I’ve been talking to an old friend that’s a tattoo artist who’s pretty straight-shooting and no-bullshit in his attitudes about some of the trends we see among top artists these days. The one that I whole-heartedly agree with is this tendency to fill portfolios with pieces that couldn’t possibly heal well, but look great fresh. Tattoos that look incredible the day they’re done — bright color realism with almost no black-shading is a good example of stuff that often turns into a faded out nothing in time — but looks like garbage when it’s healed. I’ll quote some of what he said, keeping things anonymous because I’m not looking to point fingers here.
There is a very ugly tendancy today in tattoo business of taking pictures of fresh tattoos, doing realism that will look like shit in twenty years — or in four months even — and going from convention to convention, making 100% black money, with no touch-ups, no follow-up of clientele. Those are the most famous artists in the world. I have no problem doing tribal [edit: he is referring to an image I posted of a “less than inspired” tattoo that I spoke ill of] for people who ask. If I can’t change their mind, I’ll do it. It allows me to keep cool pricing for everybody, to keep tattoo art something it SHOULD remain, that is, a POPULAR art form.
You can build up a realistic tattoo that is stable — P*** A*** and J*** G*** can do it, so it’s possible, but when you see older tattoos from D*** or S*** [edit: he’s naming top artists here and I don’t need another lawsuit], it’s nowhere that impressive. As a matter of fact, the “convention” tattoo artists don’t give a fuck, at least, a solid majority of them don’t. When you work mostly in your shop, you see people again, and therefore you can’t afford to mess up that bad. I would even say that *** *** Inks, as a whole concept, are just done for that — put in a single-pass easy color that will look cool till you’re paid, took your photo, and took part in the “Best of Day” competition… but it’s just the worst shit I’ve ever used. It’s a whole culture that is taking over, and it’s a shame, because everybody feels forced to adapt to it.
I agree whole-heartedly. Although I can’t say whether “convention artists” doing these pieces that fail once they heal are willfully committing fraud when they fill their portfolio with fresh pieces that look nothing like the healed examples, but that is what it amounts to, intended or not. I want to show the example that my friend shared with me. This is a fresh tattoo on the left from a well-respected artist, and on the right, the same tattoo not long afterwards. And to be honest, this example isn’t even that bad. I’ve seen loads of tattoos that fresh look world-class — I mean, the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen — from “name brand” tattoo masters, that look like scratcher garbage when healed.
If a tattoo artist’s portfolio contains nothing but fresh photos, consider it a warning sign — to say nothing of being paranoid about Photoshopping to pump up saturation and levels. And if your tattoo artist can not show you well-healed examples of their work, they are not someone you should be going to. You do not have the luxury of wearing a photograph of the fresh tattoo. You will be spending your life with the healed version, and if it doesn’t stand up to what you were expecting, it is you that will suffer. Insist on seeing healed photos!
Click to see that picture a little larger of course.
Edit/Update: Because I am sick and tired of people STILL claiming this is deception on my part, here are screencaps from Facebook showing both images in the tattoo artist’s gallery, full unedited versions, including the name of the artist. They may well have pulled the images by now, but these screen caps are accurate. Damn all the haters for dragging the artist’s name into this, because that was never the point of this.
Comments
260 responses to “Fraud in Tattooing”
It’s made just that more depressing that both tattoos are one and the same. I was actually unaware that “fraudulent tattoos” were a thing. All of the tattoo portfolios I’ve seen have been finished or fresh AND finished tats (I’m no expert, but they weren’t puffy, red, or shiny-the hallmarks of a new tat). All of my tats (2…I know, wimpy) thus far have been B&W, and I’m afraid to venture into color now because of the unknowns. :/ okay, I’m done with my tangent.
It’s made just that more depressing that both tattoos are one and the same. I was actually unaware that “fraudulent tattoos” were a thing. All of the tattoo portfolios I’ve seen have been finished or fresh AND finished tats (I’m no expert, but they weren’t puffy, red, or shiny-the hallmarks of a new tat). All of my tats (2…I know, wimpy) thus far have been B&W, and I’m afraid to venture into color now because of the unknowns. :/ okay, I’m done with my tangent.
It’s made just that more depressing that both tattoos are one and the same. I was actually unaware that “fraudulent tattoos” were a thing. All of the tattoo portfolios I’ve seen have been finished or fresh AND finished tats (I’m no expert, but they weren’t puffy, red, or shiny-the hallmarks of a new tat). All of my tats (2…I know, wimpy) thus far have been B&W, and I’m afraid to venture into color now because of the unknowns. :/ okay, I’m done with my tangent.
It’s made just that more depressing that both tattoos are one and the same. I was actually unaware that “fraudulent tattoos” were a thing. All of the tattoo portfolios I’ve seen have been finished or fresh AND finished tats (I’m no expert, but they weren’t puffy, red, or shiny-the hallmarks of a new tat). All of my tats (2…I know, wimpy) thus far have been B&W, and I’m afraid to venture into color now because of the unknowns. :/ okay, I’m done with my tangent.
I agree with the comment about an artist’s healed work in their portfolios. The unfortunate thing about grey wash applications is saturation, and just as in color pieces, if the artist has a low saturation level, their work will always heal poorly… I think a lot of artists are either not experienced enough with it, or are afraid to really sink in the saturation of the dark to light scales, as these pieces really don’t come into their own until healed.
the original pic( that is the one immediately after the tattoo) should look far darker then it will end up being.
This is the problem with the skull piece that is posted, it was far too light to begin with!!
I agree with the comment about an artist’s healed work in their portfolios. The unfortunate thing about grey wash applications is saturation, and just as in color pieces, if the artist has a low saturation level, their work will always heal poorly… I think a lot of artists are either not experienced enough with it, or are afraid to really sink in the saturation of the dark to light scales, as these pieces really don’t come into their own until healed.
the original pic( that is the one immediately after the tattoo) should look far darker then it will end up being.
This is the problem with the skull piece that is posted, it was far too light to begin with!!
I agree with the comment about an artist’s healed work in their portfolios. The unfortunate thing about grey wash applications is saturation, and just as in color pieces, if the artist has a low saturation level, their work will always heal poorly… I think a lot of artists are either not experienced enough with it, or are afraid to really sink in the saturation of the dark to light scales, as these pieces really don’t come into their own until healed.
the original pic( that is the one immediately after the tattoo) should look far darker then it will end up being.
This is the problem with the skull piece that is posted, it was far too light to begin with!!
I agree with the comment about an artist’s healed work in their portfolios. The unfortunate thing about grey wash applications is saturation, and just as in color pieces, if the artist has a low saturation level, their work will always heal poorly… I think a lot of artists are either not experienced enough with it, or are afraid to really sink in the saturation of the dark to light scales, as these pieces really don’t come into their own until healed.
the original pic( that is the one immediately after the tattoo) should look far darker then it will end up being.
This is the problem with the skull piece that is posted, it was far too light to begin with!!
That is not the same tattoo at all.
The entire shape is different, there is more black surrounding the dodgy pic, The teeth shapes are different and many other things.
Since when does yellow get brighter on a healed tattoo? That would be the first colour to drop out.
You also cant blame a tattoo artist for how a tattoo heals. It is up to YOU – the clients to take care of it during the healing period to make sure it stays nice.
That is not the same tattoo at all.
The entire shape is different, there is more black surrounding the dodgy pic, The teeth shapes are different and many other things.
Since when does yellow get brighter on a healed tattoo? That would be the first colour to drop out.
You also cant blame a tattoo artist for how a tattoo heals. It is up to YOU – the clients to take care of it during the healing period to make sure it stays nice.
That is not the same tattoo at all.
The entire shape is different, there is more black surrounding the dodgy pic, The teeth shapes are different and many other things.
Since when does yellow get brighter on a healed tattoo? That would be the first colour to drop out.
You also cant blame a tattoo artist for how a tattoo heals. It is up to YOU – the clients to take care of it during the healing period to make sure it stays nice.
That is not the same tattoo at all.
The entire shape is different, there is more black surrounding the dodgy pic, The teeth shapes are different and many other things.
Since when does yellow get brighter on a healed tattoo? That would be the first colour to drop out.
You also cant blame a tattoo artist for how a tattoo heals. It is up to YOU – the clients to take care of it during the healing period to make sure it stays nice.
Shannon Larratt I have to say I fully agree that over working the skin in any case will cause damage and loss of ink… HOWEVER..Shannon Larratt I’m throwing down the bullshit card…. This is clearly not the case here. This is CLEARLY 2 DIFFERENT people here in these photos. The fresh tattoo on the left has many light shading variations where the photo on the right has dark. Also, unless the yellow in the eyes mysteriosly got larger over time and covered over the black anyone can see it’s not the same. Look at the hair, look at the angle of the face, the drop shadow behind the blood in the poor replica where in the fresh, well executed one there isn’t a drop shadow at all… Shannon Larratt this is BULLSHIT!!!! Like I said I fully agree overworking the skin with an attempt to put 10 lbs of shit in a 2 lb bag is just gonna create a mess but at least you could of used an appropriate example!!!
Worse part is so many people just took your word on this, followed you like the sheep they are and reposted it without even examining the photo. This makes me sick and you just lost all credibility for your cause by doing this. Any moron that can see and has the ability to reason and compare knows those 2 pictures are 2 different people.
What this post should say is….. This is what happens when you go to an inexperienced artist or a scratcher who doesn’t know a needle from the hole in his ass. The tattoo on the right is a complete atrocity, an utter failed attempt at copying original artwork… GO TO THE PROFESSIONALS & Please….PLEASE check out portfolios before allowing anyone to put ink in your skin.
Oh yea just in case I didn’t mention this before.. SHANNON LARRATT..
This is the poorest case of misleading and misguiding I have encountered in a long time! Honestly you are no better than a scratcher who works out of his house that scribbles all over people without any respect or regards to the people or the Tattoo Culture in which I live, breathe and bleed. You Shannon Larratt or a weasel, a rat and the worse type of liar there is.
Shannon Larratt I have to say I fully agree that over working the skin in any case will cause damage and loss of ink… HOWEVER..Shannon Larratt I’m throwing down the bullshit card…. This is clearly not the case here. This is CLEARLY 2 DIFFERENT people here in these photos. The fresh tattoo on the left has many light shading variations where the photo on the right has dark. Also, unless the yellow in the eyes mysteriosly got larger over time and covered over the black anyone can see it’s not the same. Look at the hair, look at the angle of the face, the drop shadow behind the blood in the poor replica where in the fresh, well executed one there isn’t a drop shadow at all… Shannon Larratt this is BULLSHIT!!!! Like I said I fully agree overworking the skin with an attempt to put 10 lbs of shit in a 2 lb bag is just gonna create a mess but at least you could of used an appropriate example!!!
Worse part is so many people just took your word on this, followed you like the sheep they are and reposted it without even examining the photo. This makes me sick and you just lost all credibility for your cause by doing this. Any moron that can see and has the ability to reason and compare knows those 2 pictures are 2 different people.
What this post should say is….. This is what happens when you go to an inexperienced artist or a scratcher who doesn’t know a needle from the hole in his ass. The tattoo on the right is a complete atrocity, an utter failed attempt at copying original artwork… GO TO THE PROFESSIONALS & Please….PLEASE check out portfolios before allowing anyone to put ink in your skin.
Oh yea just in case I didn’t mention this before.. SHANNON LARRATT..
This is the poorest case of misleading and misguiding I have encountered in a long time! Honestly you are no better than a scratcher who works out of his house that scribbles all over people without any respect or regards to the people or the Tattoo Culture in which I live, breathe and bleed. You Shannon Larratt or a weasel, a rat and the worse type of liar there is.
Shannon Larratt I have to say I fully agree that over working the skin in any case will cause damage and loss of ink… HOWEVER..Shannon Larratt I’m throwing down the bullshit card…. This is clearly not the case here. This is CLEARLY 2 DIFFERENT people here in these photos. The fresh tattoo on the left has many light shading variations where the photo on the right has dark. Also, unless the yellow in the eyes mysteriosly got larger over time and covered over the black anyone can see it’s not the same. Look at the hair, look at the angle of the face, the drop shadow behind the blood in the poor replica where in the fresh, well executed one there isn’t a drop shadow at all… Shannon Larratt this is BULLSHIT!!!! Like I said I fully agree overworking the skin with an attempt to put 10 lbs of shit in a 2 lb bag is just gonna create a mess but at least you could of used an appropriate example!!!
Worse part is so many people just took your word on this, followed you like the sheep they are and reposted it without even examining the photo. This makes me sick and you just lost all credibility for your cause by doing this. Any moron that can see and has the ability to reason and compare knows those 2 pictures are 2 different people.
What this post should say is….. This is what happens when you go to an inexperienced artist or a scratcher who doesn’t know a needle from the hole in his ass. The tattoo on the right is a complete atrocity, an utter failed attempt at copying original artwork… GO TO THE PROFESSIONALS & Please….PLEASE check out portfolios before allowing anyone to put ink in your skin.
Oh yea just in case I didn’t mention this before.. SHANNON LARRATT..
This is the poorest case of misleading and misguiding I have encountered in a long time! Honestly you are no better than a scratcher who works out of his house that scribbles all over people without any respect or regards to the people or the Tattoo Culture in which I live, breathe and bleed. You Shannon Larratt or a weasel, a rat and the worse type of liar there is.
Shannon Larratt I have to say I fully agree that over working the skin in any case will cause damage and loss of ink… HOWEVER..Shannon Larratt I’m throwing down the bullshit card…. This is clearly not the case here. This is CLEARLY 2 DIFFERENT people here in these photos. The fresh tattoo on the left has many light shading variations where the photo on the right has dark. Also, unless the yellow in the eyes mysteriosly got larger over time and covered over the black anyone can see it’s not the same. Look at the hair, look at the angle of the face, the drop shadow behind the blood in the poor replica where in the fresh, well executed one there isn’t a drop shadow at all… Shannon Larratt this is BULLSHIT!!!! Like I said I fully agree overworking the skin with an attempt to put 10 lbs of shit in a 2 lb bag is just gonna create a mess but at least you could of used an appropriate example!!!
Worse part is so many people just took your word on this, followed you like the sheep they are and reposted it without even examining the photo. This makes me sick and you just lost all credibility for your cause by doing this. Any moron that can see and has the ability to reason and compare knows those 2 pictures are 2 different people.
What this post should say is….. This is what happens when you go to an inexperienced artist or a scratcher who doesn’t know a needle from the hole in his ass. The tattoo on the right is a complete atrocity, an utter failed attempt at copying original artwork… GO TO THE PROFESSIONALS & Please….PLEASE check out portfolios before allowing anyone to put ink in your skin.
Oh yea just in case I didn’t mention this before.. SHANNON LARRATT..
This is the poorest case of misleading and misguiding I have encountered in a long time! Honestly you are no better than a scratcher who works out of his house that scribbles all over people without any respect or regards to the people or the Tattoo Culture in which I live, breathe and bleed. You Shannon Larratt or a weasel, a rat and the worse type of liar there is.
It’s very unfortunate that people are still bending over backwards to deny this or to blame it on the client.
It’s very unfortunate that people are still bending over backwards to deny this or to blame it on the client.
It’s very unfortunate that people are still bending over backwards to deny this or to blame it on the client.
It’s very unfortunate that people are still bending over backwards to deny this or to blame it on the client.
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.
Shannon for you to attack the competency of an artist merely by a comment they have left about you or a picture that is undeniably visibly different in many areas is absurd! I am making every effort to contact the owner of the Facebook from which these pics were obtained to indeed find out once & for all the truth of the matter at hand! If I am mistaken I will offer my apologies but if I am not… You Shannon Larrett will look like a fool for not doing your homework…. For the record… I do agree with what your saying about fresh & healed work.. Undoubtedly… Shannon feel free to contact me via email for further discussions on this matter.
Shannon for you to attack the competency of an artist merely by a comment they have left about you or a picture that is undeniably visibly different in many areas is absurd! I am making every effort to contact the owner of the Facebook from which these pics were obtained to indeed find out once & for all the truth of the matter at hand! If I am mistaken I will offer my apologies but if I am not… You Shannon Larrett will look like a fool for not doing your homework…. For the record… I do agree with what your saying about fresh & healed work.. Undoubtedly… Shannon feel free to contact me via email for further discussions on this matter.
Shannon for you to attack the competency of an artist merely by a comment they have left about you or a picture that is undeniably visibly different in many areas is absurd! I am making every effort to contact the owner of the Facebook from which these pics were obtained to indeed find out once & for all the truth of the matter at hand! If I am mistaken I will offer my apologies but if I am not… You Shannon Larrett will look like a fool for not doing your homework…. For the record… I do agree with what your saying about fresh & healed work.. Undoubtedly… Shannon feel free to contact me via email for further discussions on this matter.
Shannon for you to attack the competency of an artist merely by a comment they have left about you or a picture that is undeniably visibly different in many areas is absurd! I am making every effort to contact the owner of the Facebook from which these pics were obtained to indeed find out once & for all the truth of the matter at hand! If I am mistaken I will offer my apologies but if I am not… You Shannon Larrett will look like a fool for not doing your homework…. For the record… I do agree with what your saying about fresh & healed work.. Undoubtedly… Shannon feel free to contact me via email for further discussions on this matter.
Wow. I got a fairly detailed realistic tattoo from a respectable artist several years back, and only now looking at some of the poorly healed realistic tattoos can i fully respect his skill (though i always loved the tattoo). Though just to be on the safer side i might stick to a bit bolder imagery from now on 🙂
Wow. I got a fairly detailed realistic tattoo from a respectable artist several years back, and only now looking at some of the poorly healed realistic tattoos can i fully respect his skill (though i always loved the tattoo). Though just to be on the safer side i might stick to a bit bolder imagery from now on 🙂
Wow. I got a fairly detailed realistic tattoo from a respectable artist several years back, and only now looking at some of the poorly healed realistic tattoos can i fully respect his skill (though i always loved the tattoo). Though just to be on the safer side i might stick to a bit bolder imagery from now on 🙂
Wow. I got a fairly detailed realistic tattoo from a respectable artist several years back, and only now looking at some of the poorly healed realistic tattoos can i fully respect his skill (though i always loved the tattoo). Though just to be on the safer side i might stick to a bit bolder imagery from now on 🙂
Wow Shannon, I will say, that statement is incredibly ignorant. I’ve seen tattoos come back to take advantage of the free touch up policy when, during the touch up, they reveal the truth about neglect during the aftercare (swimming is the usual culprit, not just getting it wet, but full on swimming, repeatedly once the realized they wrecked it and knew they could get it touched up), as well as people who used products that they had no business using on a tattoo for healing (One guy mentioned using straight alcohol to kill the germs, and vasolene) and they tend to look much like the tattoo above when healed. I personally tried H2Ocean’s aftercare and had a horrible reaction to it on a piece on my back and had similar results such as above, so don’t sit there and tell me I’m not qualified to tattoo as I’ve been doing it for 13 years professionally and have seen many tattoos come back from many different artists for many reasons, it’s not as open and shut as you assume. Knowing that you founded BME and have opinions like that really took this site’s integrity down a few notches, and that is very unfortunate, as I wonder now what other opinionated things came out of your mouth that I may have interpreted as you knowing what you were talking about.
“Shannon Larratt on February 7, 2013 at 9:41 am said:
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.”
Wow Shannon, I will say, that statement is incredibly ignorant. I’ve seen tattoos come back to take advantage of the free touch up policy when, during the touch up, they reveal the truth about neglect during the aftercare (swimming is the usual culprit, not just getting it wet, but full on swimming, repeatedly once the realized they wrecked it and knew they could get it touched up), as well as people who used products that they had no business using on a tattoo for healing (One guy mentioned using straight alcohol to kill the germs, and vasolene) and they tend to look much like the tattoo above when healed. I personally tried H2Ocean’s aftercare and had a horrible reaction to it on a piece on my back and had similar results such as above, so don’t sit there and tell me I’m not qualified to tattoo as I’ve been doing it for 13 years professionally and have seen many tattoos come back from many different artists for many reasons, it’s not as open and shut as you assume. Knowing that you founded BME and have opinions like that really took this site’s integrity down a few notches, and that is very unfortunate, as I wonder now what other opinionated things came out of your mouth that I may have interpreted as you knowing what you were talking about.
“Shannon Larratt on February 7, 2013 at 9:41 am said:
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.”
Wow Shannon, I will say, that statement is incredibly ignorant. I’ve seen tattoos come back to take advantage of the free touch up policy when, during the touch up, they reveal the truth about neglect during the aftercare (swimming is the usual culprit, not just getting it wet, but full on swimming, repeatedly once the realized they wrecked it and knew they could get it touched up), as well as people who used products that they had no business using on a tattoo for healing (One guy mentioned using straight alcohol to kill the germs, and vasolene) and they tend to look much like the tattoo above when healed. I personally tried H2Ocean’s aftercare and had a horrible reaction to it on a piece on my back and had similar results such as above, so don’t sit there and tell me I’m not qualified to tattoo as I’ve been doing it for 13 years professionally and have seen many tattoos come back from many different artists for many reasons, it’s not as open and shut as you assume. Knowing that you founded BME and have opinions like that really took this site’s integrity down a few notches, and that is very unfortunate, as I wonder now what other opinionated things came out of your mouth that I may have interpreted as you knowing what you were talking about.
“Shannon Larratt on February 7, 2013 at 9:41 am said:
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.”
Wow Shannon, I will say, that statement is incredibly ignorant. I’ve seen tattoos come back to take advantage of the free touch up policy when, during the touch up, they reveal the truth about neglect during the aftercare (swimming is the usual culprit, not just getting it wet, but full on swimming, repeatedly once the realized they wrecked it and knew they could get it touched up), as well as people who used products that they had no business using on a tattoo for healing (One guy mentioned using straight alcohol to kill the germs, and vasolene) and they tend to look much like the tattoo above when healed. I personally tried H2Ocean’s aftercare and had a horrible reaction to it on a piece on my back and had similar results such as above, so don’t sit there and tell me I’m not qualified to tattoo as I’ve been doing it for 13 years professionally and have seen many tattoos come back from many different artists for many reasons, it’s not as open and shut as you assume. Knowing that you founded BME and have opinions like that really took this site’s integrity down a few notches, and that is very unfortunate, as I wonder now what other opinionated things came out of your mouth that I may have interpreted as you knowing what you were talking about.
“Shannon Larratt on February 7, 2013 at 9:41 am said:
Any tattoo artist that sees this and blames the client should be INSTANTLY erased off the list of people you’d want to get tattooed off of. Yes, there are ways that a client can damage a tattoo — most often picking at it. However, that has a specific appearance, and it’s not evident here. What we can see in this tattoo is improper layering of ink, which is very obvious in the eyes. Any tattoo artist that can’t see that is not qualified to be tattooing and is in desperate need of an apprenticeship, and any tattoo artist that can see it but denies it is an asshole — it’s difficult to respect someone that blames their own mistakes on the client, whether directly or by proxy.”
may i make a note that for most of this post i am not referring to the specific photo cited, but the quote made by the artist about terribly healed tattoos.
I have to agree with the tip to look for healed photos BUT as far as holding realism with no black shading, people can do it. not everyone, but i can say from personal experience that i have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS with my customers holding color realism.
i have worked as a tattoo artist for almost 6 years, most of that time in the same town and i have yet to see a customer of mine require more than one touch up for their color work. and 9 times out of 10 its the fault of the client, not mine. i cant tell you how many times i have asked the customer how they took care of their tattoo only to be met with a detailed list of instructions that their friend who tattoos out of the house told them to do.
the other thing i feel like i need to present is the aftercare instructions, or lack thereof given by artists these days. ive had many artists tell me not to do anything with my tattoos. whether theyre fucking with me or not, leaving your tattoos alone is NOT the way to go. especially on sensitive areas. i have tried so many different kinds of aftercare and i can tell you that you will not get good results without good aftercare…. also many tattoo aftercare formulas specifically labeled for tattoo aftercare are HORRIBLE for healing tattoos.
maybe a lot of these fading problems could be almost completely eliminated with a different aftercare policy? just a thought.
So before we all go pointing fingers at the artist, maybe we should all step back and think like body mod artists. tattoos are not cut and dry. many factors play into how they heal and how they will look for the rest of someones life. and while many of those factors rely on the artist, a lot more rely on how the client cares for their ink. think about it, the artist spends hours with someone and their skin. the collector has YEARS to maintain the quality of their tattoo. thats a lot more work than a lot of people give it credit for. something as simple as tanning regularly for a couple years can HEAVILY discolor a perfectly healed tattoo.
one last thing, in reference to the specific picture in question, i will agree with shannon on this one that this is a case of poor layering of ink. this particular case is the artists fault. also, most of it was done in grey shades. if you as a tattoo artist dont expect black and grey shades to lighten up like that during the healing process you are completely ignorant. everyone should warn their customers that grey shade ink typically heals 20%-30% lighter than what it looks like fresh. its diluted ink. any time you dilute ink its going to heal lighter. you see this problem with b&g portrait artists a lot. their fresh work looks amazing, but a lot of lighter detail is lost in the healing.
may i make a note that for most of this post i am not referring to the specific photo cited, but the quote made by the artist about terribly healed tattoos.
I have to agree with the tip to look for healed photos BUT as far as holding realism with no black shading, people can do it. not everyone, but i can say from personal experience that i have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS with my customers holding color realism.
i have worked as a tattoo artist for almost 6 years, most of that time in the same town and i have yet to see a customer of mine require more than one touch up for their color work. and 9 times out of 10 its the fault of the client, not mine. i cant tell you how many times i have asked the customer how they took care of their tattoo only to be met with a detailed list of instructions that their friend who tattoos out of the house told them to do.
the other thing i feel like i need to present is the aftercare instructions, or lack thereof given by artists these days. ive had many artists tell me not to do anything with my tattoos. whether theyre fucking with me or not, leaving your tattoos alone is NOT the way to go. especially on sensitive areas. i have tried so many different kinds of aftercare and i can tell you that you will not get good results without good aftercare…. also many tattoo aftercare formulas specifically labeled for tattoo aftercare are HORRIBLE for healing tattoos.
maybe a lot of these fading problems could be almost completely eliminated with a different aftercare policy? just a thought.
So before we all go pointing fingers at the artist, maybe we should all step back and think like body mod artists. tattoos are not cut and dry. many factors play into how they heal and how they will look for the rest of someones life. and while many of those factors rely on the artist, a lot more rely on how the client cares for their ink. think about it, the artist spends hours with someone and their skin. the collector has YEARS to maintain the quality of their tattoo. thats a lot more work than a lot of people give it credit for. something as simple as tanning regularly for a couple years can HEAVILY discolor a perfectly healed tattoo.
one last thing, in reference to the specific picture in question, i will agree with shannon on this one that this is a case of poor layering of ink. this particular case is the artists fault. also, most of it was done in grey shades. if you as a tattoo artist dont expect black and grey shades to lighten up like that during the healing process you are completely ignorant. everyone should warn their customers that grey shade ink typically heals 20%-30% lighter than what it looks like fresh. its diluted ink. any time you dilute ink its going to heal lighter. you see this problem with b&g portrait artists a lot. their fresh work looks amazing, but a lot of lighter detail is lost in the healing.
may i make a note that for most of this post i am not referring to the specific photo cited, but the quote made by the artist about terribly healed tattoos.
I have to agree with the tip to look for healed photos BUT as far as holding realism with no black shading, people can do it. not everyone, but i can say from personal experience that i have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS with my customers holding color realism.
i have worked as a tattoo artist for almost 6 years, most of that time in the same town and i have yet to see a customer of mine require more than one touch up for their color work. and 9 times out of 10 its the fault of the client, not mine. i cant tell you how many times i have asked the customer how they took care of their tattoo only to be met with a detailed list of instructions that their friend who tattoos out of the house told them to do.
the other thing i feel like i need to present is the aftercare instructions, or lack thereof given by artists these days. ive had many artists tell me not to do anything with my tattoos. whether theyre fucking with me or not, leaving your tattoos alone is NOT the way to go. especially on sensitive areas. i have tried so many different kinds of aftercare and i can tell you that you will not get good results without good aftercare…. also many tattoo aftercare formulas specifically labeled for tattoo aftercare are HORRIBLE for healing tattoos.
maybe a lot of these fading problems could be almost completely eliminated with a different aftercare policy? just a thought.
So before we all go pointing fingers at the artist, maybe we should all step back and think like body mod artists. tattoos are not cut and dry. many factors play into how they heal and how they will look for the rest of someones life. and while many of those factors rely on the artist, a lot more rely on how the client cares for their ink. think about it, the artist spends hours with someone and their skin. the collector has YEARS to maintain the quality of their tattoo. thats a lot more work than a lot of people give it credit for. something as simple as tanning regularly for a couple years can HEAVILY discolor a perfectly healed tattoo.
one last thing, in reference to the specific picture in question, i will agree with shannon on this one that this is a case of poor layering of ink. this particular case is the artists fault. also, most of it was done in grey shades. if you as a tattoo artist dont expect black and grey shades to lighten up like that during the healing process you are completely ignorant. everyone should warn their customers that grey shade ink typically heals 20%-30% lighter than what it looks like fresh. its diluted ink. any time you dilute ink its going to heal lighter. you see this problem with b&g portrait artists a lot. their fresh work looks amazing, but a lot of lighter detail is lost in the healing.
may i make a note that for most of this post i am not referring to the specific photo cited, but the quote made by the artist about terribly healed tattoos.
I have to agree with the tip to look for healed photos BUT as far as holding realism with no black shading, people can do it. not everyone, but i can say from personal experience that i have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS with my customers holding color realism.
i have worked as a tattoo artist for almost 6 years, most of that time in the same town and i have yet to see a customer of mine require more than one touch up for their color work. and 9 times out of 10 its the fault of the client, not mine. i cant tell you how many times i have asked the customer how they took care of their tattoo only to be met with a detailed list of instructions that their friend who tattoos out of the house told them to do.
the other thing i feel like i need to present is the aftercare instructions, or lack thereof given by artists these days. ive had many artists tell me not to do anything with my tattoos. whether theyre fucking with me or not, leaving your tattoos alone is NOT the way to go. especially on sensitive areas. i have tried so many different kinds of aftercare and i can tell you that you will not get good results without good aftercare…. also many tattoo aftercare formulas specifically labeled for tattoo aftercare are HORRIBLE for healing tattoos.
maybe a lot of these fading problems could be almost completely eliminated with a different aftercare policy? just a thought.
So before we all go pointing fingers at the artist, maybe we should all step back and think like body mod artists. tattoos are not cut and dry. many factors play into how they heal and how they will look for the rest of someones life. and while many of those factors rely on the artist, a lot more rely on how the client cares for their ink. think about it, the artist spends hours with someone and their skin. the collector has YEARS to maintain the quality of their tattoo. thats a lot more work than a lot of people give it credit for. something as simple as tanning regularly for a couple years can HEAVILY discolor a perfectly healed tattoo.
one last thing, in reference to the specific picture in question, i will agree with shannon on this one that this is a case of poor layering of ink. this particular case is the artists fault. also, most of it was done in grey shades. if you as a tattoo artist dont expect black and grey shades to lighten up like that during the healing process you are completely ignorant. everyone should warn their customers that grey shade ink typically heals 20%-30% lighter than what it looks like fresh. its diluted ink. any time you dilute ink its going to heal lighter. you see this problem with b&g portrait artists a lot. their fresh work looks amazing, but a lot of lighter detail is lost in the healing.
…actually, if you examine the UPPER NOSE section you will see that it’s NOT the same tattoo. I don’t doubt the fading though
…actually, if you examine the UPPER NOSE section you will see that it’s NOT the same tattoo. I don’t doubt the fading though
…actually, if you examine the UPPER NOSE section you will see that it’s NOT the same tattoo. I don’t doubt the fading though
…actually, if you examine the UPPER NOSE section you will see that it’s NOT the same tattoo. I don’t doubt the fading though
I do wonder if people notice that they ARE the same tattoo, but the second picture has some changes because the guy got another tattoo later on. The second picture has a spider added in underneath it. Counting the teeth isn’t going to help because the lines around them have faded and the shapes have consequently merged and warped.
I do wonder if people notice that they ARE the same tattoo, but the second picture has some changes because the guy got another tattoo later on. The second picture has a spider added in underneath it. Counting the teeth isn’t going to help because the lines around them have faded and the shapes have consequently merged and warped.
I do wonder if people notice that they ARE the same tattoo, but the second picture has some changes because the guy got another tattoo later on. The second picture has a spider added in underneath it. Counting the teeth isn’t going to help because the lines around them have faded and the shapes have consequently merged and warped.
I do wonder if people notice that they ARE the same tattoo, but the second picture has some changes because the guy got another tattoo later on. The second picture has a spider added in underneath it. Counting the teeth isn’t going to help because the lines around them have faded and the shapes have consequently merged and warped.
I can’t believe how many people are saying it’s not the same… The sad thing is the artist went back into the tattoo here and there and still didn’t make it look good. These are the SAME though. Look at the moles below the tattoo, as well as the spiderweb, they all match up.
It is just poor application… I don’t feel like this is a “well known” artist though. I do know of quite a few of actually well known artists who’s work do heal poorly because of the lack in contrast, but I’ve never heard of this guy until now….
I can’t believe how many people are saying it’s not the same… The sad thing is the artist went back into the tattoo here and there and still didn’t make it look good. These are the SAME though. Look at the moles below the tattoo, as well as the spiderweb, they all match up.
It is just poor application… I don’t feel like this is a “well known” artist though. I do know of quite a few of actually well known artists who’s work do heal poorly because of the lack in contrast, but I’ve never heard of this guy until now….