Excerpt from “This may sting a bit: 101 things your tattoo artist forgot to tell you and you were probably too afraid to ask”
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This May Sting a Bit - CR Jordan
Ask if the owner of the shop knows how to tattoo
A possible sign that things are going to be run properly
at a tattoo shop is if the owner of the tattoo studio is a tattoo
artist himself. There are a lot of tattoo studios opening up that
seem to have non-tattooing owners. I have worked in some
of these types of tattoo studios, and things never seemed to
be running smooth. Such a studio owner has only one thing
in mind: making a profit. Most tattoo artists that open their
own studios do so out of love for the art and because they have
worked their way up to a point in their career where they can
actually afford it. A tattooing owner will know what type of
furniture to purchase for tattooing, what lighting is best, and
what proper sterilization/sanitation tools are required. There are
some things in a tattoo studio that shouldn’t be skimped on,
and the non-tattooing owner is more likely to try to save a few
dollars here and there by purchasing lower grade materials or
even passing on these needed items altogether.
I have also seen tattoo studio owners who, after opening
up their tattoo studio, feel that they can learn the trade and
start tattooing clients. This is when the portfolio will come in
handy. And it is always best to get a referral before you go to a
tattoo studio because even portfolios can be Photoshopped or
faked.
If the owner is not a tattoo artist, but has a really good
tattoo studio (which does happen), it is more than likely because
he is a good business owner or he has relied on an actual
tattoo artist to make these decisions. There are a lot of sanitation/
sterilization procedures that happen behind the scenes.
Just because the owner is a tattoo artist doesn’t mean these
things will be properly completed at the tattoo studio, but it
seems more often than not they are.
It has been my experience that tattoo artist owners are
more in tune with the industry, advancing their craft, recruiting
top tattoo artists to work for them, and many other things that
are good for you. This is just another question you can add to
your arsenal when you are shopping for a quality tattoo studio,
but it alone should not be a deciding factor.
Tattoo Studio Owners who don’t tattoo | Tattoos 101
November 29, 2011 at 10:40 pm
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