Don't let the tattoo client bite off more than he/she can chew

An important thing to remember as a young apprentice in the tattoo industry is customer's intentions change as the progression occurs. This means that when a new client comes in they are optimistic on their design concept and the size / complexity of that design. They have quality as a priority initially, but as the pain sets in so does the reality of the tattoo. Soon the optimism turns to a re-prioritization where the time you (the artist) are taking can almost seem to anger the clients.
This is very common and it is your job to do a few things:

1.) Don't oversell the tattoo. If you know it will take 6 hours, then tell them it will take 6 hours.
2.) Learn your clients. If your client is new (even worse is first timer or virgin) then you have to bring them back down to earth usually.
3.) Educate them, but don't belittle them.
4.) If the tattoo turns to resentment during the process, stay calm and work out a compromise - even if it means setting up a second follow up appointment.

Always make sure you get the deposit before they leave for the follow up or you might not see that client for a very long time. This is not so much as a business practice in getting the customer's money, as it is for the "you don't want someone walking around with bad art on their body that you did" sort of reason.

Keep in mind that these things happen, and it is your job to prevent them before they happen. Educate your new customers, they will thank you for it later!

Tattoo Encyclopedia

I want to remind everyone that there is a tattoo wiki in the works - and it is ONLINE now and it is free - even if you didn't buy the book Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo.

http://www.teachmetotattoo.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

What is this Project All About?

Welcome to Teach Me To Tattoo – Online Wiki, a dynamic and ever changing lexicon of tattoo terminology. User created and user modified. The tattoo industry is rapidly evolving, and the terminology utilized in the industry is a vast “word-of-mouth” jumble of phrases. Some of these words and phrases are pretty basic and have minimal variations; however some words and phrases have multiple meanings. What one artist calls a “front-spring” another might call a “timing-spring”. It is because each of us was trained or “apprenticed” by a different person, and because of the lacking in formal tattoo training that we have decided to build this wiki.

Anyone can edit the pages, and we hope that professional artists will join in across the world, and help normalize or standardize the vocabulary of the tattoo trade.

What can you expect to get out of this site?

This site is not meant as a guide, and it will not teach you to tattoo at all. Even our main site’s name “Teach Me To Tattoo” is actually misleading. That is because you cannot be taught to tattoo simply by reading a few websites, or books. You can’t even learn to properly tattoo from a DVD or VHS tape. You must do an apprenticeship to learn the proper way to tattoo. The purpose of Teach Me To Tattoo is to get the knowledge that should be common place for every tattoo artist in the open, and perhaps excel the quality of the tattoo trade as a whole. There are so many artists who tattoo (some even own shops or studios) that cannot even tune a tattoo machine or make tattoo needles. If there was some sort of consolidated database where every artist could share his experiences and information, then perhaps the learning curve would change and ultimately the quality of tattoo across the world would increase.

Can I ask a Question on the Wiki?

No! You can search for topics, and contribute to pages on the Wiki. If you want to ask a question then check out the forum. You can find the forum at: TMTT Open Forum

Question from the Forum

Ran across this question from a guy named Tony who bought the book Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo recently.

He was wondering about getting pro gear, but not working in a tattoo studio...

Re: Greetings from Rancho Mirage

S1513F8O5956 wrote:

are there companies that will allow me to purchase equipment so I can experiment? (I'm intrigued by Pulse equipment.) Any advice anyone can give will be appreciated...thanks! Tony

I would say check out the book - there are a ton of listings of distributors that sell gear.

Most the good stuff requires you to work in a studio.

Unimax and Technical may not - check with them.

You need a good power supply.

Try eBay or Craigslist to buy from a pro who is selling - you might pay more, but it is worth it to have good gear.

Best of Luck

http://www.teachmetotattoo.com/forum/greetings-from-rancho-mirage-177.html#p631

Whats up?

So what will be in the new book, and why is it taking so long?

The new tattoo book (the follow on to Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo) will cover a lot of stuff. Part of why it is behind schedule is because I am really trying to make sure you get your money worth on this one. This book will not replace Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo, but it will be the next book in the series. Basic Fundamentals was designed to work with the tattoo apprentice who is in a studio studying under a professional. It has a lot of information, but you need to have those hands on experiences. I am realistic though and I know a lot of people who purchased the book are not tattoo apprentices in the formal respect. That is okay, I am not one of those people who will condemn a new artist in the industry because he/she did not start off their career as a formal apprentice. I know this is a feat in itself to obtain.

The goal is to get the information out there, and make sure it is the best quality information that is easy to understand. Tattoo is a profession where you have to really study under another artist who you respect and who’s style you want to emulate or pull from (to an extent). It is difficult to get an apprenticeship in the tattoo industry though, and you (the apprentice) might be forced to take what you can get (know that this is a bad thing and it goes both ways, sometimes artists take on apprentices that they wish they could do better as well). You really just have to make sure you learn what you can from whoever will teach you. Even an artist, who does not have the best “artistic” skill, might be very technical – or have his own set of tips and tricks that you can eventually apply. As a new tattoo artist / apprentice you should always be humble and take everything you can like a sponge – just keep your mouth shut and smile and nod.

The new book will really go more into a case study and style theory, where I will take you through a bunch of tattoos (mostly grey wash, grey and white, and simple color) from start to finish. Breaking down everything that occurs each step of the way and how each machine is setup. Each tattoo will also have a medium resolution video on the web site to go along with the book with detailed audio commentary. I will also go over tattoo machine building and setup in extensive detail. I will show you a very simple way to break down every aspect of your tattoo machine and ensure that you can remain consistent. I will give you a breakdown of parts to buy – and the vendors. In Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo I give a list of each quality vendor, but I really try to avoid recommending specifics (other than what I use). In the new book, I will not only use a single frame (that costs under $80.00) to build 4 different tattoo machines, but I will show you how to mix and match machine parts to get the exact desired results. I also will go over specifics about important aspects of setting up the machine (not just the tuning aspect) but the way I ride my springs and how I set the needles up in the machines, as well as what are the best disposables to use for each job.

My goal for tattoo books is that we are beyond an age where you can just have a book. You need to have a rich media experience, and that means you should get reading materials as well as audio materials and videos.

I know I am the type of person who hates to pay $100.00 for a eBook or PDF – If I am paying more than $50.00 for a book, I want to have a tangible copy of that book that I can highlight and read while I am laying in bed (yes I know I can use my laptop in bed) but there is just something about a paper book that cannot be matched. I also know that books can not show you everything that a video or audio clip can. But you have to remember that a video or audio clip or even a really good forum can’t give you that feedback that you will get from a real human mentor in a tattoo studio.

Why is it taking so long to get these titles out / update the portal?
I am still in Afghanistan – so I have limited time to work on these projects. Please stick with me though, I am serious about this industry and I am serious about trying to provide the best gear and texts that I can. Remember, if you have purchased one of my texts – you can email me directly and I will respond!

Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo updates

So the first run of Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo has gone pretty well. We have made a lot of contacts in the industry and received a lot of positive feedback. I have taken everything that you have told me into consideration, I have also begun to work on a list of “corrections” and “additions” for the next printing of the same book. (Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo 2nd Edition) This book is not to be confused with the follow up book, Modern Tattooist: Advanced Apprenticeship Techniques (working title).

Those of you who have purchased Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo 1st Edition, will receive a link to all the revisions and new images that will be printed in the 2nd edition of the same title book. This is because I don’t think you should have to purchase a new copy of every textbook when modifications or additions are made. This is why it is important you log into the Teach Me To Tattoo Portal and modify / update your email address. I am expecting to have all of these updates published online in 2 - 4 months. Everyone who is registered on the PORTAL will receieve a download link.

Unique Tattoo Machines

Stuck in the airport during my 12 hour layover – I decided to check out pulse tattoo blog. http://pulsetattooblog.blogspot.com/ I try to check them out every few months – or whenever I am in the mood to see what new stuff is out there. Today I noticed this article or blog about Larry Ross. Which led me to this page: http://www.bodyblendstudio.com/ - all I can say is, “really wild”. It is hard to see from the images which are kinda’ sepia or old school-ish – but I can just imagine the complexity of these custom machines. I can’t wait to grab one or two from Larry. I am going to give him a call next week to see what he has in his supply. Not for use in actual tattooing – but I would love to have one of these machines put in an acrylic case on the wall in my home office.

It is one of those things, tattoo has evolved so much – but the actual gear has not been changed as much as you would think. I mean, for 2010 we should be tattooing with mind controlled lasers or something… you would think. I love my coil machines, and I definitely think my rotary machines have their place. I have never used a pneumatic machine, but I have heard good and bad about them. Other than the whole 1.5 coil setups and plastics; tattoo machines have really remained unchanged in general concept (obviously I am not considering the whole pneuma thing – don’t get me wrong that is a giant revolution.. I just don’t have firsthand experience).
Either way, be sure to check out Larry Ross, and if you know of a really unique machine builder – let me know so I can check em out, or give them some free publicity on here.
A good note for those of you who are tattoo apprentice level: The quality of your machine will NOT determine the quality of your tattoo (write that down, and stop trying to buy a $600 machine thinking you will be the next Niko – practice – practice – practice – watch your mentor – and then practice some more).