DO NOT COME HERE. One word - HORRIFC. In June, I went in looking for a large full color piece, to cover up a tattoo I had gotten at 18 (a simple black word). I asked to speak to the owner, and was pas... Read More
DO NOT COME HERE. One word - HORRIFC. In June, I went in looking for a large full color piece, to cover up a tattoo I had gotten at 18 (a simple black word). I asked to speak to the owner, and was passed off to the new guy, who according to the owner, had "tattooed all over the world". The "artist's" name was Matt. I asked how long he had been tattooing, and he told me a little over a year. I asked if he had a portfolio and he said no. He also did not have any tattoos. As someone with tats, this should have been my cue to RUN, but He showed me a few of his past sketches, which I liked (I wanted an octopus on an anchor), and he told me he had traveled the globe painting wildlife murals for Cabelas stores, so I gave him a chance to draw me up something. The sketch was very good, but the octopus was missing 2 tentacles, and he told me this was because he wanted to place them perfectly on my body. It made sense. He clearly knew how to draw, so I gave him The benefit of the doubt. BAD MOVE. I was told the piece would take about five hours. As the appointment progressed, I began finding out more and more disturbing information. For one, He confessed to me after the first three hours that he had never done a full color piece, and had only been tattooing for 8 months. When I expressed my concerns with how some Of the line work was looking (sketchy and completely ametur) he told me it would look better once he was finished and not to worry. This was probably around 8pm. Through out the appointment, he took (and I counted) 12 cigarette breaks. Finally, around midnight, I was tired and wanted to be done for the day. He told me I could COME BACK THE NEXT DAY to finish the rest. Having other tattoos, I know this is not normal, but agreed. So a 5 hr piece became an 11 hr piece. Before I left that night, he met someone outside to sell them a bag of some unknown substance, and at that point I became really scared that perhaps he had been using while tattooing me! The following day, I went back WITH A FRIEND for support, because I was so freaked out by this guy (really, I just wanted it finished enough that I could walk out of There). The first thing I did was tell him the things I wanted fixed with the piece (the color wasn't saturated enough, it was STILL missing 2 tentacles, the linE work was horrible, and it was hard to read because even though I had asked him not to, he had put black over te old tattoo - a total beginner move- ultimately leading to a tattoo that would age HORRIBLEY) and on overhearing my complaints, the owner came in to harass me. "Whose the artist?" he asked, looking between my friend and I. "Actually, we both are", I replied (not a lie! My girlfriend teaches at an art college, and I was raised with artists). He gave me a dirty look and said, "We can't change the design in the middle Of the tattoo". "I'm not changing the design, I'm making sure it's going to be correct, as far as the anatomy goes..."I said, "...since it's going to be on me forever." Then the owner replied, "Well you were only booked for 5 hours and this is your second day now." I had to fight every ounce of myself to not BUG OUT. After he walked away, my "artist" says, "I've seen him stop at the three hour mark and tell people if they want it finished they need to pay more." That, to me, smells an awful lot like EXTORTION. Once the piece was FINALLY done enough that I could leave (the old piece NOT covered up, might I add), I had to get a signed receipt saying I was entitled to a free touch up since "technically, that was today." How finishing a piece counts as a touch up is beyond me... I was then asked to sign a piece of paper saying I had received care instructions (which I had not) and that I was of age. Doesn't that usually come BEFORE the tattoo?At this point you would think the story was over, but it's not. Over the next three days the piece became SO INFECTED that I went to another shop in my town to make sure I didn't need to go to hospital. I called the "artist" first and he told Me I was over reacting, and that I had signed a waiver absolving them of any responsibility of incorrectly healed Tattoos. When I went into the other shop, they told me not only would I need to have the entire piece redone, but that I was looking at SERIOUS SCARRING because of how heavy handed this inexperienced asshole had been. One section of the old piece had been so chewed up that it actually pulled the old ink out in addition to the new on top of it! And my old piece wasn't even covered up!!!! I have never received a more horrible tattoo, or been treated SO UNPROFESSIONALLY before. Really, it's CRIMINAL what they are doing. Even in writing this review, I am feeling angry and taken advantage of all over again. So now, I, as well as another reviewer, am paying another $500 to a new shop to cover up a FAILED coverup. All I can say is DO NOT GO HERE. Please. If you value your skin, STAY AWAY!!!! Read Less