This place has some attitude, but my tattoo is absolutely gorgeous. I worked with Dan to design a cover-up for a terrible, thick-lined, black tattoo I got when I was 20. Initially, he seemed excited a... Read More
This place has some attitude, but my tattoo is absolutely gorgeous. I worked with Dan to design a cover-up for a terrible, thick-lined, black tattoo I got when I was 20. Initially, he seemed excited and open to working with me and my very specific ideas. But when I showed up for my tattoo session, he seemed frustrated, and the design he ultimately tattooed on me lacked a lot of the details I asked for. But, like I said, it's a gorgeous and excellently crafted tattoo, and he did an amazing job covering up the old ugly one. I asked for another tattoo -- another cover-up -- but he declined. I was bummed and really frustrated at first, but in the end, so very grateful I at least got one of my tattoos from Dan. And I was also regretful that I fenced Dan in with any parameters at all and by trying to control too much of the outcome by imposing my own personal artistic vision on his -- dear lord, especially with a difficult cover-up. Dan is an amazing artist -- stellar with line work, shading, and perspective, basically everything -- but I realize now that he gels best with clients who hand most, preferably all, of the reins over to him. I just really wish I'd known this before we initially sat down and talked about my idea. It would've been way less uncomfortable for both of us. Which is why I'm sharing this now. Don't make the same mistake I did. Instead, follow these step-by-step instructions when working with Dan-truly-the-man: 1. Definitely work with him. 2. Trust him, because he will not let you down. 3. Set aside your control freak, ditch your expectations, and repeat after me: "Let go, and let Dan." Read Less