March 7th, 2010
This is the start of a full color alien attack sleeve. Based loosely on Mars Attacks. Just a couple of Aliens with their ships in the back ground blowing up the city. The sleeve will be very color driven with minimal hard lines.
In the foreground I started off with three victims being zapped and vaporized with the aliens in the background laying waste. These pics were taken a week after the tattoo was done so they may seem dry. I used this tattoo to try the new Alla Prima Tattoo Ink system.
The Alla Prima set I used was the new flesh tone set made specifically for doing full color portraits or renderings. I have to say that so far it’s unbeatable and teh color tones are looking amazing. I’m going to finish the tattoo at the Body Art Expo in San Francisco at the Cow Palace March 19th-21st
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March 2nd, 2010
This girl came to me with an incomplete tattoo. I was apprehensive when she told me she needed it finished but when she lifter her arm I could see she needed help. She was looking for a sexy dead girl based off of a painting but it looked more like busted ass Amy Winehouse
Their were too many hard lines, things that should have been red were outlined in black and the eyes were going in two different directions. The only saving grace was the right cheek outline was good so I didn’t need to thicken it making it heavier even though it shouldn’t have been outlined in black.
I was able to fix the eyes and reshape some of the facial features and make it look like she was wearing makeup. One thing I couldn’t do was change the position to give her more of the leaned back pose like in the painting ( I don’t know who the artists was or I would have given them credit) I was able to add some red to break up the hard line next to her face.
The roses were kept flat like in the painting focusing more on the portrait. I hope to get a healed pic to see how everything healed.
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January 28th, 2010
When I decided I wanted to own my own studio I did a ton of research. I looked at other shops and drew from my past shop experiences on what worked and what didn’t. One thing that is always focused on is equipment for the studio and the artists but very little has gone into the comfort for the client.
I have tattooed people on massage tables, salon chairs, folding chairs but never anything dedicated for the actual purpose of tattooing. The furniture has always been meant for something else.
Later on down the line I was able to tattoo someone in the ultimate tattoo chair that retailed for a thousand dollars and looked like someone converted a shampoo chair to raise it’s legs. A year ago I worked in a studio that had a similar version that looked like a big black square hospital bed that used click lock extensions for the arms and feet and had a bulky headrest. The table was constructed of chrome plated steel square bar. It was very heavy and awkward and was hard to change the bed into different positions. Along with bulk it wasn’t compact.
I had been looking for years for a client chair or table that would work and I stumbled across TatSoul. Tatsoul just happened to supply the client chairs to Miami Ink. I looked at the features and was impressed. It seemed it was a compact chair that could do everything needed for a tattoo without having to go between a salon chair and a massage table. Saving time and space which is important in a busy crowded shop.
I contacted their service dept and was pleased with their fast response. They answered all my questions and quickly sent out brochures containing info on ALL their products. I then made the decision that as soon as I had found a place I would be using their products for my clients.
Once the lease was signed and I had done my renovations I ordered my first chair. In San Francisco most shops are very compact due to high rents so the Tatsoul 370 was the obvious choice. It takes up very little room but can set up for any position imaginable. Great for quick position changes mid-tattoo.
Some people I have showed the chair to say it’s not necessary because most of the positions can be obtained through using office chairs and a folding massage table. I feel that if the client is comfortable the tattoo can go easier and longer.
As I have used the chair for the past several months my theory is correct. A comfortable customer is an easier one to work on. Less fatigue for the artist and client when less time is spent adjusting trying to get in a good working position for both of us.
Finally tattoos aren’t cheap and when a customer comes into a shop that carries premium equipment it makes them feel like the shop cares. It’s the difference between going into an upscale salon versus Supercuts. They feel taken care of.
The Chair- Tatsoul 370
The Tatsoul 370 is their top of the line model that can do anything needed for a tattoo. The chair changes from table to upright position in a matter of seconds with out having to pull pins or disconnect anything. The spring tension handle lets you adjust the back from prone to upright as fast as adjusting your car seat.
Each leg piece is always independently adjustable; just hold the tension lever back and the legs raise and lower as smooth as can be and they come with extenders for taller clients.
The chair has a self contained chrome alloy hydraulic pump the raises and lowers the chair with ease and locks in place so as not to have the client move unexpectedly during a tattoo. The chair is strong enough for heavier clients that would probably cause other massage tables to fail under less weight.
As always the arm rests detach for easier access to client and allow for the optional wing attachments that add width to the chair for more client support
The new 2010 370 models come with several upgrades. It now has a retractable foot bar for different lower back position
Adding in the versatility of the chair in smaller shops or close stations a new base with retractable wheels has been added. Giving the chair easy maneuverability but doesn’t change the over all height dimensions.
The final upgrade is a redesigned headrest that pivots with a softer foam core that cradles the head and face better.
The Tatsoul 370 also has available plastic chair protectors with elastic edges shaped to fit around the chair to keep it looking new and aid in easier clean up. The chair can also be ordered in white
As you can see from the picture my shop contains two Tatsoul 370’s and it makes working in a small space as effortless as possible. I recommend calling up Tatsoul and talking with a sales rep and they will be more then happy explain all the features their chairs have and about the other products they carry.
www.tatsoul.com
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