What to Do When Someone Wants a Bad Tattoo

 This question was posed in a forum I follow:

 "We've all had clients walk in with a poorly rendered design that their sister/cousin/whoever has drawn for them that you know will end-up on a tattoo-fail-blog.  A design or concept you would not want your name attached to.  I take pride in my work and have gotten in trouble for refusing to do a tattoo someone requested, but it is my career and not the shop-owner's.  How do you handle it?"

 It happens.  Someone walks in with an ill-conceived design or concept.  It could be as simple as something that might be a wonderful piece of art but does not translate well into a tattoo.  Or, it could be something that is badly drawn that the client insists they want as is.  How should this be handled?

A questionable potential client...

 There are limits to what you should or should not tattoo.  Most shops I have worked at, for example, refused to do tattoos that could be construed as gang-related, racist, or derogatory to sensitive segments of our society.  This is for two reasons.  First, the shop's reputation is on the line.  When you do that kind of tattoo, you become known for doing that kind of tattoo.  Others may come requesting that kind of tattoo, but you may put-off a larger clientele base that would consider being associated with that kind of work distasteful.  It is not worth the trouble.  Second, you are doing that client a favor.  One day, they may realize that the tattoo they thought they wanted to be "in" with the group they where trying to impress has hampered them socially and in finding employment.  Your saying "no" may be saving them years of regret in the future.

 These are solid limits that you should stick by.  Everything else comes down to artistic integrity, which can mean many things.  On the one hand, you as a tattoo artist want to have a body of work that suggests excellence and skill.  A poorly conceived design that the client insists on will not help your cause there.  

Funny until your grand-kids get a roll of quarters.

 However, on the other hand is your integrity as a tattoo artist to serve the client.  It is his or her tattoo, not yours.  Your function is to give the client what they want to the best of your ability.  Refusing to do certain tattoos can harm your reputation; you can be perceived as being "stuck-up" or thinking that you are too good to give someone what they want.  While you may be right about a design being bad, the hurt feelings caused by not doing the tattoo can be more damaging to your reputation than doing a bad tattoo.

 If a client comes in with a design that they commissioned or drew themselves, that design has an inherent emotional value to them.  If you look at the design and see a hot-mess, it is your job to educate the client as to their options.  First, be gentle and kind about the design.  Praise the work of the artist.  Ask how much experience that artist has.  Often, it may only be a few years, which can work to your advantage when you try to convince the client to go another way.  Find something you can say is positive about the design, and talk to the client about why they want it.  That design may be something that someone who has passed away has drawn or has some other sentimental value attached to it.  If that is the case, you do not want to change it, or change it much.  The client is not concerned about the quality of the design, only its sentimental value.

 If it is just a design that the client likes, they can usually be persuaded to let you change it.  This is the time to educate the client on the differences between art and tattoo art.  Explain the limits of the medium, why the design may not work well in the skin, or issues with the design itself you are concerned about (proportion, flow, etc).  Suggest allowing you to re-draw the design to make it more like a tattoo.

I really hope this was drawn by the client.

 If the client insists that they want the design as-is, you can try to price yourself out of the tattoo, although this is not always a good idea.  Show the client your portfolio and discuss your style and your strengths.  This may get the client thinking the design could be better.  If after seeing your portfolio the client still wants the design as-is, offer a price 25-50% above what you would normally charge.  If they ask why it is so expensive, explain the effort that will be required to render that design as accurately as possible and overcoming the limits you described about tattooing.  

 Also, have a client sign an "informed consent" waiver, a document that states that you, as the tattooer, have explained that the design selected is ill-advised, and you have discussed with them the limits of the tattoo process and potential issues they may face.  While it won't save your reputation if the client a year from now tries to blame you for a bad design to their friends (why did he let me get this tattoo?), it will give them another moment to re-think what they are doing.

 When you tattoo a design that you do not like, a huge mistake is made if you do not give it the same effort and attention that you would a design you do like.  A design you do not like should be given more effort, to make it as good as possible.  Every line should be clean and every color solid; cut no corners.  Even if the design is bad, the tattoo itself should be excellent.

 Finally, take a photo of the design and the tattoo side-by-side.  This can work to your advantage in your portfolio.  The design may be bad, but future clients can see just how precise and accurate your were in it's rendering, and they can see that the client elected to get that design, as it is distinct from the other tattoos in style and format in your portfolio.

 It is tempting for a tattooer to limit themselves to tattoos that they like or are in a style they appreciate.  It is good to know your limits; one who is not experienced in doing portraits should probably explain to a client who wants a portrait that it is not your thing.  That is being responsible.  Sticking to your style in other matters, however, should not be a major concern until the demand for your style is so great that you are turning down tattoos due to being booked months in advance.  

 Keep in mind also that it is not just your reputation on the line, but your shops as well.  The shop has a stake in every client that walks through their doors beyond their percentage.  The advertising dollars spent brought that client into the shop, which means every client that comes in is an opportunity to recoup that cost that should not be wasted. A client who does not get what they want from a shop will not talk about the snooty artist, but the snobby shop that refused to give them their tattoo.  The shop they go to that does do the tattoo will only encourage this way of thinking in their minds.

Actually tried to sue her artist over this choice.

 Finally, it may not be the design that is objectionable, but the placement.  The hand or facial tattoo will impact that client for the rest of their life.  That silly tattoo across their ass may seem cute now, but not so cute in twenty years.  Advise the client as best you can about the potential risks, and if they insist, video-tape the process and use it for advertising.  

 The bottom line is that tattooing is a service-industry.  We give our clients what they want to the best of our ability.  Do your best to give them a great tattoo, and if they insist on a poor design at least they will get it fully aware of your concerns and in a manner that is as technically sound as possible.

 Jason Sorrell is a writer, tattoo artist, satirist, artist, and generally nice guy living in Austin, TX.  He loves answering questions about tattoos.  Shoot him a message at https://www.facebook.com/tattoonerdz/

Do You Really Want His or Her Name as a Tattoo?

Love makes people crazy...

 This happens more frequently than I care to admit.  Someone walks into the tattoo studio. They are on Cloud 9.  They have found THE ONE, and they want a way to demonstrate their love and devotion to that person.  They have decided that proof of their unending passion for their lover would best be expressed through having that person's name forever tattooed into their skin.

 We artists happily take the commission.  We may offer some small words of advice; asking if the client is certain this is what they want, but that is all.  Secretly, we are shaking our collective heads.  The name-tattoo is almost always the death-knell of a doomed relationship.  Generally, we can expect to see the client back within six months for a cover-up.  Perhaps it is that passion that burns fiercest dies the fastest, or perhaps their partner questions the validity of being with someone who would make such an irresponsible choice.  Whatever, name-tattoos are probably not the way to express your love.

Hopefully Patricia is okay with you having trouble finding work.

 You should never get a tattoo for another person.  A tattoo is a personal statement, one you hope to take with you to the grave.  Tattoos gotten for someone else, whether going along and getting a tattoo during Girls' Night Out because your friend wants one and doesn't want to be alone or to express you love for another, will almost always be tattoos you will regret.  Before you get that special-someone's moniker inked into your neck, consider the following:

 How long have you been with your lover?  It is shocking the number of people who are willing to do something crazy like get a name-tattoo after being with someone for just one week.  A tattoo is a bit of a commitment, so keep in mind that over half the marriages in the US end in divorce, most marriages only last 8 years, and one third of the people who marry at the age of 20-24 get a divorce.  Maybe you should wait to see how this relationship works out a little while before you get under a needle for the one you love.

 Names and portraits are meant to memorialize and celebrate someone who has had a major impact on your life.  Typically this is your parents or your children.  While this is not so much the case anymore, traditionally these kinds of tattoos were reserved to commemorate the passing of someone you cared for.  The Art of Tattoo is chocked full of weird little superstitions, and one such superstition is against getting a name or portrait tattoo of someone who is still alive.  It is akin to the taboo about laying down in a coffin.  

They deserve each other.  Best of luck!

 If you are coming to get that tattoo as a testimony of your love for another, are they coming along with you?  What does it say that you are willing to make that commitment, and they are not?  Don't buy the "I don't like tattoos" excuse... Or, do, because if they don't like tattoos they are going to LOVE seeing their name etched in your skin everyday until they leave you.  When a relationship is obviously lop-sided with one person being far more invested than the other, the other begins to question whether they should be in that relationship.  First, they may question whether they deserve you, but this quickly turns into whether or not you deserve them.  If you are getting that name-tattoo, don't be the only one.  If your partner is not interested, heed their sound wisdom.

 Again, as you should never get a tattoo for another person, have you considered what you are trying to say by getting that tattoo?  The tattoo is on you, not your lover.  It is akin to saying, "Baby, I love you so much that I bought myself a new watch/necklace to show you, and your picture is on the face/in the locket!"  You may think you did it for them, but clearly this is about you.  Maybe you should embrace that feeling.  If you feel that this relationship is a milestone in your life that is worthy of celebration, then get a tattoo that celebrates that feeling.  Maybe get your birth-flowers intertwined, or have your artist work your Zodiac symbols into a design.  Make the tattoo about that moment in your life, and not the other person.  You will regret the tattoo less if it is about your moment, and not someone else.  If not, have you considered taking that money and maybe getting away for the weekend with that special someone?  The memories made will probably mean more to them than your tattoo.

It is almost guaranteed return business...

 Speaking of other people, ask yourself this question; if your lover had the name of their ex tattooed on them for you to see everyday, how would you feel?  Would you be okay with it, or would you want them to get it removed or covered up?  If it is the latter, this is what you will put anyone who dates you after this relationship through.  Now, I know right now you KNOW this relationship will last forever, but if you think that your lover having his or her ex's name tattooed on them is a bad decision, then YOU MUST question the decision you are making now!

 The bottom line is this: Think before you Ink.  In a tattoo studio, artists are there to give you what you want, no matter how ill-advised what you want may be.  Getting that name tattooed may be the moment in your relationship that seals the deal, but it will more likely be the nail in the coffin.  And, if you go through with it in spite of all that you have read here, remember what your artist tells you as you leave the shop.  I will bet money it is a mention of what he or she charges for cover-ups. 

 Jason Sorrell is a writer, tattoo artist, satirist, artist, and generally nice guy living in Austin, TX.  He loves answering questions about tattoos.  Shoot him a message at https://www.facebook.com/tattoonerdz/