Thread: getting tattooed

Does anyone know any good tattoo studios in london?

I'm gettting a rather large piece done (an octopus) and i'm thinking of getting it done at diamond jacks, but if anyone has any reccomendations i'd be extremely grateful.

Thank you!

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I'd STRONGLY recommend Frith Street. Most, if not all, of their artists are world class and the shop has a great reputation within the tattoo community for being on the ball with all issues surrounding tattoos.

Others you may like to think about
The Family Business
Into u
Blood Brothers

And if you can bring yourself to travel, I stopped by Magnum Opus in Brighton yesterday - that's an amazing shop!

With any of these shops, there's likely to be a waiting list for appointments. The top-class artists can have a waiting list of anything from 3-12 months. I cannot emphasise enough how worth while it is to wait for an appointment from an amazing artist rather than to get a piece done by someone second rate just because you could get the piece there and then.

I've waited nearly 1.5 years for the tattoo on my leg to be completed. I waited 6 months for the first appointment, then a year for the colouring session... and it was completely worth it.

Alternatively, why not try to book a session with an overseas artist at the Brighton Tattoo Convention. Generally the artists there are pretty decent.

Do you have any info on getting tattoos covered up with other tattoos? I know that it depends on the tattoo but I have a star on my wrist and I would like to get it covered with something else. Any suggestions about who I could see. Im based in East yorkshire and London...but im pretty broke! xx

thank you!

Yes, this is a very big job and probably will take quite a few sessions. My grandma left me some money when she died, so money isn't really a problem. (sorry grandma!) I want it to look fucking awesome, not shoddy, so i'm happy to wait.

I've been investigating frith street and diamond jacks, but on the net frith looks better. I might well make my way down there soon.

Thak you

xx

I don't know a lot about London tattooists, but Into You, which was already linked, do some really good stuff. I know a few people who've been tattooed by Tas there.

Originally Posted by Jessica Malone

Do you have any info on getting tattoos covered up with other tattoos? I know that it depends on the tattoo but I have a star on my wrist and I would like to get it covered with something else. Any suggestions about who I could see. Im based in East yorkshire and London...but im pretty broke! xx

Save your money. Don't get a bad tattoo covered with a worse one. Budget for £80 per hour upwards; bear in mind you'll probably need something darker to cover the star (or maybe you can get it lightened by laser first); find an excellent artist (and the ones Bea mentioned are the best in the country) and be patient. I'm guessing that rushing into a cheap tattoo was what caused the problems in the first place, right?

Thaks for the reply huni. I got it a while ago. I still like it but maybe want it extending or something. Only problem is that if I have it extended it would have to be on a stary theme and I don't really know what to do with it. It could work coz i have stars on the side of my hand but im stumped as to how to join it all up with out looking emo. lol! The guy who did is was a great mate of mine and I think that is what pushed me into getting it done. x

Hey ya'll.

Im still tattoo less,because I lost faith in the so called "best" tattooists.
My fella got a large back piece done,firstly by his now ex friend lol,who messed it up and hes proclaimed as one of the best,and then by another one of the best who has an awesome reputation!!!
The lady who had only just started at the shop,traced half of the already done tattoo BADLY!! and the tattooist didnt look at it properly,just popped it on his back and said" how does that look?" Uh DUMBASS, your the professional,you should check it first.

So now hes left with ,uneven and the guy pushed down too hard in areas,where bleeding of the ink occurred.

I have been heavily into the body modification industry for years,and my best advice would be,by all means get ideas of who,then check their work out,on paper and on other people,dont pay someone to draw you up a design( a decent artist wont charge!!) and make sure the shop looks nice and ,friendly!!

In my opinion, artists that are cocky,are not a good idea to go with,you may think they're just full of themselves because they really are the BEST,but they aren't,
I would never go to for example: London Ink,because they just seem so flipping miserable and full of themselves!!

I feel very passionately about tattooing and the industry,and one of my severe pet hates are people that just ink people and dont care if they mess up,because they're too full of themselves.

Find a nice ,calm,passionate artist,and start from there!!!

Reputations are strange things in the tattoo industry, as I'm sure Starla will vouch!

A local artist may have an awesome reputation locally because (s)he's been able to copy a pre-drawn design line-for-line. Often the people who get work from these local shops know little about the technicalities of tattooing (blow out, cross contamination, ink loss, the healing process), and judge an artist by whether they gave the customer what (s)he went to the shop for in the first place!

The best places to look for solid indicators of artist reputation are magazines such as Tattoo Life and Total Tattoo. If an artist has been featured, 9/10 they are solid, talented and passionate about their work.

And Jessica: Speak to some artists and ask for their thoughts on how you could develop your star tattoo(s). They may offer ideas that you hadn't even thought of!

oh yes I totally agree Beatrix,good point!! I would say if they have been featured in more than one magazine,your onto a winner!!
I'm just planning out my body work as we speak,I am very excited about it,as its in another language Im getting my fellas aunt who knows it fluently to write it out for me,and go from there,having "special fried lice" on my body doesn't really appeal,hee hee.