Vism Studio — Local services in Los Angeles

I am writing about my experience with Ria Kim at Vism studio. 2/5 stars. Traveled to LA with high expectations for this tattoo.

-1 a star for lack of communication. I had booked the appointment well in advanced. Hadn't heard from anyone, so the week of appointment I reached out and let them know I hadn't heard from anyone. They emailed me saying sorry someone was supposed to let you know your artist will be reaching out two days before your appointment. At that point I'm like ok that feels very last minute but whatever. Just overall lack of communication.

-1 a star for overall customer experience. The whole experience felt very transactional. Again no true conversation with the tattoo artist prior to appointment. She didn't ask any specifics on what details I wanted to capture for my tattoo or anything. 2 days before she sends the designs and asks which one I wanted out of 4 different variations. Doesn't ask if there's any changes I wanted to make. So I chose one thinking ok maybe day of appointment we will go over any changes etc. Nope, day I get there she basically has all the sizes already pre printed in the stencils and asks me to pick a size. I said I wanted it to be the actual size of my dogs paw print she asks if I brought I said no. This is something that should have been communicated to me prior to the appointment. I had to guesstimate the size of my dogs paw and pick a size so I did. She did not conversate at all, didn't ask anything about my dog not even her name, nothing. It was just very odd experience. Didn't ask if I had any questions prior to starting or anything. Just picked a size stuck the stencil on my arm and she started. Didn't mention how long it was going to take. Didn't ask if I was good during the tattoo or if I needed a break or use the restroom or anything.

-1 star for overall tattoo quality. A bit of a disappointment. My dogs nose shape and nostril shape are off, more so the nose shape. One nostril is a bit different from the other. I provided 2 photos but maybe I should have provided more but I didn't think it was going to be a problem since her other paw portrait tattoos have looked spot on. The eyes were supposed to be in color but it's not really apparent (Hazel) I can live with it. If it was a matter of size of the tattoo then it should have been communicated. I get you can only fit so much amount of detail in a small tattoo but it's still something that should be communicated. Ultimately, what bugs me the most is the inconsistent/botched nose shape. One side of the nose is longer/more pointed than the other. I guess I just got unlucky. I wanted to love it.

Hindsight, all 3 things could have been better. Customer experience is very important. It shouldn't have felt last minute/rushed or transactional. The tattoo took 2 hours and I paid $1k which wasn't cheap but for that amount of money the flaws with the tattoo shouldn't have happened. In fact I think it's pretty overpriced for the amount of time and effort that went into it. They don't exactly give you a price. They just give you a price range.

Anyway, I hope Ria and studio can learn from this and provide better customer experience. Getting a tattoo is a special moment, especially when it's of something very meaningful like your pet. Make the...

This was the most INCREDIBLE experience for a first tattoo.

From start to finish, Sol and his team were AMAZING. I spent months researching artists across the country, and no one compares to what Sol is achieving over in Los Angeles. I found his Instagram and was in awe at his attention to detail and shading. It's so delicate--a true work of art.

I was scared to pull the trigger on a tattoo at all, but Sol provided a rough sketch of his capabilities, and it was exactly aligned with my dreams. He knew I was flying into LA from Phoenix, and went above and beyond to make sure my tattoo was perfect before I ever set foot on the plane. We worked with the design together and he perfectly incorporated my inspiration photos, while still adding his signature flair to make the design his own. When I saw it, my jaw dropped!

Finding the studio was a breeze, and Julie, the studio manager, was fabulous. The image had to be resized due to restrictions at my work, but they managed it quickly and efficiently, and soon it was off to the chair for the actual tattoo! There was a bit of a language barrier, but I NEVER felt unheard--Julie and others on Sol's team made sure everything I wanted was beautifully communicated.

We decided to add color last-minute, and I was nervous because the grayscale version was so, so stunning. But Sol came through yet again, and the color added SO much depth. I can't stop staring at it.

Basically, if you're hesitating, don't. As someone who spent a decade thinking about this tattoo, finding an artist like Sol was a huge relief. Some people say there's remorse with getting a first tattoo, but all I feel is contented happiness that my research paid off, and I found the best artist in LA--and probably the country!

Fantastic job, Sol. Thank you for hosting me, and for your...

This studio is incredible! Just finished my second tattoo with Saegeem and I'm obsessed. Saegeem has such a good eye for design and creates the most beautiful and unique tattoos. Before reaching out to her, I spent hours and hours researching tattoo artists to find the right person to do my first tattoo. After almost seven months healed, my first tattoo is still incredibly vibrant and people comment on it often. While everyone at Vism is incredibly skilled, I returned (and will continue to return) to Saegeem because I think she's one of the best artists at fine line style, semi-realistic floral tattoos that heal well. She's also a delight to work with as a person, and her creative spins on the ideas I requested were original and stunning. I mean, look at her work — it speaks for itself! 😌

The studio itself is really nice and very clean. It's a very large and open space with high ceilings, lots of natural light, and plenty of space between artists. Parking wasn't that bad and the building is on a corner, so it's pretty easy to locate immediately. The reception area is nice if you bring a guest. Everyone there was really pleasant, including the person at the front desk who checked me in and accepted my payment at the end. While Vism is my first and only experience with tattoo shops, I'm confident to recommend this studio to everyone I know. You can't go wrong with any artist here.

P.S. Don't forget to tip your tattoo artist! Artists work really hard on our designs, often creating them during breaks or late hours after spending all day doing hand -cramping...