Im interested to know how everybody approaches their collecting.
Do you know what you want and find the right artist for it?
Do you contact an artist whos work you love and figure out the subject later?
What works and what doesnt? Cause lately ive hit a couple walls with artists
Very curious to know how different people approach collecting their work.
I’m constantly thinking about tattoo ideas. I’m drawing them frequently. I usually come up with a general idea then we talk about it. Once in a while he’ll say “How about this? or how about that?” I have only about six tattoos that I specifically requested.
Most of mine were drawn on freehand and then tattooed.
As far as artists’, I’ve been working with two regularly, and I’ve been talking to another. They are all from different shops but they know each other and the two I work with have gotten together for tattoo planning.
@jerryatrophy 142280 wrote:
Do you contact an artist whos work you love and figure out the subject later?
Yes
@jerryatrophy 142280 wrote:
What works and what doesnt? Cause lately ive hit a couple walls with artists
Do you name drop “Hey Ive got work by ????? and I think a piece by you would look great by it”?
Why are you asking me you already have a good collection going now
I generally dont name drop. Should i?
I mean ive only got two “names” really. Lol.
I personally (lately) have been more interested in collecting the artist than specific subject matter.
Just wondering how you guys (with a lot more experience dealing with high demand artists) go about securing appts.
I like colorful, unique tattoos. I don’t care who does my work as long as it’s pleasing to the eye.
Early on I got some shit tattoos that have now been gone over and made presentable. I’ve learned a hell of a lot on this forum, thank you all.
I fully respect your collections of world class tattoos, but that’s not me. jerry, your work is awesome, but I’ll never have a black and gray tattoo.
I’m 58 years old, and I’m having the time of my life!
@jerryatrophy 142292 wrote:
I generally dont name drop. Should i?
I mean ive only got two “names” really. Lol.I personally (lately) have been more interested in collecting the artist than specific subject matter.
Just wondering how you guys (with a lot more experience dealing with high demand artists) go about securing appts.
When I was talking to an artist last month at a convention he TOLD me to list some of the artists that I have work from when I send an email out. He said that it would make artists want to tattoo me. Ironically I had sent my first ‘name dropping’ email ever to his shop trying to get into a convention cancellation spot with Randy Englehard who was guest spotting at his shop prior to the show.
Then he invited me into the booth, introduced me to Randy and asked him if he would do something for me during next year’s guest spot. He looked at my arm and smiled and said ‘sure’. Not at a convention, because of the placement, but at the shop. 😎
Before that I had handled it by saying “I’m not sure what your rates are, but I am assuming that they are around the same as some of the other artists that I have been lucky enough to get work from, so my budget is $XXXX”.
Since that conversation I am dropping a few names. But like you, I am now leaning towards wanting an artist’s work and am less worried about the subject matter. Lately I don’t seem to have a lot of ideas, not sure why. So I make it clear that if they have something that they have been wanting to do that I am totally open to it. Well, I’ve only sent one email lately, but that’s what I did. (Haven’t heard back. But it hasn’t been long enough to give up hope on it yet.)
@Sam-I-Am 142293 wrote:
I like colorful, unique tattoos. I don’t care who does my work as long as it’s pleasing to the eye.
Early on I got some shit tattoos that have now been gone over and made presentable. I’ve learned a hell of a lot on this forum, thank you all.
I fully respect your collections of world class tattoos, but that’s not me. jerry, your work is awesome, but I’ll never have a black and gray tattoo.
I’m 58 years old, and I’m having the time of my life!
My last one was my first B&G and I’m in LOOOOOVVVEEE with it. Plus it was faster, hurt less and seemed to heal faster. And never got itchy. I might be a convert.
(SAM … I said CONVERT not PERVERT … :rolleyes: !!!)
@jerryatrophy 142292 wrote:
I generally dont name drop. Should i?
Absofuckinglutely It really helps to secure appointments it shows that you are serious about tattoos
Name dropping has helped me immensely lol.
As for my approach to collecting, it is pretty organic and tends to change quite often. I had no idea my suit was going the route it has, and to me that is part of the fun. As long as you do your research on the artist’s that are/will be involved in your suit, them you should be ok. For the most part…
@jerryatrophy 142311 wrote:
I appreciate the feedback. I guess i should start dropping names.
Its weird cause initially i knew exactly what i wanted and got it…(the stuff im now lasering)
Now i just want to let great artists do great work that they really want to do.
One artist told me name dropping works. He said if he knows a potential client has work from a friend or someone he admires, he wants to tattoo them.
Each artist handles bookings and consults differently. Some have a person screen clients, some screen with auto reply emails, some state on their site they are not currently taking new clients, some just don’t reply if they are too busy or not interested.
If you are willing to give the artist free reign that should help. Good to be a popular in demand artist.
I don’t really have a plan… I’m way too impulsive. But I have a rough idea of who I’d like to get tattooed by, and whenever I get an opportunity I reach out. Like at the last con when I was tattooed by both Remis and Torres, and had an offer from Domantas and Niki Nordberg, plus Tim Kern, Alexis Vaatete and a few others for London con. Really weird turning down such names.. What I did that time around (no name dropping as I didn’t really have any big names..), was I just wrote that I loved their work, would love to be tattooed by them and would give them basically free reigns within my themes/ideas etc to do whatever they want. I picked the ideas based on work I’d seen them post recently, which usually indicates what they’re into doing these days. Also I scoured instagram etc for anything that said “would like to do more of this” etc. Then I wrote what locations I had available on my body and the size of them. I didn’t write “medium big” I wrote the circumference of my wrist + below elbow, the length from inside of elbow to wrist etc. (when going for lower arm). I offered to send pictures, I referenced some of their work I’d seen them post as to what sort of tattoo I was looking for. Basically I kissed ass, gave as much detail as I could and kindly noted that I knew they were busy.
I got in with Torres mostly due to Yodaddynukka, but I guess my approach must have worked somehow as well 😛 Some were VERY late to answer, but everyone did eventually!
This was all for a convention though, but I do have vague plans to meet several of those I ended up declining in their shops later on. Oh and good thing at the con, was I knew quite a few artists already, got along awesome with Remis and Augis while getting inked and made everyone introduce me to… Everyone else, haha! (it does help being a tiny blonde in this aspect)
So I do think it’s gonna be easier to book some of those names in the future, even if they don’t remember me ;P And hell yeah I’m gonna name drop.
@Call_me_Lola 142299 wrote:
(SAM … I said CONVERT not PERVERT … :rolleyes: !!!)
I think deep inside everybody has some pervert tendencies. You just need the right person to bring them out.
@Sam-I-Am 142318 wrote:
I think deep inside everybody has some pervert tendencies. You just need the right person to bring them out.
Deep? Right person? I’ve totally scored appointments and discounts based on being a perv! 😛 I was once tattooed by a guy I’d hooked up with previously, and at a particularly sore spot I almost screamed and then said, so the entire shop heard me “You finally figured out how to make a girl scream!” I got a discount off my tattoo with his boss later because off that comment! 😛 I went to an after party at a convention, I’m pretty certain that ALL tattoo artists are perverts.
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