It's my turn to ask the forum for some help.
I have a wonderful new story idea (aren't they all?
) which involves, in part, a woman receiving multiple tattoos over a period of time. Having been too chickensh--um,
busy, to get one of my own, I have a number of questions about the process.
1- What are the actual steps involved? (I'm assuming: sterilizing, drawing the outline, tattooing the outline, filling it in. Have I missed anything important? Is there anything about the process that particularly stood out in your mind?)
Drawing the outline or making a transfer of the design to stick on your leg. Like a press-on. A lot of times the artist puts on some music and there is usually some sort of chair that reclines. A good artist used fresh ink poured into individual containers that are discarded after use - he also wears gloves and if he leaves area puts on fresh gloves when he returns.
2- How loud is the needle gun?
A semi-loud buzzing.
3- What's a reasonable size tat, that can be finished in one hour? Two?
Depends on how many colors and how detailed. Hard to say.
4- How long is a typical session with a newbie? How long can a session be stretched to?
Again, depends on details. Four hours would prob be pushing it.
5- What did it feel like for you, the first time? Once you were used to it? (I'm not looking for how painful it was; I want to know what the sensation itself felt like.)
This really is a tough question because it is all relative. The discomfort has a lot to do with the person, the area, and the details. I read that redheads have a lower pain threshold and tend to feel it more.
For me it is a burning sensation. It does hurt but after a few minutes the endorphins kick in and it actually becomes pleasurable on some level. There are a lot of people that become addicted to it for that reason. Usually just as it starts hurting too much the artist has moved on.
6- How does the pricing structure work? (Does it vary by size, by number of colors, or by hour of work? All three, or something else? Can you give me an example? Have you ever received a discount, promotion, or freebie--either for being new, or for being a regular?)
The pricing is usually based on size, detail, how much color - or time and how much color. An artist with a good rep will charge more.
If it is a costume design the artists will usually charge a $25 to $50 deposit so he can work on the design and not be cheated if you never return. If you do return the deposit is usually subtracted from bill.
An artist will sometimes cut a break to a regular or if you are pleasant. Tips are usually HIGHLY encouraged.
7- How long does it take to heal? What steps did you need to take? How long before it was all right to expose it to sunlight? To wear normal clothes over it again? Before the artist could work on it some more?
People heal differently. Usually right after tat there is a light covering for a few hours to soak up blood. Advice on healing depends on tat artist but the following is reasonable.
After a couple hours remove covering. Pat down with hands and tepid water, mild pure soap. Pat dry. Do not rub!! Apply a thin coating of a lotion like A&D or a product like Tattoo Goo. Too thick will not allow healing.
Depending on the person sometimes scabbing will occur - no picking and it will itch like crazy for most people. It might look and feel to the touch like an applique on a shirt. (Clothing should be loose and nothing that rubs) Over times the scabbing will fall off and tada!
For the itching you cannot scratch but you can give it a little slap which helps.
No sun while healing and after use a good sunscreen. There is advice on healing all over the web or you can go to a tat discussion board for more details.
8- What kind of tattoo heals the most quickly? Takes the longest to heal?
Depends on details, colors, individual reactions. 3 weeks is usually sufficient.
9- If you did have to wear clothes over it, how did you protect the tat? (I'm guessing at a large gauze pad and medical tape. How close am I?)
Needs to breathe - after the first few hours most artists want no covering. Just keep the clothing loose.
10- Based on your experience, what kind of tattoo would you recommend for a (female) beginner, and where? How long would it take, and how much would it cost?
LOL, most artists I have talked to think women handle pain better so you got me on this one! Tell me what you envision ... and I will see what I would figure it to be.
11- What parts of the body are considered off-limits? Are there areas that an artist would charge extra, because of the potential danger?
This one I do not know - would guess most artists would not do face unless they really thought the person knew what they were doing.
That reminds me - most artists will not do people who have been drinking - not just because of judgement issues but the alcohol hins blood and tat sometimes will not take as well. Same with pain killers that thin blood - aspirin, ibuprofen.
12- Can you share some terminology, or slang, or a particular experience that you think would help the story? Can you think of anything I forgot to ask?
Getting a tattoo is getting inked and tattoos are called tats or ink. The designs on the wall are called flash. The person doing it is an artist. Er, going blank beyond that.
Here is my fave place. Check out the work of Tom Renshaw!
www.eskustoms.com A guy like Renshaw is a legend and can charge like $250 per hour. Tony Eterno did one of my tats and charged $50 an hour - did a great job.
A warm thank-you, in advance, for any help that you're able to provide.
--Mike
No problem! Good luck. This is an easy topic to research and there is ample info so try googling this too!
