Ok, so here's my story. Ever since I was young I've been interested in tattoo and piercings and that has just expanded into other body mods. I had always wanted a tattoo but hadn't been able to come up with something meaningful enough to put on my body. Then when I was 16 I got to represent Canada in a wrestling tournament so I thought I would get a maple leaf to remember the event by. I ran the idea by my mom and she approved because she thought it was an ok design. I would always be Canadian so how could I go wrong?
At A Glance Author Shane Contact Shane@bme.anon When Two years ago Studio The Ink Room Location Renfrew, Ontario I live in a small town where there is only one option for tattooing. This was my first mistake. Rather than drive into Ottawa to locate a better shop I booked an appointment with the shop in town. It was located in a womans basement out in the middle of nowhere. I know what you're thinking, that's seriously messed. But, she was certified (God knows how). Now's where the second mistake comes into play. I didn't ask to see any photos of her work or ask her about her experience. I found out later that she had only just started and this was a side project for her to pass the time. Completely ridiculous. Had I known any of that before I would never have let her tattoo me. I didn't and now I regret it.
So, the day of my appointment rolled around and I headed out to the shop with my mom. She took a good look over the place and deemed it acceptable. I found the maple leaf design I wanted and the artist (who shall remain nameless) applied the stencil. Now, I'd better explain that this was the most basic of tattoos you'll ever see. Thin black outline, not a lot of detail, with red fill. She started with the gun and it didn't hurt that much but it sure didn't feel good. Now that I've had other tattoos to compare it to I realize that it was a thousand times more painful than it needed to be. Throughout the process she kept wiping blood off my back. Yes, blood. I had no clue what to expect so I didn't get too worried...even when it was literally running down my back. She finished with the outline and got on to filling in the leaf with red ink. This hardly hurt at all and was over with quickly. She bandaged me up, explained the aftercare and sent me on my way.
Within a few days the tattoo was scabbing over and I'm talking monstrous scabs. They were really thick. I didn't want to pick them so I left them to heal on their own. When they were finally gone and I was able to get a clear look at my new tattoo I was filled with a mix of anger and disgust. It looks like a three-year old did it! No, that's an insult to the three year old. It's worse than that. The outline, which was supposed to be thin, is several mm's thick in some places and the thickness of it varies throughout the tattoo. The centre wasn't even filled in properly. You could see why spots where she missed filling in the red ink. I could not believe that someone who was liscenced could do such awful work.
Their are several lessons to this story (most of which are obvious but I honestly didn't know at the time).
1. See their previous work!
2. Ask how experienced the artist is.
3. Seek out a better shop if need be. Don't just go somewhere
because it is convenient or cheap.
I would also say complain. I didn't do anything about it at the time and it's much too late to act now. If I saw any of my friends with work this poor I would take them right back to the shop and freak out at the artist myself. Luckily, I'm getting it re-done soon so I won't have to look at this piece of crap anymore.
Finally, I think if anyone else has a similar experience that is as negative as mine they should share it. People who are getting tattooed need to be aware of some of the artists who are out there and the low quality of work they perform. It seems like more and more people are getting into the business and charging less and less to attract customers. It's not worth going to them. Tell your friends, family, anyone you know that they are not a good shop. Don't let other people make the same mistake I did.
If you're ever in Renfrew, Ontario and you're in the mood for getting some ink, don't go to the Ink Room!