u/welcomehometattoo

Tattooers/shop owners — how are things actually looking for you right now? Curious what other tattooers and shop owners are seeing lately, especially in the PNW, but interested in hearing from everywhere.
Not looking for the usual “tattooing is dead” vs. “I’m booked six months out” debate. More interested in what’s actually happening day to day.

Are you seeing:
Less/more walk-in traffic than a few years ago?
Clients booking less frequently?
More price-conscious clients?
More last-minute bookings and fewer long-term appointments?
Artists staying at shops longer, or more people moving toward private studios?
Shops having a harder time finding and keeping motivated tattooers?

And for the shops/artists that are doing well right now, what do you think is actually working?
Google? Instagram? Repeat clientele? Walk-ins? Events? Location? Reputation? Just years of building a client base?

I’ve been tattooing long enough to know the business constantly changes, but it feels like the way people find and choose tattooers is shifting again. Curious what everyone else is seeing from behind the counter and what you think the next year or two will look like.

Portland is a tattoo town. I’ve been tattooing for quite a while now, and one thing I’m dying to know is what is the tattoo you love the most?

Sometimes it’s a tiny memorial, a goofy matching tattoo with a sibling, or something they got during an important chapter of life.

As a tattoo artist, I get to hear a lot of those stories, and honestly they’re one of my favorite parts of the job.

So I’m curious:

If you’ve been tattooed for a while, which one still means the most to you? Not necessarily your best tattoo—just the one that still makes you smile when you catch it out of the corner of your eye.

I’d love to hear the stories behind them.

Hey, everyone! Just picked up my first basic set of one shot and cheap-o brushes. Just wanna do this to stay creative. I’ve always loved old signs and paintings. Any references, sites, or videos to help would be awesome!
Thanks everyone!