Hidden Gem Tattoo Studio — Local services in New York

I am so unhappy with my tattoo that I have spent the last week crying about it. There were so many red flags I wish I hadn’t ignored, because now I’m stuck with an awful tattoo I either have to live with for the rest of my life or pay hundreds more dollars to fix. I wanted a tattoo of this drawing that I really love. I made it a point to explain several times how important it was for me to keep the integrity of the original image as much as possible, especially the line weight and quality that I love this drawing for. I’m an artist myself, so I kind of know what I’m talking about/looking for. He prints up the image in incredibly low resolution. I knew that the intricate linework would be lost, so I suggested that he download the image from the internet in high-res. He proceeded to screenshot it (not download) and prints it again, also in low-res. I let it slide because at least this copy was slightly clearer, and I assumed that he knew that he was doing. He applied the stencil and said we were ready to start without asking if I liked the placement. I asked if we could move it, and he hesitated but conceded. Every other artist I’ve ever worked with took great attention to detail and didn’t start until I was happy with the placement. Once we eventually started working, he admitted that the reason he was late for my appointment was because he had double booked himself and squeezed me in after his previous client, and kept saying how much he wanted to go home and relax. I think I am justified in saying that it was a rushed job. When he was finished I got up to see it in the mirror. I looked at it for a maximum of five seconds when he told me “you have the rest of your life to look at it” and rushed me out the door. I feel this was done intentionally because he knew I would be unsatisfied with the tattoo. He made no mention of after-care whatsoever. I removed the plastic wrap when I got home and finally got to actually look at my tattoo. Immediately I noticed a few lines were blown out. And, after explaining that I want the image to be true to the original as possible, he still decided to override that and freehanded on the leg of the last dancer because it was “wonky” to him, and didn’t tell me he was doing this until after the fact. You can compare the work done with the tattoo for yourself-- it barely resembles what I asked for. The ruffles on the dancer’s gowns were reduced to sloppy dots; the faces are awful; the shapes are distorted and sloppily done. The linework is sloppy, flat, and lacks depth; let alone not even close to the original. I am easygoing, don't squirm around/ complain; and I tip well. I make sure that the artist understands what I want and expect. Other artists have even told me that I’m an ideal client. This being said: no reputable artist would brush off the client’s suggestions/use such a low-res reference/rush through the job/allow blowout to occur on a fresh tattoo/not ask about placement/send you home without aftercare instructions. After all, tattoos are permanent, and I am paying the artist to execute my vision as closely as I can. I wish that he’d have considered this when he was rushing through my piece. While Angel’s portfolio looked promising, his quality of work definitely did not match up to his ego. It doesn’t feel nice to drop a few hundred dollars on a tattoo and have to wear long sleeves in the summer to hide it until it heals enough for another artist to“fix” it for an additional few hundred dollars. You should be showing off your new ink, not hiding it away out of embarrassment. It’s unacceptable. I rarely write reviews, but I feel this is necessary. I hope any prospective clients think twice about the lack of professionalism and quality of work that he was okay with giving me, and realize that they don’t want the same for themselves. (Apologies for the awkward formatting; my original text was too...

I contacted this shop for a consult regarding coverups for two of us. They were quick to respond and set up a consult for us pretty quick. We went in, the shop was clean and neat and we had what I thought was a good conversation with Will. We ended with him taking my fiancé’s phone number and saying he’d be in touch with ideas. We followed up a week later, were told he was slammed and he’d be working on it that evening or the following day. I understand this is a hectic time but it’s been 7 weeks and we...

This is where I received my first ever tattoo. Will was my artist, and he was extremely professional. From the cleanliness to just his expertise in executing the tattoo exactly how I wanted, it was amazing. I loved the experience so much I went with my fiancé to get a 2nd tattoo done by him and her first. He really can do it all. I'm definitely planning on getting another one done by Will, as I know he can do anime...