Tattoo Talk

Carey is a tattoo artist from Flint, MI. Please email here for questions.

Tattoos are applied in a few different ways.....most artists will be doing a tattoo from what is called "tattoo flash", which are the pictures that are seen on the walls in every tattoo shop. The pictures are of many different designs and each picture has it's own separate copy of what are called " line drawings." The line drawings are put over a piece of bluish paper called "hectograph" which looks very similar to carbon paper. The line drawing will be traced over the entire area of the design or put into machine that makes an impression of the line drawing by creating a low heat in order to transfer the bluish ink to the back of the line drawing. When the top layer of paper is turned over.......this is called "a stencil." The stencil will then be transferred to the desired area of the skin by applying a small amount of green soap ( a surgical prep scrub) and then placing the stencil on top with an even amount of pressure. After it has been held there for a few seconds.....it will be peeled off slowly, leaving a light impression of the tattoo you will be getting. This gives the artist a general idea of where to make the initial lines of the tattoo and it's all around structure.

What's after the stencil?

After the stencil has been applied, you artist will take out a few paper/plastic packages with little brown arrows on them signifying that they have been autoclaved. (autoclaves are large sterilization canisters) These packages contain, needles, and what are called tubes. Tubes are the outer shell (and grip) that hold the needles in place and also act as a pigment well to hold the pigment in place during application. After machine set up.....you are ready to begin your tattoo.

How much do tattoos cost?

I put this question in because it is one of my BIGGEST pet peeve questions! I would like to set the record straight by answering this one. There is NO set price on a tattoo. Tattoo prices are just like "Used Cars." They vary depending on what you are looking for. They are priced by not only the artist's price, but also the size, shape, detail, and placement of it. There is a lot of work involved in colorful tattoos and many pigments are layered to create this effect which results in "time in the chair." If the artist is doing a very large piece that requires many sittings, you will more than likely do the initial outline the first day and then the rest in between healing. This will usually be on an hourly payment. If the tattoo takes more than a few hours...it will be per hour rather than by the actual piece itself. Most reputable artists will charge around $120 and hour and up for this type of payment. Other smaller tattoos will be priced accordingly.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions .......Feel free to ask anytime! Email me!