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Thorough Research When Looking for an Artist is Key

Research It

There are different types of tattoo artists operating today. One category comprises professionals who have been trained, certified, and licensed to provide these services. The other category is made up of individuals with a passion for tattoos who open tattoo parlors in St. Pete. It’s important to choose a tattooist carefully considering that you’re about to get a permanent mark on your body through a risk-filled procedure.

Thorough research on the artist is essential for your peace of mind.

Research Safety

It’s wrong to step into the first tattoo shop St. Pete that you come across without prior research. The focus of the research should be determining the safety of the entire process. Tattoos can open up your body to all manner of skin infections and health problems. Fortunately, state and local governments in the United States regulate tattoo shops. The actual rules regulating the parlors vary from one jurisdiction to the next though.

Research Staff Training

While doing your research, make sure that the parlor you step into has an all fully-trained team of tattooists. Check that the tattoo artists put on fresh set of disposable gloves before attending to a new client to reduce or eliminate the risk of contamination. After removing the gloves, ascertain that the artists discard them in the trash bin in between each session. Confirm that the tattooist only uses fresh needles that he gets from sealed containers.

Research Reputation

In the tattooing industry, reputation is king. A tattoo artist with a reputation of operating without any formal training is a huge risk. A ‘freelancer’ or ‘scratcher’ is not worth selecting for such a potentially life-defining procedure. One reason for this is that an untrained tattooist is more likely to reuse the needles and other supplies thereby increasing your chances of suffering a skin infection or developing an allergic reaction.

Research Quality of Services

Some artists are renowned for producing excellent tattoos. The quality of the final product should not cloud your judgment. A professional tattooist acts as a craftsperson, technician, and an artist. Scrutinize each artist’s work. Look at how the artist blends colors. Evaluate the tattooist’s ability to design an even form of depth, dimension and shading. Look at his previous work to determine his expertise in all these.

Research Premises

Lastly, check the condition of the artist’s St. Pete tattoos studios. Visit the studios for a firsthand evaluation of the quality of services offered. It would be unwise of you to select an artist who does not operate from St. Pete tattoo shops but rather from his kitchen, in the bleachers, garage, or a local bar. If everything is clean, new and in the right place, you may now ask the artist for information on the tattoo charges.

The research has already been done and all signs point to Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery! Schedule an appointment today and come in and see why so many people are choosing Black Amethyst.

Do and Don’ts for Getting a Tattoo

In the movie ‘Hangover II’, one of the actors – Stu – wakes up to discover that he has a tattoo on his face. He has no idea how the tattoo ended up on his face. The tattoo is just one of the many mysteries they have to solve.

Normally, nobody goes to the St. Pete tattoo shops half-dazed to get a tattoo. The reason for this is tattoos are permanent. Therefore, appreciating this and other dos and don’ts of getting a tattoo is highly advised.

Dos of getting a tattoo

First, as previously mentioned, tattoos are permanent marks on the body. Therefore, choose a tattoo that you’re happy leaving on your body the rest of your life. There is nothing wrong in taking as much time as you need to choose the best tattoo.

When it comes to tattoos, location is just as important as any other factor. Here, location does not refer to the physical address of tattoo parlors in St. Pete. Instead, it refers to the exact part of the body where you want to be tattooed.

Also, it’s fine to speak up when you’re unhappy with anything regarding the tattoo. For example, if the design isn’t what you envisaged, let the tattooist know. Otherwise, you will leave the parlor with a tattoo that only makes you sad, frustrated, and sick.

It’s alright to take time researching and learning as much as you can on your preferred tattooist. Limit yourself to the choice of artists who know what they are doing. Check the reputation of the St. Pete tattoo shops with other customers too.

Don’ts of getting a tattoo

Some people tattoo the names of people they love on their bodies. Although there is nothing wrong with this, you should choose the name carefully. For example, tattooing the name of a girlfriend or boyfriend might appear cool now but only lead to regrets when you break up.

Always get tattoo from licensed professionals. Do not show up at your cousin’s or friend’s place unannounced and ask for a tattoo. If the friend or relative is a bona fide tattooist running or working at a tattoo shop St. Pete, then let him to ink your body.

Avoid getting a tattoo when you’re intoxicated or as high as a kite. The artist needs you to be as cool and non-fidgety as possible. It’s hard to stay still when you’re in a drunken stupor and not in control of your faculties. Intoxication makes it hard for you to cooperate with the artist.

Lastly, it pays to tip the tattooist. A tattoo artist who does an excellent job and treats you nicely is worthy of a token of appreciation. Therefore, carry some money with you (on top of the tattoo fees) to show your appreciation for services rendered at St. Pete tattoos studios.

Have a tattoo you need to void out? Schedule an appointment today at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery and turn an old Don’t into a future Do!

Don’t Tell Mama

Pretend you are a parent and your kid (not your favorite, but the one you love and all but, you know, can be a pain in the ass, truthfully) is in the market for a tattoo. What are the last things you’d want to think about?

That getting tattooed is considered to be medical procedure in some places.

That the ink is being pushed INTO skin. By a bunch of little pricks. Applied by a big prick. (Just checking to see if you are paying attention.)

That the open wound, which will ultimately be the envy of you friends, can put you at risk for allergic reactions, infections and blood-borne diseases. Yeah, that’s right, mama, there are risks  even at the state-of-the-art St. Pete tattoo shops.

But wait, Ma, there’s hope!

Because your offspring is going to a licensed, inspected, clean, reputable shop. Because you have done your research. Because kids’ your tattoo artist knows the importance of health and safety and will instruct everyone – even people who didn’t ask and may not care – about proper healing and aftercare routines for that ultimately gorgeous, currently sore, itchy-while-it-peels new tattoo.

Your tattoo professional is the one person to listen to and trust when it comes to knowing what to do with your new tattoo form the moment you finish your session to the next time you come in for work. And if listen really hard then forget it all – call him back. Stop by again. Write it down this time.

In the best case, poor aftercare can distort the tattoo’s appearance. In the worst case, failure to take excellent care of your ink can result in expensive, unpleasant follow-ups. You know, at the walk-in clinic or family doctor. And the pharmacy. And the ATM.

So relax, all you Mothers, we got this. And remember, “kid” is a frame of mind, not an age. We don’t work on humans under the age of 18.

Looking to get a new tattoo? Schedule and appointment today at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery.

I’m on the Internet Telling You Not to Believe the Internet

The Internet is just but one of the many resources that provide people with too much information. While it’s pretty much second nature now to find out things for yourself, that should only ever be a starting point. WebMD doesn’t fill prescriptions, in other words, and for good reason.

Your tattoo artist can help you avoid making costly mistakes. The most expensive and painful and crappy being paying to have a bad tattoo removed.

Good artists at the best tattoo shops in St. Pete love building a base of well-informed customers. Everyone wins, because you will learn from the source about:

Good Timing

Your tattooist will help you plan your tattoo experience, including estimated time for the piece(s) you decide to work on.  You might be surprised how wrong novice-tattoo-getters can be when thinking they know how long something is going to take.

Being Yourself (Within Reason)

Tattoo artists have seen it all. So no need to be anything other than who you are – unless you are a foot tapper or a hair flipper or have other habits that might f-up your tattoo. So establish that comfortable one-on one thang, and then let your freak flag fly – or be a wallflower – just don’t fidget or feel the need to dance while being worked on.

Costs

Tattoo artists do not all charge the same price. Do your online research: you may find a range of price points, even in a relatively small place like St. Pete.  Flat rate? Hourly charge? Pre-paid deposit?  Tips? TALK to your guy (or gal) for all the important money info up front.

Positive and Negative Reference

St. Pete has a deserved reputation as an artistic place.  That doesn’t mean you want your artist pulling stuff out of his or her, um out of the blue. Google yourself silly looking through references. Choose things that speak to you, and be ready to engage with your artist to discuss. Search. Research. Even choose a bad example to bring in to share.

 

Looking to get a new tattoo? Schedule and appointment today at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery.

Cool Your Jets on These “Hot Tattoos”

Get Em While They’re Hot

Because we care, it’s time to remind everyone that unlike a trendy haircut, a “hot” tattoo is not “here today, gone tomorrow,” so you may want to re-think the following designs when visiting top St. Pete tattoo parlors:

Tribal Tattoos

These types of tattoos have spikes in their popularity over time. If you are of a certain age from a certain moment in pop culture, your tribal work may be juuuuust fine. But these days, in fact, they are often referred to as frat tats. There is no problem inking your body with these types of tats if you belong to an actual tribe. Avoid this trend if your only reason for inking them on your body is that you’re a young, white college boy out on his own for the first time.

Social Media-Inspired Tattoos

Tattoos that show your appreciation of or addiction to a social media network or meme of the moment should also be avoided. Let’s face it, even if Facebook turns out to be immortal, sites and apps and memes have a short relevancy lifespan. Yik Yak, anyone?

One-Word Statement Tattoos

Any word that you can remember without having to tattoo it on any part of your body is a good candidate for exclusion. You may also include quotes in this category. Also, do you really want people to randomly stop and grab you to read your skin on the streets?  (If the answer is yes, then, by all means…)

 

Looking to get a new tattoo? Schedule and appointment today at Black Amethyst Tattoo Gallery.

BATG Vlog 2-2nd Annual Art&Ink Anniversary Show

This week’s Vlog will focus on an overview of this months 2nd Annual Art&Ink Anniversary Show.

Batg Vlog 1- shop tour

Welcome to the new BATG video blog!

Here is a little walk through of the shop- hope you enjoy!

Limerinks

A Bit of Poetry

In Tampa I heard of a hunny

who was always too tight with her money

so she sat on some dude’s couch

at his house and said “ouch”

while he pounded out a black Playboy bunny.

This dude who got hammered in Ybor

Ended up on his ass on my shop floor

His buds called him “Pooh”

So what else could I do?

His butt cheek now looks just like Eeyore.

From St. Pete to Tampa to the beaches

You can rant and rave and make speeches

But if your idea is wack for that piece on your back

Your grasp will exceed what your reach is

Get ink when you’re drunk at your peril:

One dumb choice puts you over a barrel.

When you’re sloshed people’s names

May look just the same

But an “o” changes “Carl” into “Carol”

In Tampa, St Pete and the Suncoast

You brag, showoff ink and always boast

But of all your tattoos, and all they mean to you

Your next one’s the one you will love most

YEAR-END INK KNOWLEDGE FROM YOUR BAD ASS FRIENDS AT BLACK AMETHYST TATTOOS

Just a Heads Up

Points of View/Points of You

It’s all in how you look at things. For instance, if someone says to you Dayum, that’s a squirrelly, girly, scratchy fugly tattoo, it could be that 1) The lighting is bad. 2) Someone forgot to eat their Wheaties. 3) Some people should keep their opinions to themselves. or 4) You’re sporting a squirrelly, girly, scratchy fugly tattoo.

Your Body, Your Choice…

A 24×8” infinity symbol on your back. Cuz That’s How You Roll. OK.
The serenity prayer. You know, demonically backwards. Down your hip and leg. Cuz you such a rebel. Fine.
Your soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend’s face. Between your boobs. Cuz, you know, he likes it there. Sure.
A mash-up rebel flag, family crest, shamrock and Louis Vuitton logo. On your face. Cuz you are CONFUSED. Right on.

…But: My Shop, My Rules

I’m not gonna write on you. Or F-up your relationship with your Mom. Or stop your career path. Or make you look like an idiot. Or go against my professional judgment. Cuz, you know, it’s my face in the mirror.

Supply & Demand

Supply your ideas, demand perfection. We’ll get along great and your ink will be epic.

Happy New Year

If 2016 sucked for you, 2017 is just around the corner. Grab it by the balls. Fuck with it first. Don’t let it push you around. And for godsake, get a(nother) tattoo. You only live once. Or, if it turns out that’s not true, get a head start looking soopersexy in your next life.

Guest Post: Tats, Stats & Perceptions

Guest Post: Tats, Stats & Perceptions

From our home base in St. Pete, FL we’ve been asking people around the state and across southeast to tell us what they’re thinkin’ about inkin.’

Today’s Question:
Are more people getting tattoos, or are we just more used to seeing them…?

The Answer, from a guest blogger in Clearwater, FL:
There was a time, not too many years ago if you are older than 20ish, when getting a tattoo here in Clearwater was a classic career-limiting move. People who just didn’t give AF were getting tattoos anyway, and very few people were committing to anything that (a) couldn’t be covered by “normal” clothes and (b) was more interesting than some old-school flash-inspired I Love Mom, Dad or Wifey designs.

Over the last decade or so, as tribal types, bikers, pro wrestlers, indie musicians, porn stars and others who on the fringe moved toward the mainstream (thank you, interwebs, thank you crappy reality TV), people in places like Clearwater saw more tattoos on others and thought more casually about what tattoos are and mean and represent…and those same people started booking consults or putting on their big girl panties & big boy boxers and wandering into shops to see what was going on.

The result? Based on a sampling of about 570 people, around 23% of residents of Clearwater FL have at least one tattoo. That’s 23 out of every hundred people in town. And 4 out of every 10 people you see – 40% if you’re playing along – have at least one person in the fam with at least one tattoo. Like I say, that’s a small-number view of Clearwater, but I’d bet the same trends are regional, probably even nationwide.

Next time you’re imaging someone nekkid at Publix, be sure to add that mental ink. Because it’s fair & accurate (and cool) to answer the original question with yes and yes: more ink is being worn, more people are wearing it and the more time passes not only is skin color not an issue, skin colors aren’t either.

Do you have something to say about art, ink, skulls or guitars? Wanna publish it on StPeteTattoo.org? Send it in.