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Rants & Raves
My biggest rant, is the sad truth, that most people getting their first, second, or sometimes further than that, tattoo,
without educating themselves on what a good, sterile tattoo is, how it's done, and who does it best. Please, keep in
mind this is your BODY your changing FOREVER, and your buddies uncle in the garage, maybe the cheapest place
to go, but it is not the safest, or the best. The even sadder truth, is that there are many "professional" studios that even
less sterile and talented than your buddies uncle. I feel it needs to be said, that in the Great State Of Texas, all you
need is $980 for your license, a storefront, and some horrible equipment from e-bay, and poof, your a tattoo artist in a
"licensed" studio. You can then go on to bring in the first person you see, and hire them as a "tattoo artist" as well.
Then, with a proper waiver, an unsuspecting customer, who assumes you have some training, or talent, because you
are, after all, in a tattoo studio, gets scarred for life, or worse, and there is nothing they can do about it. I take that back,
they can learn a lesson, look at the reputation of the studio and it's artists, look at the portfolios of the artists, and then
make an educated decision on whether or not they are comfortable getting marked for life, by one of those artists, in
that studio. Just because they have the same pictures (flash) on the wall, does not mean they are all going to come out
the same, or cost the same. A properly trained tattooer, has spent many years perfecting his or her craft. They are
putting a piece of artwork on you, that can never be stolen, given away, or taken from you. It will be around after you
DIE. Yet, the same customer who will happily pay $600 for a purse that will not last a lifetime, will shop around for the
cheapest tattoo. That blows my mind. If you go to a reputable artist, you are not going to get cheap work, and by cheap
work, I mean quality, and cost. It costs money to run a clean studio, and keep things sterile, that is one part of the cost.
The average tattoo costs me about $40 in supplies before the tattooing even begins. Not to mention time spent
drawing your piece up, if it is custom. My hourly rate is $125 an hour and a good percentage of that goes to the owner
of the studio (If that is not you) to pay the enormous electric bill, rent, electricity, advertisement, and disposables (paper
towels etc) I just want to get this off my chest, so the next time, for the millionth time, I hear can you do it cheaper? Or,
Can you cut me a deal? I can at least know I have tried to save you bargain hunters, from a bad tattoo, and a staph
infection, or worse. If you are going to mark your body for life, take your time, do your research, know it will cost more
than $5, and find an artist who does the style of what you want well.
Happy Tattooing,
Sean E Bones
My biggest rant, is the sad truth, that most people getting their first, second, or sometimes further than that, tattoo,
without educating themselves on what a good, sterile tattoo is, how it's done, and who does it best. Please, keep in
mind this is your BODY your changing FOREVER, and your buddies uncle in the garage, maybe the cheapest place
to go, but it is not the safest, or the best. The even sadder truth, is that there are many "professional" studios that even
less sterile and talented than your buddies uncle. I feel it needs to be said, that in the Great State Of Texas, all you
need is $980 for your license, a storefront, and some horrible equipment from e-bay, and poof, your a tattoo artist in a
"licensed" studio. You can then go on to bring in the first person you see, and hire them as a "tattoo artist" as well.
Then, with a proper waiver, an unsuspecting customer, who assumes you have some training, or talent, because you
are, after all, in a tattoo studio, gets scarred for life, or worse, and there is nothing they can do about it. I take that back,
they can learn a lesson, look at the reputation of the studio and it's artists, look at the portfolios of the artists, and then
make an educated decision on whether or not they are comfortable getting marked for life, by one of those artists, in
that studio. Just because they have the same pictures (flash) on the wall, does not mean they are all going to come out
the same, or cost the same. A properly trained tattooer, has spent many years perfecting his or her craft. They are
putting a piece of artwork on you, that can never be stolen, given away, or taken from you. It will be around after you
DIE. Yet, the same customer who will happily pay $600 for a purse that will not last a lifetime, will shop around for the
cheapest tattoo. That blows my mind. If you go to a reputable artist, you are not going to get cheap work, and by cheap
work, I mean quality, and cost. It costs money to run a clean studio, and keep things sterile, that is one part of the cost.
The average tattoo costs me about $40 in supplies before the tattooing even begins. Not to mention time spent
drawing your piece up, if it is custom. My hourly rate is $125 an hour and a good percentage of that goes to the owner
of the studio (If that is not you) to pay the enormous electric bill, rent, electricity, advertisement, and disposables (paper
towels etc) I just want to get this off my chest, so the next time, for the millionth time, I hear can you do it cheaper? Or,
Can you cut me a deal? I can at least know I have tried to save you bargain hunters, from a bad tattoo, and a staph
infection, or worse. If you are going to mark your body for life, take your time, do your research, know it will cost more
than $5, and find an artist who does the style of what you want well.
Happy Tattooing,
Sean E Bones
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| Sean has moved to: Spookshow Tattoo & Body Piercing Arlington, TX 76006 (817) 200-6102 |