Tattooing over scars

I have an appointment today to start a rather large project that centers around a very large scar.  A lady I've tattooed before had back surgery and has been left with a scar that wraps around her waist like a belt as well as about 4 inches added on to her butt crack.  She has very dark skin and the scar is not very noticeable , but she has insisted on going forward with this project , in spite of the fact that I've estimated the final cost to be well over $1000 and potentially 4 sessions (or more depending on how she sits).  Today we will start the outline.

I've had very good luck with tattooing over scars, but it's always a gamble.  There is never any guarantee that the pigment will hold the way it should and that makes things very tricky.  We're going to be putting big, stylized flowers and vines ~ like a beautiful garden ~on her and I am hoping to be able to use a bit of color, if only red and green.  I won't know until I'm actually into it.  I hate not being able to promise her what the end result will be, but that's the nature of scar tissue.  Fickle and unpredictable.

I do have some photos of her scars and w/her permission, I'll post here and show updates.

Cherry blossoms and sunsets. So bittersweet.

This week is bittersweet.  I'm working on 2 large pieces whose themes I love... one is a cherry blossom branch and the other is a tropical beach/sunset/floral scene.  So, why am I bitter? Because I'm cleaning up someone else's mess.  Both pieces were started by other people and neither one is quality work, so it's a challenge to fix them and have the end result be pleasing to my eye.

The cherry blossom branch is almost done.  We've done 2 sittings so far and have one more to go.  The tropical piece will be started today and I expect it will take at least 3 sittings.  I don't understand why the previous artist did things the way they did.  They seem to be an OK tattooer as opposed to the cherry blossom artist who was a flat out scratcher.  Fixing pre-existing tattoos is such a catch22 for me~ I want people to feel good about themselves, so I want to make them "pretty", but picking up where someone else left off is not easy, especially when you don't understand their thought process.  It's so much more cut and dry when it's a crappy tattoo and all you have to do is make it better.  The tropical tattoo appears to be a nearly finished black and grey piece, yet the client tells me that the artist intended on the finished product being very vibrant colors.  Sigh. Wish me luck!

visual inspiration

Are you following my tumblr blog? People always ask me what kinds of things I like to tattoo~ if you check out my tumblr blog, you'll get an idea :) Check out: That Which Inspires

Cosmetic Tattooing: Eyebrows & Moles/Beauty Marks

I'm pleased to announce that I will be taking new clients who are interested in having their eyebrows, moles, and beauty marks tattooed.  I will accept eyebrow clients on a case by case basis~ please call the shop (410)876-4638 to set up a consultation with me.  Consults will be available Wed-Sat 11am-6pm and there is no charge for a consultation.  If you have no eyebrows at all, please bring in any photos you might have of what you'd like your brows to look like.  The fee for eyebrow tattooing will be determined at the time of the consultation.  A consult is not required for moles or beauty marks and the flat fee is $60.

Referral program~ opinions wanted

Dear readers, what do you think about referral programs? Is that something you'd be interested in? Like, if I offered you a discount for every ___ people you send or do you prefer discounts for how much you spend? Think about it and let me know.  I have so many loyal clients, I want to reward you!

The Importance of Communication

Free advice for my clients (and potential clients): Please understand the importance of communication.  I am not a mind reader.  If you have a fabulous idea for your tattoo I have to know what's going on inside your head in order to be able to deliver it to you.  Please don't assume that I will just "know what you mean", especially if I've never met you before.  We both share the same goal, we're on the same team, so don't drop the ball :)

Star of Texas Tattoo Revival

I had such a blast at the 2012 Austin tattoo convention ~ I absolutely cannot wait for the next one! The dates were just announced (Jan 18-20, 2013) and I will be there, I am pretty sure Dave Wah will be accompanying me again, yay! I am pre-booking starting now, so if you are interested in making something happen, get in touch~ email me.

Dealing with loss

I do a lot of memorial tattoos. Too many for my liking, frankly, and it's a catch 22. I truly enjoy creating a piece of art for the person experiencing the loss because I want them to be able to look at their tattoo and think happy thoughts about the person (or beast) that they are missing. On the other hand, I think I accumulate a lot of that sadness, it gets into my veins and weighs heavily. Over the past few years I've had a few of my clients pass away and when their family members come to me for memorial tattoos I don't always know how to express my own sadness for their loss because it's my loss, too. Nothing like starting a blog off on a happy note, right?