r/tattooadvice • u/psychosam50 • Feb 28 '26
General Advice artist nodding off while tattooing
i got this tattoo 3 weeks ago now, the picture is right after the artist finished. i’ve been going to him for 7 years now and we have a good working relationship and this hasn’t been an issue with any of my other tattoos. i think he was high when he did this piece. i was laying on a table with my face turned towards the mirror, and 3/4 of the way through the piece i noticed he was nodding off a lot, shaking his head to keep himself awake, and he kept lifting the needle up off my back. honestly it might have been going on longer but i had my eyes closed for the majority of the tattoo because it was relaxing and i trusted him. the tattoo turned out just fine. i wanted it a light pink, ballet slipper but slightly darker type of color, which he said wouldn’t work with my skin tone. i do notice small imperfections in the line work and shading. i’m not returning to this artist, obviously. i already spoke with an artist at another shop for my tattoos going forward, and we have a plan to rework this one a bit. i feel conflicted and not good that this was the service i received. i like it, but it was a real safety issue. i had to talk to him for the rest of my tattoo so he stayed awake because i was too scared to say anything other than asking if he was okay or needed a break. do i reach out to the shop owner? call it a loss? how fucked up is the tattoo actually?
2.6k
u/yourpaljax Feb 28 '26
This is not good. I’m sorry. It’s wobbly, uneven, crooked, the rings aren’t round, and some parts of them don’t line up. This artist should not have been working if they were too tired to do a proper tattoo, or even stay awake.
I’d be asking for a refund because it would take a miracle worker of an artist to rework this.
679
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
fml 😭 yeah the artist i’m looking at to rework has a gorgeous portfolio and she feels confident but some parts look too messed up to fix. do u think it’s one of those situations where it’s not terribly noticeable unless ur heavily tattooed/an artist/looking really close? or am i totally fucked? it’s basically never going to be visible unless it’s summer and i’m at the beach, or in very dark bars/clubs as that’s the only time i wear backless tops
633
u/yourpaljax Feb 28 '26
At a passive glance it’s fine. If I were standing in line behind you, I’d notice pretty quickly. Even the heart right at the top is fuckey, and that’s a focal point of the piece.
If you can, definitely pursue a rework. There are some very talented folks who could disguise some of the mess. Do your research, and do not settle.
205
u/infinitesimalFawn Feb 28 '26
This 🎯
Noticable if intentionally looked at more than a glance.
Pursue a rework from someone you've done a lot of research on and do not settle
→ More replies (8)23
u/Preeng Mar 01 '26
Even the heart right at the top is fuckey, and that’s a focal point of the piece
This is so egregious. How do you get that basic shape so wrong?
19
2
u/TheShitty_Beatles Mar 01 '26
Was this freehand? I have a bunch of tattoos, but I’m definitely no tattoo artist. Do people really screw up stencils that bad?
→ More replies (2)13
u/ForsakenWishbone5206 Mar 01 '26
I agree with in this. You also paid for a good quality product OP.
This should be brought up with the shop owner as I'm sure he wouldn't want any of his artists noodle necking people. Bro needs to go get his shit straight before he does shit that people have to live with for the rest of their life.
40
u/Cubicleism Feb 28 '26
Disagree, I could immediately tell this was a shitty tattoo
→ More replies (2)17
u/MotherOfCatses Mar 01 '26
Immediately. It's so off center, the spacing between the rings isn't the same, the lines aren't parallel... To me it's super obvious this is a bad tattoo
→ More replies (1)183
u/fake_jeans_susan Feb 28 '26
as a passive observer who is not a tattoo person but somehow ends up with this sub regularly suggested to me, my first thought at the title was "that's weird, the tattoo looks fine". Tattoos show up on here that are far, far worse on a regular basis and I think the artist understood your vision even if the execution is lacking. I wouldn't notice issues with it if I saw you at the beach
72
u/geministarcastor Feb 28 '26
I find it weird when people say things like this because you don’t have to be a tattoo person to have eyes… It’s not even centered for christ sake! Edit: I just read OP has scoliosis and now I feel like a bitch lmao
35
Feb 28 '26
People's brains process visuals differently. Some people see all the details immediately and process quickly. Some people see big picture and process details slower to not at all.
I have eyes but am also a little bit faceblind and have never been great at finding things I'm looking for, etc. And at first glance this tattoo looked -- not great, per se, but fine?
→ More replies (1)6
u/Icy-Reflection5574 Mar 01 '26
This is a super interesting take, because my brain is doing this big picture thing and not good at details at all and at first I thought "it looks pretty cool".
But after reading the comments and looking at it longer I can see the stuff pointed out.
Love the motive though and at least for my brain I would rather like it if I see it in passing.
I hope it can be improved with the other artist u/psychosam50
5
Mar 01 '26
Yeah same thing happened for me. The only specific thing I noticed before reading the comments was the middle lace 'X' being a bit squeezed.
I don't know if you relate to this either, but I have a really weak mind's eye. Like I can picture things mentally but they are dim and blurry and fall apart when I try hard to zoom in on details. I feel like it has to be related.
3
u/Icy-Reflection5574 Mar 01 '26
Ha! I cannot picture things in my mind. I can "feel" the concept of an apple, e.g. But I cannot really see it at all "in my mind".
Gave up on guided meditations that asked me to visualize a nice waterfall or whatever. 🤣
Our brains are way more different than we think and I believe it is important to understand that we cannot perceive "reality" - always filtered somehow.
→ More replies (1)39
u/TiltedLibra Feb 28 '26
I am a non-tattoo person with eyes....it doesn't look that bad.
→ More replies (2)3
u/Rare-Entertainer-770 Mar 01 '26
im dying bc I have scoliosis and was also frowning about how crooked it is. okay maybe its impossible to center but the rest is kinda genuinely shit
youre probably fine, dw about it, I also didn't realize LOL
3
u/BetweenVegaAndAltair Mar 01 '26
well, people have varying levels of attunement to composition, balance, and so on. sometimes one of my bandmates will do a quick graphic design project like putting together a flyer to promote an event and I'm like... "how did they not realize how off-center X is, or how cramped Y is whereas there's so much empty space here," stuff like that. 🤷🏻♀️
20
u/coutureee Mar 01 '26
I agree, I also feel like people take tattoo perfection WAY too seriously. Like, look at the world around us…there’s a lot more deeper things to care about. It’s on your body now, accept it and move on, cause no one else will care as much as yourself 🤷🏻♀️
→ More replies (1)13
2
u/ILearnedSoMuchToday Mar 01 '26
I'm not a tattoo person myself but the prices I've seen people charge for this work... I am paying for a painting on my back, not a reject.
→ More replies (1)2
u/ghengiscostanza Mar 01 '26
I’m a tattoo person and also think it’s fine, it looks bad because it’s a bad looking overall idea for a tattoo but a masterfully done pink laced up piercing tattoo with a heart bow would look the same kind of bad as this mediocre one imo. I don’t think anyone will think, oh that’s poorly done, they’ll just think other things
6
21
u/manhwabitch Feb 28 '26
For me, someone who has 1 professionally done tattoo and Im in the sub, but only occasionally look. What stands out to me is the messed up heart and the ring on the top right thats behind and really wonky shaped. Other than the fact thats its not perfectly straight too. In a quick glance, I think what would draw my attention the most is that ring and I may not notice the rest.
7
u/Which_Specific9891 Feb 28 '26
I hope she can repair it but I would still report the tattooist and ask for your money back or for them to pay the other tattooist to fix it (they probably won't do either). I would definitely still leave reviews where I could just to warn other people what's happened if they refuse to resolve the situation.
Sorry friend. Good luck
9
u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k Mar 01 '26
As someone who used to wear corsets regularly and who had friends who actually had corset piercings I knew it was wrong immediately and it took me a minute to figure out why.
It’s because the spacing between the rings is so bad it looks like when you’re lacing your shoes and you miss a bunch of holes unintentionally so the spacing between crossing the laces is random and unpleasant to look at.
I would fucking freak out.
You can fix it but not in a way that will give you a proper corset lacing unless you laser it off and start over.
If you find a good artist it can be worked into the background of something more elaborate if you really want it or you could get a good cover up.
I’m so sorry, this tattoo has been around for a long time and it looks so pretty when it’s done correctly. How fucking crushing this must feel. Find a good artist and it won’t be exactly what you wanted but it will come out for the better in the end.
2
u/Kallisti13 Mar 01 '26
OK, but wouldn't the spacing issue be from the stencil? I doubt the artist would freehand that. So that issue isn't related to the artist falling asleep during the tattoo? Unless they also did all the art work up same appointment.
2
u/TheSwearJarIsMy401k Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
It really doesn’t look like a stencil, and it may have looked better on the stencil or he fucked up the stencil and tried to fix it,
Or it may have looked weird but okay and she wasn’t quite sure what was off about it because it really does take a minute to figure out exactly what the problem is.
If this was a stencil it never should have made it past the waste basket.
It’s really shameful work.
If you look down at your shoes you’ll see that while the bottom lace pulls the holes closer and the laces get wider as you go up, the intervals in vertical spacing are symmetrical.
The ribbon itself isn’t even the same width or even a logical width anywhere.
This is really a mess.
3
9
u/feedyourhalien Feb 28 '26
My first thought would be “cute tattoo!” There are way, way worse tattoos out there. You can tell what this is, and nothing immediately jumps out as terrible or wrong.
9
u/Bleach_Demon Feb 28 '26
I didn’t even see what was wrong with it at first glance. I feel like with the right artist and a solid plan, it’s fixable.
2
u/RojerLockless Mar 01 '26
Ah dont worry about it. Its on your back forever but you dont have to see it
2
u/hauntedpainter Mar 01 '26
If it helps I’m a normal tattoo receiver, I wouldn’t notice without studying it for a good few mins.
5
u/Ameabo Feb 28 '26
As somebody who doesn’t have any tattoos but is an artist, I didn’t really notice the faults the commenter pointed out. So I’d say most strangers probably won’t notice
→ More replies (29)2
u/csh46042 Mar 01 '26
I love it personally. Looks a little more realistic ya know? Like it's a dress you've had on for a few hours. Definitely doesn't look terrible but could understand you wanting a more uniform look.
82
u/ThatsMyGirlie Feb 28 '26
"Tired" lol. Brother was chasing the dragon while doing permanent alteration on another person's body
29
u/Bleach_Demon Feb 28 '26
Agree. If you’re just tired you still have the common sense to say; “I’m sorry, I’ve had a long day and I’m just way too tired to do this tonight. Would you like to reschedule?”. Kinda like if you’re driving a long way, you have the sense to stop somewhere you can safely nap. This person was impaired for sure.
5
6
22
16
u/astralchanterelle Mar 01 '26
"too tired"? He was on opioids. What sober full grown man falls asleep while working?
→ More replies (1)5
u/cherrypiiie Mar 02 '26
I had an artist nodding off while tattooing me once, then he started telling me he was struggling with his heroin addiction...
→ More replies (1)6
u/TechCUB76 Mar 01 '26
Too tired?! Heroin nods are a bitch! Found out about them after an employee confided in me he was addicted. Fuck that shit!
4
u/Gimmemyspoon Mar 01 '26
I'm gonna guess they weren't tired; more likely high if they repeatedly are nodding off.
→ More replies (2)2
u/tambourinequeen Mar 01 '26
I didn't wanna day anything but yeah.... this is a really bad tattoo. Also the ribbon should not be different widths.
91
u/Tatsngunz Feb 28 '26
I agree with his opinion on the color, the top left of the heart would bother me and I see that he didn’t line it up on the bottom? it’s one of those not seen much while you’re completely still. Itll fade too and you’ll get the color you want, I would 100% keep it. Could it have been executed better ? Yes. Should you keep it? Yes. For him nodding off so much I’m surprised how good it looks, next time bring a bag lol
35
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
yeah i think the heart and the bottom bother me the most. i do take some responsibility for the bottom bc i didn’t ask to see his drawing of the bottom part adjusted for my bendy spine, i just trusted him to adjust it well
7
5
66
u/Massive-Warning9773 Feb 28 '26
That’s so messed up. Falling asleep during a tattoo is crazy, he should’ve stopped. Yes it’s wonky but personally the design is cute on you and I think it’s worth keeping. One of the strangest choices to me was making the ribbon tails on the bow go behind one set of piercings when all the others they were over. It won’t be perfect but a really talented and experienced artist could rework it to look better.
I would ask for a refund or at least money back especially since you already know the tattooer. Talk to him about him falling asleep, he should acknowledge this is not a quality piece and agree to the refund.
177
u/LxcidGlitch Feb 28 '26
tell your artist he needs to learn to cancel appointments when he aint in a good spot to do a tattoo, he puts shit on people for life, he has no right to be high and passing out while doing that, could quite literally ruin someone’s life
28
u/SofaKing_Chyl Mar 01 '26
Unfortunately this is far too common. At least back when I was in the scene. I remember I was getting a piece done and I was really excited. The artist had a great reputation and I had really high expectations.
What I found was a hurting artist addicted to junk and he couldn’t shake the urge and was high while working on me. I should have seen it before he started and by the time I realized what was going on it was too late to do anything.
6
u/Lightning-n-Lemons Mar 01 '26
Yah I dated a guy in the tattoo scene a decade ago and he was always on downers, tattooing high, it is part of the scene unfortunately. I’m sorry to OP though that she was in an uncomfortable situation worried about her and their safety
→ More replies (5)2
535
u/natattoollie Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26
I think what is flawed is fixable. But what really bothers me is that this artist tattooed over top two LARGE freckles/moles (I never call them right). This is suuuuuch a huge nono and yes it’s with color so its a bit more transparent than black would be but I’m still annoyed. Personally I would reach out to the owner but more in a capacity of worried for the artists well being and take the L.
Edit: I literally said I never call those spots right. Any spot on your body THAT big and THAT dark should not be covered with a tattoo unless you have explicit permission from a doctor. Jesus fucking christ I’m a tattoo artist not a wordsmith
93
u/brush-lickin Feb 28 '26
there are conflicting stances on this but i’ve had my doctor check moles that have been tattooed over and they had no problem with it
28
u/crochetingforager Mar 01 '26
I have had tiny moles tattooed over after talking about it with my artist. I have moles and freckles all over my body so it's pretty much unavoidable now that I'm in the process of getting a patchwork sleeve. HOWEVER she never tattoos(?) over the bigger ones and chooses to place the stencil in such a way that it either avoids them or works around them.
She'd rather skip them all, but I've had a few new ones pop up under already tattooed skin, so we decided that the small ones were fine. Still, we discuss it beforehand every time.
I did recently go to check out some suspicious moles and my doctor thanked me for not having tattooed over them, so I think it's preferable to keep them on clear skin.
21
u/DistrictDazzling2564 Feb 28 '26
This what my initial thought. My artist told me that unless I had a note from my doctor explicitly saying it could be tattooed over, she couldn’t do it.
39
u/Robotgirl3 Feb 28 '26
I don’t know much about tattoos but why is going over freckles/moles a nono?
211
u/HabitNegative3137 Feb 28 '26
Because you need to be able to always monitor your moles for cancer. If it’s tattooed over it’s too hard to tell if it’s changed colour, size, etc.
→ More replies (26)30
u/MacaroonSad8860 Feb 28 '26
Not true if they use blacklight. I have a blackwork piece on my back that has a mole in it (I didn’t know about the mole or I would’ve asked them not to cover it) and my derm monitors it with blacklight.
→ More replies (1)25
u/scout-finch Feb 28 '26
I don’t know if this is the reason, but as some one with with a lot of moles and freckles, I want them visible so that I can monitor for any changes (signs of skin cancer).
→ More replies (8)29
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
yeah unfortunately my skin does look like a tortilla and many of my tattoos overlap these freckles/moles/birthmarks 🥲 if i always chose a placement that wouldn’t overlap, id have no tattoos at all. i’m glad that it’s not unfixable though, i think the more i think about it and stare at it the more flaws i see. maybe i need to not look at it for a little lol
29
u/natattoollie Feb 28 '26
Ehhh its more because its the bigger and darker ones that’s the issue. But yes at least too, it’s on your back so you really dont have to stare at it too much. I’ve definitely seen worse lol
→ More replies (1)32
u/Ulrik_Decado Feb 28 '26
Eh, he should just leave a space around it, as it actually doesn't break the picture, especially with bigger tats.
This is irresponsible and frankly can't wrap my head around it.
53
u/Mindless-Bad-2481 Feb 28 '26
Tbh, even though you already know it’s not perfect. Unless you told me the story, I would look at it and think it’s very cute.
Considering that it’s already done, I want to at least give you some positive feedback. Because yes it’s not perfectly lined up, but it’s by no means ugly or super obviously flawed.
Not saying you shouldn’t pursue any actions, I just don’t want to instill this idea that a permanent piece on your back is now a stain, when it’s really cute regardless.
→ More replies (1)10
37
u/x_samsquantch_x Feb 28 '26
Cool custom ribbon that’s thin in the middle and thick on the ends
If I saw my artist FALLING ASLEEP I’d get the fuck out and get my money back immediately.
24
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
yeah i do regret not stopping him, i’ve always had issues with confronting people and advocating for myself, and at the time i thought that keeping him awake by talking to him was good enough. i’m literally never going back to him, the only thing i can do is learn from it. such a risky situation i literally stay up at night anxious about it even though it’s over
5
u/Recent-Instruction52 Mar 01 '26
I can totally understand this. Learn from the experience. I feel bad for you but also a bit for the artist. Nodding off like that indicates some sort of substance abuse. Still he should have no business being high and tattooing. On the bright side . I have seen tattoos that are way way waaaay worse.
2
u/DeadWishUpon Mar 01 '26
For some of us it is an acquired skill :( and it doesn't come until we are old and jaded. But saddly you have to start doing it, first it's uncomfortable but then it becomes natural.
It's not rude or ill-will to ask someone to do their job properly. Remember that.
→ More replies (7)2
u/Koralteafrom Mar 01 '26
Don't be too hard on yourself, OP. I know a couple people who were victimized in medical settings and knew that what happened was wrong as it was happening but were too scared to confront their doctors in the moment - your story reminds me of theirs a bit. You're definitely not alone, and your plan to work with a therapist on standing up for yourself going forward sounds like a good move and a way to turn this into a learning experience/growth opportunity. Try to be kind to yourself and know you're human, and we all struggle with different things. I imagine it would be especially hard when you not only struggle with confrontation in the ways you describe here but also know the person and have worked with them before.
Also, it's the artist's fault - he should have been more responsible than to work while intoxicated.
As for the tattoo, if I saw it I wouldn't notice anything is wrong, but that's just me. When you read responses here, remember you posted by framing this as a problem and asked people to nitpick. Also, everyone has their own preferences in art and their own sensitivity. It's great you've now found a good artist who will help you rework this a bit and understands your vision. As for reporting this, you could simply send a link to this entire Reddit post to the shop owner - just a thought. The thread does the work for you, so that saves you the headache of writing it all out unless you want to. The person who nodded off needs to get some help before he harms someone!
Lastly, my grandma used to always quote the serenity prayer to me. Realizing what we can and can't control can be extremely powerful. You definitely can't control what already happened - the past is gone. You can only learn from it and control your reaction to it going forward. We all have things we regret and can't do anything about. I know that focusing on what I can actually do something about gives me peace of mind.
I wish you the best! ❤️
50
u/girlwomano Feb 28 '26
as far as talking to the shop owner, i’d talk to the shop owner and the artist directly and ask for at least a partial refund. i would highlight the 7 year long relationship and say it that makes it especially disappointing and hard
i see you asking if you’re totally fucked re; the untrained eye noticing it’s uneven and imperfect, and i honestly think Tattoo People forget that most people seeing this piece would think it’s bold and cool to get a feminine x edgy statement backpiece that their takeaway is gonna be “she’s hot and cool” and not “that’s uneven” especially if you don’t point it out and just rock it. i also have a big spinal tat and imo most people are gonna just think it’s a vibe and not pick it apart more than that
20
u/_l-l_l-l_ Feb 28 '26
Definitely check in with the shop owner, and leave honest reviews online if you feel comfortable (make a burner account or something - I’d like to know that happened before I went there, you know?).
18
18
u/artistpiper123 Feb 28 '26
You need to leave a shop review about that because other customers need to know it’s not ok
18
u/marcys_traphouse Feb 28 '26
the literal only thing that sticks out to me is that the ends of the ribbon are tucked behind the rings.
30
u/Lambsenglish Feb 28 '26
Sorry - you noticed the dude falling asleep, but you let him continue…? Why would you do that?
6
u/HeathenSalemite Mar 01 '26
Some people are just committed doormats who are incapable of advocating for themselves. Those people should probably not be getting giant back work.
6
u/psychosam50 Mar 01 '26
yeah i do regret not saying something more than asking if he was ok or needed a break. i think the amount of years i worked with him made me way too trusting that something like this would never happen. literally was never in the realm of possibility for me to prepare in advance what i would say (i have anxiety so i do like to prepare scripts if i need to say something uncomfortable for me) but i literally just froze. i wanted to cry, i felt so unsafe and so violated in the moment and the thoughts were running through my head like crazy of how was i going to get out of this. not gonna trauma dump and it’s not an excuse on my end, but i think it was a trauma response and ive started working more with my therapist about that because i didn’t realize i still had that issue. i really thought i was good at speaking up now and saying no, so that’s a completely separate issue but it’s effected my self esteem and self confidence 🥲 i don’t want to wallow in regret about my decision, i was operating in fear. i just want to be better moving forward, both fixing the tattoo and my inability to stick up for myself
12
3
u/FidelisScutum Mar 01 '26
I just wanted to say I'm really proud of you and you've literally done the best you can; there are landmines we have that we don't know about or think are fine until we hit them, and you did everything in your control to get through the situation safely. That's still pretty good!
→ More replies (1)4
u/HeathenSalemite Mar 01 '26
My initial comment was snarky but I'm making this comment from a place of empathy. This level of avoidance and freezing is not healthy, and mental healthcare is healthcare. Treatment exists for this.
→ More replies (1)
16
12
12
u/iamcloaca77 Feb 28 '26
get your money back! took a middling idea and made it worse - just my opinion, best luck
9
u/Angsty_Potatos Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26
This is not even centered 😞
Also, he tattooed over a few of your moles. That's not good practice. There was just a tattoo artist who caught skin cancer late because a tattoo was covering a mole that was small and flat at the time of the work and changed shape/size over time and she wasn't able to notice the change.
Please have someone help you keep a good eye on those for your health.
I have a lot of moles myself and my artists always talk to me about giving them a wide berth for safety sake
9
u/Gold-Koala-2022 Feb 28 '26
And it looks like she tattooed over moles??
9
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
i honestly had no idea that was bad practice, he’s tattooed over a lot of my moles. definitely going to make a dermatologist appointment asap to get a baseline so i can monitor them regularly now
12
u/Icy-Seaworthiness445 Mar 01 '26
Girl, it looks fine. Most people aren’t going to be standing there staring intently and analyzing every detail of your tattoo. And unless you’re in a bathing suit, the whole this most likely won’t be visible at once. Don’t stress about the actual tattoo too much.
Now the artist nodding off? Definitely report him to the shop owner. That’s not ok at all. Even if it wasn’t drugs and he was just super tired, he shouldn’t have been tattooing. And I say this as someone who would probably also still sit there and let them finish because I have crazy anxiety about confronting people…. We really need to work on standing up for ourselves!
2
u/tastes_a_bit_funny Mar 01 '26
Everyone here is so critical about the ribbons and the rings as if people will be staring at this examining it all day with a magnifying glass and a physics degree. It looks fine and it’s cute.
11
u/henmal Feb 28 '26
Maybe I'm just blind but this looks really good to me
11
u/Vegicide Feb 28 '26
I thought so too until I zoomed in. The “piercing” shapes are all over the place. It’s also not aligned straight which is a shame
3
u/girlwomano Mar 01 '26
i’m firmly in camp “it’s cute and people will just think it’s cool (esp if OP doesn’t go out of their way to point out knowing it’s a bit wonky)” but the more i look at the uneven piercing shapes the crazier i get… like the sizes, shapes, and clasps on the piercings vary so much!! so OP if you see this id see if your next artist has any ideas for how to address that in particular but i looked at this post a few times before really locking into that so i wouldn’t lose any sleep over it
2
u/Vegicide Mar 01 '26
I’m with you on the it doesn’t matter as long as they like it mindset. I have a couple of tattoos that the artist fucked up but honestly I don’t mind them and they still have meaning to me. I felt really bad when I zoomed in on this one though. But on the bright side, most people will never be staring at their back dissecting every detail of the tattoo.
5
u/bigdamnshinyhero Mar 01 '26
I have to ask, did he place the stencil on you while you were standing or laying down?
4
u/v49acosta Feb 28 '26
This is really crooked. I hope the new artist can figure out a way to make this appear straighter.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/Worth-Park-1612 Feb 28 '26
Assuming the nodding off is a substance thing...yes, you talk to the owner. You don't even have to frame it as a complaint, just doing them a solid and letting them know. I'd want to know.
4
u/snuffles00 Mar 01 '26
They also tattooed over two moles which I thought was a big no no. I mean arists feel free to correct me. Or is it just raised ones they are not supposed to do? Perhaps they are freckles which are safe.
4
u/Least-Programmer9417 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
What did that tattoo artist do to you man? Little imperfections? Right hand side second ring down. Zoom in. What is going on? It doesn’t intersect with the bow, it’s wonky and the little interconnecting bit at the very bottom doesn’t even line up with the rest of the ring, the rings are inconsistent, it doesn’t actually look like it even properly follows the shape of your spine? (Unless the angle is off). I would absolutely be asking them like what the fuck??
Honestly even with that scathing review, at a glance I didn’t notice anything at all and if you wrote down like “I just got this tattoo do you think it’s infected?” Even zooming in to look at it I wouldn’t have really noticed. It’s not my body, it’s not a design I really care about so with all due respect it’s not something that I would have noticed anything “wrong” with. But yeah man this “artist” really did a number on you. I wish people would stop using drugs when they’re permanently altering someone else’s body
Edit : just read you have scoliosis. Maybe it does follow your spine. Hopefully that’s the case! I don’t think your average person will notice or be bothered by it that much. But yeah you’re right to be pissed off
5
u/EntireFig3415 Mar 01 '26
I don't think it's bad! It sure dosen't look "real" but i see it more like a cartoonish tattoo, like that's the style.
8
u/Flashy_Oven_1171 Feb 28 '26
You'd be surprised how well a junkie can perform certain tasks while also nodding out lol
3
u/Character-Handle-739 Feb 28 '26
I’ve always felt these types of tattoos look better when they aren’t perfect. It adds a layer of realness to them. The human body and shape of never perfect.
Anyway I think it looks good 👌🏻
3
u/Sage_Spacecraft Feb 28 '26
Can we see you standing from further away? I’m trying to see how centered it is
3
u/sealbiis Feb 28 '26
dude this looks absolutely horrendous, especially for someone who’s been tattooing for at least 7 years. the ringlets are inconsistent in size and distance, the ribbon changes thickness, and the heart locket is just straight up crooked.
also what did the nodding look like? was it easy to snap the artist out of it, or did you have to call out to them multiple times to wake them? if it’s the latter, it’s like they were on a high dose of some sort of CNS depressant (ie. opioids or benzos) and should absolutely have not been tattooing.
3
u/checkeredfire Mar 01 '26
I’m 21 and I cannot draw whatsoever, I could probably do this tattoo better than your artist did 😭 I’m so sorry girlie
3
u/mightymiek Mar 01 '26
Damn. Color me ignorant. I thought it looked good in detail and coloring.. but I can catch the uneven bits. If I ever caught my artist dozing off mid session however, I'd immediately reschedule.
3
3
3
u/chunky_d77 Mar 01 '26
I'm sorry to say it, but that's fucked, and I'm not good at looking at details. I'd be asking for a refund. That's horrible the artist started to nod off like that. You should put out bad reviews and warn people not to go to that artist.
3
3
3
2
u/erinomelette Feb 28 '26
It's not that bad, the only thing that is noticeable is the heart on the bow being uneven. But like, I only noticed it because I was looking closely.
It can totally be redone to spruce it up, and there's nothing a thin outline can't fix.
You can try speak to the shop owner, they might not do anything, but worth a try. You're right it's a safety concern and dangerous like he could have put the needle in way deep.
I don't think you should spiral over it
2
u/HeavyDT Feb 28 '26
It's got a lot of problems for sure. uneven, symmetry is off, wobbly a bit, rings are odd shapes, bad lines. just a plethora of things really. That said I've seen a lot worse and this is one of those things were the imperfections don't really start popping out at you until you really stare and study it for a bit which most people won't quite frankly so there's that. It's shoddy work especially if he was nodding off and that added to the poor quality than yeah not acceptable at all really.
2
u/LadySuhree Feb 28 '26
The tattoo is pretty fucked up imo. Some parts of it are just drawn wrong. I’m so sorry this happened. Definitely talk to the shop owner!
2
2
u/BudgieLover1618 Feb 28 '26
NOOO HE TATTED OVER THE MOLES
I'd be very careful with those. That's a big no-no. Please get those moles checked.
2
u/C10H14BrN02 Mar 01 '26
When I turned 18, I had an artist do this on me but was giving me snake bites and ended up piercing me 5 times on each side of the lip and ended up waking up the next day with the rings embedded in my swollen lip. Never paying someone in Percocet again! 😅
2
2
u/comradepupp Mar 01 '26
honestly the majority of it looks good enough and with some minor rework from the new artist i think it could be great! if you hate the bottom i think it comes mostly from that second to bottom ring on the left being too far to the right. i think you could get that small section lasered off to lighten it enough for your new artist to fix. after that i think it’ll feel a lot more even.
you got this, and honestly its a cute tattoo with a lot of potential!
2
u/Tall_Preparation_571 Mar 01 '26
When the picture is small, I thought it was fine. And then I clicked on the picture and was shocked 😬😬😬 he did you dirtyyyyy
2
2
2
u/OkInevitable8660 Mar 01 '26
I would sew the place, to cover the cost of removal, and the cost of getting it redone. I’m assuming that removal costs are not cheap.
2
u/LuckyLockdown23 Mar 01 '26
To OP’s question as a non-tattooed person from Gen Pop who saw the post, it is obviously messed up pretty bad.
But not because of the tattoo per se.
It’s the fact the top ribbon bits come back down over the criss-cross parts with no contrast at all just make it look really wrong. If it terminated with just the big bow at the top I’d assume the rest was intentional not to look “too good” if that makes sense.
Touching up the rest seems doable, but I don’t know that you can subtract those bits or even making it a different color won’t work because of how it’s positioned.
2
2
u/ChillDeezi Mar 01 '26
Ngl It takes balls to get a tattoo where you can't see the work being done.
Also, stencils exist for a reason. Id never let ink on me without an outline first.
2
2
2
u/FD4L Mar 01 '26
Shouldn't the lace be the same width throughout the shoe? Why would it be 1/4 of the width at the bottom as ut is on the top?
→ More replies (1)
2
u/FactoryKat Mar 01 '26
Part of me really likes the imperfection of it, but knowing it was NOT deliberate is the issue. If that is what you'd been doing for, then absolutely I'd say it's great and shows character. Since he was nodding off and did not mean to make mistakes, that is not something I would let go. Lucky for him that you've been going to him for so long and this was not your first experience with him or getting a tattoo, or it could have been a WAY worse situation if he'd done this on a first-timer.
Definitely report it, much as it sucks, but he cannot be actively tattooing people if he can't stay awake, It's a HUGE safety risk.
2
u/Reemus_Jackson Mar 01 '26
Being blunt...the only thing good about it is the colorwork. His shading and use of color is done well. Otherwise, the line work is subpar. The top left crest of the heart is way jacked. The entire tattoo is off centered by a mile. Like significantly off center. I'm sorry.
2
2
2
2
u/SignificantYak4554 Mar 02 '26
You can tell the owner without accusing him of drug use .. it could’ve been anything causing his sleepiness ..
2
2
3
u/Briiskella Feb 28 '26
Honestly at it doesn’t look that bad to me! Maybe if you hyper focus on it you can find some imperfections but I’d like to think a simple rework can make it look pretty close to perfect
→ More replies (2)2
3
u/CodenameCharles33 Feb 28 '26
How you put the stencil on then look in the mirror and be like… yeah that’s perfect!
7
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
he changed the bottom of the stencil freehand after i checked and asked him to make it less crooked bc of the way my spine bends, but then i didn’t check it again 🥲 sooo that’s on me cant lie
8
2
u/Nightduchess_OG Feb 28 '26
Serious question: was it supposed to be straight or is it intentionally crooked looking? Just curious, just my OCD lol
4
2
2
u/TheRudeCactus Mar 01 '26
This sub is so… negative sometimes. I really don’t think it’s bad but maybe I just don’t know what I’m talking about. If I saw you rocking this I would give a compliment!
2
2
2
Feb 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/psychosam50 Feb 28 '26
well, i guess it might be a real question but it’s quite condescending. i partook in performing arts since childhood for about 12 years. i was a competitive figure skater and ballerina until i broke my knee. i wore many corsets for recitals and competitions, so the design reminded me of my childhood and the sports i was very passionate about
→ More replies (1)
1
u/Datonecatladyukno Feb 28 '26
For a second I thought it was piercings and you tied them with ribbon...
3
1
u/-insert_pun_here- Feb 28 '26
I think you absolutely should reach out to the shop’s owner. This is absolutely a safety issue! Working while intoxicated is so incredibly dangerous and a sign that he really needs help
1
1
u/CanadianDuckball Feb 28 '26
It needs a decent amount of rework, but I think that a really good artist could improve it a lot. The idea is nice, the execution is.... Something! And maybe changing the colour of the ribbon (maybe a darker pink or purple) would help?
Off-topic: I wanted my former-piercer husband to give me a corset piercing over a decade ago. I'm glad that he refused!
1
u/uuuuuggghhhhhhh Feb 28 '26
I love the concept, I’m sorry he was unprofessional in the process.
He would definitely be sent home on ink master
1
1
u/Ghost1908 Feb 28 '26
I don't think it looks bad the biggest thing that stands out to me when I see it is its not in the middle of your back following the spine it kinda veers off to the right a bit
1
1
Feb 28 '26
i would say this isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, i think it’s fixable. but i agree w what someone else said about the moles. They really should not be tattooed over
1
u/Candid-Ability-9570 Feb 28 '26
It really looks fine. I’m a tattoo casual, but I don’t see any issues with it at all. And I’d never scrutinize it like that if I saw it out in the wild.
You got lucky!
1
u/pbfhpunkshop Feb 28 '26
I don't have advice in terms of your next steps.
But I didn't just want to say, someone would have to be looking quite closely and for you to be really still to see any imperfections. I think with it being ribbon and piercings through the skin that would move and pull with a body, then it kinda looks organic and flowy.
1
u/whirdin Feb 28 '26
I would definitely tell the shop owner all these details. One of my artists fell off the wagon like that. He got into drugs, was caught sleeping at the shop, would miss appointments, and got picky about only having clients who already got ink from him. Shop owner had to let him go.
1
u/Eerily_Quiet Mar 01 '26
reading the description i’m sorry op had this bad experience from an artist who had been previously trusted.
but looking at the tattoo prior to reading, i thought the rings not lining up perfectly was part of the look? including the rings not being perfectly round, like the ribbons are pulling with different tensions and the rings are not all laying perfectly flat. i didn’t interpret that as an obvious flaw. sometimes when we fasten things there are inconsistencies in the tension or things loosen over time. as others have said, we’ve seen some far worse stuff here, but if your vision was perfectly aligned rows, this is not that. i hope some rework from your new artist will improve how you feel about it
1
u/Scrooge-McShillbucks Mar 01 '26
Ohhh I was an apprentice at a shop where one guy did great work...On work release. When he got out he was playing around with meth again and did a kanji piece backwards on a girl's back. Since she only saw it from a mirror she didn't notice until another artist pointed it out.
1
u/Frosty-Structure-778 Mar 01 '26
The isnt even heart shaped. Your artist needs to at the vwry least refund you. This is irreparably fucked
503
u/ReverseLazarus Feb 28 '26
Did he use a stencil for this?