Illustration by sartrowski  Let’s tackle the taboo topic of tattoo pricing! The first thing people usually think about is the cost. And it’s normal because you do have to be able afford it. It is a service and usually it’s priced by the hour. So, why do prices differ from artist to artist? They usually set their prices according to experience, skill, quality, how fast they tattoo, colors and so on.  But please note that expensive doesn’t necessarily mean good, and cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean bad. This is why you should always do research before actually getting tattooed. When it comes to tattoos you should never search for the best price or try and bargain with the artist. It’s not like you’re buying some sneakers you’ll wear for 2 or 3 seasons and then throw away (for which, by the way, people don’t seem to have much problem spending a lot of money on) but it’s something you’ll have on your skin forever. FOREVER – let that sink in. So you want it to be perfect, of quality, done right, the colors to be vibrant and so on. You’re not just paying his/her skill to tattoo a drawing on your skin.. so what are you paying for exactly? Tattoo by Sven Von Kratz There’s usually a shop manager that handles everything from making your appointment, to handling deposits, payments , answers your emails, phone calls, confirmation and so on. And that person needs to be paid. Then there’s the tattoo artist – the consultation time talking about what you want, sizing and placement, the time spent on designing your tattoo, and actually doing it. All of this besides the obvious skill and know-how of actually inking a tattoo into your skin. The inks, needles, ink caps, gloves, paper towels and basically everything they use also cost money. (shocker, isn’t it?) Keep in mind that most tattoo shops split the costs, so the artist only gets 40-50% of the actual hourly rate. The rest goes into the shop to pay for the rent, manager, cleaning & cleaning supplies, insurance, power, light and heat bills, tax, etc. Tattoo by Sarah Herzdame aka Tilldthtattoo So let’s see what’s with the deposit and minimum rate. Usually when you want to book a tattoo artist they ask you for a deposit.  Why? It’s simple: you book their time, and their time is valuable. There’s the issue of commitment. Most tattoo artists will sketch up your tattoo after you make your deposit so firstly, you will not waste their time and secondly, so you’ll not take their sketch and have it tattooed somewhere else because they charge less. ( sadly I’ve heard stories of this happening..that’s also why the sketch will be ready for your appointment, and in most cases will not be sent to you by email.) Also, some people just cancel at the last minute because they don’t feel like it that day, or they spent their money on something else, or something intervened and they have to cancel, either way the artist’s time is wasted and they may not get someone else to come in on short notice. So if not by common sense, then maybe because of the money people will think twice before doing so. Tattoo by Johnny Gloom There’s also the materials – and this is why they have a minimum rate too – when you go in to get inked the tattoo artist prepared beforehand. So there’s the paper and art supplies he used to make your drawing, the printing, the stencil paper, the ink cups, the ink, the needles, the disposable tubes, the foil to cover the water bottle, the foil to cover the tattoo machine, the bed cover, (and usually this is all laid out for when you arrive, so if you cancel at the last minute all of this is wasted – thus the deposit) the stencil stuff, the gloves, the razor, vaseline, distilled water, plastic cup, paper towels and rubber bands all cost money – thus the minimum rate. So even if you want a tiny tattoo there are a lot of things that go into this besides the ink, needles and the tattoo artist’s time and skill. Be it a big tattoo or a small one, super minimalist or very detailed, remember that you’re making an investment in yourself – and investing in yourself is the best investment you can make! Remember that you’ll be looking at this everyday for the rest of your life, so it better be amazing and you should love every inch of it. Tattoo by Ilya Brezinski #inked #tattoo #tattootalk #tatuaje #TATTOOSALON #ink #Tattoos #tattooartist #pricing

Lucrezia Urtis , born in 1988, graduated Architecture in Sardinia, and then went to Milan for a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design. Her works are in between illustration and painting, the “minyonas”, girls, women, children who speak of fear, pain, love, desire and fascination evoked by the land and traditions, from the sea and wind. “Drawing is a way that opens a portal that would catapult me into my world, in my land, Alghero.” The memories and emotions are imprinted on paper to last forever. That is how the artist has also approached the art of tattooing. All of her works, ranging from illustration to tattoo, up to interior design have the common thread of attention to detail, creating an artifact that lets you get a glimpse of her creation process performed with passion, pencils, but mostly ink. Lucrezia works at  Toy Tattoo Parlour in Milan. You can see more of her works on Instagram ,  Facebook  and Behance . All Images & Design © Lucrezia U #colortattoo #tattoo #tatuaje #ink #milano #tattooartist #femaletattooartist

22 Spanish street artist DEIH  is from Valencia. He is 35 years old and has been painting in the streets for the past 21 years. Dehi works as an illustrator, 2d animator and muralist. He also does comics and some video work. Deih’s sources of inspiration come from all media, the music he listens to, the books and comics he read, the artists that he follow. He loves Japanese imagery, their symbols, their stories full of accidents and catastrophe. Also, the dark and unknown side of our existence, any kind of science fiction, the cyberpunk, the steam punk. Painting for the Lollapalooza Music Festival , the Spanish artist worked his magic in order to paint this beautiful artwork entitled “ Don’t Wake The Dreamer ”. More on DEIH – follow his Instagram account. [h/t widewalls.ch] #Deih #GRAFFITI #streetart

Noire Méduse is a french publishing house created in 2011 exclusively dedicated to the tattoo culture and its many facets. They carry books, sketchbooks, silkscreens and art prints. Their latest sketchbook is the “Carnet 1” by Léa Nahon , a well-known and popular tattoo artist. This first volume shows a selection of drawings taken from her own sketchbooks, which play a very important part in her life as an artist and through which Léa offers her interpretation of the world. She has developed her own, particular style, including sketches, stencils, collages and sometimes texts, with a dominance of black ink. Her illustrations, essentially portraits, are mainly inspired by her own environment. Léa returns to her artistic roots as a tattooer, by offering to ink these pages within the heart of the matter: the skin of her clients. All these designs are transformed into either paintings or tattoos, sometimes even both. After a short introduction by the editor, this book unveils in over 64 pages and as many drawings, the extraordinary world of this tattoo artist with her unique and unmistakable style. Free from traditional codes of tattooing, Léa Nahon, originally from Paris became a leader in this innovative trend, an important part of the contemporary art dimension of modern tattoos. Indeed, she worked for a long time at “La Boucherie Moderne” (Brussels) one of the main centers of experimental tattooing before opening her own shop called “ L’Usine ”, in Liège (Belgium). Book characteristics: Author: Léa Nahon Title: Léa Nahon – Carnet 1 Hard cover – format 15 x 21 cm Bound, sewed – 64 pages Public price: 25 € Publisher: Noire Méduse Éditions You can order this book from the editor’s website:  www.noire-meduse.com You can check out Léa in this previous post we’ve made about her  here , on her Instagram Page  or her Website . All Images & Design © Léa Nahon #design #sketchyblackwork #tattoo #Illustration #blackink #book #tatuaje #noiremeduse #sketch #blackwork #LEANAHON #tattooartist

#TROLL #Supreme #Kidult #mural #DONALDTRUMP #streetart #GRAFFITI

#SanMiguel #Okuda #Ukraine #5CarTrain #Kiev

#mural #streetart #Massive #paints #Famous #kanyewest #Lushsux

Design & Tattoo by  Ilya Brezinski I don’t even know where exactly to start.. There’s so much to say. But I guess we’ll start from the beginning: picking your design & your tattoo artist. And this will be the time where I’ll state the obvious: don’t steal designs! First, why would you want a design that already belongs to someone else? Second, an actual tattoo artist and not a tattooist won’t ever tattoo someone else’s design – so don’t waste your and his/hers time. Speaking of stealing designs, don’t go to a tattooist that usually does this. Don’t condone this practice by funding people that do this. A tattoo will last you a lifetime, you want it to be original and done right and all that good stuff, not some mediocre copy of something you/they found on the internet. (Obviously reference photos are a different thing) When thinking about your design keep in mind that some very detailed pieces require more space so everything is nice and clean. If you try and fit a lot of details in one tiny tattoo first of all it would be an incomprehensible mess. And second, most probably it will blowout and basically create a blob, or something very close to that. Keeping all of the above in mind, you have your design ideas and now it’s time to find the artist that will permanently ink it into your skin. Design & Tattoo by Alex Badea So first thing you have to accept is that maybe you won’t find someone perfect for what you want in your city. Branch out. This really isn’t the area in which you should compromise a lot or be cheap about it (but more on this in a future article). Search for someone that tattoos in the style you want. Maybe you like a tattoo artist that’s absolutely great, but you want something geometric and they mostly do realism. First, he/she might not agree to do your tattoo. Second, even if he/she does and will definitely be able to do the job you asked for, if geometric designs are clearly not his/hers passion it might not turn out perfect. So make sure you and the artist you choose are on the same page, choose someone who does 1-2-3 styles and does them amazingly, rather than someone who does “everything” but mediocre. When you do find an artist that would be a fit for what you want, follow them on social media. Do a bit of research, scroll back to their first posts, check if they improved over time (because you do want an artist that continuously grows and improves). Also check how they are, what they write. If they’re rude or posting content that you don’t like or don’t agree with, move on. You will be spending at least a couple of hours with this person (and a whole lot more if you’re getting a big piece) so if you don’t like them.. why put yourself trough that? Why risk having a bad experience? Design & Tattoo by  Léa Nahon Schedule a consultation first. Actually going at the shop (or at least talk trough email if it’s far away) will help both you and the artist to figure out everything from the design, style, placement, size, pricing and so on. Don’t stay set in one idea. I’m sure you know exactly what you want, but tattoo artists have experience with this, and maybe the design you want won’t fit perfectly where you want it, (and placement is important! you want the tattoo to highlight your body and fit perfectly, not look out of place) and so on. Bounce ideas of one another. This creative process will help you and the artist get to a common point that works best for you. So there you have it. These are the basics that you should consider before actually getting a tattoo. If you have any more suggestions leave them in the comments below. Design & Tattoo by  Victor Zabuga Note: These are my personal opinions. Some people may agree, some may disagree, but regardless, these are the conclusions I drew after years of getting tattooed and making some friends in the industry. I tried to put everything in a more positive, “here’s some advice” kind of way to help educate people instead of ranting on how many mistakes are made in this culture & industry. #design #inked #tattoo #tattootalk #tatuaje #TATTOOSALON #ink #tattooinfo #tattoodesign #tattooartist

The old trolleybuses that run through Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania , are part of the city’s culture and charm.  Studio Vieta and the fourth edition Vilnius Street Art festival collaborated with artist LIUDAS PARULSKIS to create unique art on trolleybuses. A Vanishing Trolleybus  project has the ambition to break the normality and surprise the audience by offering an unexpected point of view to the reality. It just disappears by camouflaging itself into the landscape. Parulskis has also added a wolf crossing the road. A wolf is a spiritual animal of Vilnius since its founding days more than a thousand years ago. The audience is invited to observe and catch the trolleybus at its vanishing point and capture the moment. #LIUDASPARULSKIS #streetart #Vilnius

Some of you must already be familiar with Fin DAC and his colorful murals – spot him on this VandalList page . You would like to know that the artist is back with a new mural in Seaforth , Sydney . The street mural keeps in line with his usual style of beautiful women with heavy emphasis and focus drawn to their eyes. Still, the piece is something a little different: it is painted on the floor of a car park. ‘ Koibito ’ is the end result: a serene but noble-looking geisha nestled in the lush vegetation of a back street. Mural hunters would want to watch the video below for more infos on the location of this awsome mural. #FinDAC #mural #Sydney

We were already familiar with STINKFISH and MANTRA, so the news that they gathered for a new mural in the beautiful city of Vienna , Austria , came like music to our souls. STINKFISH is a Colombian street artists who uses found photographs to recreate the images on street art murals. These walls are recreated with inventions of psychedelic themes and elements. When it comes to choosing the perfect wall and context for his work, the artist prefers to seek locations that hold high traffic and have a strong visibility. Stinkfish  believes that street art is important because it holds no limits and gives any one the opportunity to participate. “ Graffiti is my background, my family, my culture ,” states MANTRA , a French graffiti writer who travels across Europe spray-painting creatures of the earth on walls.  MANTRA  expresses himself through his art to find inner peace, but his general message is, love. Both artists came together and created this large and beautiful collaboration featuring Mantra ’s hyper-realistic style combined with Stinkfish ’s vibrant abstract patterns. The source image comes from a photography that was taken by Stinkfish a few months ago in Cambodia. #GRAFFITI #Mantra #Stinkfish #streetart

ALEXIS DIAZ is a Puerto Rican painter and urban muralist who started his career in 2009 and shortly became known for his impeccable attention to detail and uniqueness in painting. Diaz ‘ technique implies thousands of black brushstrokes to create those extraordinary murals which depict animals or humans in a state of metamorphosis. The animals fluidly change into one another creating new species. The texture his brushstrokes create give an 3-D quality to his work. Many of his works are created entirely freehand, with Diaz working line by line to meticulous paint his hybrid creatures. You can see more of his intricate murals and sketches on his Instagram and Facebook . #AlexisDiaz #mural #streetart