Before You Get A Tattoo Ask Your Artist These Questions

Tattoos are expensive, time intensive and not to mention, pretty damn permanent. To make sure you’re getting the best possible artist, image and work done, be sure to ask these questions before you get inked.

What are your qualifications?

            Any artist that gets offended by this questions or skirts around it is not someone you should trust. Reputable tattoo artists are honest and proud to talk about their experience and skills.

Can I see your portfolio?

            An artist’s work will always speak volumes so be sure to ask to see their portfolio. Make sure the work is actually theirs by reverse Google searching the images and reading online reviews and testimonials.            

What styles are you specialized in and/or comfortable in?

            Even the most experienced and skilled tattoo artists in the work aren’t specialized in every tattoo style- it’s just not possible. Make sure to ask them, and check their portfolio, to see what styles and techniques they’re comfortable in.   

         

Do you and how do you sterilize your tattoo equipment?

            A sterile, clean tattoo studio should be your main priority. Ask to see where and how they sterilize the equipment. Also make sure that they use proper disposal protocols and take all necessary hygienic methods such as using gloves and bags.             

How long will it take?

            There’s no set timeline for tattoo completion but an artist should be able to give you some idea of how long it will take after you have settled on a location, size and design. Make sure you have the patience, time and pain tolerance to commit to the general timeline you’re given-and don’t be surprised if it goes over a little.            

What is your recommended aftercare protocol?

            Proper aftercare is just as important as a quality artist. Aftercare keeps your body and tattoo healthy. Make sure you ask about aftercare before getting inked to make sure your tattoo will be in a location you can handle.

Never be afraid of asking too many or a stupid question. Good tattoo places like our Toronto Tattoo Shop will be more than happy to take the time to reassure you. They want you to be just as confident as they are in their work. Make sure you pick a qualified artist that can bring your desired image to life.

Piercings 101

While getting a piercing might not be as big of a commitment as a tattoo, it still requires consideration and care. Before you go in for your next piercing at a Toronto Tattoo Shop, be sure to read these tips for before and after.  

Before Piercing Tips:

Assess Your Health:

            Certain pre-existing medical conditions will impact how well your body heals after a piecing. Always disclose and discuss these issues with your piercer and/or doctor before you get one done. Diabetes or severe heart issues could impact how long it takes your body to heal. People with metal allergies should also be cautious and ask about the metal of the piercing. Talk to your piercer about any of these health issues and they will advise you on how best to proceed.            

Tools of the Trade:

            Most professional piercers will tell you a needle is better than a gun, and they would be right. Getting pierced with a needle causes less shock to your body and heals faster.            

Select Location:

            Where you get pierced will impact how long it takes to heal. Areas around the mouth tend to heal faster while cartilage piercings will take longer to heal than lobe ones. Ask your piercer about healing times for various locations to help you decide.

After Piercing Tips:

Common Health Complications:

            Many health problems happen because people either don’t follow or stop following the prescribed aftercare tips. Piercings take at least a full 6-8 weeks to heal. Some piercings might naturally be rejected even if you follow all the advice. Contact your piercer if you feel your piercing isn’t healing properly.            

Aftercare:

            Always follow the provided aftercare advice. A new piercing might look red, feel sore, or crust over but that is all apart of the natural healing process. Only touch, rotate or disturb the piercing when it is being cleaned or it is wet. Any oozing or puss might be a sign of infection so contact a doctor or piercer right away.            

General Tips:

It’s always best to be informed so do research before you decide on a piercer or piercing. Check out your piercer’s portfolio to make sure they are skilled and you like their work. And always follow the aftercare advice of the piercer; they are the professionals after all.

Tattoos That Show Off Your Love of Winter

At our Toronto Tattoo Shop we’re inclined to believe that winter is the most magical time of the year. The cold might not always be enjoyable but the beautiful snow and fun holidays that come with it sure are. If you love winter as much as we do and want to get a tattoo to display that consider these ideas. 

Holiday Symbols

No matter what holiday you celebrate there are an abundance of image ideas to display your love. Santa Clause, Christmas trees, menorahs, Stars of David and candles are all ideas to consider depending on your religion.

Winter Wildlife

Wildlife associated with the cold months is a great subtle way to show off your wintery love. Reindeer, cardinals or even wolves make for great images that can be done in multiple styles.

Snowy Scenery

Some wintery scenery is also a great-understated way to show your love. Snowy mountains, icy lakes or stunning trees are just a few ideas.

Holiday Movies

Holiday movies are iconic and can be special traditions for some people. A tattoo of your favorite line or character from a holiday movie is great way to show your love of the season.

Snowflake

No two snowflakes are alike which makes this winter symbol a great tattoo idea. The simple image can be done in every style and made to look as unique as you are.

Winter Activities

Sometimes the best thing about winter is the activities that come with it. Skiing, ice-skating, and snowboarding are just a few of the awesome activities that winter brings with it.

If winter is a magical time for you a tattoo is a cool way of showing that off. The season can hold special memories, feelings or traditions that deserve to be shown off all year round. Talk to a tattoo artist today about capturing that holiday cheer in ink.

            

Factors That Impact How Long A Tattoo Will Take

            

The biggest question on people’s mind when they start to consider getting a tattoo is, how long will it take? Artists at our Toronto Tattoo Shop get asked that all the time and the answer every time is “it all depends”. There are a number of different factors that impact how long it will take for your tattoo to be completed and we’ve covered them all here.            

Complexity

            Simply put, the more complex the tattoo the more time under the needle. High levels of detail require more time to get the right shading and shape necessary to make the image come to life- and look good! The last thing you want is a rushed tattoo job.

Style

            Certain styles take longer than others. Pointillism and realism portraits typically take longer than simple line work or minimalist ink. The color pallet of your tattoo also impacts the length. Black and grey ink is usually faster than color ink, which requires the ink to be layered multiple times to get the correct vibrancy.

Size

            Size is probably the biggest factor when it comes to determining how long your tattoo is going to take. Small tattoos clearly will take less time. Larger tattoos can take multiple sessions over weeks or years to complete.            

Artist

            The more comfortable and practice a tattoo artist has with a certain style, or in general, will impact their speed at inking. Check out their portfolio and be sure to ask them how long certain pieces took to get an idea.

After Care (For Multiple Sessions)

            If you decided to go with a large, multi-session piece it’s key to listen to your tattoo artists after care plan. The longer it takes for your skin to heal, the longer you have to wait in-between each session.

There’s no magical timeline for tattoos but after you decide on the location, size and design of your tattoo your tattoo shop should be able to give you the best estimate of the time until completion. Book an appointment with one today to start planning!

            

Tattoo Styles: Pointillism

Pointillism, aka Dotwork, is one of the most intricate, and currently trendy, styles of tattoo. A beautiful image is born out of thousands upon thousands of tiny dots. It’s a style that takes patients and skill to know where to place the next dot to get the correct depth and shape. If you’re considering getting a pointillism tattoo read the following to make sure it’s what you want.

Time

            Dotwork tattoos take longer than regular ones due to the high level of detail. Many pointillism artists forego the machine and use a hand poking technique, which increases the time frame. The extra time is worth it though for the final, beautiful product.

Pain

Being repeatedly poked by a needle is just as painful as it sounds meaning pointillism tattoos are slightly more painful than regular ones. The bottom line is though that every tattoo hurts. A little extra pain is worth it when the final image is as stunning and unique as dot work tattoos are.

Skill

You should always make sure your tattoo artist specialized in the style you want- and that you like their work in general. Dotwork takes additional skill so look at their portfolio to see if they’ve done this style in the past.

Image

            Certain images are popular in the pointillism style. Geometric shapes, mandalas, and spiritual symbols are all common. Animal portraits are also super trendy at the moment in dot work. Black and grey ink is more typical for this style but color ones can be done as well.            

Look up Toronto Tattoo Shop and find one that specializes in this style if it’s to your liking.

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Tattoo Styles: Watercolor

The biggest style trend in our Toronto Tattoo Shop right now is watercolor tattoos. This style is a little over five years old and already most tattoo shops will tell you it’s a top request. Vibrant colors blend effortlessly to create a stunning image that seems to flow. As stunning as these tattoos are, there’s a huge debate in the community about them right now so be sure to read up before getting one.

Fading

The fading of watercolor tattoos is a huge debate right now. It’s such a new style that the longevity of them is unknown. The community is split on if this style lasts as long as others. It’s probably safe to say that the heavy use of colored ink means they will fade faster than regular images. However, every tattoo fades or needs retouches and protecting your ink from sunlight and water can go a long way in making it last.

Pain

            Great news, watercolor tattoos don’t hurt any more than regular ones (they still hurt, though, sorry!). The amount of pain is dependent on where on your body you get the image and how large it is.            

Image

            Any image looks fantastic in this style but people seem to prefer either organic image such as plants and animals, geometric shapes or completely abstract pieces. The great thing about watercolor tattoos is that almost every image looks good in this style.

Skill

            This new style is hard to pull off well. It takes a skilled artist so be sure to check out their portfolio. Blending the colors to create and an image is hard with little to no clean lines so make sure you pick an artist that has done watercolor tattoos before.

There’s a reason this style of tattoo has become so popular so quickly. Watercolor tattoos are effortlessly beautiful. Talk to a shop today about getting a unique watercolor piece.

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Take Care of Your New Tattoo This Winter

At our Toronto Tattoo Shop, there’s a never-ending debate over the best time of year to get a new tattoo. The warm summer months mean sweating, the sun, and swimming- all things that pose a risk to your new ink. The cool winter months also have a set of problems. Here are some tips to take care of your tattoo if you decide to get inked this winter.

Cool Air

Cool air is nature gif to tattoos. It not only prevents sweating but it also promotes healing. The problem with it cool air though is that all people want to do in the winter is escape it. Piling on layers and running from heated building to heated building only suffocates your new ink. So if you’re getting a new tattoo this winter make sure to expose it to fresh air for at least two hours a day (not including when you’re sleeping).

Moisturizing

            Getting a tattoo will irritate your skin so one of the best ways to keep your new ink healthy is to moisturize it with ointment or lotion. It’s understandable that you’d want to wear long sleeves and pants (not to mention the necessary socks, boots, jackets, scarves, hats etc.). Make sure you wear clothing that provides easy access to your tattoo so that you can moisturize it at least three times a day.

Clean

Everyone knows you have to wash and pat dry a tattoo as it heals. It helps keeps the area from becoming infected. This theoretically is as easy to do in winter as it is in summer months. However, it’s easy to skimp on the cleaning when you don’t have the constant sweating from the summer heat to remind you. Just because you don’t sweat as much in the winter doesn’t mean you can wash your tattoo any less.

Water

            Swimming and submersion into the water don't seem to be as obvious of a concern during the winter. If you go on vacation to somewhere warm or up to your cottage for the weekend keep in mind that water isn’t good more new tattoos. Avoid getting into pools, hot tubs and baths to help your new ink heal.     

       

Clothing

            Clothing during the winter months proposes a unique challenge for new tattoos. Make sure that you don’t get inked in a place where clothing will be rubbing up against it. Lose clothing is always preferred to help the healing process.            

            Winter is not worse than summer for getting new tattoos. It’s just a different set of problems. Always be sure to keep your ink clean, dry and exposed to fresh air. Talk to your tattoo artist about the best ways to care for your tattoo and go to them if you have any concerns.

Best Tattoos to Get to Show Off Your Canadian Pride

A tattoo is a permanent way to remember or show something on your body. Tattoos that display city or national pride are popular at our Toronto Tattoo Shop and they’ll always retain their meaning. Canadian celebrities have been known to ink their Canadian pride on their body, so why shouldn’t you too?

A Maple Leaf

The maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada, so there’s no better image to get inked to display your pride. The image translated well through various styles and it’s easily recognizable by others.

The CN Tower

If you’re a local Torontonian, the CN tower is a great way to show off your pride. It’s iconic and recognizable. From a simple silhouette to a detailed dot workpiece, the CN tower will definitely display your city and national pride.

Canadian Scenery

The country has so much to offer in terms of beautiful scenery: lakes, mountains, trees and more. Getting some of the scenery is a subtle and classic way to show off your Canadian pride.

Local Wildlife

            Just like tattoos of Canadian scenery, getting an image of local wildlife is a cool way to show off your national pride. Canada has a variety of animals to chose from to show off your pride: beavers, moose, loons, bears and more; so finding one that fits your personality and style is easy.

Area Code

            Tatting an area code from your hometown is a minimal and simple way to show off your Canadian pride. Any variation of the “the six” looks super cool in ink for Toronto natives.

A tattoo is a lasting way to show off your pride. Talk to your tattoo artist about how best to incorporate this into your next ink.

How to Decide if Black & Grey or Color Tattoos Are Right For You

   Getting a tattoo is a big deal. It’s a commitment that takes time, money and it’s there forever.  At our Toronto Tattoo Shop, a big decision people face when getting inked is deciding between black and grey tattoos or colored ones. There are pros and cons of both styles and to make your decision easier we’ve laid them all out for you.

 Pros of Black and Grey Tattoos

Black and grey tattoos are the traditional colors of the art. The first two major benefits of black and grey tattoos are that they take less time to complete and cost less money. Black and grey tattoos will fade from sunlight, but the fading is much less pronounced than it is with colored tats. The neutral color palate means that your tattoo won’t be clashing with the color of the clothing you wear. The dark ink also shows up on every skin tone. Color ink has a hard time showing up and staying vibrant on dark skin, which is frustrating since so much time, money and effort went into the image.

Cons of Black and Grey Tattoos

            It takes a skilled tattoo artist to make an image come to life through black and grey ink. It takes special skills and techniques to get shading, tone, shape, composition and texture to come across. You should never get a tattoo you’ll think you’ll regret but we’re only human. Sometimes we want to remove or cover existing ink. Unfortunately, black ink is significantly harder to remove and it’s also harder to cover with newer tattoos. Make sure the design is really something you love so you don’t face this struggle down the line.

Pros of Colored Tattoos

            Colored tattoos are bright, bold and vibrant. One advantage of colored ink is the increased possibility in terms of creativity. With the multiple tones, shades and color variations available it becomes a lot easier to make certain images seem more life-like and real. Like we said above, sometimes at the end of the day, certain tattoos are a mistake. Thank god for colored tattoos then. They are significantly easier to get removed and cover up (with the exception of blue ink). Color ink is also the preferred choice to cover up old or unwanted tattoos among artists. 

Cons of Colored Tattoos

            As striking as colored tattoos are, a definite downside to them is that colored ink doesn’t show up well on every skin tone. You should definitely talk to your artist and get their opinion on how well a colored tattoo will show up and stay on your skin. Listen to their opinion too- they are the professionals after all. There’s nothing worse than spending so much time and money on it only for it to disappear not long after. Color ink is also more prone to fading than black and grey tattoos. Colored tattoos also have cons when it comes to cost, time and pain. The process is more costly than black and grey tats due to the level of details and colors needed to make the image come to life. This is also why they cost more. Colored tattoos can also be more painful due to the irritations of repeatedly layering colors on skin.

Which to Chose?

There are definitely pros and cons to both black and grey and color tattoos. At the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference. Always be sure to check out an artist’s portfolio to see if they specialize in certain colors so that you get the best work done possible.