This is my first post here, so if I’m going overboard on info/pics, please say so and I apologize.
My nephew has gone through his apprenticeship and has briefly worked at a shop.(there was some sketchy foul play involved and they basically stole all of his equipment – the reason he doesn’t work there anymore. I have to say this due to what follows.) Knowing this and seeing my sister’s tattoos (she’s been his learning-pig) her’s look pretty decent. Sure you can tell the newer from the older and experience gained, but still. So! I thought, well I have tattoos and they’re 15 years old and could use some touch-up to freshen the colors. This is where the tragedy began. I don’t have a scanner to scan in the before tattoos pics, but I don’t think you’ll have any problem understanding my distress. I don’t even know where to start, honestly. I have a lot of pics for your perusal and hopefully sympathy LoL.
First is my Butterfly. Saw it in Flash-form and fell in love with it. It represented so much at that time in my life and I got it on my birthday. This is what it should look like, but the “tails are rounded in mine as you’ll see.
It genuinely looked this good, though different colors.
THIS is what I have now.
I’ve done some Roman numerals here to point out some obvious issue, but most of you wont need them. I: Bleeding like WTF. II:EXTREMELY thick outline – this was not like this before & Celtic knot work??o.O Is it that hard to follow lines already present? III: More bleeding. IIII: You can see the raised ink here for sure so I know he’s over-soaked me with ink. -_-
Now, onto exhibit 2 – I have 4 total, so bear with me, please. I’d just like a discussion on all of this.
My Moon 🙁 This was my most favorite of all of them. Again it had meaning and again it was Flash-art. I know,do something more original, but you like what you like, you know? I decided I’d like a little cloudy like night sky kinda at an angle with some little white stars here and there cause it was kinda boring. Well, not any more – now, it’s just hideous and I’m heart-broken.
This is how it should have been – minus the little squigglies inside ( I couldn’t find one just plain).
This is what has become of it. I’m nearly weeping openly. (2 images the first normal color the other more saturated.)
The arrows were placed to show the blur as well as the “stars” he was trying to put in which now look like picked-at scabs. There are some in the opposite side’s “sky” but they were done in white which wont stay but they didn’t get all creepy. IDK why, maybe some of you do.
At this point, I thought he could handle putting a small black tattoo on me – sooo sooo simple. Here’s the original:
I also tried to size it to the approx size in my skin, but this will depend on your monitor size. It’s about an inch and a quarter both directions. This…sadly, is what I got:
You can actually SEE his outlines and how much it bled. (ink wise, not blood wise)
Which brings me to my star. It’s just about perfect! (it was done on the same day as the black one above)
Mind, it’s hard to take pics of the outsides of your ankles ( where star and moon are) so they’re both a little crooked. There is a tiny bit of bleeding in the star..it’s ok! It’s not mutilated like the moon.The moon and the star…yeah they’re supposed to be the exact same colors and were originally done a few days apart. The Butterfly is between my shoulder blades and the black one is on the inside of the Star-leg (left).
I know my moon is a goner. So sad about this, really. You don’t need to give me the “you get what you pay for” line cause I already knew it. So I’m trying to work out a cover-up for my poor moon. The Butterfly I’m at an utter loss on what to do with it. The pic was taken *just* after he finished and I’m sure it’s bled to death now, too. It’s not a typically viewed area, but no one wants to live with an abomination on them. I’m going to have him at least fix the knot work he botched in the bottom half…not that it’ll make it much better. The black one which is just a personal sigil for someone I respect, but it’s…it’s supposed to be very fine work so going over it, trying to correct the lines (not to mention the shape is off a bit) will only look worse. I have seriously though about burning them all off or maybe a cheese grater…(I’m not sure how I’d reach the moon) and then getting them done again – except the star, of course. I doubt I’d go through with it but the money it would cost to get them removed, esp. now that they’ve been second-inked is not something I could even save for. ( The burning and Cheese grater above were (mostly just for humor’s sake.)
So, my questions are thus: What has he done wrong so I can tell him (and refer to this post) and help him NOT to do this to someone else. He did mention when I was on my side and in position for the star that it was more comfortable because it was the same position he draws in. Anyone have any suggestions as to WTF I do with them now? As mentioned before, I don’t have a lot of income so going out and seeking a large sum of money-tattoo cover isn’t that much of an option. I love body art – I want tons of it…but this has left me rather bitter, but he’s young and not incredibly experienced and I understand that,so I can’t be TOO upset with him. SO, I want to hep him, but I also want my tattoos back ( I know I know) and of course, more from him when he’s got it figured out. I’m asking for you to help me help him to figure it out. I think that’s all I can say right now. I’ll come back and add if need be. Thanks for reading through this novella and for all opinions/advice to be given.
Oh, also, I wasted to questing the holes in my black sigil-type tattoo. In three places (one has mostly healed now) and two remaining; the crossing points in two areas have left some pretty deep holes. Is it just heavy handedness going over the same point possibly multiple times, or something else? Also, these were all done 7-8 days ago (2 on each day) So I know they’re not healed, but I’m pretty sure (as you can see most of the scabs have come off…that it’s not going to get any better after healing. Thanks again.
What he has done wrong is skirted a proper apprenticeship and reaped the rewards for doing so. The blowouts are from being too heavy-handed. The poor line work is due to a lack of practice and maybe an unsteady hand as well. The disproportionate drawings, poor shading, and so forth are due to lack of practice. He needs to draw more – a LOT more – before inking anyone’s skin and of course, he needs a proper apprenticeship. Sure he may be able to attain his goals by scratching, but he’s going to fuck up a lot of skin in the meantime and it’s going to take him twice as long to achieve his goals.
As for you, let them heal completely and then seek out a GOOD artist in a SHOP to fix them. You really shouldn’t be upset with him at all. You knew what you were getting into and you did it anyway.
As for you, let them heal completely and then seek out a GOOD artist in a SHOP to fix them. You really shouldn’t be upset with him at all. You knew what you were getting into and you did it anyway.
This.
You won’t get any technical help to pass onto him, it’s not allowed on the forum, so he needs to learn by a proper apprenticeship.
Good luck with getting them sorted out
I have more questions at the bottom!!! I wanted to edit my first post to read this, however I’m guessing it’s not an option after a certain time. Please reply to those, now, if you can.
Thank you, both… What D3FiANC3 told me was along the lines of what I wanted to know. Just pointers, I guess and of course to confirm what I thought the problem was possibly to begin with. The poor/ possibly incomplete apprenticeship did not come to mind, so this is another thing I can talk to him about.
If anyone else wants to give opinions, not technical info, as stated by Panter, this is what I’m looking for. I’m not a tattoo artist, but I’d like opinions because when I go see him again in a week or so, he is gong to be in for some certain displeasure with his work.
I do not blame him nor am I angry with him. I know he’s new and as I mentioned before, the tats he’s done on others are pretty decent. He may have been a little nervous that he was doing it on me, too. (The aggressive Aunt/family person) Though I am regretful I let him do so much at one time rather than just one and seeing how it went, I’ll live and it can be a learning experience for him as well. I just want to know what to say to him in terms he will understand when I say this is why ____ has happened. I’ve spoken to others about it – etc. Sorry I seemed so emotional in my post above, but I tend to go in waves of upset to accepting. I welcome and look forward to anything anyone else may have to add. And thanks again to you both.
I hate to say it, but you knew what you were getting into and you did it again. Repeatedly. Even if he was still in his apprenticeship and not scratching, he’d be making mistakes. I can look at tattoos by Jeff Gogue and Filip Leu and find faults in them. There is no such thing as a perfect tattoo. I just think this is a case of you having unreal expectations on your nephew and expecting perfection from someone who is half trained.
Yes, I know I “got what I paid for” which is precisely the comment I asked not to hear. Yes, I knew he was inexperienced /new. I based my “expectations” against what he used to do and what he does, now. My sister is a living record of his advancement. Not necessarily a great way of looking at someone’s portfolio. also, I now know.
However, now, I don’t see how going to a professional, regardless of their ability or reputation can “fix” all the bleeding that’s happened without widening lines that are already too thick…or is there? I’m Irish and we never tan, I never spend time in the sun and if I do I wear the strongest sunblock I can get my hands on. (which is another?myth? I’ve heard which will cause it to fade or bleed/spread) I’ve not been in the sun at any length worth mentioning to have this as any sort of excuse, just a curiosity if using a skin-based color ink (when I got to a Prof.) is an option or of it even exists. I don’t know how well my body takes white and as I understand everyone is different on that? I don’t have any reputable artists in my area I’d trust to talk to and not make promises in order to get money from me as I live in a VERY small town and I live in the South where having tattoos is, especially in the small town I live in, a quite negative stigma…so not a ton of business. (I grew up in Vegas – and they (some of them, not all) did that and I saw results similar to mine artists who make promises even with their profiles/work examples – so you and I both know this can happen)
Now that I understand his faults ( and yes, for the 5th or 6th some odd time, I know it’s my fault – please stop ridiculing me on this, please. They are punishment enough, I promise.) and can make suggestions to him to focus on improving, I’d like to know what typical options are used that any of you have seen or heard of without complete removal. This is,obviously,the first time I’ve had to deal with anything like this and I’d lie to know some general and more typically used methods for correcting this. Heck if you know approximate ( I know it varies from place to place) cost – like you’ve have something similar fixed, perhaps what they charged you. I’m open to guesses, too. Any info on correction now is what I’d like to hear about, if you can. Thank you.
PS: I seem to add a lot of parenthesis, sorry about that. It may seem redundant or obnoxious.
white ink or skin colored ink doesnt work,
a retouch will widen the lines slightly, but heck, thats the easiest option,
you dont seem like you would want to laser, it is very expensive and a long process, there is no other way to remove a tattoo, nothing else works, we have been trying 150 years
the sun ruins tattoo, it does fade them, I wear sunscreen and a long sleeve shirt over my two sleeves and spf 75 on my legs
your nephew should get a proper apprenticeship from a reputable shop in a large city, learn the right way, if you are in a small city and want to learn to tattoo, move…………..what he is doing is illegal in most areas, it can also get your hands broken,
but I dont think he will listen
a retouch will widen the lines slightly, but heck, thats the easiest option,
you dont seem like you would want to laser, it is very expensive and a long process, there is no other way to remove a tattoo, nothing else works, we have been trying 150 years
the sun ruins tattoo, it does fade them, I wear sunscreen and a long sleeve shirt over my two sleeves and spf 75 on my legs
your nephew should get a proper apprenticeship from a reputable shop in a large city, learn the right way, if you are in a small city and want to learn to tattoo, move…………..what he is doing is illegal in most areas, it can also get your hands broken,
but I dont think he will listen
The things you say about my nephew…probably very true on every account. I can put the fear of God into him, though, but he is so stubborn. Thank you for your replies. It helps me make future decisions. Now I just have to do a lot of thinking and drawing to find an option that I’m happiest with. He does live in a large city, unlike myself, so he wouldn’t have to move. Simply to start over.
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