***Official Tattoo Thread: Inked-4-Life Vol.2***

[smedroc]

My boy cooked.

Props for sitting tough but shaking that hard gotta **** with artist ability to put the ink down?

 

[Fong$tarr]

fam, when i re-started my leg sleeve done a few years ago, it was EXCRUCIATING. i had both arms, most of my torso, and the start of my leg sleeve done in my mid to late 20s. had no issues. so at 35, i thought finishing the quad and hammy would be a breeze. wrong. i was grimacing and gripping that table cushion for dear life. each session, i was sweating so much i thought i **** myself.

Father time is always the winner. I hate that son of a *****. Haha.

 

[turbo95eg6]

Got the knee capped, it felt awful

 

[Remy LeBeau]

Wanna do roses on my knees. 1 knee black white and the other in color.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

adding to the back of my forearm today

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

2 days back to back. have 1 more session + touch up in February. artist said my skin was too irritated to hold any more ink.

 

[Platinum State]

Got the Winged Victory yesterday. It'll look better when healed trust. My irritation makes the face and upper chest area weird for now lol

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

it’s not even centered

 

[equality]

it’s not even centered

Dude has the genetics of a Greek god and makes the worst decisions.

 

[turbospartan]

I want to start getting random smaller pieces on my leg, but keep flip flopping between staying with black and white or going with some color.

One of the things I want is a pool cue chalk, for a friend that passed away and was really into pool... but I feel like that one has to be color, or else it'll just look like a gray cube.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

has anyone notice how tattoo artists on their instagram have very little "likes" on their pages these days?

I follow multiple artists, some with even 100k+ followers, and they dont even break 500 likes for their work anymore. before, they would break 2000+ likes, minimum.

Instagram algorithm really ****** them up. I thought it was just me but it seems like its a known thing that all artists are aware of (at least on reddit)

This is happening to artists worldwide now, as far as I’m aware. Inflation is really ******* people over right now. We’ve noticed at our shop too, we’ve always had a steady influx of clients. The past few weeks there’s been less and less to do. I’ve had no clients this week except for one, and they had to reschedule. People just can’t afford tattoos right now.

About Instagram algorithms and followers, I unfortunately have no good advice. I’m trying to figure out how that stuff works myself right now as an apprentice.

I’m really hoping that things will get better for all of us. This entire situation just sucks.

Both slow season and the decline of social media for anything that isn’t acting like a fool in front of a camera for clout unfortunately.

Same thing happened with my IG over the last year or so. 14 yrs of experience, 20k followers, used to get 800+ likes now I get like 60-100. Ads no longer bring in engagement. I refuse to make cringe reels for likes though, so maybe I'm just not playing the social media game anymore. Personally I think getting a mailing list going with clients and moving further away from Social media for bookings might be the ticket for the more experienced artists.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Also there seems to be just an over saturation of artists too. Like a lot of genres (thinking of skateboarding), people just got better at it. It’s not the small cult group of followers that it used to be. Tattoos are just way more common and people don’t need to go to the “best” artist to get something good now. I myself have unfollowed a lot of artists and hardly give that much of a look at the ones I follow nowadays.

 

[Platinum State]

Also there seems to be just an over saturation of artists too. Like a lot of genres (thinking of skateboarding), people just got better at it. It’s not the small cult group of followers that it used to be. Tattoos are just way more common and people don’t need to go to the “best” artist to get something good now. I myself have unfollowed a lot of artists and hardly give that much of a look at the ones I follow nowadays.

Exactly. A lot of artists started feeling entitled the past few years, getting humbled a little is ok.

 

[smedroc]

Also there seems to be just an over saturation of artists too. Like a lot of genres (thinking of skateboarding), people just got better at it. It’s not the small cult group of followers that it used to be. Tattoos are just way more common and people don’t need to go to the “best” artist to get something good now. I myself have unfollowed a lot of artists and hardly give that much of a look at the ones I follow nowadays.

Tattoo shops like barbers now pretty much

Unless you're a legend in the game I can see how business would dry up for you.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

need some opinions on who to go for my next artist. which one do yall did the top arm design better?

 

[Platinum State]

Healed after 31 days

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

 

[Fong$tarr]

need some opinions on who to go for my next artist. which one do yall did the top arm design better?

Top.....just cause it is a little more different than the normal and I like the detail more. The bottom is fine but has that more or less airbrush look.

 

[Remy LeBeau]

Just booked a session for my knee

 

[moe200069]

Just booked a session for my knee

praying you for bro. getting my knee and the back of the knee tattoo'd made me regret life if i ever get my other leg done, i'm asking for the numbing cream as soon as it can be applied.

 

[spizike231]

Got my under forearm done yesterday and haven’t had a tatt in a while.. overthinking and over paranoid worried it’s going to get infected if it touches damn near anything

 

[dgoins1]

Got my under forearm done yesterday and haven’t had a tatt in a while.. overthinking and over paranoid worried it’s going to get infected if it touches damn near anything

I always clean mine once I get home and put saniderm on mine

 

[spizike231]

I always clean mine once I get home and put saniderm on mine

I’m going #TeamRaw with mine, aka I turned down the saniderm / second skin this time around. Last time I made it like 2 days before that second skin was twisting and becoming painful on my skin.

I use A&D for ointment and clean with non scented soap 2-3 times a day. (A&D as needed but not too much)

The care part I’m fine with but it’s specifically the bacterial part that’s freaking me out this time

 

[Remy LeBeau]

praying you for bro. getting my knee and the back of the knee tattoo'd made me regret life if i ever get my other leg done, i'm asking for the numbing cream as soon as it can be applied.

 

[Fong$tarr]

Got my under forearm done yesterday and haven’t had a tatt in a while.. overthinking and over paranoid worried it’s going to get infected if it touches damn near anything

Just wrap it in cellophane with some healing cream until it dries and scabs up. I always do that which can be somewhat a pain to wear but only do it for like 3 days or so.