BAD tattoo session… Really bad

I’ve had my moments when i (even when i was in the zone) didn’t seem to get it right and thought to myself, wtf am i doing!!

i guess we all have our bum moments.

don’t let it get you down mate, all i’m saying, never give up dude ;)

Yep had those, and still have those, since I don’t ride the tube with my liner a wobble or shake is so very easy to do in my line work. And I have had those moments. I’d recomend if you ever get that again, just call a break and walk away, go for a smoke, a drink of water, or just a rest. Take some deep breathes, do not think about the piece, the mistake, or anything, kind get a zen moment going and just RELAX. When you go back into it try telling yourself, “ok let’s do this” and go at it like the artist that you are. Approach the mistake as any tattooist would, look at what can be done to fix it, shading, wider line old school style darker color, whatever and do it.
As far as having friends in your space, honestly, get rid of that s**t man! I don’t mind people asking questions, but there also comes a point in which I have had to say to peeps, you want a q&a session or a tattoo man?! You are in control of the enviroment and area, so stay in control. My conversations with anyone besides the person I am inking up are kept to a minimum at best, or I just flat out ignore them. It’s not being rude, but if I see that peeps are thinking I am being rude I also explain to them that what I do does take some concentration and attention to detail.
Hope it helps man.

I find I have much more control if I leave the needle hanging out of the tube just a little. Just enough to see where it is going, I’m afraid I’ll completely miss my mark if I rode the tube so I’ve never done that.

I felt like I was doing this same thing yesterday on my line work. My client that was wanting biomech got a set of gaming dice instead. So many small lines. Ugh. I did the first few just fine but then well, I don’t know what the hell happened. Luckily the client needed to go to the bathroom between linework and color so I was able to collect myself. Spider is right, a moment to calm yourself down is a great thing to do.

The Stark Sigil is one of the first tattoos I did, and it was not terrible but not great either. It cleaned up nicely when I went back into it after it had healed. I’ve never had a problem with a blowout though :?

I have sever anxiety, and depression so i feel like this quite often. I actually felt like it the last few days really. Honestly, you sh ould have told them to calm down with the Qs so you could concentrate, also no one under 18 in the shop! :3
Thats one of my biggest rules

I agree with spider. Smoke a Pall Mall or seven then get back to it :3

@Spider wrote:

And about the peeps.. YES, I was too nice… I need to be a bit more firm. Talk to the client, not the onlooker… Got it

NP man, and yeah sometimes we have to come off a bit d**kish, but considering that we are working in the most permanent art field in the world, a little a**hole goes a long way to ensuring that we are doing our job right at times. Just always remember, your space is YOUR space and you need to have 150% controll of it at all times. If the client is on the cell phone and it’s bugging you tell them to STOP IT! If they have a friend and the conversation is making em move tell them to STOP IT! Seriously, nothing worse than trying to line stuff on a rib cage with someone trying to have a conversation! Seriously just want to say at times “can you just hold your breathe for the next 4 hours so I can get thru this please!?” ugh…
I know a guy in Texas that has signs in his booth, “you want ink or conversation PICK ONE!” “NO F**KING CELL PHONES” “People who come to watch should WATCH not TALK” “If i have to yell at you for anything stupid WE ARE DONE HERE, HAVE A NICE DAY!” no kidding! Some people say he’s rude, but they keep going back to him because he does good ink.

Lennart, i Totally agree with what spider, ramenuzumaki and infamous said.

Alway’s try to stay in control, don’t let anyone distract you from your work.

I sometimes, and i’m not a rude man, simply ignore the ppl talking to me who aren’t getting inked.

I explain to them when i take a smoke break (i take 1 every hour or two, to get my head out of the tattoo and re-focuss myself) that they should let me do my work and ask them politely if they would like it if i start yapping in their ear when they are working. That usually shut’s them up :lol:

again, i’m not a rude man, just want to make cool tattoo’s ;)

Good honesty.

Since we’re being honest. When I’m not tattooing and I see tattoo work on others, I feel like I dont know how to tattoo, hard to explain, but its more of a “feeling”.

So before i do any tattoo or research a piece, I have to look at a couple of framed pieces I have on one of my walls by my station. Call it what you will, but I have to look at it even if its for just a 1/2 second. Not trying to compete, but your post reminded me of my situation with this art.

And this is why I dont let their “friends” watch or talk to me (with in reason) while working. I allow them a +1. I agree its not being dickish but this is a very intimate art form and passion for me so I try and remove any obstacles that may interfere even when its the client him/herself. I usually put a movie on for them to watch so they are comfortable and relaxed. Helps eliminates them moving around and take focus off the pain if they are the sensitive type.

This in turn helps me stay focused…..and being in control for me goes all the way back to my drawing or the moment i’m tracing the stencil which helps me with familiarity and muscle memory in my hand for when i’m actually working. So while i’m working my mind knows i’ve been there done that. thats one of the reasons why I use hand made stencils and not a machine.

As for blowouts, when you can, either thicken that area of the line work if it allows for it or add some shading if the area calls for it anyways, otherwise, sometimes our work shows itself…even if not in the highest of quality unfortunately. Its part of us growing and learning. its the human element of it.

Again…hope some of this made sense amigo.

I think that getting over performance anxiety is one of the first really tough things that a beginning tattooer has to deal with.
Hopefully you don’t feel alone on this after some of these responses. It happens to everyone and lacking an official mentor to sit with you and walk you through it just makes it that much harder. From what I understand having picked the brain of a couple really successful artists, truly being comfortable with tattooing takes somewhere around 7 years. It’ll feel like you machine is a part of you. I was told once, “Tattooing is in the hand, not the head.”

Don’t give up man! We are right there with you!

Dude i have these moments allot to so don’t feel bad! If you don’t do this then you will never grow as an artist to push yourself harder. I have had moments where i have changed through three or four of my machines thinking they are the problem and all along its me. And sometimes it’s the clients skin cause i can turn around and use that same machine on the next client without an issue. But the best thing is like the others said take a break maybe even a walk around your studio or house, where ever you reside, and never ever show lack of confidence!! In my booth i have a sign that says only the artist and the client in the tattoo area. Stick to your guns and make yourself some rules. And absolutely no one under 18!!

All right. First off, lose the baggage. The tattoo appointment is for your client. Not for his or her friends… no matter how cool they think it is to have their buds around to watch them ‘tough it out’. Or how cool their friends think it is to chill out with a tattooer.

Their baggage is your distraction. Especially since you’re starting out you need to concentrate on the tattoo and your client. No offense… you really need to concentrate. Two 16 yr old girls are annoying enough at any point ( I can’t stand walking behind them in the mall so I don’t want them in my station ) they become especially annoying when you’re trying to work. If your client was a guy, I bet he didn’t help the situation any by trying to show ‘tough’.

From now on, at least until you get comfortable with performing a tattoo and know how to work through distractions, just stick to you and the client. Your work will be better, you’ll be less stressed and everyone involved will benefit.

I don’t know how long you’ve been tattooing. I’ve seen the pics and there has been some improvement in your work, but you still tattoo like a rookie. Part of the reason it’s so important for you to concentrate is so that you can pick up on what’s going wrong before it goes too far wrong.

Second: I have no idea what the legal age to get tattooed in Denmark is, but why have two sixteen year olds hanging out anyway? Eye candy? Keep the kids away from your work area… especially if you’re working ‘underground’. This only leads to problems with pissed off dads, testosterone driven jerk-off boyfriends and the local law enforcement.