@yodaddynukka 128503 wrote:

Metalman is a true success story. Yeah he got bashed a little bit in the beginning but he also listened, stuck around and now he gets it.

Thanks. I have come a long way. I’m glad I was “bashed” here and on the other forum. It taught me a lot about the industry forcing me to research and do my homework, and I saw far beyond my initial impression of a bunch of “who do they think they are people” on the internet. I had the thick skin and I listened.

I may not have the best tattoos around, but compared to a large amount of what I see on the street, I’d say my choice of Gunnar doing my original piece and cover up was a very good one, and I really am proud of the ink I have. I’ll never look back, and when I get the itch down the road, I will search hard and travel if need be to get the work done (Gunnar was a 1,500 mile round trip twice, and well worth it).

I left decent sized deposit for Gunnar. He only books a few months out, so the wait wasn’t long.

To the O.P. I chuckled at the back and forths regarding your reluctance to give out an artists name. I side with Wardy on this one. Any respectable tattoo artist wants his/her name spread. That gives others a chance to browse that persons portfolio, and potentially get work done from that person. I won’t use the word childish as I heard previously in this thread, but in this case whether you think so or not you are doing this artist an injustice buy not helping that person build their business, all for a “whatever” reason as to not giving out a name. Just my .02.

You should change your name to Walking Art Gallery. Really sweet work you have.

I don’t want to sound like an a-hole, but just by admitting you’re scratching is the type of thing that really hurts the reputation of this industry. There are many great artists out there who have taken the time and expense to learn their craft in the proper way. #1, as Sam-I-Am stated, you need to become an apprentice and learn from a real tattoo artist. Just because you want to become a tattoo artist doesn’t mean you should just jump in with an eBay machine and pretend. For one, you will never be taught the ins and outs of tattooing, and if scratching history holds true with you, you will be putting out inferior work on unkowing and naive people who actually think they are getting something of quality.

Just my .02.

Personally I am not a fan of lettering in tattoos, but that’s just me.

From what I’ve learned about the tattoo industry, I give the same response to every singly “I need help on an idea” question regarding getting a tattoo.

Step 1: Come up with a “concept”, not necessarily exactly what you think you want, but just the idea behind it.
Step 2: Research and search out an artist, not a tattoo shop. It takes time, and there are variables like your budget and your ability to travel. Look at portfolios and come up with the person you think can pull it off.
Step 3: Go to the artist with your idea. From there, let the artist do their thing. Let him/her do the sketch, and let him/her come up with the color pallette.

If you want something solid, I personally don’t see any other way to approach it. Don’t put any constraints on the artist, meaning don’t micro manage the process. You’ll have a chance to look at the sketch and make tweaks. Obviously you have input into the big picture. But at the end of the day you are hiring an artist to ink canvas, and you’re the canvas. Twice now I’ve taken this approach and twice now the final product has far exceeded my expectations going in.

Mines broken