Inked Talk

Ideally, any large tattoo should feel like a cohesive piece, developed and carried out with a single vision. Changing artists in the middle of piece seems like a bad idea, but is there ever a good reason to make a switch midstream? One of our readers shared his story of how sometimes change can be a very good - and necessary - thing.

Dan Collins had contemplated getting a tattoo for the better part of ten years before taking the plunge. He decided to get a pinup style tattoo of an Indian Maiden on his arm, as homage to his Lakota heritage. He had imagery that he wanted to incorporate into the pinup which had special significance to him, so he took his time selecting an artist that he felt could work with his ideas.

I could have drawn my tattoo but I didn’t want that. I wanted an artist to take my ideas and stick them on me. If it had been my art I am sure I’d be too critical. And after stopping around I went to Charlie’s House of Tattoos in Simi Valley, California because I knew him from my younger years. What better then someone I knew?

Dan took a look at the artists’ portfolios, and was impressed with Rick’s work. He had a lot of experience doing pinups, and he felt confident that Rick could bring his Indian Maiden idea to life. Rick took notes and said he would draw up the piece to be ready for Dan’s first session.

I showed up the day of my appointment to find out that Rick, the original artist Charlie assigned to me, had quit. Charlie assured me that the new artist would do even better. The drawing was nearly done when the first artist left, so there was not too much for the second guy to do but clean it up a little and stick it on me. I met the new artist, but I didn’t like his portfolio as it was pretty much tribal and gang art. But he had a redeeming grace of making the changes to my pinup exactly how I wanted them.

The second artist had told Dan that the pinup could be completed in about four sittings and would cost a total of $400.00. Immediately Dan was unhappy with the work at the sittings, as each sitting was only about forty-five minutes, with about twenty minutes of each session spent in preparation. Dan felt he was being nickeled-and-dimed.

But how do you change artists mid-tattoo?

For Dan, the choice wasn’t entirely his:

I showed up on my scheduled last appointment for my final sitting only to learn that the second artist had quit. No one at the shop could give me an answer on how my tattoo was going to get finished at that point. I later found out that my second artist had been arrested. And here I am with an incomplete tattoo on my arm.

Finding an tattoo artist that wants to work on another person’s project can be a challenge, as Dan learned.

I called around and found that a new tattoo shop was opening in Simi Valley called First Amendment Tattoo. I spoke with Will, the artist, and he was hesitant at first but asked me to stop by so he could see what it needed.
The next day I went to Will and he looked at it and said “I’ll fix it up, have a seat! I was floored, he was willing to fix it then and there.

I sat down and he relined it shaded it and plugged in all the color, all in an hour and a half. Will completely relined her and shaded her in. It went from a line drawing to awesome in only one sitting.

The finished piece:

Sometimes, you need to make a change. Remember, your ink is going to be on your body for the rest of your life. If you don’t like how things are going, speak up. And if your artist won’t work with you to your satisfaction, don’t be afraid to make a change. After all, you have to live with - and hopefully love - your tattoo.

Thank you Dan for sharing your story with Inked Talk. Myspace users, check out Dan’s Myspace page and add him as a friend!

**************

Time for my daily 451 Press Plug: Everyone loves the Simpsons, so check out this great blog about America’s favorite animated family!