my first tattoo journal

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

my first tattoo journal

so yesterday a young guy came in to get a tattoo, he pulled out his phone to show me a pic, instantly I was slightly worried, I cant tell you how many times someone will pull out their phone to show me a pic of a horrible drawing and they want it JUST LIKE THAT! but this kid shows me a tattoo of a black graphic down a guys spine! this exact picture actually!

this design is something we have, its by a famous tattoo artist leo zulueta. He is famous for the "flower" type designs Lenny Kravitz has on his chest/shoulder area. so I was able to pull it right up for him! THEN they tell me the WHOLE story! they HAD an appointment at the other shop in the area and the guy
1) told them that design sucked and needed to be made more even and proportionate (I guess he knows better than "The KING of BLACK!)
2) they told them $700 and 2 sessions, 4 hours for line work! I took me just under an hour for the line work.
3) the boy told him he wanted to have green in it somehow as a memorial. the guy told him thats stupid and they wont do it.
and then he drew up a diffrent design and the kid didnt really like it but, he said thats what he had to get if he wanted something!
WOW its all about the customer! what they want should be what they get! we will guide them in a diffrent direction if theres a reason it shouldnt be as is.
so I got it all ready and they mention that he couldnt get it at the other place because he forgot photo ID but we got a solution to it!
they mention to me that the green is in memorial for a cousin who has passed away. Thats so honorable that he would want some green as a memory for his passed family member that I honestly felt bad that someone else had told him it was dumb.
through the time I spent tattooing the boy him and his mother and I had talked laughed and had a GREAT time! I hadnt expected it to be as fun as it ended up! and then I found out more about this cousin, he had been murdered, not just passed. That to me is horrifying! I never know what to say to people who have been though so much. I admire the kids strength and how hard it must have been to endure that! I could never! he is truely a brave soul! I cant even imagine, and I thought I was having a bad DAY! while doing the tattoo I could feel an amazing connection to both the boy and his mother and I am so glad that I could be part of his first tattoo experiance and to help him out if even just a little in the greving process.
and to this boy, if he is ever to read this. thank you for giving me the chance to be there.

thats all for today, but there are a few past tattoos that I would like to journal so I will soon!
<3 Chelsea