Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Not too much went on today for me. I got up this morning, kinda tired, so I decided to wear the same pants to work as I did yesterday, figuring no one would notice. When I got to the shop, I wanted to burn sage in the place, since I like to do that often. It clears out the evil yucky spirits. I took it outside and stood in it for a minute hoping to cleanse myself from vampires, and when I turned the door knob to get in, it was locked! So 30 minutes later I finally got back in. Just in time to prepare for my appointment. I tattooed on my good friend client Joe for a few hours today and we talked about some interesting things...It inspired me for my next blog for tomorrow. So, I will be writing about money tomorrow. I am too tired to do it tonight, so please read the blog tomorrow night.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Tips for getting Tattoo's
I am really excited about this topic. All artists are different and there are many different ways to approach this, so we will talk about a few to get it going...
You want to get a tattoo, and you want to go to an artist you have never worked with before or this is your first tattoo and you are not sure exactly how to go about this, but you think you are educated cause you have watched LA ink or the other tattoo programs...But here is some things that would benefit you and your artist you are going to be working with.
First of all do your HOMEWORK! There is so many ways you can do this now. Thanks to the internet you can look up all kinds of shops in your local area and see online portfolios. You can also do it the old fashioned way and go into a tattoo shop around town, look at the portfolios, and just check out the vibe. Portfolios are very important. When you go into a shop take your time and look at the artist's books, don't flip through absentmindedly (its rude) and when you look at a portfolio it shows you care about the kind of work you are getting. When you do meet an artist that you are connecting with, set up a consultation with them.
Here's the steps for your consultation:
If you have reference material that you have collected over the internet or from books, bring them in with you. If you don't have any reference to provide but you love the artists style, then simply explain what you want to do and keep an open mind that you are giving them freedom to design your piece as they see fit.
When bringing in reference material, I recommend keeping it down to a few images that you like or don't like to help explain what you are interested in. I don't recommend bringing in a butt load of printouts- this is too confusing to decipher- or us artists will think you want a backpiece.
I think making an appointment for your tattoo is nice, because it is all planned out, and there will be a step by step process for it. If you are going to an artist that has a wait for appointments, that could be a good thing because they are probably spending a lot of time with each client.
This doesn't mean walking in for a tattoo sucks. This could be a lot of fun to think about a tattoo you want to get for 5 minutes or an hour. It's spur of the moment, out on a whim, Fuck yea moment. But if your going to do that then make sure to go to a shop that you have been to before, or have a referral to. Otherwise it could end up being a cover up!
Here's some tips for the tattoo session:
Eat before you come in!
Take a shower if your stinky.
Don't be drunk or on pills.
Don't talk on your cell phone all crazy.
Definitely don't bring your kids.
or un-supportive spouses either.
and have fun!
XOXOX, VALKYRIE
You want to get a tattoo, and you want to go to an artist you have never worked with before or this is your first tattoo and you are not sure exactly how to go about this, but you think you are educated cause you have watched LA ink or the other tattoo programs...But here is some things that would benefit you and your artist you are going to be working with.
First of all do your HOMEWORK! There is so many ways you can do this now. Thanks to the internet you can look up all kinds of shops in your local area and see online portfolios. You can also do it the old fashioned way and go into a tattoo shop around town, look at the portfolios, and just check out the vibe. Portfolios are very important. When you go into a shop take your time and look at the artist's books, don't flip through absentmindedly (its rude) and when you look at a portfolio it shows you care about the kind of work you are getting. When you do meet an artist that you are connecting with, set up a consultation with them.
Here's the steps for your consultation:
If you have reference material that you have collected over the internet or from books, bring them in with you. If you don't have any reference to provide but you love the artists style, then simply explain what you want to do and keep an open mind that you are giving them freedom to design your piece as they see fit.
When bringing in reference material, I recommend keeping it down to a few images that you like or don't like to help explain what you are interested in. I don't recommend bringing in a butt load of printouts- this is too confusing to decipher- or us artists will think you want a backpiece.
I think making an appointment for your tattoo is nice, because it is all planned out, and there will be a step by step process for it. If you are going to an artist that has a wait for appointments, that could be a good thing because they are probably spending a lot of time with each client.
This doesn't mean walking in for a tattoo sucks. This could be a lot of fun to think about a tattoo you want to get for 5 minutes or an hour. It's spur of the moment, out on a whim, Fuck yea moment. But if your going to do that then make sure to go to a shop that you have been to before, or have a referral to. Otherwise it could end up being a cover up!
Here's some tips for the tattoo session:
Eat before you come in!
Take a shower if your stinky.
Don't be drunk or on pills.
Don't talk on your cell phone all crazy.
Definitely don't bring your kids.
or un-supportive spouses either.
and have fun!
XOXOX, VALKYRIE
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The events of today...
I wasn't sure what I was going to write about today but there was a few things that came to mind, but as the day unfolded it came to me....This was my day:
It all started by doing a lovely pomegranate piece on this lovely gal. We had a really nice time. A nice conversation about relationships and other worldly things... oh yes, and we talked about our cats too.
Then this older woman came in that I tattooed a few months back that said her boyfriend wants her to get her tattoo touched up. I took a look at it, thought it looked great. But if that's what her boyfriend wants for her tattoo...
I plan on letting my opinions fly on this blog, but I'm going to skip that one! ...Actually, I'm not. When your tattoo belongs on your body, it doesn't matter what your boyfriend or girlfriend says what they want. It matters what you think of your piece...Right? This happens alot more than I would like it to. I'm going to stop there.
Another woman came in that wants to get a goddess piece started on her back with some beautiful floral work...and another consultation for a young girl who wants a plumeria for her very first tattoo. Quite a few women came into the shop today with ideas. I think its great that so many women are getting tattooed. Hell yeah!
The consultations I had today- some very successful some a little rough, it occurs to me that I really want to write about the process of getting the tattoo that you really want!
After all these consultations, at the end of the day I was finally able to crack a beer and let my hair down...It was a nice day to end off the week.
I look forward to writing tomorrow evening about tips on getting tattoos from the ground up. We will be talking about how to be really prepared for your piece!
It all started by doing a lovely pomegranate piece on this lovely gal. We had a really nice time. A nice conversation about relationships and other worldly things... oh yes, and we talked about our cats too.
Then this older woman came in that I tattooed a few months back that said her boyfriend wants her to get her tattoo touched up. I took a look at it, thought it looked great. But if that's what her boyfriend wants for her tattoo...
I plan on letting my opinions fly on this blog, but I'm going to skip that one! ...Actually, I'm not. When your tattoo belongs on your body, it doesn't matter what your boyfriend or girlfriend says what they want. It matters what you think of your piece...Right? This happens alot more than I would like it to. I'm going to stop there.
Another woman came in that wants to get a goddess piece started on her back with some beautiful floral work...and another consultation for a young girl who wants a plumeria for her very first tattoo. Quite a few women came into the shop today with ideas. I think its great that so many women are getting tattooed. Hell yeah!
The consultations I had today- some very successful some a little rough, it occurs to me that I really want to write about the process of getting the tattoo that you really want!
After all these consultations, at the end of the day I was finally able to crack a beer and let my hair down...It was a nice day to end off the week.
I look forward to writing tomorrow evening about tips on getting tattoos from the ground up. We will be talking about how to be really prepared for your piece!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Why do you get tattooed?
First things first- Why would anyone be compelled to get a tattoo? Well, that all depends really. When I first started tattooing in the late 90's, it was still that biker kinda way of tattooing, but with the brand new, new school trend happening (bright color). People were getting armbands, and tribal work and suns...that kind of stuff. People were getting them cause it was rebellious and underground, but tattoos are cool, so plenty of people wanted one. Now, I have only been tattooing for 11 years now, and I didn't notice a heavy spiritual up rise for tattoos until about 6 years ago. Now people want these really deep meaningful pieces that connect them to their spiritual beliefs, for a variety of reasons- personal empowerment, protection, prosperity, etc....I think a big part of getting a tattoo is for self expression. I think people have this deep need to express and individualize themselves. We all know what happens if you don't get to express yourself. You turn into a crazy person! So, anyway, I think people want to commemorate whats happening to them in their lives... Since it seems as though having tattoos is more acceptable now, than the past, (media? hmm) it seems easier for people to get tattoos and show them off with out them looked down upon. I definitely think there is a huge part of getting a tattoo to be different- although tattooing has become a huge part of fashion now...There are a thousand reasons why to get a tattoo, it is a personal preference. I always say to each their own.
Either way, for some people taking a lot of time and thought is what is necessary before getting a tattoo. On the other hand, if you want to do it, do it. I never cared about what people thought about my tattoos. I think it's nice that we have something in our culture that is creative and fun to do, that we can still indulge in and enjoy.
Now that we've talked about this, we can get onto another subject. I'm thinking about digging into my archives for a story from the tattoo shop, or I might write about tattoo etiquette for tomorrow...
Either way, for some people taking a lot of time and thought is what is necessary before getting a tattoo. On the other hand, if you want to do it, do it. I never cared about what people thought about my tattoos. I think it's nice that we have something in our culture that is creative and fun to do, that we can still indulge in and enjoy.
Now that we've talked about this, we can get onto another subject. I'm thinking about digging into my archives for a story from the tattoo shop, or I might write about tattoo etiquette for tomorrow...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The birth of Valkyrie tattoo shop confessions...
Good evening! Welcome to the birth of my new blog series- Tattoo shop confessions. Some of you may know that I have been wanting to write about this for sometime now, so I am going to start this blog and see how you all respond to it. So, thank you for taking your time to read, and please let me know what you think.
So, I will tell you a little bit about me and the shop to get you caught up and then we can let the stories roll!!
Ok, I did my first tattoo in 1998. I got into tattooing when I was 17-18 years old, and I have been hooked ever since. I absolutely live for it. I had a shop before in Santa Rosa, Ca where I learned alot, but in 2003 I went to San Francisco and got a shop job there that really opened the whole world of tattooing for me. That is where I really learned how to tattoo, or really learned what tattooing was all about. After the SF trip, I headed back to Sonoma county and opened up Valkyrie Tattoo in little ol' Penngrove. That was in 2008. More about all this later, let's get to the good stuff!
With this Blog, I am going to be writing about the sh*t that goes down in the tattoo shop. I will write about the people that come in there, what they get tattooed, where and why- all of those details...What I think about it...I also will be writing about tips on getting tattoo's, pricing, designing a piece, etc. I also will put up pictures of their piece's and drawings of the pieces, so you all can see the behind the scene stuff. I am so excited about all this and I am not sure where to start! My plan is to blog every day. So please stay tuned!!
So, I will tell you a little bit about me and the shop to get you caught up and then we can let the stories roll!!
Ok, I did my first tattoo in 1998. I got into tattooing when I was 17-18 years old, and I have been hooked ever since. I absolutely live for it. I had a shop before in Santa Rosa, Ca where I learned alot, but in 2003 I went to San Francisco and got a shop job there that really opened the whole world of tattooing for me. That is where I really learned how to tattoo, or really learned what tattooing was all about. After the SF trip, I headed back to Sonoma county and opened up Valkyrie Tattoo in little ol' Penngrove. That was in 2008. More about all this later, let's get to the good stuff!
With this Blog, I am going to be writing about the sh*t that goes down in the tattoo shop. I will write about the people that come in there, what they get tattooed, where and why- all of those details...What I think about it...I also will be writing about tips on getting tattoo's, pricing, designing a piece, etc. I also will put up pictures of their piece's and drawings of the pieces, so you all can see the behind the scene stuff. I am so excited about all this and I am not sure where to start! My plan is to blog every day. So please stay tuned!!
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