Evolution of a Tattoo Artist and Human Being

There is no life that does not rise
melodic from scales of the marvelous.—

—from "The Venice Poem" by Robert Duncan

This is a favorite bit from a poet I enjoy reading. My interpretation of this bit out of the Venice Poem speaks volumes about the work we do at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo Company. I had a dream once I personally moved out to the State Line Area. That dream was to be able to open a tattoo shop that would be like no other one in the area. Customer Service was the base of the pyramid in which I was to build. I wanted everyone that walked into the door to feel like they were apart of the family. I wanted them to feel very comfortable in the environment because of the procedure they were about to get. After all we are working with needles and not to mention emotions that come with the tattoo process.

I knew customer service in the tattoo industry was lacking. I worked at as a Store Manager at AutoZone. What that company taught me was that customer satisfaction was a top priority for businesses. I took that knowledge and applied its concepts to an industry that was lacking. The second brick or level in the pyramid was to give my employees the ability to have a fun environment as well as education that will prove vital in their career. I'm not talking just the art skills and customer service skills I learned, but the knowledge to grow as a human being.

I'm personally lacking in this category but hope to improve as time goes on. We as artist must grow in our search to obtain a broad area of human evolution. My brother would always say one must evolve if they are to enjoy life. Art is my way of improving my skills as a person. Just like the cavemen long ago I like self expression through pictures and paintings done by others. I get to read their culture through art. I get to see their struggles and achievements through art. I believe it is a much needed skill that every artist must achieve. If you cannot relate to the customers background or at least understand where they are trying to go with a piece-How then can you provide your customer with the up most in satisfaction?

My last goal was to try and show those out there that Tattoo Studios are not filled with rock star attitudes or plain out of the society was of thinking. Yes many in the industry do not have good people skills. But a vast majority of us do have great personalities- it's just society has turned on us. We are no more less patriotic then the next. We are just very artistic and show it every day we walk into public. It can be us having sleeves of beautiful tattoos or extreme piercings. I believe that body art is what makes us individuals and not a whole.

So what does the abstract say to me? The human brain and life in general is a marvelous experiment started billions of years ago. A process of divine intervention led to the mountain ranges we gaze upon, or the stars above that have every human in history in complete amazement when they stare up towards the heavens. We as artist can express our thoughts and skills through our tattoos and piercings. We too can create life into our work and effect people in very good ways or very bad ways. When you sit down and place that stencil on someone make sure you know that your about to touch someone on a very personal level. Do your best to put them at ease. Bring your piece to life using the skills you were given.

TLC-Tattoo School Show? Really 2 weeks to train an artist?

I had to chime in on the new program TLC is offering. The show will follow a so called school that teaches individuals how to tattoo in 2 weeks. All I have to say to that is "Are you fucking kidding me?" Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo has a school at our shops to teach proper tattooing.  The difference is our program is a year long with actual shop experience and even then after a year our students are still learning the craft as I'm I after all these many years.

The industry should be in an uproar over this show because it jabs a knife right in the heart of the industry. Now people out there instead of learning the correct way of tattooing will run out and buy a tattoo kit from ebay, add some dvds and think they can start inking on people within two weeks. Now we in the stores will have to  deal with all the screwed up work coming from the streets because TLC wants ratings and has found tattoo based reality shows it's ticket. 

2 out of 3 current tattoo artist have been self taught. I believe the ratio is so high because the popularity of tattooing in recent years have opened up the market to anyone with the cash to purchase a machine. In the early days when tattooing wasn't popular I believe that number to be the other way around for those going through an apprenticeship. One thing is for certain though-with shows like this one I don't think that number will ever turn around to the way it was suppose to be.

TLC has a big part in making tattooing very popular and many of the artist out there should give them some credit for that. Yes they put a shop and add a bunch of drama into it to make a show like LA or NY Ink. But come on we shouldn't even be mad about that because after all the tattoo shops are filled with drama. My thoughts though is since TLC has helped build the industry up it should take responsibility to it's viewers in being proactive to maintain shows about the industry that will not set off a wave of people running to the local supply shop to become tattoo artist without having the proper training. 

Will everyone bitching about this show really change TLC's mind? Maybe or maybe not. I think that the responsibility of TLC's actions will speak for themselves. Ratings is all that matters to them or any other broadcast network. Instead of the 2 weeks to train an artists I think they should've really looked around for reputable schools before putting this one on the air. 2 weeks just isn't safe or logical for anyone to pick up a machine. My students have to learn the parts,reasons,history,and pass time trials for taking apart and putting the machines back together before even hitting a grapefruit. That alone is a few months before they even know how to tune and handle a machine. 

Tattooing is a serious business. Bloodborne Disease as well as serious injury can happen while tattooing and piercing. The person running that school should retire and pick up another line of work. It will be on her or his head for the increase in infections as well as tissue injuries. I for one will not even entertain watching this new program. If  others in the industry do then your just enabling this station to do as it sees fit. Regardless of how it affects the industry.

To be or not to be? It’s all within your reach

Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo Company is proud to offer individuals the chance to become Tattoo Artists or Piercers through our Apprenticeship Program.  Individuals attend a Wednesday Weeknight Class and are expected to work in the shop in order to help off set the costs of the training.  James who came up with the training style likes to run the program how he was taught. He has done thousands of pages of flash, thousands of pages of drawings, hours watching artists do their thing in order to learn has much as he could. What is expected out of Aberration and Twilight Apprentices? Dedication and the willingness to learn all that can be soaked in.

Why the apprenticeship if you can go on ebay and purchase a tattoo kit and just do it from home? Like any trade (Tattooing is a trade) Masters pass down the information they have received to those who are eager and willing to learn. Apprenticeships are not given out lightly. Many out there dream of getting into a shop as an apprentice-most will shell out thousands of dollars to be giving the chance. Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo Company has a waiting list for people wanting to become a apprentice. One of the biggest mistakes that apprentices make during the program. Drama! Drama is your worst enemy at any tattoo shop. It kills any opportunity someone has to learn their craft. Getting caught in the he said- she said will do nothing but get you shown to the door. Older artist are notorious with kicking apprentices to the door because they do not take the craft serious enough as it should be. Just think how much information can be learned if the focus is kept on the craft and not who’s fucking who?

Last night I had a very interesting talk with one of the apprentices. He is an eager to learn kind of kid, at the same time he loves the party atmosphere which most of the time a tattoo shop will bring. It was explained that the partying and goofing around is part of the lifestyle we live. On the other hand that partying and carrying on is meant for full artists, Artist have already learned what their craft is about. Apprentices are their to learn and take the opportunity to really take in the information when its presented to them.

To be or not to be? That’s smack dab on the individual if they want to succeed. Artist will give them the opportunity to learn. Apprentices can take that opportunity and be someone they set out to be or they can take the other route. That route leads to an opportunity missed and lost. The apprentices I have now must ask that question. To be or not to be? Your totally in charge of your own path. Choose wisely because opportunities come and go. Don’t be on the outside looking in.

Verbal Judo!!!!

Working in any service or retail business employees come in contact with customers that are really not satisfied with the product or service they received. Have you ever had a car repair that you paid alot of money for but as it turned out the problem still was there? First thing that happens is you get this really bad feeling in your stomach that you got ripped off and you want to vent to those who did the repair. You make the phone call or go in person and the first thing out of your mouth is to voice displeasure at the first person you see or hear on the phone. This in return gets the other person on the other end of your displeasure angry and fired up just the same. 

As an employee or Independent Contractor you have to realize that it isn't personal. If recognizing the first reaction of a customer with a problem is going to be anger then you already have half the battle won. At Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo Company our stores are in two different geographic locations with two totally different client base. Someone dealing with one of the stores would be different then another customer in the other geographic location. What both clients have in common is human emotion. To what degree they voice it is another thing but taking away the emotion part of the argument or complaint is the first line of defense for the employee. When customers start yelling or voicing their comments loud an employee must keep a steady normal voice. This might be hard because we as humans take everything personal. Really the only thing that the customer is trying to do is be heard. Our jobs working at the shops is to hear them out. Don't interrupt the customer during the rant as I call it Let them get it out and remember to stay calm and keep a normal voice when replying. By replying in a normal voice tone you will notice how steady the voice of the angry customer starts to lower until finally they start speaking normal.

By allowing the customer to vent and talking normal back to them you are using VERBAL JUDO!!! Employees have to first understand don't take anything personal, stay calm and let them vent, if need be refer them to a supervisor. People who have reason will suddenly realize that the only one yelling will be them. Remember you are trying to keep this customer a returning customer. Tattoo and Piercing is mainly a word of mouth business. It is our jobs to make sure that the customer is feeling good and happy even if they came in wanting to ream everyone a new asshole. 1 negative will turn into 10 clients lost. 

Why Dermals over Surface Piercings?

The other day I seen a customer over at Twilight Dreamz Tattoo and Body Piercing come in with a Nape surface piercing. It looked terrible. The bar was already starting to push put like the majority of the piercings usually do. I asked him how long he had it in for and he said the bar was only in for 6 months. Surface piercings have a very high rejection rate. Now ad days its easier and safer just to put in two Micro Dermals. Dermals have a very high success rate and barely have any problems healing unlike the surface bar.

Surface bars at both Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo in South Beloit and our newest addition Twilight Dreamz in Poplar Grove still carry the surface bars and will pierce with them, but we really lay out the advantages and disadvantages of both to the customer. 9 times out of 10 the customer opts for the Dermal because of the advantage of cleaning and low rejection rate. Personally I see Surface Piercings becoming a relic in the industry with very few being seen on the scene. Who wants to pay over and over again to get the piercing done because of it's rejection rate? Not many people that I know. 

Twilight Dreamz Tattoo and Body Piercing

We here at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo is very happy to announce the opening of our second location "Twilight Dreamz Tattoo & Body Piercing"  Our second location will be located at 237 N State Street in Poplar Grove. James will be leading up the artist at Twilight Dreamz while Matt will be leading up our staff here at Aberration. Twilight Dreamz Tattoo will be open Mon-Wed: Noon-8pm  The shop will be located right next to Cross Town Pub and across the street from the Grove Pub. The official ink of Twilight will be SKIN CANDY. The brightest and most vibrant tattoo ink on the market. Just like Aberration Pro Custom Twilight Dreamz will be offering customers the same great deals on tattoos and piercings. 

Our famous $10 Tattoos and $10 Piercings" $20 Microdermals and 2 for $30. Check the web Blog often for more information. June 4th 2011 Eleven-2 am

Some Fun Tattoo Facts

Harris Interactive found out in July of 2003

- 16% of all adults have at least one tattoo
- 31% of people with tattoos are gay, lesbian, or bisexual
- 36% of those with tattoos are between 25-29 years old
- 34% of people with tattoos feel sexier because they are tattooed
- 29% of adults with tattoos feel more rebellious
- 17% of those with tattoos regret getting them
- Democrats are more likely to be tattooed than Republicans

In a poll done in May of 2003 found out
-76% of people say the biggest issue that would prevent them from getting a tattoo is not finding the right design.
- 10% of people say that either finding the right tattoo artist or having the money for a tattoo are the biggest reasons preventing them from getting a tattoo

A poll done in April of 2003 find out
- 32% of people prefer traditional plain black tribal tattoo designs over tribal with other design elements, texture, or color variations

In April of 2003 we found out
- The number of women with tattoos quadrupled from 1960 to 1980

The U.S. News and World Report, October 1997
-Tattooing is the United State's 6th fastest growing retail business

Life Magazine, 1936
- 10 million Americans (about 6%) have at least one tattoo

-People living in the West are 20% more likely to have a tattoo than someone living in the East.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1636218

Age old Question- How do you do that?

Most customers are not only happy with the pricing offered in the shop, many ask "How can you price so low when the guys down the street wanted double?" Many times our responses center on one important answer. Other shops do not buy direct from Manufactures like we do. Most of the time other shops depend on Tattoo Supply warehouses for their tools such as needles, tubes and so on. That is a real big mistake because why use a middle man when you can go direct to the source?

Needles for example in our business cost an average of $15 per 50 needles. Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo pays for those same needles $2 per 50 needles. This extra savings on just this item combined with the other stuff that is needed averages out where we pass the savings onto the customer. We cut the middle man in the supply chain and are able to give out the great prices we do.

Another big problem that many shops have is overhead and expenses. I cannot possibly see paying more then $500 a month in rent anywhere a shop is going to be put. Anything over that is just plain stupid considering that the economy now is just in a downward spin. Those who choose to have the bells and whistles are naturally the ones who will be charging the prices they are- not because of the so-called artwork, but because they have so much in expenses to pay out.

Tattooing is a lifestyle, most involved in the industry see it that way. In my view though most lose sight that this is a business. If the shop is going to keep it's door open many will have to start thinking outside the box. Most will never do that because in this industry the shops will go back and forth like little kids calling one or the other stupid silly names. Or the famous one is " Your shop sucks and we always have to cover it up", Well if that's the case over 99% of customers leaving the shop say they love their work or they will be sure to return. Most of our customers are return clients. So I don't see that argument going very far.

I'm from Chicago and over the years worked in many shops in the Chicago Land Area. Most not all of us got along because it was indeed a lifestyle we were living. Conventions in town were always a blast, no one talked about the other and everyone was just out to make money and party it up. I have to say in the Rockford-Southern Wisconsin area this is not the case. Many here are out to take as much as they can while crying and whining what other shops are doing. 

This Trend has been going on the last few years. I mainly blame it on EBay because they opened the door to selling tattoo and piercing supplies to just anyone. This in turn has flooded the market with shops that shouldn't be there.These people see Miami Ink and think they are the next big thing. That has hurt the industry in a bad way. On the other hand I see the job we are doing at the shop and how happy our customers are. We are State of Illinois certified, clean and sterile, but don't have to charge stupid prices. Most people think that all shops charge outrageous prices. Well with us it isn't the case. Because of our choice to help our customers we receive funny ass "U Guys Suck" Your Artwork Sucks and so on. Well as long as my customers are happy I really don't care what other artist think. They don't pay my bills so hate or cry and whine because we will always take care of our customers. 

Prison Artists

We as a society have become a society in which we seek blood for retribution of crimes. Even when those who paid their dues to society we still seek to punish those long after they get out of the joint. I can see if those who commit crimes against children or any sexual crime should not be black balled. What about those who were imprisoned for drugs or involuntary crimes? Should we give them a chance to simulate back into society? I think so personally. I think a person should always get a second chance at life. In the tattoo industry I've seen some of the best artist come from behind the walls. Yea they screwed up but the art has to speak for itself.

Some states are regulating the industry where if a person is a convicted felon they cannot tattoo. I believe that is horse shit for one. Most of these agencies wouldn't know what a good tattoo is if it hit them in the face. Most inspectors never had any real experience in the Tattoo field so how could they try and pass a law like that? I have a standing rule for artist in the shop. NO Child Molesters or Sexual Based Crimes!! Other then that if your art is good and you have brains then lets see how it works. 

Tattooing is a lifestyle-Those who have the talent should be given the opportunity to make a living. Prison is always going to be a fact of life. There is more then 1 million people incarcerated in this country. Most of the crimes have to do with drugs. Personally I thought we would have learned from prohibition that making stuff illegal don't work. Again the so-called shot callers have an agenda of trying to make people offend again because thats 30,000 a year in their pocket. 

Artist in the joint are creative not only in the art that they put out there but also how they go about doing that art. Home made ink, Home made Tattoo Machines and not to mention being under the pressure of being caught with the supplies and spending time in seg. Most of the artist in the joint don't just make it through on the tattoos alone. They also do drawings on such things as cards or envelopes. Some of the best pen work I've seen comes out of the joint. 

Most people out there that do not already know that most of us are blue collar individuals. We work hard every day to make it in this world. Sometimes shit happens and people make mistakes.Below are a couple of links u should check out. Look at the amazing art that comes from the "Hood" and from the "Joint". Think about what the art is trying to convey and the experience the artist had to go through. Remember not all tattoo artist are Kat Von D who was spoon fed her career. Most street artist came from an environment that was picture perfect. 

Chicano Art  Convicted Artist

So what makes a Tattoo Shop?

How many times have you walked into a tattoo shop and felt comfortable? Has any of the employees ever greeted you when you came through the door? How did the staff address your concerns or help answer any question you might have? Working in the tattoo industry has been a dream come true for most people who are lucky enough to work in the shop full-time or even on a part-time basis. Most tattoo studios or as I still call them because old dogs are often hard to teach new things- Tattoo Parlors. 

Usually the studio is a very fun place to work. We do tattoos and piercings so we are already living outside the norm. You find all different types of people in the industry. They often express themselves through the art in which they live. The industry is not a job or career. It's a lifestyle in which people express their differences rather then what they have in common. It's funny that most of the time we get bunched in by our own people into a street shop or the custom shop categories. Someone working in either one just wants to be able to live the lifestyle but of course when money is thrown into the mix the real human beings come out.

So to get back to some of the questions I posed at the beginning of the blog. Tattoo shops have been slow to embrace customer service as part of their business plan. I knew of an owner that would be nice as day to get the clients into the door. But during the procedure was just an absolute bitch to them and employees as well. She was in an area that was mostly black urban customers and would target towards them. She thought since they were black it didn't matter how she treated them. Another instance is a big shop in Chicago. Brand name and very well known through numerous advertising media's. A customer walks in the door and is treated like a number instead of someone who is looking for something permanent. They become cattle that needs to get processed and moved out the door.

I once worked for a major automotive store who based everything they did on customer satisfaction. I'm not ashamed to say that AutoZone was a big influence on how Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo treats their customers. When someone walks through the door they are greeted and asked if we could help them with anything. The employees are free to express themselves and make it a very fun environment for the customer. Customers like to know they are part of the crew when they come into a shop. Most of the time our artist make good friends with people that are customers. 

I believe it's the environment that makes a tattoo shop. People come in for either a tattoo or piercing to express views or emotions that they have. They expect to find those who are doing the piece to be fun and outgoing just because the field they are in. Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo prides itself in having the environment that customers expect. Hopefully many more shops will start understanding the environment in their stores and make it where people feel welcome. It only makes our industry better in the public light.

The most done tattoo is? GRRR "The Name"

The most requested tattoo in the industry. The Name tattoo. We get dozens of these going out the doors at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo. Since the new law in Illinois making it legal to tattoo at age 18 instead of 21 I believe most shops would agree that "Names" have doubled and tripled. Names at the shop cost only $10 Bucks for a 72 font Edwardian Script. We do so many of them thats why we include them in the stores daily specials. 

I have my wife name on my neck and arm. Of course I've been with her over 17 years. More and more we are seeing the kids 18-21 more and more getting boyfriends or girlfriends name tattooed on them. I cringe most of the time because me being in this business for so long I know its a matter of no more then 6 months before I'm covering it up or placing the void stamp over it. I personally try to counsel the person into not getting a name tattoo unless they have been married for awhile. Most don't listen and go ahead with the tattoo.  Then a few weeks later they hang their head down and tell us they should've listened to when I told them not to do it.

Does it hurt? Where would you put it?

At Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo  we get that question all the time. As artist we will always tell you that the tattoo or piercing process is an individual experience. My pain tolerance may be more then yours. One thing that I can tell you is some of the equipment  use can effect the level of pain a customer may feel. Our needles for instance. We usually use a 5 Round Shader to do most of our outlines. Shader needles give a nice line without the shakiness that would be seen with say a regular liner. Depending on the piece will give us an idea if we need to move up or down in sizes. If we move down in sizes the pain level for the customer will increase. Smaller needles are more sharper then the bigger sizes. A single line needle is rare in the shop industry, most of the time they can actually feel like a hot razor blade. Personally I never felt the need for them. Lots of scratchers in the industry use them because they don't know any better.

Well does shading hurt more then lining? Yes and no. The reason for the outline is so the ink we put in later in shade or color has a border to come up against so it doesn't spread. This in effect creates a cavern where the ink from shading or coloring falls into and pools. Depending on the magnum or shader configuration and again how many needles are in the pattern will effect the pain level a person feels. Flats are a needle that I never use. I find they tear up the skin real good. I use mainly the 7 and 9 Magnum. It's in a weave pattern and is pretty light on the skin. Again everything depends on the artist and how they tattoo. I usually use coil machines for both lining and shading. At times though you will see me pop out the rotary machine which most of my customers say is much less painful then my rotary. When I see a piece that needs vibrant color or is bigger in size thats when I decide on the rotary.

Where would I put it? This question is generally a women or man decision. What? Yes women can take pain much better then men while getting tattooed. Generally for men  the chest, ribs and front of neck are things that will bring us into the fetal position. Women on the other hand handle the chest and ribs much better. The famous tattoo on the foot is one I usually don't recommend in the winter time. Foot tattoos are 75% likely to get infected and require antibiotics because the location is surrounded by bacteria. Shoes and socks, the rubbing of these items against the tattoo get it infected usually in a few days after getting the tattoo. These tattoos should always be received in the summer to take away the chance of infection because the shoes and socks can be left off.

In the end it's personal choice on where to get the tattoo. It's going to hurt because we have needles going in you. The longer the lines the more discomfort you will feel. We recommend lots of thought before deciding on where and what will go on your body. After all its a permanent procedure.

Back in the Chair Again!!! Us versus them

Well been pretty busy at the shop and fell behind on the blog for awhile. I read an interesting post the other day where an artist was complaining about bargin shopping tattoos. Have one thing to say I guess to that person. "Wake up idiot and realize that there is a recession and people cannot afford your bullshit any longer". Hum well that was relief. Well anyways these are the artist who think they are worthy to receive your hard earn money and don't believe that you have no right to check prices. They also look down and rag on street shops because we do take care of the customer. One thing I usually say to them is "Our shop is up and running but where is yours?" See these artist don't understand economics very well. They are also the ones who like crying "Good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are no good". Again as their shop is closing because they do not know economics.

In this industry they believe all the artist must stick together to keep prices fixed at a certain level. Well I for one never really played well with others so I really make some waves in the industry. Oh well screw them they don't pay my bills anyways. The only respect I seek is from my customers, I do not seek the respect of any other shop out there. Some shops cringe when a shop like Aberration Pro Custom Tattoos opens up. Why? Because they know that pricing and quality will take the business every time. Heres a situation that really tickles the funny bone. You can sit in on one of their conversations and they complain about people buying a pair of shoes for example. Why would they spend that much money on shoes and not that much on tattoos? Well it's personal choice. Just because your a tattoo artist doesn't mean you can dictate someones spending habits.

Aberration Pro Custom Tattoos always posts a link to our portfolios in every advertisement. Potential clients can view those portfolios at any time before coming into the shop. We love all the haters out there because those shops really enhance our business. All the hate talk gives the customer the idea to check out our portfolios. So the hate talk turns into a positive for us because then a customer that hasn't heard about us then turns around to check us out. They check out our pics and then our business gets even busier. We always have a friendly shop. We involve our customers in every possible way from getting the tattoo or joining in on our weekend mini dance party. I guess you can say we are the destination to be. 

So I guess the moral of the story here is that it is the customer who drives this industry and not the artist. One of these days artist will figure it out. 

A Dying and Childish Breed

What advice can I give not only the students at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo and other shops that have recognized the need for our industry to get away from the Rock Star Prices as well as the Rock Star image? A student of mine found out first hand how fast a person in this industry can go from being a friend to a foe. He was posting advertisements on Craigslist for people to come in and get tattooed for a certain amount of money. After all you cannot ask a person to drive in and tattoo someone without making money back for his supplies or gas now can you? Anyways I had an artist come in from another shop to teach a class or two at our school. Everything was great and he actually made some extra money by giving some tattoos to the staff.

Fast forward a few months and now that all the apprentices are basically on skin and charging what they are suppose to charge this particular person who has a shop 40 minutes North of us is starting to bash their work as scratchers and trying to discredit them by throwing out that "Good Tattoos are not Cheap and Cheap Tattoos are not Good" crap we've heard in the industry for well over 20 years now. Actually thats the saying the industry came up with so everyone would fix prices. It was an unwritten rule that everyone would charge a minimum of at least $40 for anything coming through the door. Well now that tattoos have become main stream these same people are furious that consumers are actually smarter then they are and know that they can get good art for better pricing. Lets face it because it happens everyday. People would rather have Cousin Bill do their name tattoo for a few bucks rather then go to shop and get raped.

Time to evolve people who run shops. Time to see the trend!!! You people can go out of your way trying that old tired line on people and it won't matter a bit. Economics is what drives every business. Tattoo Kits are sold to everyone these days. I rather see people go to a shop with good prices and work over someone going to a house for one. No matter how much you boneheads try to preserve the minimums your destined to fail. Not only must you depend on return clients, you have to get new ones as well. So call us a street shop, I'm actually happy with the compliment. I will never and I hope either does my students ever conform with the popular image of the Tattooist. You guys can keep your Rockstar Image and Prices and I'll watch your doors shut. I on the other hand prefer to be more customer friendly. I'm in business for me and no one else. I believe in no alliances here or there, with this person or that person. 

Oh yea. By the way guys you'll be hearing our commercials on a major Rock Station that concentrates right around ol boys shop. One thing that you have to learn about competition is don't worry about defending yourselves. Always go on the attack and stay on the attack when someone engages you in this business. The whole point of them going after you in the first place is jealous childish crap wanting to put you out of business. If they start it the saying goes woop that ass. Well in business thats called going after the jugular. You better believe now that ol boy started you can bet all advertisement will be going his general direction. 

Tattoo Shop Loyalty: A Shop Owners Perspective

Tattoo Shops and the employees that work at the studio have a relationship that is unmatched in other industries. I can only think of a few industries where the people who work at the establishment are running their own business. Real Estate Sale People are Independent Contractors running their own business, but after working briefly in that industry I found the work environment more cut throat then even the tattoo business. Most of the time you were lucky to see those who worked in the office because they mostly were on the road or worked from home mostly. An office environment was mostly a place where people were more cut-throat to their peers. It was often encouraged by the broker.

The Tattoo Environment is more often then not a very fun place to work. Of course it has a competitive atmosphere but the owners of the shop should ensure fair play. Some times it can be taking turns on walk-ins or if one artist needs to fix another artist work within the shop- the artist who made the mistake needs to pay the one artist fixing the work the money for his time. An owner of a shop should never allow one artist to still another artist clients. An owner should ensure that if someone is advertising their business out of their own money- that artist receives the request from the customers.

In turn for a good owners loyalty to the artist. The artist should in return respect the things that the shop has provided them. If the shop is a fun place as well as a place where money is being made then some loyalty should be shown in reverse. Shop jumpers are an example of an artist with an attitude problem or a god complex. Shop Jumpers are those who like moving shop to shop after only a few months and when something doesn't go their way they up and leave. It's funny in the end how most the time they are often left without a shop to tattoo in. Word spreads very quick among the shops and usually those shop jumpers are black balled.

It is amazing how artist take for granted the opportunity to work in a shop environment. Many people spend years and thousands of dollars to get the chance for a studio job. It should be a lesson to those already working in a shop that they should keep hungry and loyal not only to the shop but also their clients. Ever since opening the tattoo school at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo I've seen alot of people who are dedicated to the profession and co-workers they are with. I've got the best staff an owner could wish for. They are always willing to learn and eager to work. They do not have the God complex and treat the customers how they should be treated. When they graduate the program and choose to go off on their own I'm hopeful I taught them to be respectful to clients, perform your best work, and be loyal to the shops they work at. That loyalty if you have a good shop owner will always be paid back double and triple. After all most of the studios I've worked for everyone was like a second family. 

Image of a Tattoo Artist

When you think of a tattoo artist what do you envision? In this business the artist is more diverse then the work that is performed on the clients. When you think about the many types of backgrounds artist come from it's mind boggling. For instance I'm considered by most to be a Biker. I ride choppers and like the Biker scene more then say going to a progressive art show. Some other artist come from the "Hood" where they started on graffiti then moved onto doing house parties and finally into a shop. Both types in this example started their careers on the rebel side of society as I like to call it.

Then you have artist that done nothing but draw all their life because it was a passion. The passion drove them to explore different mediums to practice the craft until they were led to tattooing. Some of these artist came from middle class and higher income neighborhoods. Then of course the one type of artist that doesn't fit the bill of any of the above. "The Punk Rocker" This is an artist that takes the freedom of the craft to a whole different level. They take everything to the extreme and it shows in their artwork as well as their piercings.

I believe with all these different personalities, this is the reason why our industry is one of the best to work in. The art that is produced is just out of this world. The best place to see all of these types of artist mix is on the convention circuit. It's always a trip seeing everyone who is a different kind of artist sling their type of art on someone. I love watching the suspension shows that are put on. Thats when they put hooks in someones back and suspend them in mid air. 

So what type of artist do you consider yourself? Depending on what type you think you are is how your work will be classified. I'm proud to be considered in the Biker category. You could even say I'm in the Hood category also. I like being at the street level of things. I grew up in Melrose Park right outside of Chicago's North Side. I was around gangbangers and bikers all my life. My artwork shows that style and passion. I love seeing all the people come in that really match my style. The names tattoo and paw prints, the traditional sparrows and more. Of course I've really taking a liking to Traditional Japanese and look forward to really diving into this art form.

Customer Service in the Tattoo Industry

The tattoo industry is the same as all industries. You have to have exceptional customer service in order to build a client base. After all this industry is becoming more and more competitive by the day. Studios are popping up all over these days and the old mentality of shops fixing prices are a thing of the past. What do I mean by fixing prices? Shop Minimums point blank are the wrong business model in these times. Customers are now coming from the mainstream population. Those customers are now educated enough to know that when they walk into a store ore studio they expect to be treated like they are number one.

Who can blame them? When I walk into a small shop or small retail establishment I expect to get greeted at the door and offered assistance. At Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo this is a mandatory practice. As artist and business people this should be second nature to all of us. Just because we practice a craft we need to put our attitudes and attitudes to the side. People who visit our establishments are the reason we make the money we do. Without those individuals coming into the door we don't make any money and I believe this is the number one reason why shops go under. Yea bad artwork is a reason why many don't make it in the industry. But poor attitudes will lead many to tell their friends in which will tell more people that the studio is not a place to be, next thing you know you have no customers.

The place we are at now is a great example. We've heard the horror stories about the previous owner never showing up to his appointments, talking just plain stupid when he did have customers. He also would have posted hours and never keep them. So now he wonders why he went out of business and puts the blame on everyone but himself. You cannot sit there and talk about how big your dick is or keep a shop in bad condition. When you have posted hours you have to keep them, yea it sucks sitting around all day and no one come in. Well thats the industry! You have to have a good marketing plan in order to obtain the business. When you do get the business you have to do everything in your power to keep the business and have a good return rate.

Regardless of the marketing plan "Word of Mouth" will continue to be the biggest way any studio gets it's business. Spending $50,000 a year on radio commercials like one shop does in our area isn't going to keep the customers coming in. The shop in question has poor customer relations skills, customers come into our shop all the time talking about the bad experiences they had with this particular shop. I'm all to willing to provide them with the best experience because I know I want to turn them into a regular customer. I take customer complaints very seriously. When I get them I address the issue with the staff involved and get it fixed right away. My staff knows or should know that the fastest thing that can get you dismissed from the job is being unprofessional with clients. Since all my employees are independent contractors they should know that the very first thing on their agendas should be to treat every customer as they want to be treated.

Custom Tattoo Shop vs Street Tattoo Shop

It was interesting to have a conversation with one of the artist at Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo about the difference between a so called Custom Tattoo shops and So called regular Street Tattoo Shops. What is the definition of a Custom only shop? This is a shop that is more like a private studio only that sets a large amount of money as its shops minimum. Some of these custom shops have $100 minimums up to $250 Minimums. It sounds like a great place to work as an artist doesn't it? You would figure the artist is making a whole lot of money wouldn't you? If you said yes I would have to disagree. Just because a shop has a high minimum that doesn't mean that the artist will make the money. For one to be charging that high of a price you better be a national known artist. Or you have to have a strong following of clients that will be able to afford the prices in the first place. Artist who wish to work in to these types of shops have to have a strong business plan because regular walk-in clients will 99% of the time will refuse to pay those inflated prices. If an artist does nothing but work the convention circuit I believe it is totally possible to bring in those types of figures. A booth at a convention circuit usually averages $6,000 on a weekend. So yes being a custom only artist would be beneficial in that area. You will get to do the traveling and partying that comes along with the circuit.

A street level shop makes most of the industry up. Even street level shops have minimums of usually $40 bucks which on my eyes is still really stupid. The street level shop may get the business but do you really think a disappointed customer will really come back because some artist charged $40 for a name tattoo? Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo starts at only $10 bucks. We don't believe in charging the stupid prices most other shops do. We believe in a solid business model of "Putting our Customers First". That means when you walk into our shop you will be greeted and treated like part of the family. It's funny walking into the shop on a weekend and seeing the staff dancing or just having a hell of a time. We strive not only to make it a great work environment but also one customers will like coming into. We are proud to be a street shop if thats the category we are put into. Yes we have flash on the walls and books to look through. But we also have a staff of professional artist ready to draw up that custom piece. We have the best of both worlds here at Aberration. 

So the morale of the story is customers is what dictates the type of shops that are in business. Artist might think they have total control on prices and what kind of work is being put out but in reality they might be sitting out on the street wishing they would've left the Rock Star attitude at the door. Street shops will be where you start your career and more then likely finish it. Remember Rock Stars like Kat Von D is few and far in between. An artist has a real short chance in making it on TV or being a world famous tattoo artist. It will take dedication and marketing to make it to that level. Dreams are good to have but don't over reach where the dreams cannot be achieved.

Japanese Style Tattooing and the Back Piece

A client came into the shop and wanted to do Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo $350 all you can take special. The client wants a traditional Japanese style back piece. In the piece he wants a yin yang with fire and ice, two koi fish circling the yin yang, dragons circling the opposite direction of the koi fish. That was the main center piece that the other quarters were going to be built around. So now as artist it was left to us to come up with the rest of the piece and put in the other scenes. Japanese art has always been an interest of mine. It conveys not only tradition but beauty as an art form. 

The Japanese have long been a traditional and ancient people. The island is rich in tradition and still has lots of customs it's people follow even today. It has been a goal of mine to visit the country to see it's beauty that I portray in my tattooing. Many times I wonder why people are so drawn to this art form. Is it because of the color flow? Is it because individuals want to have a tradition that is almost never found in the United States? Personally I think people get the tattoos because they feel the power of the images and what they represent. It bothers me when people come into the shop and pick something off the wall. They put no thought into the piece, it is so much of an impersonal process that will be left on someones body the rest of their lives. 

The Japanese culture still looks at tattooing as Americans did in the 50's all the way up to the mid 90's. They feel it is still the criminal majority that gets tattoos. Hopefully one day that will change there because they have some of the greatest artist in the world on that tiny island. They are such a rich culture and have beauty that is out of this world. 

So how do we convey this traditional artwork into a back piece? The first thing we did at the shop was to take the clients back measurements. We had to find the center of the back to place the center of the whole piece where everything else would flow around. After we found center and measured the quadrants off we had to come up with scenes that would flow together when placed together with everything else. Once we had the idea of what was going to go into the piece we then took poster board and started drawing the back piece up how it would look on paper. Once the client approves the poster board we will start the stenciling process and start tattooing. Check back from time to time to see our progress on this fun piece.

Steps in the tattoo process

So how does the tattooist go from just a stencil to a wonderful bright and vibrant tattoo?Look at the picture above. What do you see as far as line work? How about shading and color blending work? A lot of new tattoo apprentices neglect the basic steps of the tattoo process and because of that their pieces turn out blan. Time and commitment to the piece needs to be the most important to the artist. First the choice in needles is the most important of decisions the artist must look at when doing a tattoo. Most of the time I prefer the 5 Round Shader to any of the tight liners such as the 5,7 or 8. 5 round shaders give a nice crisp line and is one of the most forgiving needles when it comes to lining. It rarely ever  shows shaky lines. So as a beginner and even some of the most advance artist will use this choice every time they can when outlining. 

After the needle has been chose and the outline has been done the next important most over looked step is your power line. An artist has to put the most time in the outline. Without a crisp good looking outline the tattoo will not have a good look regardless of how much someone shades. People like when the tattoo comes alive on the skin. Showing your definition through power lines is one way to do it. An artist does not power line the entire piece. You power line your piece according to your light source. 

After your power lining then comes your shading part. It is also important to remember that black in itself does not give good shade. I always use the color that I'm going to be making the piece up with the black. So if I'm using blue I'm mixing it with the black to start my shade off. It is also called muddying it up with black. When I go into my color blend this helps with a natural transition. When I start the color blend I never dip in water to change colors. leaving the needle muddy lets all those previous colors used create a natural progression of color instead of a person seeing where you started one color and moved to the next. Really the only time dipping is needed is when you change out to frost a piece with white. Other then that stay away from dipping unless you want to lighten one of your colors.

Next time you tattoo remember the steps involved with tattooing. Remember that each and every customer depends on you knowing what you are doing. Take your time on the outline and everything else will follow.

Getting over your fears as a piercer or tattooist

As a Professional Body Piercer or even a tattoo artist there will be some point in your career where one has to make the decision on whether they will be a professional or choose to limit their income possibilities. The main reason we got into this business was because of the love or art. With art comes all sorts of different viewpoints regarding ones perception about what art is and what it is not. If your going to be a professional piercer you have to come to the realization that people will want to have genital piercings. Both male and female. Above is a video of the Prince Albert piercing by Elayne Angel one of the top piercers in the industry. She was actually there when the West Coast started at the forefront of the piercing industry. Elayne Angel actually particpates in medical studies in regards to piercings. She is a very professional piercer and we are lucky to get the information that we do from leaders like her. She is the author of the Body Piercing Bible a must have for all piercers. Taking a lead from Elayne you can see just how professional she is with clients and how friendly she can be. When someone comes walking into the shop asking for say a hood or Prince Albert an artist has to remember that this is the career they chose. It has nothing to do about being gay or how uncomfortable this type of piercing will make you. You are paid for a service and that being said if your timid or shy maybe this isn't the career path for you. Take a professional attitude and disregard what society has to say and you'll find not only will you make good money but you will also be seen amongst the great artist and your customers as a professional.

Piercers are not the only ones that need to get over the fears of doing a genital procedure. Many times an Artist will also be required to perform a procedure that involves tattooing a private genital area. Again just like a piercing you have to educate the customer about the procedure and do the job. Oh yea no one says you can't charge for your services. For genital piercings Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo charges $20 for all female hood piercings and $50 for all male genital piercings. Your career as an artist will get off to a great start by getting your fears in check and realize that it is a service your offering and nothing more then just that.

What are Tattoo Conventions really about Anyway?

In the world of tattooing there is no better place to be then the Convention Circuit. The Tattoo Convention circuit is not only a place to make a hell of alot of money for tattoo and body piercing artist but also a way for artist to have their work judged by their peers in the industry. Many conventions held around the world each year always feature some of the best and brightest talent in the industry. The convention circuit is where you can meet your favorite artist and actually get pointers from them about new techniques in the industry. 

Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo  will have James attending a lot of the local and National Circuits. James will be bringing along some apprentices so they can get their feet wet outside of the shop atmosphere. Tattooing is just more then sitting in a shop doing one customer after another. It's a lifestyle that one gets into. Tattooing is not only expression through art but it is also getting out there and seeing the world around you. How can one really express an artistic side without getting out there and experiencing life and what it has to offer?

On the convention circuit you have to sit back and take everything you see and hear in. From the rides by car from city to city, to the seminars giving on different subjects by the artist themselves. What you take from your travels on the circuit will reflect in your art at home. What you learn on the road from the many different seminars will have a positive impact on your work as an artist. Every tattoo artist needs to keep learning. Like anything else if you come to a complete stop your work will suffer.

Some of the conventions I wish to hit in my career are the one in Tokyo and England. Most have to remember the greats are not always located in the States. Many of the best artist I believe come out of Japan. The Artist in Japan are still very much trained by the Master/Student tradition. In my view Tokyo Horitoshi First is the best artist Japan has to offer. Most of his work is by hammer needle combination.

He will be attending the Las Vegas Convention in 2011. I look forward to meeting him.

What does a coloring book have in common with tattooing?

What does a Coloring book have to do with tattooing? Well I get this all the time from some new Apprentices that start our school. I'm quick to point out that even after 16 years of tattooing I still have them around the house and use them any chance I get. Most of the time while sitting at the shop you'll find me doing random flash sheets of the wall. It's not only relaxing and makes you focus more on something fun, it really helps me develop a shading plan with different shapes.

I had two students tell me they thought they couldn't draw and they were doing bad. My response was simple. Yes you need your drawing to not only be creative but also if your stencil wipes off. Let's face it everyone tattooing is just like the old reliable coloring book. We put the stencil on and color it in when the line work is done. Thats the basics when you look at it really close up. I told them we are all not the best artist on paper but if they can master the lining and shading in a coloring book then they could really make an impact on skin.

To many times in the industry I heard artist bash those without much drawing skill on paper. As soon as those same artist that were bashed got on skin they would just run over those with advance art skill. Going from paper to skin is two different mediums. Not all people like drawing on say paper. Some don't like doing anything but working with clay. So does it really make a difference if someone can draw suburb on paper and not do the same work on skin?

Tattooing is the art that will take a lifetime of learning. It seems like every couple of years some new fad or style comes into the industry. We as tattoo artist have to adjust to the trends and help those around us who need the help also adjust. I cannot say it enough. "Just because someone isn't a pro at drawing doesn't mean they can't make a great tattoo artist."

Competition Amongst Tattoo Artist

As with everything in life competition exists within the Tattoo Industry. This competition increases even more when a shop is located in a heavily populated city where other shops are located. Chicago for example has well over a hundred shops both in the city and in it's suburbs. Rockford is Illinois third biggest city and it also has plenty of shops competing for the consumers dollar. That competition among artist can be very competitive to outrageous, this past week I had to let an artist go because of the competition took a turn for the worse.

This artist was good, but he let his personal life and jealousy for a co-worker drive him to the point where his whole attitude effected his job. Competition is great for the industry but at the same time we as artist have to keep it within reason. I can see a friendly kind of goofing around or giving someone shit about how they do things. But when that friendly goofing around turns into jealous outburst then it's time to nip it in the butt.

Every one in the industry needs to keep that in mind because the industry has come to far to go backwards because of something one shop does against another.Tattooing has become main stream and in order to succeed in the industry an artist must get out there and promote themselves to the public. I ponder something that someone told me this week about how they talked the shop up more then they should've. That statement made no sense to me because isn't it the artist who wants to make money? In order for the artist to grow their business they have to get out there and promote the business.

The last couple of posts have dealt with what kind of stuff can go on in a shop and what to expect if your thinking about opening one on your own one day. The biggest thing about opening a tattoo shop everyone has to realize the amount of competition out there and how to deal with it. Do you have the network marketing skills to promote your self? Do you know the mediums that your target base is going to be? Does your business plan deal with your competition? All very needed questions that warrant an answer.

Opening up a shop isn't about going and getting flash or tattooing. It's a business with lots of ups and downs. In order to prepare for these ups and downs one must get experience in the field first. If your not with a shop who is currently strong in the marketplace then you will have a hard time learning what to expect in this industry. On a day to day basis the following factors apply to running a shop.

1. Competition and how to respond to attack ads or ill will
2. How to bring the customers in so the shop and your artist make money.
3. Current Economic situation and how to adjust to it.
4. Promoting the business within the shops means and getting a return on investment
5. How to keep a good shop atmosphere for the employees and customers.

Not to mention how to pay the rent and bills the shop is responsible for. Many artist have trouble with the shops out there charging a 50 percent commission on a tattoo. Well the shop is responsible for all the rent, utility bills, up keep on the building, advertising which cuts out a big percentage of the pie. After these factors the shop is lucky to break even on what it splits with an artist. Thats why you see most shop owners also tattooing because thats actually their profit for the month.

Lets remember this when you want to open your own shop. Is it better to just work for a shop because your not responsible for any of the bills except for promoting yourself. Or do you want to dive into the owner aspect and hope to turn a profit?

Did you know?

Hello Everyone It's Ann with Aberration Tattoo......

Let's ponder this..... Did you know????

 Tattoos are made by inserting pigment into the skin with an electrically powered solid needle that punctures the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute (makes me think of a sewing machine - yikes!!). The needle penetrates the skin by about a millimeter and deposits a drop of insoluble ink into the skin with each puncture.

When you look at a person's tattoo, you're seeing the ink through the epidermis - the outer layer of skin. The ink resides in the dermis - the second layer of skin, just below the epidermis. Dermis cells are far more stable than the cells of the epidermis, so the tattoo's ink will stay in place, with only minor fading and dispersion (spreading out), for a person's entire life!

Tattoo Shop Atmosphere

A tattoo shop has long been considered a extension of many artist family. Lets face it with an artist creative side to blossom the place where he or she works has to be up beat and nurture the creative side. Sometimes this comes with risk to the shop in the form of too much drama and it's up to the owners of the shop to make changes when needed.

I've personally worked at shops that were both fun and a drag, when I opened Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo I wanted it to have an atmosphere of fun and learning. I've learned many important lessons in my time owning the shop. Drama can be a morale killer and also effect the way customers and the art they receive. So when it generally comes to things effecting the customers I have to step in and fix the situation. I really hope that I can make the right decisions so the atmosphere can stay fun and exciting.

One thing that is certain is that it takes the entire staff to work together as a team to run a shop. The shop is never defined by just one artist or even the owners. A shop is defined by all that participate in making the shop the best it can be. I've seen lots of shops come and go in my time in the industry because the morale of the shop effected the customers and they would stop coming. I had an instance were two apprentices started going out together outside the shop. When they were inside the shop they would ignore customers and make the shop look bad. I had to get rid of them because they couldn't keep personal stuff outside the shop and caused all kinds of drama.

It wasn't until this past week me and my partners decided it was time to enforce a rule where staff cannot date each other. If they do then they need to keep it quiet and out of the shop.When staff start dating each other they forget where they are when they are working. They show displays of emotion that wouldn't be accepted in any other work place atmosphere. So now to avoid any more problems within the shop the decision to stop it all together is the best way to prevent any more problems.

Artist are sometimes a little slow when it comes to the economy. They are use to making great deals of money everyday and forget that we either feast or go hungry because we work on a percentage only. There is only a handful of artist out there that can name their price for a shop to hire them. Most of these artist who think they are hot shit go store to store for 5 or 6 months and either quit or get fired because they get use to a daily routine. They start relying on the shop to bring them customers instead of getting their work out there. When that starts happening they change the morale of the shop because they are not making the money.

Owners and even other artist have to stay on them type of artist and push them to network and get the word out. Last case effort has to be for an owner to understand when to say enough is enough. If the artist don't have the drive to make his own career go then it's time to part ways with that artist. An owner can only take so much before he/she has to say enough is enough. Yea the shop might lose a few customers here or there because the artist is no longer there. But on the flip side the owner will gain more customers because the atmosphere in the shop will change back to a positive nature.

This is something that come Wednesday I will discuss with the apprentices. Most of them want to operate their own shop one day. This topic here is a make or break for any shop. As future tattoo artist/owners you always have to put the shop first. It's your business and how you will be making a living when you graduate.

Workforce and Tattoos!!!

Even in 2011 as the tattoo industry has slowly become  mainstream the body art that people get can find that they no longer have a job. It's funny how slow that the work place has not changed with the rest of society. Doctors, lawyers or even congressman get them- this should show the world that body art has come full circle and acceptance should almost be assumed. This is not the case and I don't see it anytime soon either. The problem is still the older generation is still in charge and they haven't been able to change with societies views. With this in mind we as artist have to be proactive in protecting our clients interest.

What's it mean to to protect our clients? When an 18 year old kid comes in wanting a name or other design on the neck it would be our responsibility to discourage that from happening. Why let someone that young get a tattoo in the neck region when you as an artist know that it won't be accepted in his/her workplace. Clients usually come into the shop all gong ho getting tattoos in spots that are not socially acceptable, friends usually get them there and they think it's cool. Or the famous let me get my boyfriends name on my neck and I ONLY been with him for 2 weeks. Education is much of our job as tattooing someone. If you knew something bad was going to happen to someone would you not try and warn them before it happens? Same thing as education and your client.

I know as a tattoo artist personally with all the tattoos I've got that it would be very hard if not impossible to get a job at a bank or say selling insurance. Why? Because with dealing in the financial sector people have the image of some professional looking person. If you have a client in that profession it's probably better for them to place a tattoo in a place where it can be covered by clothing. Hands, neck, even below the elbow wouldn't be a good idea. One thing I believe and emphasis to lots of women is the fact that society still doesn't accept tattoos on arms for females. I'm seeing a hell of a lot more of them these days but have also heard the troubles they are having getting employment. So yes it's personal preference for location of a tattoo. But be responsible and warn your clients about the potential side effects and hassles that can occur.

Personally I will not do side of the neck tattoos on anyone 18-23. At this age I do not believe that a client has settled into a career and the tattoo that I put on can cost them in many ways in their desired career. Boyfriend girlfriend names are the same. If I did this I know some time in the near future it would be covered up. I've been in the business a long time and the story is always the same 2 or 3 weeks later. So artist in this industry need to be pro active and involved with their clients. Education will always pay off because the client sees that you care about their interest and it saves you as the artist a big headache in the end.

The Age of the Scratcher

The Age of the Scratcher!!! Isn't it so? With tattoo kits being sold all over the internet on sites such as Ebay and Craigslist we in the Studios are seeing more and more of the above kind of tattoos on a daily basis. Being self taught isn't a big deal to me as long as they would educate themselves the right way. Videos or Dvd's isn't really going to show a person how to set needle depth or machine tuning. Individuals who just go and start tattooing on a persons skin is quiet frankly an idiot. How could they have a mind of ease to just go screw someone up? Before going off on the deep end I think we as artist should really place the blame where it belongs.

It's Tattoo suppliers such as Superior Tattoo who is famous for selling to who ever has the money. This is why  hardly any professional shop will by from them. I refuse to buy from any supplier who doesn't request our EIN number or business license. I put much of the blame not on the scratchers but on the Supply industry. The supply industry is the number one industry that SHOULD be regulated. You won't find any medical supply stores selling their items to anyone not licensed to buy. I believe the shops around the country should boycott the suppliers that advertise directly to the non-professional tattooist.

When tattooing many different kinds of bloodborne and infectious diseases exist in the process. Those not trained in the art will most likely get into a situation where disease is spread and walk away without any liability what so ever leaving the person tattooed in the ER with a 10 day regiment of antibiotics if they are lucky. A story of a women who got infected with Hep B can be found here. This lady has some responsibility herself on getting this condition because she should've went to a reputable tattoo studio. Even though the artist was licensed he shouldv'e never did it outside his states regulations.

Now A days it's just not getting a bad tattoo from these people. It's a life threating to go somewhere just because of price. Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo has adopted the policy of giving great artwork for prices people can afford in this economy just to try and help people avoid going to individuals without any training. Our apprentices are put through exercises every week to learn the trade. A lot of them are tattooing grapefruits and bananas right now doing all sorts of exercises. Some probably wondering why the hell they are drawings lines here or shading the entire grapefruit in. The reason behind alot of the exercises is to get them familiar with the machine, controlling needle depth, finding a groove they can work comfortable in. Most scratchers don't even now how to bust down a machine more less control it on skin.

I'm hopeful one day that the government will require regulation of the Supply Industry instead of going after or making it tougher for the studios. If they would go after the source then it would be much more less likely to see breakouts of Hep B like in the 70's in New York that led to a ban on shops until just recently. I can tell you most shops care a lot about how the work comes out and also the customers safety. I've had people call into the shop asking if it were ok to put needles they used on someone in an oven to reuse them. Yes this is the kinds of scratchers out there tattooing people right now. Hopefully the future of tattooing isn't screwed up because of these kind of people running around out there.