Etiquette and procedure

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Hapa
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 6:28 am

What is the procedure/etiquette for getting a tattoo when you are going to travel a fair distance to employ the desired tattoo artist? The artist I want to use is about fourteen time zones away and the appointment is in about four years. How can I see his design before I show up to the shop? I don't want to wait the four years and travel that far to see his creation only to not like it. It would waste his and my time. It would be great to somehow Know ahead of time that the tattoo design is satisfactory, so I can get/begin it the first time I travel. Thanks

Hapa
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EvilJay
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:44 pm

You're gonna get allot more accurate advice if you name the artists. If theyre booked 4 years out, it's not like you're outing yourself. you're one of a billion customers apparently. I wouldnt put my shit on hold for four years for any artist. I dont take it that seriously...
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coregrafx
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:54 pm

4 years? Do any artists actually schedule that far in advance? I know that some famous artists have "waiting lists" that span several years, but never heard of an artist booking an actual date that far out. Pray tell, who is it?
Hapa
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:41 pm

I misspoke. It's not an appointment, it's a waiting list and it's not four years. It's only a two to three year wait list. The artist is horiyen Jess yen from my tattoo in Alhambra, ca.

Hapa
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coregrafx
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:58 pm

Hapa wrote:I misspoke. It's not an appointment, it's a waiting list and it's not four years. It's only a two to three year wait list. The artist is horiyen Jess yen from my tattoo in Alhambra, ca.

Hapa
Unfortunately, it doesn't mean you will ever actually see him. Not trying to be a buz kill, just don't get your hopes up.
OICUR4692
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Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:35 pm

i have a whole leg sleeve and whole back piece in progress from jess, and for both pieces i gave him total artistic freedom and i didnt even see what he was going to do until i arrived at the place. that is how much i trust his work. but i understand if you are traveling that far and you want to see what he is going to put on your skin forever. if you want to see the art first you may need to put a deposit down first, ask him to draw a sketch and go from there.
Hapa
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Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:47 am

coregrafx wrote:
Hapa wrote:I misspoke. It's not an appointment, it's a waiting list and it's not four years. It's only a two to three year wait list. The artist is horiyen Jess yen from my tattoo in Alhambra, ca.

Hapa
Unfortunately, it doesn't mean you will ever actually see him. Not trying to be a buz kill, just don't get your hopes up.

I appreciate the candor. Why do you say that?

Hapa
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coregrafx
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Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:35 am

Hapa wrote:
coregrafx wrote:
Hapa wrote:I misspoke. It's not an appointment, it's a waiting list and it's not four years. It's only a two to three year wait list. The artist is horiyen Jess yen from my tattoo in Alhambra, ca.

Hapa
Unfortunately, it doesn't mean you will ever actually see him. Not trying to be a buz kill, just don't get your hopes up.

I appreciate the candor. Why do you say that?

Hapa
I am sure that every artist is different, but I don't think many of them stick to the "waiting list". I don't think they actually look at the waiting list every day and start booking the next up. Rather I think they book prior customers, friends, referrals, celebrities, the occasional walk in, etc and then look at the waiting list when they have some free time. Plus, if it's an email waiting list, what are the chances that your email is still there years later.

I could be wrong, but that has been my experience. Having said that, I have no experience with this specific artist either.
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JimiDanglez
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Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:11 pm

I don't think he has that long of a waiting list. I know a guy that contacted him last year and was tattooed 5 months later. I think if he tells you 3 or 4 years, then he's not feeling your idea at all. Also money talks.
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EvilJay
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Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:44 pm

JimiDanglez wrote:I don't think he has that long of a waiting list. I know a guy that contacted him last year and was tattooed 5 months later. I think if he tells you 3 or 4 years, then he's not feeling your idea at all. Also money talks.
This was my thought. OICUR4692, did you wait half a decade to talk to him?
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Leelaloo
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Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:58 pm

How can I see his design before I show up to the shop?
Scanner + email.[/quote]
Hapa
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Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:01 am

@ leelaloo. I'll be the first to confess my own ignorance, but I am u der the impression that most artist won't send out there designs. What to keep me from taking that to a much cheaper artist?

@ Jim. I doubt he isn't feeling my idea. I haven't spoken with him yet. I called the shop and due to my distance they said I have to send in an email with a bunch of info they wanted and because of who I wanted they warned me up front that there is a 2 to 3 year wait list. I sent the email in a couple of days ago, I doubt he has time to get to it yet, so that's why I say he isn't rejecting my idea.... Yet. Who knows, he might.

I'm hoping the wait list is more of a filter, to ward off the impatient or whimsical. Even if it isn't, I've gone 27 years without a tattoo, a few more won't hurt.
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reefdiver
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Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:52 am

so, tell us what your idea was that you emailed to the artist............
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Stubarber
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Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:08 pm

Hapa wrote:I'm hoping the wait list is more of a filter, to ward off the impatient or whimsical.
This is probably the point. Work for it. Maybe he'll love your idea and move you way up on the list (that probably isn't really 2-3 years long anyway . . . )
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Leelaloo
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Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:23 pm

@ leelaloo. I'll be the first to confess my own ignorance, but I am u der the impression that most artist won't send out there designs. What to keep me from taking that to a much cheaper artist?
Two of the tattoo artists I've worked with have been fine with it. We communicated mostly by email before the actual appointment - I e-mailed them my references and concept, they sent me back sketches, which I gave them feedback on to modify, etc. I'm relatively new when it comes to tattoos as well, since I got my first tattoo two years ago. One of these artists that I'm mentioning is pretty well known here in Toronto and has travelled and tattooed at various conventions, a very solid, reputable artist.

Another artist I worked with, now that you mention it, wasn't really comfortable with that at all. I had to go into the shop to check out his preliminary design.

I guess it really comes down to the individual. Because you live so far away, it makes sense to work this way, but if the artist, as you say, told you there was a 3-4 year waiting list, then as others have pointed out, he might be jerking your chain and I wouldn't count on it, either.

Good luck. :)
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