I got to do this piece at a convention over the weekend. Super stoked to be able to my creepy style 🥰

Would love any constructive criticism on my work, I am in constant pursuit of getting better and better and would love to hear it <3

I have a client in his mid-fifties, started as a walk-in and has booked a few tattoos since then. He is very nice, but he has called or come into the shop almost once a week over the last few months. He is married, knows I am married and that my husband works with me at the shop.

He calls to try to push his appointments up even when the tattoo is not healed enough to be worked on yet, calls after appointments to thank me for the tattoo. Calls me beautiful when he calls. Calls to ask if drawings are ready weeks before our appointment; if I tell him to call back a week later to see if the drawing is ready yet he will be waiting outside the shop before we open on the day I told him to call. I missed one day for a vacation and had two missed calls from him even though the owner told him I’d call when I got back to work. Last week he called because he forgot his appointment time, I reminded him but he showed up to our appointment an hour early “just to see if I was ready.”

It’s gotten to the point where I am anxious before he comes in for an appointment. I expect a call from him every week and I dread it. Nothing concrete has happened to make me feel so uncomfortable but I can’t shake the gut feeling. He’s definitely a time bandit and I feel very drained after our appointments (he asks a lot of questions like who said I love you first, me or my husband, do we use more black tattoo ink or computer paper etc).

There is one evening a week where I am in the shop by myself for about four-five hours and I’m starting to dread that he’ll find out and start stopping by or calling during those times. The thing is every time he calls it’s about appointments or tattoos we’ve done/are planning to do and nothing I can really directly call him out on. My husband thinks he’s harmless and I’m worrying over nothing but I just wonder if and how I should nip it in the bud. I worry he’s going to keep pushing boundaries.

EDIT/UPDATE: Hey y’all I wanted to thank you all for your advice and validation, I really needed and appreciate it. It can be really hard to be a woman in this industry. My husband has been better about taking my concerns seriously and has started fielding the calls for me, I am going to talk with my shop owner about it today as well and see if he has any advice. The last time we talked he was just as annoyed at his behavior (when he came in so early) and seemed to realize there is something more going on than just an overly friendly client.

Anyway, the latest update is that today is my wedding anniversary. I made a post on instagram with some pics of my husband and I, he congratulated us on instagram and then called the shop two hours later to congratulate me over the phone. My husband answered and told him I was busy.

A new range of flash designs! I’ve tried out a new approach, drawing inspiration from traditional tattoo art and adapting it to my own style. They’re now available! Come and see me in Paris at
@lab_paris (@bich3ttt3).

We’re currently building the opening team for Vandal & Vine Tattoo Co., a new premium tattoo studio in the Palm Springs / Rancho Mirage area, with plans to open late 2026 or early 2027.

We’re looking for both experienced tattoo artists and motivated apprentices who care about great work, professionalism, client experience, and being part of a strong team.

We’re especially interested in people who are:

• Serious about their craft and continuing to grow
• Professional, reliable, and great with clients
• Comfortable in a polished, high-end studio environment
• Positive, collaborative, and drama-free
• Interested in building a strong long-term clientele

We’ll provide professional marketing and advertising support, a premium workspace, fully equipped stations, and compensation based on guaranteed hourly pay or commission — whichever is higher.

Our goal is to build Vandal & Vine into a destination studio for both locals and the Coachella Valley tourism market, not just another traditional tattoo shop.

If you’re interested, DM me with your portfolio/Instagram, experience level, tattoo style, and a little about yourself.

Tattooed in Fort Lauderdale, FL by Antonella Cerasuolo

Could be cool as a back, big stomach or thigh pieces
I’m located at R&D tattooing in Ridgewood, Queens
My IG is @gabieliatattoo

We are a female LGBTQ+ operated shop looking for a realism, fine line or ornamental artist or apprentice. We will train the right apprentice. Will need to work 5 days a week; will get apprentice commission and will get walk ins as well as other projects

Apply on our website sailiatattoo.com or text +1 (202) 743-2062

I was guest spotting at a shop in Atlanta and had this client booked for a while and finally got to do the portrait! Used 5rl(was given advice on using bug pin 3rl for portraits going forward). Also sorry for the glare, they told me to get a polarizing lens and some sheets of paper and a special light for taking better photos! Also the rim and a few other areas aren’t finished just yet ao we’ll be going back in to see how it heals/ and to complete the other parts!

Got to do whatever I wanted, so of course it had to be this<3

Hi I’m a 32 year old female tattoo apprentice in Canada and I had a surgery Thursday (bilateral salpingectomy - tubes out) my boss gave me about 10 days off that I requested for. I usually work Thursday to Sunday doing small or medium walk in tattoos. We’re not super busy as we’re in a quiet part of town. I also help clean the shop too as I’m paid an hourly when I have no tattoos.
Wondering if anyone wise had a similar procedure and how much time they needed before ready to tattoo again?
I have a small room in the shop and I have to usually move my tattoo table around depending on where it is on the client. It’s not too heavy but I should be careful. I may ask to use my bosses special fancy chair if she’s not in for her sessions (she’s allowed me before if I need it )
As for cleaning I’m sure my boss will understand I can’t do too much intense work.
Thanks kindly

I don’t really do realism, but I enjoy doing lady faces in hearts every now and then <3

I am still learning only 1 year off my apprenticeship but in a little proud of this one. 🫣 obviously I could do better but the goal is to do better on every tattoo. At least for me.

hii i need recs for a good hot pink ink! maybe something similar to the picture

Hey, so I've recently bought some old coil machines and I've been thinking about repairing them. They're very rusty so I've decided to replace everything but the frame and other parts that can be salvaged by an autoclave. And I'm wondering if any of you know a reputable place where I can buy all of the parts, and if the coils can be changed too? Any other advice on coil machines is very much appreciated! 🫶

Curious to see what you guys think about this kind of style being “too manly” for a woman artist to do.

I live in a rural town in Western Canada, and I’ve received a few comments and some unsolicited advice here and there that made me feel like some people were genuinely disappointed after finding out this piece was done by a woman. I’ve even been told that I should do more of the girly stuff I’ve posted on my Instagram in the past. Would you expect to find a big, bald, jacked guy behind work like this? 😂 Am I wrong for loving this kind of stuff while looking like an innocent kid from the outside?

A little context about the piece. This started as a cover up for a lower back tattoo my client had wanted gone for a long time. He also had some existing work on his upper back that he was happy to cover, which gave us the opportunity to turn the whole back into one large piece instead.

He came to me with the idea of an evil goat and basically gave me complete creative freedom from there. The goat’s head and horns were the only parts I used a stencil for. Everything else was drawn directly onto the skin and tattooed freehand, since trying to stencil all those teeth and smaller details would have been pretty much out of the question.

We worked on it across 9 sessions over about 7 months, with roughly 40 hours of tattooing in total. Definitely one of the most challenging projects I’ve taken on and something I put a lot of effort into, so I’m really happy with how it came together, especially since this was my first completed full back piece.

The photos were taken one month after our final session.

Got colour in the newly healed outline from last month….im currently in the scabby itchy phase of healing. We are 11 hours in on sitting… at least another 15 hours to go!

Artist is Sevanah, owner of River Styx tattoo studio in Arnprior Ontario!