo Tourist says hi. And make Lena say something in her French accent.

A big THANK YOU to the team at The Black Hat for answering my questions! Sláinte

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Property Insurance for Tattoo Shops – Be Prepared

Back in October, I had a trip to Richmond Va planned so I could continue to work on my retirement savings plan – ie my leg sleeve by Teresa Sharpe. A beautiful tattoo that has continued to grow and evolve – I am always excited (and mildly nauseated) to get back in the chair and discover how much a new part of my body can hurt. (Frontrunner? Top of foot – hands down). This past October was no different. The trip was planned and booked 3 months in advance and I had my coveted spot on Teresa’s schedule secured. Then disaster.

On Sunday night, October 8th fire broke out in Sonoma County. This unexpected fire soon was raging out of control and sweeping across huge swaths of Sonoma and Napa – devastating neighbourhoods, businesses, and lives. I woke up Monday morning and thought the sky looked hazy. On my way to drop the kids off at school, I saw that the sun was blood-red. I live roughly 2 hours away from the epicentre of the fires but the effects were evident. News travelled quickly as neighbours began picking up reports of the unchecked blaze with 0% containment. All of the sudden a trip to get tattooed seemed like a bad idea.

I watched nervously with thousands of other county residents as the fires created unprecedented loss and damage. I feared that they would make their way towards the coast. I heard many stories of neighbours and friends who knew someone who lost a home, a pet, a business, or even a loved one. I had friends who were evacuated and living in shelters. Three days after the fires began I made the decision to go ahead and travel to Richmond. It was a tough call that I agonized over even though by this point I knew the fires would not impact where I live directly. I headed down to the airport in the early evening to catch a red-eye flight but was unprepared for what I witnessed.

As soon as I got off the country highway and onto the main highway smoke was evident in the surrounding hills – still over 30 minutes away from the worst of the fire. Radio stations had suspended all music and programming and were doing minute by minute live updates, talking to people calling in desperate for information. Cal Fire helicopters swept into the hills and over neighbourhoods at risk of being engulfed by new fires just breaking out. Highway Patrol was everywhere. People were parked on the side of the road filming the scene or just standing in shock.

As I got to the heart of the origin point of the blaze in Santa Rosa I couldn’t believe my eyes. This is a busy city of over 50,000 people with a big highway running through the centre of it. I passed a turnoff where a big Hilton Hotel stood on a hill – it was gone. Burned to the ground. The fire had literally jumped a 4 lane highway and torched businesses – surrounded by pavement and concrete – into twisted rubble. I saw a highway handrail twisted and bent and still on fire over 3 days after the fires had first begun. There were police and fire trucks everywhere. I almost turned around. I pulled over to call home and to decide if I should keep going. After a few more miles the scenes of the disaster were replaced by untouched neighbourhoods. A great majority of the fires wiped out areas inland of the highway that I didn’t witness but this particular stretch – so familiar to me – had left me shaken and shocked. 

Sonoma County and Napa County are strong. They are rebuilding as we speak. Giant piles of melted cars and rubble are still in heaps but eventually, they will be replaced with new homes, new businesses. No one could have predicted a fire/fires of this size and scope in an essentially suburban/urban environment. There was no warning, no way to prepare. PPIB is based in Sonoma County. They underwrite insurance for tattoo shops, permanent makeup, piercers – a lot of people who didn’t even realize they could have stuff like liability insurance or workers comp. PPIB also offers property insurance. 

There is one positive result that has come out of the many disasters that 2017 brought – people now

understand the value of keeping their insurance current. At PPIB we want to cry when we must tell a

client they did not buy property insurance. We have one insured who has been with us 15 years and

every year he would say, “No I don’t need property insurance.” When he lost his business in the Wine

Country Fires of October he called us four times. It just broke my heart to have to say we asked you

every year. He finally had to admit he wanted the “cheapest policy” possible.

The problem with not having insurance for any of the major disasters that hit this year is that you will

likely wait in line like everyone else to get funding to repair or replace your damaged items or building(s).

In the case of our Northern California Wine Country fires, it is likely going to take a few years for property

to get rebuilt. The government must do waste removal once they figure out where burned out appliances,

cars and other hazardous waste will go. Then they will need to confirm boundary lines, followed by all the

underground set up and other work required to start buildings from scratch. For those in the path of

Hurricanes Irma or Harvey, the issues are likely to be the same.

All of this is happening when there is a major shortage of contractors to do building and subcontract

work everywhere in the United States. Who are they likely to contract with? Insurance companies.

To expedite the work in these damaged areas, it will be up to the insurance industry to see work

happens in a timely manner so they mitigate their losses. Their interest aligns with that of the people who

lost everything. The major insurers are all over the wine country helping people find housing and helping

with their expenses to begin to get their lives back in order. For those people who don’t have insurance,

they will have to rely on the federal or state government to advocate for them or for help from those

nonprofits who provide support where none other none other is available. This is going to be much harder than it

would be if insurance were available.

No one likes to imagine the worst. There are other perils to property than fire. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes – they happen all over the world and leave so many people unprepared for happens next. How do you make ends meet when you have lost your livelihood? Your home? There are also unprecedented events like vandalism or arson. Tattoo artist Marcus Kuhn said he set up the shop using his life savings and now has no money left to rebuild his studio after it was destroyed by arson only 11 days after opening. He did not have insurance in place at the time. Sadly this is not the only incident of this nature as there have been others reports of tattoo shops destroyed by arson, theft and vandalism. So many tattoo artists bring themselves up by their bootstraps – learning their trade over many years and working towards having a shop of their own. Tattooing is no longer on the fringes but many of the artists who work in shops or own them come from a free wheeling artistic background and are more focused on tattooing than the mundane aspects of shop management and paperwork. Rare is the shop that has a full-time manager, waivers, legal paperwork, and is fully insured, but thankfully this is changing.

More shop owners are understanding the importance of not only delivering amazing tattoos and customer service but protecting their huge investments and making sure they are covered for every potential problem. Insurance and what is “necessary” brings to mind the old dentist joke.

“You don’t have to brush your teeth – only the ones you want to keep.” So when it comes to insurance I guess the thinking goes;

  You don’t have to have full coverage – only protect yourself against the problems you plan on having.

If this past October taught me and my neighbors anything is that you can’t plan for every possible outcome – but as least you can try to be prepared. Stay safe out there. And call your insurance agent.

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Dotwork Tattoos: style & technique

by Fade FX- In the last 20 years dotwork tattooing has grown into a uniquely recognizable style, since specializing in this area I’ve been interviewed many times by tattoo magazines about it’s ancestry,  origin and key influencers. Dotwork itself echo’s an artistic drawing style called pointillism which solely utilizes dots to build up texture and...

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The Pros & Cons of Tattoo Conventions

Thinking about attending your first tattoo convention? Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of your convention experience, and a few warnings to consider before you go. The very best tattoo conventions in my experience, (for fans and pros alike), are those hosted by actual tattooers. I’ve been involved in tattooing for 25...

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The 80 Best Half Sleeve Tattoos for Men

Full sleeve tattoos are very popular among men. They are perfect for showing off, especially if you have a well-toned arm. But what if you can’t afford one or want a more discreet arm tattoo? In that case, we suggest getting a half sleeve tattoo instead.

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