Tattoos Are Actually Permanent!

 

Cover-up tattoo by Jared

SHOCKER, WE KNOW! WHO KNEW THAT TATTOOS WERE PERMANENT?

It's weird that we have to say this, but yes, tattoos are permanent. It sounds strange to even say it out loud, and that this concept even needs to be explained. Fortunately, most people understand what they are getting into. Others, well they need a little help.

It's not that they don't know that tattoos are permanent, it's more of a reflection on their understanding that WHAT they are getting is permanent. Only an incredibly uninformed person doesn't know tattoos are not going to just wash off. We're more so making commentary on their decisions.

WHY EXPLAINING THIS IS SO IMPORTANT

It breaks down to a few points of interest. Content, quality, and the future. Each of these things should be considered before you get your tattoo(s) and why they're important to think about. 

CONTENT

The content of your tattoo is what your tattoo is about or what it's saying. Sometimes content, or subject, tells a story of where you are in life, where you were, or where you are going. Sometimes the subject isn't as deep or meaningful as all that. You may wake up one day and decide to get an image of a piece of toast for a tattoo, for no other reason than you were craving toast. This is why content is important when choosing to put something permanent on your body.

Sure, that toast tattoo may be fun, original and odd enough to be cool, but is it something you see yourself wanting on your body years down the road? Is it something you feel you'll probably want to get covered up some day? If so, maybe you should put a little more thought into your tattoo.

What about the Olde English script "Sublime" tattoo across your neck that you got in the nineties when you just barely turned 18? Was that the best decision? Getting a "job killer" tattoo at a young age should be seriously considered before proceeding. Wait until you have an established career where it won't matter and you can freely express yourself. In this case, your extreme love of the band Sublime. By the way, there is nothing wrong with loving Sublime.

This brings us to the dreaded name tattoos. One of the most common cover-up requests is for names of past boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses. A lot of people will advise against these tattoos for the obvious reasons. There are only a real handful of name tattoos that are completely safe, and that's your kids, siblings, parents and grandparents. Other people, you should be absolutely sure that it won't turn into a regret tattoo. 

QUALITY

When getting a tattoo, quality is key. If you are going to put permanent marks on your body, most people want them to be a good quality. Of course, quality=cost. No quality tattoo is going to be cheap, unless you get really lucky. Tattoos are one of those luxuries that you shouldn't skimp on the price. It's permanent and a cover-up will probably end up costing you more than if you got a good tattoo in the first place. 

Many of us, if not most of us that have tattoos, are guilty of getting a scratch and poke tattoo that either a friend of yours did at a party, or you did yourself. It's very common. We might have not been considering the permanence of tattoos while we were doing it. Maybe we were young, or drunk, or whatever, but one way or another, we simply weren't going into it with a clear mind. 

Even if you plan on a very simplistic tattoo as your idea, you still want it to come out good and of a good quality. There's a difference between a smiley face tattoo with good, even lines with a perfect circle and a smiley face tattoo that's roughly done, uneven lines and egg-shaped. Quality is important no matter what design you are going for, whether simple or elaborate.

THE FUTURE

The future can play a role in the importance of tattoos being permanent. When you are young, you may not be considering what lies ahead. You may have dreams of becoming a successful musician, actor, sports figure, or whatever. You may be thinking your tattoos won't matter in that case. Even if you happen to break into one of these careers, sometimes your tattoos do matter. This is especially true for actors. Many actors have gotten passed up for jobs because of visible tattoos.

Realistically, most people won't land a record deal or a professional basketball contract. It's a sad fact of life. Very high paying entertainment gigs are incredibly difficult to fall into. You'll most likely end up working in some other field, which still may be high paying (like a doctor, or lawyer). Consider what tattoos you are getting and where on your body you are getting them when thinking about your future self. 

Not a lot of people have a law degree with "THUG LIFE" tattooed across their knuckles, and if they do, they probably don't have too many clients and may be stuck working as a low paid public defender. You don't see too many General Practitioner doctors with face and neck tattoos. 

When considering your tattoos, also consider what lies ahead in your future. You don't want to hinder yourself and add any unnecessary roadblocks to make things more difficult than they have to be. If your career aspirations won't be affected by the prospect of tattoos, great! There's nothing wrong expressing yourself with tattoos as long as they don't become a shackle. 

TATTOOS ALLOW US TO EXPRESS OURSELVES CREATIVELY 

Despite all that has been previously said, there is nothing wrong with using tattoos as a means to express yourself. Tattoos are a beautiful art form that have been around for thousands of years and have been expressed by nearly every culture and on nearly every continent on the planet.

Unlike other forms of art, tattoos are worn on the body at all times. Being permanent, they are a part of us until we die. This is why certain things should be considered when you are planning on your tattoos. You want a good design that will age well along with you, you want it done with a degree of quality and you want it go along with your future plans without it becoming a burden. 

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT TATTOO?

If you're ready to get your next tattoo done, schedule an appointment with an award-winning tattoo parlor. Here at Lucky Bamboo Tattoo, we have some of the best and most experienced tattoo artists in Utah and the Salt Lake City area. We can tattoo any style you'd like, and our artists can even design your next piece as well.

Come see why we have been voted "The Best Tattoo Studio In Utah" for several years in a row.

Lucky Bamboo Tattoo understands that tattoo collectors searching for the best tattoo shop in Utah comes with a big responsibility and we here at LBT are ready to fulfill your tattoo needs.

Tattooing: Great Artists Vs Bad Artists

 

Jared is one of the Great Artists at LBT

JUST LIKE CLIENTS, THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD ARTISTS

In the world of tattooing, artists are the forefront of creation and execution of a good, well done tattoo. Not all artists are created equal. Not by a long shot. Some are great, some are good, and some are flat out terrible. It may sound harsh and judgmental, but it's simply a fact. Not everyone is cut out to be a tattoo artist. If it were that easy, more people would do it.

WHAT MAKES AN ARTIST BAD OR GOOD?

There are many things that can contribute to how good or bad an artist is. As a client, you'll want to learn if your potential artist is one to avoid. Not only do you want your tattoo to come out as good or better than you expect, but you also want your overall experience to be a good one. Here are some of the things that determine if someone is a good tattoo artist or a bad one. 

ART EDUCATION

A person isn't necessarily a "bad" artist if they don't have any formal art education. Some people out there are very good artists just through personal practice. However, a tattoo artist with a real art education does have an edge and some advantages. They learn many skills that you generally don't just pick up on your own, regardless of how good you might be. Various techniques and abilities need to be learned from an experienced teacher and observed to make sure they are being done correctly.

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

There are more than one type of person out there that does tattoos. Some are artists that studied, practiced and had an apprenticeship. Then, there are those that bought a tattoo machine online and randomly decided that they are a tattoo artist. An unskilled and untrained person doing tattoos is not a tattoo artist, they are a 'scratcher'. Scratchers are the cause of the vast majority of complications, blow outs, and the reason someone needs a cover-up. Avoid scratchers. 

Another important factor is knowledge. Not just knowledge of what to do, but also what NOT to do. This pertains to both the whole of the tattooing process, but also about sanitary and cleanliness practices. If your artist has not gone through and maintained a Bloodborne Pathogens certification, you need a new artist. Knowing how to keep your work area clean, sanitized and safe are very important. Knowing how to avoid cross-contamination are very important. Knowledge is important. A good artist has this knowledge through training and practice.

TEMPERAMENT

An artists temperament can play a key role on how good of a tattoo artist they are. If a person has a generally crappy attitude, they're a bummer to be around. This is extra true regarding your tattoo artist. Who wants to sit for hours with some grump while they mope and scribble on you angrily? A good artist, regardless of what is going on in their personal life, will put all that on the back burner and focus on their work. A real artist is a professional and doesn't bring their personal problems to the studio.

PATIENCE

A good artist will always be patient. Not just with clients, but also with themself and the process. Sure, everybody can get frustrated now and then when a piece of art they're working on isn't coming out as they envisioned. The good artist approaches this with patience and just keeps working on the drawing until it comes out right. The bad artist throws their hands up in the air and just gives up on that piece and starts from scratch. 

Sometimes, it's the client that can be frustrating. It happens. The good artists will keep moving forward with a good attitude until the project is finished. Bad artists might simply rush the tattoo to get it over with, leaving their client with poor work. Even if it's a piece the artist isn't thrilled about, if they're good, they'll still put their all into it because regardless of how they feel about the concept, they'll still want it to come out as well as the client expects. 

KEEPING IT PROFESSIONAL

Most of us get to deal with listening to the problems of our family and friends. Who wants to sit and listen to their tattoo artist complain for hours about their troubles? That may sound heartless, but people want a certain experience while getting their tattoo. Listening to someone complain isn't that experience. We all have problems, we don't want to hear about other peoples while we are trying to enjoy ourselves. 

KEEPING IT PROFESSIONAL II

Unfortunately, there are quite a few so-called artists that are also very inappropriate towards their clients, to the degree of sexual harassment. If you have an artist that is saying things that make you feel uncomfortable or that you're actually in danger, that is most definitely a bad artist. Sometimes those types get a reputation because of it, and not the good kind. If you hear time and time again about a situation where a particular artist was out of hand, you may want to avoid that person. 

Don't be too quick to judge, however, off of one online review. Sometimes people just make things up for whatever malicious reason they have. Look at an artists reviews as a whole. If someone has a ton of great reviews, but one that seems a bit fishy, you can generally get a good feel for someone by just meeting them in person. Perhaps book a consultation with that artist and see for yourself. 

The previous applies to both men and women because both can be guilty of harassment. Not only verbal, but also physical. If you are in a session, and your artist is making contact frequently somewhere where no tattooing is occurring and there's no reason for any touching there, say something. Make sure they know that it's not welcome. Too many shy people have told them over time that it's "okay" to do that by keeping quiet. Don't let them think that way. 

RELIABILITY

Any good artist will be reliable. They'll be completely prepared with your art, they'll be set up and ready to go once your session is supposed to start. Sometimes unforeseen complications can happen, such as your artist is very sick. In that event, it's best to reschedule for both your personal health and for the sake of your tattoo. If you artist is really under the weather, you won't get their best work. It's worth waiting to get it done once they are well. It can be frustrating, but it's for the best.

A bad artist will often be late to work, not be prepared with your art at all, take 30 min of your session time setting up, and so on. Again, sometimes things happen, and some of the previous things occur even to the best artist, but this would be an anomaly. If they're generally reliable, then that means they fall into the category of a good artist. It's when it's constant to the point of expected that they'll be late or unprepared is when they're bad at what they do.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE/CONSTANT SMOKE BREAKS

If your artist has to get a little stoned or have a few drinks before or during your tattoo, this is definitely not a professional and is a bad artist. There's nothing wrong with people partaking now and then, and having a few drinks, but not while you're tattooing, or doing any job, really. 

If your artist can't go a few hours tattooing without taking a smoke break, maybe it's time for them to quit (smoking or tattooing). Smoking isn't a necessity and it can be put off for at least 2 hours, in the very least. Nobody has to go smoke every 15 minutes, artists or clients. True nicotine addiction cravings don't really take place for about 6-8 hours after the last drag. Surely a person can go a couple of hours without needing a butt. 

TO SUMMARIZE

A good artist will be educated, skilled, knowledgable, professional, prepared, and reliable. A bad artist will be the opposite. 

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT TATTOO?

If you're ready to get your next tattoo done, schedule an appointment with an award-winning tattoo parlor. Here at Lucky Bamboo Tattoo, we have some of the best and most experienced tattoo artists in Utah and the Salt Lake City area. We can tattoo any style you'd like, and our artists can even design your next piece as well.

Come see why we have been voted "The Best Tattoo Studio In Utah" for several years in a row.

Lucky Bamboo Tattoo understands that tattoo collectors searching for the best tattoo shop in Utah comes with a big responsibility and we here at LBT are ready to fulfill your tattoo needs.

Tattooing: Amazing Clients Vs Bad Clients

 

WHAT MAKES A PERSON A GOOD CLIENT OR A BAD CLIENT?

Leah Working On One of Her Amazing Regular Clients

In the world of business, there are good customers and there are bad customers. This is no different in the tattoo industry. You gotta take the bad with the good, unfortunately, but you can avoid being one of the bad ones. No tattoo artist wants to think to themself, "Oh no, not this guy again." And hopefully, no client wants that thought of them, either.

WHAT MAKES A PERSON A "BAD CLIENT" IN THE TATTOO WORLD?

There are many factors that can lead to a person being on this list of dreaded customers. Pretty much all of which can easily be avoided or corrected with just a little conscientious thought and consideration. Being self-aware helps, as well. 

UNRELIABILE LARRY

One major factor to be considered a "bad client" is being flaky regarding your appointments. If you are constantly trying to reschedule or even cancel your appointments, this is right up top. Appointments are made for the reason of the artist and the studio aren't making any money as it's difficult to fill those spots at the last minute. 

If your artist is planning on you being there on a certain date/time, they've already planned out their drawing schedule and were counting on you being there for the planned time. It's one of the reasons cancelling or moving your appointment last minute is an ADF forfeiture. The solution is to just manage your time better and show up to your appointments. 

THE CONTROL FREAK

Another factor separating the good vs the bad is control. If a client needs 100% control and say over the tattoo design, you are tying the creative hands of your artist, and maybe your idea just won't work as envisioned. Trust is essential when getting a tattoo, which means is solely based on selecting the right artist. There needs to be some degree of artistic freedom for your artist to do their best work. 

There are few exceptions to this, such as a memorial piece that you need an exact copy of handwriting, or you want an exact copy of a kids drawing. Things like that. Otherwise, loosen up, trust your artist, and don't be a control freak.

SMOKEY THE BEAR

Someone that needs to take an excessive amount of smoke breaks, for example, every 15 minutes, that person is a pain in the ass. Taking breaks is fine, and expected, but if your artist has to constantly stop so you can run out side for a puff, you are not only delaying their time, but you are interrupting their flow/creative process. Put the shoe on the other foot, imagine how you'd feel if your artist was taking a smoke break every 15 minutes? Sadly, that scenario is very real in some other shops. Hold your smoke breaks to no more than once every two hours, but ideally longer. 

If you are in for a full day session, you will get an hour lunch and your artist will be willing to take a couple of breaks outside that. They need a quick break now and then too, which is normal. Just don't go overboard. Having to stop and restart, waiting 5 min in between, adds up, and you will lose time with your artist that you paid for.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Body control. Yes, lack of body control can make a person a bad client. If you are unable to keep still or you're constantly fidgeting, you are not only going to annoy your artist, but you will probably mess up your own tattoo. If you are experience extra discomfort during part of your tattoo, it's ok to let your artist know, but do your best to try and muscle through it. If you jump or pull away, that nice little line your artist was just doing will now be a crooked, jagged mess. 

MISTER POPULAR

Having people come in to be with you during your tattoo is fine, as long as they are over the age of 18. When this becomes a problem is if you bring too many, or have too many show up during the tattoo process and need to be escorted back to the artists room. The more people you have with you, the louder and more distracting it will get. 

Your artist needs to also be comfortable and focused. If you are coming in and getting a tattoo, and you bring the whole bridal shower with you, that's a problem. It will be crowded, loud and distracting. Just bring one, or two maximum. Getting a tattoo doesn't have to be a family get-together. 

THE OPERA SINGER

Excessive vocalization can also be a bad thing. Yeah, tattoos can hurt and you should expect that. However, if you are literally wailing during your tattoo, you need to rethink if you can handle it. Wailing, yelling out or whatever can distract not just your artist, but every artist in the building. It may also make other clients concerned. Instead of crying out, just suck it up and deal with it. There is literally no reason for loud vocalizations during a tattoo. The vast majority of spots on the body are not very painful at all.

THE KAREN

Threatening your artist and demanding a discount or you will have another person finish up a tattoo that has already been started in order to get it done cheaper, makes you a very bad client. First off, it's very insulting to the artist to essentially steal the work they created for you. Second, what makes you think another artist can see the vision behind the tattoo and can successfully finish it as intended? It's like taking a half finished Rembrandt and asking your middle school art teacher to finish it up.

THE TOWEL THROWER

Consistently "tapping out" from your appointments can get a little old. If you are scheduled for a 6 hour, and you tap out after 4, and this happens on all your appointments, three things will happen. You will annoy your artist, you will fall behind on your artists plan for your tattoo, and you will still be obligated to pay for the full appointment regardless how much time you had remaining for that day. 

If you are unsure if you can commit to long sessions like that, discuss it beforehand with your artist and book out appointments that are more suited for your needs. It's better to plan it this way so that your artist isn't caught off guard with your needing to leave. If you can only do 2 hour sessions, that's fine. However, if you are planning a large piece that the artist needs to tattoo the initial layout, you may need to be there longer for that first session. Just discuss it with your artist.

THE SHY WHINER

Coy complainers. These are the folks that will say they like the tattoo design their artist prepared for them, say how much they love their tattoo after it's done and then go and leave a bad review because in reality, they weren't 100% happy with the tattoo and were just too coy to say something before their artist started the tattoo. This is nearly always based on size or placement. 

If you wanted it smaller or bigger, SAY SOMETHING TO YOUR ARTIST BEFORE YOU START. It's really not that hard, and it's not a big deal to the artist at all. Resizing a design is probably the easiest change they can make. The same goes for tattoo placement. If you aren't thrilled how it's placed, say so. The artist can change it. Just be aware of logic, if you have them changing size and placement a bunch of times, you will eat into your tattoo time. 

HOPEFULLY THAT LITTLE BIT OF INFO CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND ON HOW TO AVOID BEING ONE OF THE BAD CLIENTS, AND WHY. 

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT TATTOO?

If you're ready to get your next tattoo done, schedule an appointment with an award-winning tattoo parlor. Here at Lucky Bamboo Tattoo, we have some of the best and most experienced tattoo artists in Utah and the Salt Lake City area. We can tattoo any style you'd like, and our artists can even design your next piece as well.

Come see why we have been voted "The Best Tattoo Studio In Utah" for several years in a row.

Lucky Bamboo Tattoo understands that tattoo collectors searching for the best tattoo shop in Utah comes with a big responsibility and we here at LBT are ready to fulfill your tattoo needs.

Fierce Neotribal Cybersigilism Tattoos

 

WHAT IS A NEOTRIBAL CYBERSIGILISM TATTOO?

Cybersigilism Spider by Pineapple

Neotribal cybersiglism is one of the newest tattoo styles in the tattoo industry. It's most often done in black ink, rarely ever any colors. It's characterized by fine lines and points with a semi-biomechanical flow. Often you'll see some influences of the great artist H.R. Giger, the designer for the original ALIEN movie by Ridley Scott. Frankly, they look badass. 

Just as the name implies, neotribal literally means "new tribal". Unfortunately during the 90's, everyone and their dog was getting a "tribal" tattoo. None of those tattoos were technically tribal in the least. Tribal would be Polynesian, Maori or something like that. What we all saw in the 90s style was its own thing, black pointy tattoos that resembled barbed wire in a way. Quite a few people now regret getting those tattoos, and due to how dark they were, they can be a little hard to cover. Not impossible, but tricky in some circumstances. 

The main problem with the 90s tribal style was that they pretty much looked all the same. They weren't anything special and everyone had one. For men, it was commonly an upper arm band. For women, the lower back, commonly known as a "tramp stamp". 

The great thing about neotribal cybersigilism is that there is so much potential for variety. The only limitation is the imagination of your artist. You could get something as basic as a small 2 inch bat all the way up to a full back piece. Even the stylization of neotribal can vary greatly. It's still so new that only one of our artists has done one so far, but we expect to book more as more people become aware of the style.

OTHER NEWER STYLES WE'RE EAGER TO DO MORE OF

With all the creative artists out there, sometimes some new styles just stand out and deserve recognition. Unfortunately, some people out there that are ready to get a new tattoo may be unaware of some of these great new styles.

One of those styles is what's know as patch style. It's a tattoo that literally looks like a realistic embroidered patch. It was created by artist Duda Lozano out of São Paulo, Brazil. Now, artists around the world are honing their craft so that they, too, can make these types of tattoos. Our own Leah recently finished a beautiful example of this type of work, which is pictured below. 

Patch Style Tattoo by Leah

Another one of these innovative styles is sticker style. The sticker style, much like the patch style, replicates an actual sticker. Some artists are so good at this, it's incredibly hard to tell that it's a tattoo and not an actual sticker. The creator of this style is Sergey Shanko, a realism artist. However, the undisputed master of this art is Luke Cormier. Sergey is originally from Russia, but currently lives in New York and is often on the road. 

If you are looking to get a new tattoo, and get something a lot of people haven't seen before, book one of this fantastic new styles with one of our artists! We have many great and talented artists that are looking forward to doing more of these styles, so call, text or come in to book a consult or a tattoo today!

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR NEXT TATTOO?

If you're ready to get your next tattoo done, schedule an appointment with an award-winning tattoo parlor. Here at Lucky Bamboo Tattoo, we have some of the best and most experienced tattoo artists in Utah and the Salt Lake City area. We can tattoo any style you'd like, and our artists can even design your next piece as well.

Come see why we have been voted "The Best Tattoo Studio In Utah" for several years in a row.

Lucky Bamboo Tattoo understands that tattoo collectors searching for the best tattoo shop in Utah comes with a big responsibility and we here at LBT are ready to fulfill your tattoo needs.