After reading some reviews from a tattoo parlor in San Francisco, I felt a little jipped from Fine Line. Yes, I know; quality tattoos come at a price but I've seen some awesome work done for the price... Read More
After reading some reviews from a tattoo parlor in San Francisco, I felt a little jipped from Fine Line. Yes, I know; quality tattoos come at a price but I've seen some awesome work done for the price I paid at Fine Line. I did my research, saw that they had a few shops and even one in Japan so I decided to come here. I went in on a Wednesday afternoon to get a tattoo of a few outlined paper planes with three different colors. It's about 7 inches in height, very simple and plain. I told my tattoo artist what I wanted and said that I was open up for suggestions but he didn't really communicate very well. I asked about placement, size, and color. He made a couple of comments, I asked what we could do to make it look better and he didn't really say anything. That should've been my first red flag. But, I really felt like I needed this tattoo so I went ahead and gave him the okay. He went back into his room to get his tools ready and the receptionist came out and said it'll be $250. I was a little taken back because my first tattoo done at another tattoo parlor was a lot more detailed and it was $190(and I loved it). But since it had three different colors and it was only my 2nd tattoo experience, I thought "oh what the hell" and didn't hesitate to pay. My tattoo artist had over 14 or 15 years of experience, came from a tattooing family background, and even has his daughter working under him. As a person, he's nice, friendly, and warming but I got a vibe from him that he wasn't really feeling this tattoo. It was sort of a "gotta pay the bills" type thing where he was just doing it just to do it. My end result feeling was a little empty and indifferent. I told him that it looked great and was on my way out. After a few days of analyzing the tattoo, I felt like it was missing another plane. So I drew out another paper plane and went back. This one was about 3 inches, just outline, and in black. Told my same tattoo artist what I wanted and the receptionist came out and said it'll be $100. Still, a little taken back but "oh what the hell". The tattoo came out good, but I have a feeling that I'm going to go to another place to complete it because it's still missing that special something. Lesson Learned: Research as many tattoo places/artist as you can, take your time, don't be afraid to walk out after talking to an artist, ask how much a tattoo will be, and be comfortable with the environment your in. Read Less