Being in the unique position of 'the outsider looking in' on the Body Mod industry, and not having to worry about alienating clientele, there are a few things that I've witnessed while hanging around my favorite shop that I feel should be addressed. I'm sure there are some of you who have tattoos that may even be ignorant to certain questions, comments and assumptions you have made, but I'm going to lay it out for you and I'm not going to be nice about it. Here we go.
1. These people are professionals and they know better than you.
So you might have an idea, an image to work off of, or a picture of a piece in your brain that you think needs to be exactly the way you think it is. You might want something extremely complicated. Your artist will make suggestions; you might feel apprehensive and uncertain that it will come out the way you want it because you had your heart set on it looking just the way you drew or your friend drew it or like the image you printed off your Google search.
Guess what? You don't know what makes a good tattoo. I've been getting tattooed for the better part of the last eight years, and even I am still not sure what makes a good, clean-looking tattoo. The artists know what is going to look good and what will have the best presentation, the best staying power on your skin. If an artist says something is too small, hear them out and consider making it bigger. If they say certain details will be lost, that your image is too cluttered, let them change it up a little bit to make it clearer. This includes taking your complexion into consideration; if you're darker, be realistic and don't expect a brightly-colored piece of work. It's not going to show up very well.
On the flip side, don't go in for a piercing and say, "I want this done but I want this flashy piece of jewelry you have in your case right here." Hold up. When you get a piercing, for the most part, you can't just shove whatever piece of jewelry in there that you want right off the bat. You commonly start with surgical stainless steel that has properly sterilized, give it time to heal, and then have your piercer put that goofy dangly bullshit in your navel that says "jizz dumpster" or whatever. You might think you know what looks good and that a labret stub would go great in your eyebrow; you're wrong. Professional piercers work hard to perfect their craft and know what kind of jewelry is supposed to go where. Don't pretend you know otherwise.
2. Stop shopping around for a price. They hate that.
And I do, too. Countless times I've seen people walk in and say, "how much do you charge for (insert tattoo/piercing here)?" I'm going to paraphrase the relevant Sailor Jerry quote and say that cheap work is almost always shitty work. If you want a gigantic back piece or a full sleeve, be fucking realistic and realize it's going to cost more than you thought.
It's one thing for tattoos if you have an image ready and a size in mind; if you have either of those things, then they'll usually accomodate you and give you an estimate. It's entirely another thing to have no idea what kind of script you want your deceased relative's name to be in and have no clue how big you want it. They need a point of reference in order to tell you how much they'll charge. At least have an idea what size you want it and whether or not you want black and grey or color before charging in to ask how much they want.
Back to the 'shopping around' thing: If you want a tattoo or piercing, price should be no object. Now, I realize there are shops out there that jack up their prices and gouge the customer a little bit (maybe more than a little) because they might have a reputation or more name recognition than the budding studio down the street. But here's the thing: you want quality work, yes? Then look at portfolios and see what the artists or piercers have done before asking for a price and letting just any asshole with a tattoo machine or a piercing needle quote you a price and do your work. If you want a certain style, say, a portrait, then see if they've done portraits. Some places will be courteous enough to steer you in the direction of an artist who specializes in the style you're looking for.
If you wanna be a cheapskate, it's going to show in the work you receive. If you don't have a lot of money for the piece you want and don't give a shit what it's going to look like, you shouldn't be getting work done in the first place, let alone getting these people's hopes up for your business. If you really don't care then go to the back of the nail salon and see the fucking Scratcher with a guitar string hooked up to a car battery and stop wasting the professionals' time.
Again: take into account the artist/piercer's input. If they have suggestions, take them under advisement. Almost every piece of work I have has been tweaked by my artist/piercer, and for the better, whether it be sizing, coloring, placement, composition or type of jewelry.
3. Think!
Now, some people won't agree with me on this, (wait- this is my blog, so fuck you!) but here is my one rule for getting names tattooed on you:
Don't tattoo your significant other's name on you. I don't fucking care that you think you've found the love of your life or even if you're married. My friend and artist Pistol Pete once had a guy come in: "I screwed up real bad this weekend with my girlfriend and wanna make it up to her by gettin' her name tattooed on me real big."
Pete's reply was honest, brief, and to the point: "Well, dude, I do a lot of names, but I also do a lot of cover-ups."
One of my friends in college had a unique way of looking at it. When his girlfriend said they should get their names tattooed on one another; he told her no. Not because he didn't love her; he explained that there was no telling what could happen between them, but if they had children, he was willing to get the kids' names tattooed. He reasoned that the kids' names were okay, because they would always, no matter what, be his children. A partner or spouse's name is different and a risky, because you have no fucking clue what could happen between the two of you down the road, do you?
So. Children, parents, grandparents, good friends who pass away? That's acceptable. That makes sense. Significant others' names being tattooed is simply tempting Fate. If you truly feel that strongly for someone and still want a tattoo for them, be creative. Get an image that represents your love, perhaps, as opposed to something as obvious and potentially regretable as their name. But I feel even that is ill-advised.
Think about the permanency of any Body Modification before getting a tattoo or piercing!
Teenagers are especially guilty of this. With every day that passes I see more and more kids, still in their teens, with tattoos that can cost them a potential job. There was a fucking seventeen-year-old in the library with a teardrop tattooed on his face! Seventeen! What kind of future do you think he has?
Now, I realize the societal stigma of having tattoos is slowly loosening up. I get that. Some places (like my job) that have any sort of union don't have anything in their dress code about tattoos. I've certainly benefited from this fact, but I made sure my ass was covered before covering anything else. But what if you don't have a union? What if you work for a private employer?
I hate to say it, but an owner of a private business can decide what type of people they want to hire, and if you get heavily tattooed before you have a career, you face the possibility of being frowned upon and turned away from job opportunities. Just think about how difficult you want to make life on yourself.
Piercings are a somewhat different story. They're semi-permanent in that they leave scars if you take them out. Some aren't noticeable, but if you're going to go into a career--say, in Healthcare--and you know you won't be able to have them, realize that you will have tiny divets where they were. Think about it before you get pierced and weigh that against whatever decision you make. Sure, they're small and unobtrusive, but some people can get bent out of shape over a couple blemishes and you should recognize whether you are one of those people or not before getting your lips pierced.
Plus, tattoos and piercings hurt. In the case of tattoos, it hurts more to have them removed. Don't make rash decisions when it comes to this. Think it over for quite some time first.
4. Be polite and have some fucking respect.
Tattoo shops are private businesses. They can refuse service if you're an asshole to them. Don't come in and act the prick, all right? Be courteous. Be patient, especially if your artist has gone through several designs because they're trying to get it just the way you want it. Recognize the time and trouble that go into any tattoo's creation and appreciate their effort.
Don't complain about how expensive it is if they price something out for you. Don't come in fresh from the bar, drunk and obnoxious; they will turn you away, and rightfully so (and if you do come in drunk, insistent and flashing money around, don't complain if they tattoo you anyway and it turns out shitty because you bleed more and it scabs horribly). Just don't come in reeking of booze or pot or the fact that you decided to get tattooed after not showering for a week. These people have to get up close and personal, so be mindful of that. Make the experience as pleasant as possible, because that's what the artists and piercers will try to do for you in the hopes that they will have a repeat customer.
Also, don't assume you get the hookup because you know someone who went there. It's not cool. It makes your friend or acquaintance look like an asshole just for knowing your assumption-making ass. If the artist is willing to work with you on price, you damn well better give them a good tip, which brings us to...
5. "Tipping is not a city in China."
Tip these people! It is a service, like having your hair done, like having food or appliances or furniture delivered. A lot of these folks work on a commision or a percentage of the work they do. If you have an artist draw something up for you several times, think about that when you go to pay them and tip accordingly. Show them that you appreciate their work and they will remember you for it, appreciate it and welcome your returning patronage.
Tattoos and piercings are a great form of expressing yourself. It's freeing and exciting to have good work done that gets you noticed and even complimented, but it's not instantaneous and it's not magic. It's a process, a collaboration between artist/piercer and client. I'm very fortunate to be in the position I'm in with my tattoos and piercings, and I never, ever forget that. Be polite, be respectful, think about what you want for a good long time, pay what they ask, and tip your people well. They'll appreciate it.
-Swift
No comments:
Post a Comment