“The guy that did this tattoo sucked so bad.”

Please do NOT come into The Shop complaining about the “crappy tattoo” that you got from some other professional tattoo artist. I’m not going to be impressed. I’m not going to be excited. In fact, when you show me your tattoo that is missing chunks of color, all I am going to think is that you picked your scabs or didn’t follow proper aftercare procedures. I’m also going to presume that you haven’t learned your lesson and you’re probably going to do the same thing on the tattoo that I’m doing.

I know you guys think I’m going to have fun crap talking my competition, but tattoo artists don’t really enjoy that kind of thing anyway. At any point, any of us could switch shops and be working in the booth next to that guy you’re smack talking. Either that, or we may have just come from a booth right next to that guy and he could be one of our closest buddies.

I do not want to hear anything bad about American Graffiti or Eternal or any of their artists.

If you need a touch up, I’ll do your touch up for $75 and hour. If you need a touch up on one of my tattoos, I’ll do it for free. That’s really the only thing that we should be discussing regarding me touching up your tattoo.

If you want to come into The Shop all, “Check out this great piece by Stellios.” Or “Look at the awesome design Chris Page did for me.” Or “Did you see this Renshaw I got?” That’s totally cool. I mean, I’d love to see it. I love tattoos.

Who Really Dropped the Ball on Your Tattoo?

You guys got to realize that the artist’s responsibility for your tattoo only goes so far. You also have to follow proper aftercare techniques. You have to eat healthy. You have to not drink or tan or sunbathe during the healing process. You can’t go right to the beach a few days later and then complain that your tattoo isn’t as crisp as it was when the guy did it for you. It’s 50% her or his job to give you the good tattoo and be sanitary and then it’s 50% YOUR job to make sure it heals right.

So, before you come to me complaining about your previous artist, take a good look at your aftercare sheet and tell me if you followed that. Chances are way better that YOU screwed up your tattoo than that your previous artist did if you went to a professional.

Do NOT pick your scabs. Do NOT use the aftercare instructions provided by your best friend’s sister’s scratcher friend. Use the one given to you by your artist. And please, please, I’m begging you, don’t put me in the position of having to be present while you complain about one of the other artists in this county.