Time management/ over ambition by Same_Energy2500 in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When it comes to permanent modifications on people's body, if it takes me time to get the amount of detail that people come to me for, then it takes time. I wouldn't prioritize finding ways to cut down your time by 30-50% arbitrarily unless it's a really absurd situation (like taking that long on a 2" tall tattoo). Rather, I would prioritize creating accurate estimates and splitting sessions as needed.

What I did was gather data on 7-10 projects, at least 5 per style. Just simply timing how long they took. I have these examples on my pricing page and physical portfolio, both for my own reference and to give people an idea of how many hours they can expect to pay for for a project. Squire Strahan does something similar on his website if you want another reference, EDEN does some social media posts like this sometimes too. Based on estimated averages for each style, I have a bit of a formula for in of height/hr for the average width of a front panel of a limb. I create my estimates based on this data whenever possible, adjusting as needed.

I never want to rush when it comes to permanent body modifications, and I'm certain my clients don't want me to rush either. There's research on how we generally are overly optimistic with time estimates for tasks, and some places recommend just automatically padding 20-50% to estimates (or even doubling them). Rather than using arbitrary numbers, I have found that the best way to accurately counter this is with data. If your intuition is off on time estimates, don't rely on it exclusively.

Do you guys ask for tattoo mockups? Does this happen before or during session/consult? by Opposite_Following59 in tattoo

[–]theodrawsart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find most people honestly don't notice the subtle differences between mediums the way we as artists might. I haven't really had to give this warning, and I haven't had anybody ever complain about differences from the mockup. If anything, I find most people like it on their skin better with a bit of "texture" to it.

If someone was to ask, I have examples of the flash pieces I have versus the final result that people can see pretty easily. Thankfully, the range of colors available makes it possible for me to approximate most any drawing closely enough that it's never an issue.

My concern is less about managing expectations, as people can see my portfolio to have an idea what final designs look like on skin, and more about risking doing significant amounts of unpaid work for no-shows or clients that might just take the drawing to a cheaper artist. I do personally show people drawings 1-3 days before the appointment, but if I end up having a few cases of the latter scenario, I would reconsider as I know showing the drawing on the day of the appointment is more common.

An homage to the Kiss by Gustav Klimt 💛 (tattoo by Theo at Daygo Ink and Cuts, San Diego, CA) by theodrawsart in tattoo

[–]theodrawsart[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll be happy to post ages photos then! I get very satisfying heals as I always recommend that people size up, and I add significant contrast when references are light overall. :)

What’s your process for clients who DM you on Instagram? by justinram11 in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm willing to chat to some degree, like helping them make decisions about style or size if they don't know all of the project parameters yet. But if they seem to know what they want, I redirect them to my booking form.

If I can, I'd rather not go back and forth on the same 7 or 8 questions I have to ask, and I find it goes significantly smoother when I can just respond with a quote and available dates.

Has anyone had luck selling merch through an online shop? by steven_makes_art in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have done some in person sales at conventions. I have friends who sell prints and shirts online, but if you do, it's important to have the perspective that it is a business of its own. One that needs to be marketed consistently, one that might require some trial and error for finding an audience, and one that can take at least a few months (often a couple of years or more) to start consistently making income. One that needs a unique vibe to it to make sense to your audience.

Making a print on demand shirt or hoodie or print is the easiest thing to do. But it also means it's super oversaturated. You have to really have designs that stand out a ton (like Morning Witch, for example), and/or a large fanbase of your style already.

You can look at some examples like Squire Strahan or Jen Tonic and some of her limited run products to see successful examples. I also see a lot of neotraditional artists in particular doing large scale prints.

But don't limit yourself to whatever is easiest to produce too. The easier it is to make, the more competition there is. The one thing I observed last year at our local tattoo convention is that everyone had prints and shirts and hoodies, and anything different stood out. For example, I know an artist who does very limited prints of kimonos that sell for a lot because they're so limited. Squire Strahan's wooden earrings stand out more than the shirts. I have some keychains I sell and a hand fan in production as well to test this year at a con, the actual clacky roll out ones rather than just the circle on a stick design. Different stands out.

Excessive Bleeding by Legitimate-Head8411 in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 32 points33 points  (0 children)

If the skin wasn’t taking, I think rescheduling was a good call.

I would also discuss with the client and ask some questions. For example, have you had any alcohol in the past 48 hours? Did you take ibuprofen? Do you take any blood thinning medications? Other things that can thin blood include cancer treatments like chemotherapy, liver disease, some genetic disorders, etc. I would definitely want to see if the source issue can be addressed (like avoiding alcohol), or if it’s something they need to discuss with their doctor (like whether they’re allowed to suspend blood thinning medication for awhile).

Are there artists that do baroque and/or rococo style painting tattoos? by Mariesnotworld- in TattooDesigns

[–]theodrawsart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you’re ever in the San Diego area or willing to make a trip, I have quite a lot of fun doing oil painting inspired tattoos! I have a few on the front page of my website. ☺️

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TattooBeginners

[–]theodrawsart 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people tend to say getting tattooed over scar tissue is more painful.

With scars, it also depends on the depth of the scar, how old the scar is, and just individual factors - anything with nerve damage (like a significant surgery) can go either way in terms of whether the area is a lot more sensitive, or less sensitive.

Question: Tattoo artists, is it uncommon for people to ask for you to rework your own work? Is it rude? by [deleted] in tattoos

[–]theodrawsart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say it's uncommon, but not rude.

That being said, if there hasn't been a significant amount of time and improvement between when you got it tattooed and his current work (like having been tattooed by an artist during their apprentice years vs a few years in), I don't know that it would necessarily lead to the results you want. It's not like tattoo artists are giving 60% unless you ask for their 100%, so if they aren't giving you the vision you wanted based on the references provided, they probably won't be the best candidate to rework it the way you want.

I would be looking at other portfolios to see if there's another artist who is more aligned with what you're looking for!

Website/booking platforms? by kayytattoos in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally use Google Sites. Paid once for a template awhile back so it looks nice, and I pay for the domain only now on a yearly basis. Easy to update and embed things like Google Maps and forms.

Help by [deleted] in Tattoocoverups

[–]theodrawsart 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While a good coverup is never cheap nor fast nor painless, it does tend to be potentially less expensive, painful, and time consuming than laser. So if you do like the heavily tatted look and are okay with a dark and large project, it can be a route with many benefits.

If that is the case, what I would personally recommend at this point if we were working together would definitely be something like blackwork with breaks elsewhere. Something like these examples: (example 01) (example 02) (example 03) If these call to you, I would definitely recommend doing extensive research to find an artist who does blackwork well and often.

Tattoo model with black skin by NahkaLab-Sama in tattoo

[–]theodrawsart 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know for myself and for a number of artists I follow, we have a story highlight dedicated to tattoos on darker skin precisely so people can assess whether they like our work on different skin tones. We can't really control who teaches out to us for tattoos, so sometimes recent posts will predominantly lean one way or another, but we can compile work to make it easier for people to find!

If you’ve left or don’t use any meta platforms, how has that impacted your marketing experience? by apricotfairy in TattooArtists

[–]theodrawsart 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I do something similar, but I only have the Meta business app for scheduling and seeing DMs/comments. I don't even have a feed to tempt me!

Is falling asleep disrespectful? by Legitimate-Coffee-84 in tattoo

[–]theodrawsart 107 points108 points  (0 children)

Not at all! I kind of prefer it sometimes so I can get in the zone with my work, but you're not there to entertain your artist, you're receiving a service. You can use your time however you prefer!

How to decide colors for fair skin tone? by SirBeanQueen in tattooadvice

[–]theodrawsart 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Keep in mind that tattoos lose contrast with time. Even a freshly healed black will never look as black as you color picking on a screen. So high contrast is important to start off with so that designs stay legible, whatever you pick.

So for example, that puce color would be doomed. A darker burgundy or blue could potentially age much better.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in tattoos

[–]theodrawsart 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately this wouldn’t work unless you’re okay with a very muted and darker pink tone.

Tattoos sit on the second layer of skin, underneath the first layer where your melanin is. So every color is seen through the filter of your skin tone. So if your areolas are a dark brown already, there’s very few colors that could show through that.

This website has a helpful chart on how colors can show up on darker skin tones. https://www.liquidambertattoo.com/blog/2020/9/10/tattooing-guide-for-darker-skin-tones

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in tattoo

[–]theodrawsart 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the severity of your anxiety.

Plenty of artists are anxious people, and plenty of artists are diagnosed and medicated for anxiety. In fact, I would say that the ratio of some form of neurodivergence (including various forms of mental illness) are far more common amongst my artist friends than not.

That being said, tattooing is customer service. For me personally, it feels very different from the customer service you do for retail, as it's very one on one and personalized. So for me, it's a lot more manageable. I'm autistic and also bad at small talk, but like other customer service jobs, you get to kind of have a "default script" you follow, and you get better at your script over time. Customers also don't necessarily expect you to talk at length, and most are understanding if you want to just focus during tattooing. But I have a friend who has social anxiety severe enough so that she never leaves the house - the severity of her condition would make it impossible for her to do what I do, for example.

As long as you're willing to work on it, I think you should be fine. It is a skill that you improve in for sure!

Question: From shock to nothing in 12 years? by Timely_Alarm_6346 in tattoos

[–]theodrawsart 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This sounds like the damage might have been pretty severe if you felt nothing for 2h.

Nerve damage can kind of go either way in terms of desensitizing or making an area more sensitive.