Worst introduction to tattooing!

[miss_elizabeth]

Hi everyone, my name is Elizabeth, and after years of non productive art work, and poorly paid retail work I have decided to utilize my artistic side and become a tattoo artist. I had previously designed works for some people, and even designed my boyfriends half sleeve cover up which I will post pics of later on.

I thought I would share with everyone my introduction into the world of learning to tattoo as it was, an eye opening experience… to say the very least.
Having spoken to several people about the possibility of an apprenticeship I have decided to get some practice on a cheap machine and pig skin to increase my odds of getting accepted somewhere. I had a very costly, and very empty marine fish tank at the time so I offered it on the buy/sell website Kijiji for a trade for either a tattoo machine, or a few hours worth of being taught some basic ropes by a tattoo artist. I got a reply within a few hours from a guy who stated that he made professional machines from scratch, and he would be willing to swap the tank for a machine, and teach me how to tune it myself. Which was exactly what I was after, and a reasonable trade.
So I packed up the fish tank (which retails around $850) and went to meet this guy, Chris, at his house.
I would like to add to this, that when I spoke with Chris on the phone, he sounded NORMAL…
I arrived at the parking lot outside Chris’s apartment, which was kind of a dive, and he came out to the car to give me a hand with the tank. I grabbed the accessories to it and followed him up to the apartment. Once inside, Chris, who was rake thin and jittery, proceeded to show me what he called his ‘professional machine’ which was an electric razor, with a bent spoon JB welded onto it, some copper wire and beading needles attached with thread and plumbing tape.
It quickly became very apparent that Chris had recently done a very LARGE quantity of some substance that I doubt the legality of.
Having agreed to be taught to use the “professional machines” by this person, and being stuck in his apartment by myself I didn’t feel able to change my mind on the deal.
Chris explained how ‘professional artists use ‘fancy ink with a label, but you can just use this” – hands me some felt tip pens
“you just like squeeze the ink out into a spoon, then heat it up to get the water out, like heroin yeah?” I nod my head and roll with it.
He explains how ‘pros’ Use MOUTHWASH to sterilize areas before they tattoo them, but he doesn’t bother with ‘that expensive shit, just use water’
He also explained how although the markers state on them, NON TOXIC, they were expensive, so he was going to try this paint he got from the craft store, doesn’t SAY non toxic but doesn’t smell like it would be bad….
He pulled up his trouser leg to reveal the single worst tattoo I have EVER seen, it was a thick green aged patchy skull outline, with a flame outline coming off its head. He squeased out some yellow ink from a pen and proceeded to tattoo in some colour into the flames, without shaving his leg, without changing the needles, without disinfecting anything, and without gloves. Did I mention that the machine had dried blood on it?!?
He asked me if I wanted to try it on his leg, I declined the offer.
I thanked him for his time and declined the offer of a “pro machine” and practically ran out of the building.

I am now saving for a starter kit online….

Thought you guys might get a kick out of my horror story

[xDreamerx]

Wow……..my eyes were all lit up and big reading your story.

I’m sorry for your encounter, but why would you go alone?? Why would you agree to meet some guy you dont know that you met online via online ad and go to his home? That was my other question I thought of as I read your story…..almost like a movie scene played out in my head.

Also I spent several years (6) working in the oddest of places and homes, and situations that made me not want to be there at times tattooing, but to me that was my “exposureship” to tattooing, so I can relate to feeling uncomfortable even when I brought someone with me to these places. Especially coming from the streets down by Los Angeles I saw lots of crazy things happen during my single needle tattooing days/nights lol Anyhow my point is, that I never went anywhere too wild or to someones house alone. Be safe especially if you go the online to do a trade route again.

I’m sure everyone else would like to see some of your flash artwork here on the site, so please feel free to share it. Have you considered buying the TMTT book here? Would help you greatly. And thanks for sharing your story Elizabeth.

[miss_elizabeth]

I wasn’t going to go alone initially, but it was only a few blocks from my boyfriends work, and I gave him the address before I left just in case.
The coke head was a really nice guy, just filthy and waaay drugged up. I will definately be more cautious in the future though.

And I am going to get that book, I read a few pages on amazon and its not only really well written, but also down to earth and very informative. I will be getting it as soon as I get a credit card here, my current ones are all Australian so I cant transfer cash backwards from here (canada) to pay off any purchases made on them without ridiculous fees.

I told this story to my co-workers, and all of them laughed but one, who pulled up her sleeve and pointed at an old greening tattoo and exclaimed ‘this here was done with a vibrator and a pen and some needles and tape’ there was an awkward stunned silence….

[xDreamerx]

Your story reminded me of a guy who wanted to sell me his “pro” machine lol It was made pretty good, but I had told him I was looking for an electric MANUFACTURED machine, not home made. lol I will never forget that cause he tried to be sooo clean and professional, but honestly, you can only be so professional when it comes to home made stuff, well guess “professional” shouldnt even be associated with home made stuff lol

[cillalea5005]

That is awful, and could have been really dangerous,but you told it in such an amusing way I had to laugh! It reminded me of this guy my husband had been in prison with. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer,but was nice in his own way. He was young,and really wanted to get sleeved out while in. He would let literally anyone tattoo on him. Anyone starting out and wanted to practice would call this guy over and he would take anything anyone wanted to sling on him. And,although I have seen some great prison tattoos, the ones he had were not! You would have thought that he had the MonaLisa on him tho,by the way he talked. He was so damn proud of those tattoos! Luckily he has (so-far!) escaped any diseases or infections. Anyway, thanks for sharing! Takecare!

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