Tattoo Artist

Tattoo Artist

Tatted Mom

Tucson, AZ

Female, 32

I'm a tattoo artist who underwent a standard apprenticeship under a certified tattoo artist. I am an artist first, tattooer second, which means I put creativity and art into my tattoos, not just the 'you pick it, we stick it' type of tattooer. Apprenticeships for tattooing vary by state, according to the laws. I'm also a trained body piercer, as well. Any questions about the job or apprenticing, I'd be happy to help!

PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT price tattoos. Seek a shop for that.

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Last Answer on May 23, 2014

Best Rated

I had an appointment with my Tattoo Artist. He was sick and cancelled on me. He said that he would have to fit me in but did not give me a date that he would get back with me. I am very disappointed. How long should I wait to hear back from him?

Asked by Melissa almost 13 years ago

Maybe a week?? It all depends on the artist. Some artists have wait lists 2-6 months long. But, if he cancelled on you, he should make it a top priority to fit you back in. I wouldn't wait long.

Would having my infection control certificate significantly help me get a foot in the door towards an apprenticeship

Asked by Tweak1991 about 13 years ago

Most definitely. With a proper apprenticeship, you wouldn't be allowed to even scrub tattoo tubes unless you've had infection control training. I did my first aid, CPR and infection control classes before I even stepped into a shop to ask about an apprenticeship. That way I was able to start the very next day! It shows them you are serious about wanting to apprentice and take initiative. 

Are tattoo removal techniques getting better? Is it generally easier to get a tattoo you don't like REMOVED or incorporated into a larger design that conceals it?

Asked by zzz over 13 years ago

Tattoo removal is very easy nowadays. They just blast it with a laser. Painful, yes, but effective. Dark black ink takes a few sessions to be removed, reds take a few more. Color ink (other than red) is usually removed in 1-2 sessions. A much less painful approach is covering up the old tattoo with a new tattoo, but it all depends on the old tattoo. Tribal is almost impossible to truly cover up, unless it's thin tribal or severely faded. And the customer has to be open to the design being used as a cover up. It has to have lots of lines and shade points to disguise the tattoo below, so things like faces and words won't work to cover up tattoos.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how much does it hurt while getting a tattoo? How do you get customers to hold still while in so much pain?

Asked by gummyshoe over 13 years ago

It all depends on the place of the tattoo and the person. For me, the ribs are the worst- up there around 9, but the lower back didn't hurt a bit. I've had customers almost jump out of my chair on a lower back piece, so it's all according to the person's pain tolerance. I usually try and just get them to concentrate on something else, read a magazine or talk to me.

Is it a bad idea for someone to get a tattoo just for the sake of having a tattoo, as opposed to having something meaningful come into their life and *then* deciding to immortalize it with a tattoo?

Asked by JoeyTX over 13 years ago

That's completely up to the person, but I have noticed that spontaneous tattoos are generally regretted later. Either the subject is regretted, or the placement (for example, someone wants to plan out an entire sleeve and we have to work around a little butterfly tattoo they got when they turned 18 or cover it up, which isn't easy). I am covered in random, spontaneous tattoos (we used to get really bored at the tattoo shop in the off season and would practice new techniques on each other) and I regret a lot of them. I hate how splotchy and not-brought-together my body art is. I think if you wait until you have something meaningful to tattoo, there's a lot less chance of regretting it later.

Okay, I've got this gorgeous chest piece I want done, but I'm overweight, by a lot.. I'm losing weight now, and have about 100 llbs to go, should I wait to get this piece till I'm done losing weight, or can I get it now without it deforming?

Asked by It'sJess almost 13 years ago

Theoretically, a tattoo adapts with the changes in skin and the body. But, if you have 100 lbs to go, I'd wait. I've fluctuated about 20 lbs in my own weight in the past, and the tattoos I have on my lower stomach shifted slightly to accomodate for my extra weight. Normally this isn't a problem and you wouldn't even notice it, but I have symmetrical tattoo machines on my abdomen that are no longer symmetrical because of the weight gain. The tattoos themselves are fine, the ink expanded with my skin, but they are just slightly off center due to the inconsistant weight gain. I'd hate for you to get the perfect chest piece and have it shift.

I am seriously considering getting into tattooing, but when I see intricate custom pieces that seem to be drawn from the artist's imagination, I feel baffled! I can only draw something if it's in front of me. How do you bring your ideas to life?

Asked by Aubrey about 13 years ago

I happen to be one of those artists who has to look at a refernce to draw, as well. I'm great at piecing things together, so if I have a custom piece to draw, I usually either take pictures myself of different components to piece together, or search for actual reference pictures on the internet. One of my favorite pieces was a custom compilation of animals that my client had seen on a nighttime safari trip in Panama. I looked up pictures of each animal and drew them together in the shape of the country of Panama to create the custom piece.