REVscene Automotive Forum - REVscene's Tattoo FAQ

Revscene Tatoo FAQ

We'll leave this up for people who are interested in tattoos on Revscene. If you have anything to add, reply below and I'll add it to this post!

QUESTION 1) Who are some good artists in Vancouver?

We'll get to that in a second, first, let's address question 2.

QUESTION 2) What should I look for in a portfolio?

Judging a portfolio on your own is an important part of tattooing. You should never simply take someone's recommendation without considering it for yourself. The question is, what do you look for in a tattoo artist? For that, we'll simply direct you to this article, which explains everything in great detail.

OK back to question 1:

QUESTION 1) Who are some good artists in Vancouver?

Everyone has their own favourites, and each artist excels in different styles. Here are some recommendations:

JAPANESE (Traditional)

Shoko Sonoda
Chad Woodley
Horiryu

JAPANESE (non-Traditional)

Jeff Tam

"AMERICAN"

Ryan Halter
Chad Woodley
Steve Moore
Chris David (in Victoria, worth the trip, amazing shop)

LETTERING

Jesse Strong

TRIBAL

Mikel Johnson (Victoria)

NEW SCHOOL

Steve Moore

ART BRUT/ILLUSTRATIVE

Arlin French
Nomi Chi

PORTRAITS/REALISTIC

James Acrow

QUESTION 3) How should I take care of my new tattoo?

The easiest way to answer is ASK YOUR ARTIST. Everyone has their own preferences. But this is what works for a lot of people:

Spoiler!

QUESTION 4) I want to learn more about tattoos, should I go buy a subscription to TLC so I can watch all those "Ink" shows?

First of all, hang out in the tattoo thread. We could always use some more activity there.

Secondly, there are some shows worth recommending.

First, this should be a must for everyone remotely interested in tattoos - Hori Smoku, the Sailor Jerry documentary. You can get started with part 1 on Youtube here:

Secondly, the Gypsy Gentleman series is highly regarded and very entertaining.

The Tattoo Age series of interviews is also absolutely worth checking out.

QUESTION 5) What should I eat/do in preparation for a long tattoo session?

The night before, have a good sized meal high in carbs. This will ensure that your blood sugar is nice and high for the torture you're about to endure the next day. Try to make sure you get as much sleep as possible. We all have different thresholds, you should know yours. If you have to, take 0.5-1mg of melatonin, as this has the effect of letting you hit your 'sleep threshold' with less actual sleep.

Again, have a big high carb/high protein breakfast. Not something that will make you sluggish, like pancake, but a good sized meal like bacon and eggs with toast, something along those lines. If you aren't a big morning eater, don't sweat it. The meal you had last night will have jacked you full of blood glucose anyway.

Bring small snacks with you for the session. The first 2-3 hours will be cake, but after that your adrenals and blood sugar will be drained, and you'll be all swollen and inflamed from the pain. At this point, have a light snack here and there. Your artist will probably be taking breaks here and there, but nothing too long. This is fine, because a big meal at this point would be detrimental.

Things like Clif bars and gatorade would be perfect. For my sessions in Japan, I found onigiri, chocolate bars, and pocari sweat to be a killer combo ;) Avoid caffeine, as it will dry you out.

After the session, you will probably not have much of an appetite. At this point, it is important to get as much protein in you and sugar to repair and replenish blood glucose. Have a protein shake or two before dinner (since you may not feel like having a full meal). From here, go about your normal routine, focusing on increased protein intake if you can. This will supply your body with the amino acids it needs to repair all the damage you foolishly did to yourself :)

That's it for now, if you have any additions, particularly artist recommendations, post below and I'll add them!