FAQ
That means frequently asked questions...How does it work?
You have to get an idea for what you want to get as a tattoo. It can be a vague idea if you aren't very picky. If you have something pretty specific in mind bring some reference with you.
What is a reference?
Anything you ever saw. Ever! Bring in photos, postcards, album covers, library books, jewelry, a clock form grandmas house. Books are good too. In Chicago check out CHicago Comix in Boystown, Quimby's or Myopic in Wicker Park. In NYC, Saint Marks bookstore in St Marks, the Strand or Forbidden Planet in Union Square and Unimax in Chinatown are great. But you should really bring something so I can see what style you like at least. A client told me one time to draw a dream sequence and he had no reference, so that makes it hard for me. I don't know what his dream sequence looks like. I dream a lot about being on the train with talking sharks.
Why do I have to leave a deposit?
It comes off the price of your tattoo anyway and also it thins the herd. There seem to be two types of consultations; there's
A) The person who really wants a tattoo, has decided basically what they want and where they want it and they are excited to get cracking.
B) The person who want to describe to you in great detail what they probably maybe would want. Perhaps at some point in the future. And not from me necessarily. They still are up in the air about the whole thing. But the fact that they are never ever going to get tattooed from me doesn't seem to stop them from telling me about, lets say, yin-yangs. They aren't certain about committing to a tattoo but they are ENTIRELY certain that they love yin-yangs. They are able to convey this intense affection by describing the history and beautiful symbolism of this subject for 2 hours and 37 minutes.
"B" people don't like leaving deposits so with them out of the way it gives me more consultation time with the "A" people. And as a tattoo client I do know first hand difficult and frustrating it can be to express wheat you want, but that's where the reference helps out. You don't need a reference to be the exact tattoo that you want, but you can get a couple things together that are similar in color, position, texture etc.
A) The person who really wants a tattoo, has decided basically what they want and where they want it and they are excited to get cracking.
B) The person who want to describe to you in great detail what they probably maybe would want. Perhaps at some point in the future. And not from me necessarily. They still are up in the air about the whole thing. But the fact that they are never ever going to get tattooed from me doesn't seem to stop them from telling me about, lets say, yin-yangs. They aren't certain about committing to a tattoo but they are ENTIRELY certain that they love yin-yangs. They are able to convey this intense affection by describing the history and beautiful symbolism of this subject for 2 hours and 37 minutes.
"B" people don't like leaving deposits so with them out of the way it gives me more consultation time with the "A" people. And as a tattoo client I do know first hand difficult and frustrating it can be to express wheat you want, but that's where the reference helps out. You don't need a reference to be the exact tattoo that you want, but you can get a couple things together that are similar in color, position, texture etc.
How many tattoos do you have?
Too many according to my mom.
What should I get?
No way! We are not doing that. You know when your friend sats, lets get lunch, I could really eat anything and you say "Italian!" and she says "no, anything else though", and you say "Mexican?" and she says "naw". And she won't pick anything or agree with any of your ideas? The tattoo version of that never ends up being productive, except 1 time. My friend Taylor didn't know what to get and left it up to me and I did a skeleton dancing with a fan. So I will do that "whatever you want" or " what should I get" conversation only if I think it will work out.
How about instead of a tip I take you out for a drink?
No thank you. A surprising number of people do that with me and I think it must be one of two things.
1) I'm getting hit on by default because I don't work with any other girls usually. So if it's between like, me, Ricardo, Jake and Adam and you're kind of bored and want to hit on a girl, there isn't a variety to choose from.
2) My clients see my beer guy and assume I'm going to spend their $$ on a drink anyway.
1) I'm getting hit on by default because I don't work with any other girls usually. So if it's between like, me, Ricardo, Jake and Adam and you're kind of bored and want to hit on a girl, there isn't a variety to choose from.
2) My clients see my beer guy and assume I'm going to spend their $$ on a drink anyway.
Do you reuse needles?
No.
Do tattoos hurt?
More than your typical mustache wax and less than shrapnel to the face.
Do you remember . . . ?
tattooing my cousin Kathy?
No.
You did a one inch heart on her butt 8 years ago, she has brown hair . . . ?
Sorry, doesn't ring a bell.
She has 3 kids, Matty, Katy and Wendy? Matty takes karate and is a goalie in his little league team and Wendy takes Ballet?
Nope.
She always wears a little silver cross pendant with matching earrings and she drives a grey Honda accord? Kathy? Are you sure?
Sorry, a lot of folks stop by, ya know?
She has a labradoodle and her husband Larry just built a doggie house in the back yard? Larry? He's a consultant in marketing? Kathy's husband? You really don't remember her? Kathy-pie? Kath-Kath? She played lacross in highschool?
mmmmm–nope.
My cousin Kathy? She has a heart tattoo and a slight mustache? Curly hair?
Nope.
Hmm. Maybe she got it form Marcy then.
No.
You did a one inch heart on her butt 8 years ago, she has brown hair . . . ?
Sorry, doesn't ring a bell.
She has 3 kids, Matty, Katy and Wendy? Matty takes karate and is a goalie in his little league team and Wendy takes Ballet?
Nope.
She always wears a little silver cross pendant with matching earrings and she drives a grey Honda accord? Kathy? Are you sure?
Sorry, a lot of folks stop by, ya know?
She has a labradoodle and her husband Larry just built a doggie house in the back yard? Larry? He's a consultant in marketing? Kathy's husband? You really don't remember her? Kathy-pie? Kath-Kath? She played lacross in highschool?
mmmmm–nope.
My cousin Kathy? She has a heart tattoo and a slight mustache? Curly hair?
Nope.
Hmm. Maybe she got it form Marcy then.
Can I bring my kids/pet/Beatles CD to put on?
No, I'm sorry. I'd rather you bring both your kid and your pet over the Beatles CD though if it came down to it. Unless you had one of those nasty Madagascar centipedes as a pet. God Almighty are those things ever gross.