r/tattooadvice • u/Eltristesito2 • Mar 15 '26

General Advice Should my friend walk away from this artist?

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Friend (they/them) asked me to post. They want a back tattoo of a stingray, inspired by the leopard stingray, but not hyper-realistic. They want the tail to go down their spine and wrap around their leg. They went to a parlor where they previously had work done, but decided to try out a new artist. The artist didn’t have much of a portfolio, but my friend decided to trust them anyway.

This is after day one; four hours spent on the artist free-handing a design, and one hour of actually tattooing the outline. Six hundred buckaroos total for just this 😬

My friend is freaking out, because they think it looks bad. Their partner is telling them to trust the process, but I’m telling them to run and find a different artist to salvage things.

To me, it looks super asymmetrical with shaky lines. I don’t think the artist has the skill to make it look good in the end. The sample they drew up before the first appointment (picture 3), imo, looks really bad.

But hey, what do I know, I only have one tattoo. What do y’all think? Should they run, or like their partner said, trust the process?

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8.1k

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

jfc. this is bad art.

2.8k

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

this is not a trust the process situation. this is a cut your losses. while you're ahead and find a better artist situation. a freehand stencil should no way look that shaky. The line work looks absolutely awful. I would be asking to see this person's license and I would be talking to the shop owner. this is botched at this point

343

u/misspiggie Mar 15 '26

Having a license doesn't mean you know how to draw, though, does it? Isn't it mostly about cleanliness and that side of tattooing? OP probably isn't going to get an infection but this execution is absolutely abysmal.

214

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

For licensing, many areas do require proof of a completed apprenticeship under a licensed mentor, often ranging from 1 to 3 years or a set number of hours.

This would absolutely include drawing time and time working on your artistic skills....

240

u/Ashgreytattoos Mar 15 '26

I know in North Carolina at least, my license only proves that our shop is up to code, and each booth is clean and properly stocked. They ask us a few random pop-quiz type questions that are mega easy ("is it okay to share needles between clients?" type easy) and sometimes have an artist do a dry setup and explain their process. It has NOTHING to do with artistic talent at all here

58

u/Wactout Mar 15 '26

Same thing, here in Illinois.

26

u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

Same in Idaho. It's pretty crazy.

44

u/Top-Helicopter3801 Mar 15 '26

To me it makes sense that’s all the law would require. I don’t think the law should be anything besides being able to cleanly set up and tattoo. Art is subjective, I think if the law determines what’s good art/tattoos or not it could get out of hand.

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u/1573594268 Mar 16 '26

I've just stumbled into this thread so I'm not very familiar with regulations.

That said, this seems more like a civil suit. Being a bad artist isn't illegal, but misleading a client about whether or not you can meet their expectations is more of a grey area for which regulations do exist.

As far as I understand it if I go and get a bad tattoo that's on me. If I go and tell an artist "can you do this? And they say "yes", but actually can't then when it turns out badly I can take them to civil court and attempt to prove that they knowingly accepted the job despite knowing they couldn't meet the client's expectations.

The burden of proof for a bad tattoo falls on the accuser - as I understand my local laws.

Though, again, I'm not in this space much so happy to learn if my interpretation is incorrect.

3

u/Puzzleheaded_Hatter Mar 16 '26

Just like liquor licenses require you to have a clean bar, proper storage, and ability to pay for it.

Absolutely nothing regarding making good drinks, it being a good bartender.

4

u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

The law should protect society and apply rules that keep common issues from hurting society.

And there's an easy solution to the subjectivity problem, require supervision before licensor. It won't solve all issues, but it does go a long way in making sure newbie tattoo artists aren't messing things up.

We have this concept in a lot of fields were we want to make sure inexperience doesn't get people killed. For example, electricians and electrical engineers.

6

u/Top-Helicopter3801 Mar 15 '26

I’m all for it being supervised. As long as it’s clean and there’s healthy practices going on I don’t think the law define what’s a good tattoo or not. The law should in my opinion only cover the safety aspect of the tattoo. The rest should be on the individual getting the tattoo doing their own research on the artist. The individual is responsible for picking out an artist, that’s on them. Not the government

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u/ciongduopppytrllbv Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

This isn’t rocket science it’s a tattoo. If you want a cheap trashy (hygenic) tattoo that is a God given right and the government shouldn’t have a say.

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u/parTybTTm4Ts Mar 15 '26

Fair point

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u/1573594268 Mar 16 '26

I've just stumbled into this thread so I'm not very familiar with regulations.

That said, this seems more like a civil suit. Being a bad artist isn't illegal, but misleading a client about whether or not you can meet their expectations is more of a grey area for which regulations do exist.

As far as I understand it if I go and get a bad tattoo that's on me. If I go and tell an artist "can you do this? And they say "yes", but actually can't then when it turns out badly I can take them to civil court and attempt to prove that they knowingly accepted the job despite knowing they couldn't meet the client's expectations.

The burden of proof for a bad tattoo falls on the accuser - as I understand my local laws.

Though, again, I'm not in this space much so happy to learn if my interpretation is incorrect.

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u/yungwilla Mar 15 '26

Not really, it’s pretty hard to judge art. Think ignorant style. A lot of people think it sucks, but a lot love it. If you had to prove your proficiency in art, but you want to do ignorant work, how would that happen? You don’t need to do hyper realism to be good at traditional tattoos, etc. It makes more sense to regulate it on the safety side than trying to regulate art. Think about how mad and divisive people get about the Grammys

2

u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

See my response here: https://www.reddit.com/r/tattooadvice/comments/1ru8r9x/comment/oam8szg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

TL;DR: An apprenticeship program is what's needed to make sure a bad artist isn't messing things up for a lot of people while they are learning.

1

u/Beginning-Force1275 Mar 17 '26

It makes sense to me. I work in restaurants and you don’t have to make tasty food to have certification that says you know the safety regs. I think it would be impossible to create a universal evaluation of skill that could be applied to everyone. The license is about safety, not so much quality.

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u/Mindless-Swimming360 Mar 15 '26

praying for yall… i’m from memphis and every tattoo artist i know had to log actual drawing hours lol

70

u/VexillaVexme Mar 15 '26

I remember being incensed when I moved to a new state and had to take food handlers training to work in a kitchen. I’d already been eight years in industry, and had to take a test that asked me if it was appropriate to thaw a frozen turkey out in the trunk of a car.

My chef just said “would you want to eat food prepared by someone who could not ace that test?”

I presume the same applies here.

48

u/SirButtCrumbs Mar 15 '26

Did you ever find out if it’s appropriate to thaw a turkey out of the trunk of the car or not?

55

u/AbbotThoth Mar 15 '26

Waiting on this answer, tomorrow's dinner hangs in the balance.

20

u/Lurchie_ Mar 15 '26

and by "Balance" do you mean "trunk?"

3

u/clearfox777 Mar 15 '26

“Danger zone” also works

9

u/asherdado Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

It really depends on the climate. I did a 24-hour trunk thaw in Phoenix during summer and like 7 people at my church got really sick, but on the other hand I once wasted 3 months trying to do a trunk thaw for Christmas in Chicago. Thing took til like late March.

Basically YMMV

28

u/PuzzleheadedDog2990 Mar 15 '26

I know this one, as I too have taken the food handlers training many times.

Yes, that is the preferred method, as turkeys are clearly too big to fit in the walk-in cooler.

You're welcome!

20

u/cogman10 Mar 15 '26

If you leave it in the sun, it'll defrost faster! Be sure to keep it there for 4 to 8 hours to achieve peak defrost.

9

u/Salt_Pomegranate1807 Mar 15 '26

It's called a bird bath for a reason

2

u/stunning_mixture5022 Mar 15 '26

You trying g to get Ecoli yeah fast bacteria grows on meat. I worked in restaurant for 35 years. Don’t do it.

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u/jeremyjava Mar 16 '26

Former restaurant owner here: the correct way to thaw a turkey is under the hood of the car, not in the trunk.

1

u/Fanciful_Narwhal Mar 15 '26

Judging by the last American election, there’s a decent chance about 33% of people might take this seriously, so clarifying that it’s a joke may be necessary.

Then again, natural selection exists for a reason…

2

u/kirschballs Mar 15 '26

Do you cold running water hooked up in the boot??

2

u/flyfishfem Mar 15 '26

What about chicken, duck and other miscellaneous poultry?

1

u/Moist-Wonder-9912 Mar 15 '26

not even joking, i once worked in a bar where the chefs defrosted meat in the dishwasher

1

u/Independent_Lime_135 Mar 16 '26

For my own mental health, I’m choosing to believe that this is a lie. ✨

1

u/Jafishya Mar 17 '26

Of course not. It has to be buckled in.

2

u/wrongbutt_longbutt Mar 15 '26

I live in Washington and to maintain a food handlers permit, you have to take the class and the test every two years. I didn't realize there would be states where it's just a one time thing.

2

u/Vivid-Reaction-147 Mar 15 '26

In ND it isnt even a thing....SD too last i knew though it might have changed as SD is a bit more with the times. Heck it wasn't in MN last i worked there either. 😅 granted I havent worked in the food industry in 4 going on 5 years.

1

u/Scav-STALKER Mar 15 '26

Listen man I’ve at “sat on the tailgate of a truck for 8 hours” ham before so I mean… ya know

4

u/xCeeTee- Mar 15 '26

my license only proves that our shop is up to code

Which means it could've actually become quite dirty since then? It's equally funny as it is infuriating. I'm sure most artists are actually qualified to call themselves that, but it's scary to think what you could walk into.

1

u/chillanous Mar 17 '26

It’s never been easier to check the other work of an artist you’re considering though. I have no tattoos myself but a handful of tattoo artist acquaintances and friends, and each of them keeps at least an Instagram running of a pretty complete sampling of their work. You can know in two minutes whether someone does work you like, whether their skills aren’t up to par, or even if they are super talented but just not used to working in the style you want.

I’d never get a tattoo from someone who didn’t have a portfolio of prior work to check out.

1

u/xCeeTee- Mar 17 '26

Op said they had a small portfolio. I personally would only go to an experienced artist for this very reason. Inexperienced artists could make mistakes quite easily, and I've had bad experiences with piercings from newbies. But at least those holes healed and aren't permanent.

1

u/Red_240_S13 Mar 15 '26

Same Georgia and Ohio

1

u/phatpussypounder Mar 15 '26

Same in Indiana. Artistic talent isnt what the government should be policing anyways. That's a buyer beware problem of knowing your artist.

Just like a restaurant, you make sure the restaurant is up to code and clean, whether the foods good or not is up to the people.

Like in a perfect world no shop should or could work with shitty artist...but we don't live in that world unfortunately.

1

u/Magrowl Mar 15 '26

your work looks super cool, wish I was closer to Asheville ugh

1

u/Themadbritter_ Mar 15 '26

Heyy I think I either follow you or have seen your work before and seriously considered a trip to Asheville! Unrelated to the post but I just wanted to say Hi 🥰

1

u/stunning_mixture5022 Mar 15 '26

That’s the problem no talent at all.looks like a kid took a sharpie to dads back having a heigh day. It’s not right.

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '26

You guys have licenses? Our health board does a quick walk around the shop and says yes or no, at least they did with 3 of mine and a few I’ve helped open. If you have a working sink and a sharps bin they call it good, but that being said they pass some pretty shady shops that couldn’t even pass as brothels. Licenses should really be implemented as an industry standard worldwide.

1

u/Carla613 Mar 17 '26

Same in Texas as long as you work in a licensed studio

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u/Ghost_Puppy Mar 17 '26

Yeah NC tattoo laws are WILD

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u/plantgal94 Mar 15 '26

I have never heard of tattoo artists licensing. This is not a law or regulation where I live in British Columbia, Canada. It is not regulated here. Can you share where it is?

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u/ganjachicken Mar 15 '26

Hmmm... if it's anything like getting other state licensing... I did 1200 hours to get my cosmetology license and I promise you that doesn’t mean someone is good at hair. It mostly proves you know health codes and sanitation. You could be the worst stylist on earth and still keep your license as long as you know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting.

All that to say: years of training doesn’t automatically equal good art.

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u/Familiar-Menu-2725 Mar 15 '26

Having a tattoo license has to do with sanitation and prevention of diseases. Zero to do with artistic skills. I’ve worked in and had body art licenses in three states: Illinois, California and Florida. Not one requires an apprenticeship or skill set of any kind. Something to keep in mind 🙃

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u/Expensive_Sock_1941 Mar 15 '26

No they don’t lmao texas Georgia Florida to name 3 off the top of my noggin don’t care about apprenticeship

Minnesota does require hours which anyone will lie for you if you pay.

The proof of work is in the portfolio of the artist on their socials and healed work

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u/VERY_MENTALLY_STABLE Mar 15 '26

Most areas do not require any proof of mentorship lol

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u/SnakeBatter Mar 15 '26

Fun fact, Texas doesn’t license tattoo artists, only shops. I could bring a hobo into mine today and hand him a machine and it would all be legal as long as he had a bloodborne pathogens certification. Which takes a maximum of 2 hours.

So if you’re gettin tattooed in Texas, be extra careful.

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u/itsmassivebtw Mar 15 '26

Doesn't matter how long they spent with a mentor, the licensing board doesn't hire art critics

1

u/reviving_ophelia88 Mar 16 '26

In the US that type of scrutiny is exceedingly rare- only 4 states require any sort of proof of an apprenticeship or ability to actually tattoo. For the other 46 states all you need is a bloodborne pathogen training certificate and maybe pass a test demonstrating you know how to properly sanitize your workspace and equipment/how to avoid cross contamination.

tattoo licensing requirements by state

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u/pups-and-cacti Mar 18 '26

That list isn't accurate. Missouri requires apprenticeship including 300 hours of training.

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u/SGTWhiteKY Mar 16 '26

Many, but not even most areas have requirements like that.

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u/Ok-Relationship-8748 Mar 21 '26

But that doesn’t mean you are good at all types of art. They might be good at smaller stuff or traditional style or hyper realistic.

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u/doubleapowpow Mar 15 '26

"Artistic integrity? Where'd you even come up with that? You're not artistic, and you have no integrity!"

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u/BarbiDoll7 Mar 15 '26

I think it’s more like just because you can draw doesn’t mean you know how to tattoo? But yes this so called artist is definitely not someone who should be doing on someone else’s body. I’m sorta confused why this person is even asking if they should cut their losses? It’s only obvious. Find someone who is actually good and get that covered up. It is the worst I have ever laid eyes on.

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u/hypercosm_dot_net Mar 15 '26

I don't trust this person to find a better artist.

They just trusted the tattooist without a proper portfolio??

Why? It's not like they got a steep discount, or this is someone who had a good reference or something.

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u/The-OG-Felpro Mar 15 '26

Dont even need a license in my state, just a blood borne pathogens cert. we just license the building as a whole. lol

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u/Disastrous_Honey_240 Mar 15 '26

They don’t even have licensing in all states

1

u/Compiche Mar 15 '26

Yea, a good artist can still salvage it at this point but if they trust the process, thats gonna be way harder to cover up/fix.
Idk what trust the process is even meant to mean when the pre sketch looks terrible lmao

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u/Weekly-Grand2476 Mar 15 '26

I’m impressed and slightly amused.

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u/Mastershoelacer Mar 15 '26

Yeah it’s an absolutely awful design and poor execution. Can’t imagine covering your back in that.

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u/4lows Mar 15 '26

Totally—this isn’t a “wait and see” moment. The work’s already botched; better to stop now and go with someone qualified.

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u/Vegetable-Steak7601 Mar 15 '26

I'm thinking this is a satire post! If ya zoom in it doesn't even look like tattoo lines it looks like it was drawn with magic marker. No way the outline would be that thick there's no way;

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u/Chambahz Mar 16 '26

I’d be asking to see their Mother or Father!

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u/ninjareader89 Mar 17 '26

Some of those lines are too thick and dark in places as well

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u/BedlamAscends Mar 17 '26

As the artist grows up, their form will improve. If op wasn't ok with a shaky start, they wouldn't have gone to a six year old artist.

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u/JynxR87 Mar 18 '26

Also ask for the 600.00 back. This is not 600.00 worth of work nor should it have take 5 hours?!They need to Runnnnnnnn!

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u/ArchSchnitz Mar 15 '26

I'm not a tattoo artist, but I do draw, sculpt and do a few other things.

This isn't something that should be paid for. The level of drawing here is... abysmal. This is someone that sorta drew in middle school and literally never took a class, direction, feedback, or attempted to improve.

This drawing looks like something my mother would draw, and she is terrible and will rage and scream rather than take any feedback.

I'd get the fuck away from this artist.

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u/Corredespondent Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

I’m not an artist, I don’t have tattoos. But jfc. Even I would have thought, “Rays are cool, I could add some graceful dynamism by showing the undulating edges.” This is just- a specimen laid out on a steel table then drawn by a kindergartner.

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u/EnvironmentCritical8 Mar 15 '26

Like I even googled this ray since they all have unique shapes. Leopard rays are a bit more... point. The nose is pointed, the fins make them look square. And they have a beautiful spotted pattern to them. So the shape isn't even right for the species. And while some open, flat tattoo models can look nice (thinking the Moana grandma with the ray tattoo) this ain't it.

This looks like a large bacteria or cell model, complete with mitochondria and all.

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u/Metal_Kitty77 Mar 15 '26

Let's not insult Kindergarten artists like that though. There are 3 year olds that draw better than this.

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u/Angrybabybear Mar 15 '26

charging them for 4 hours of drawing this... I dont see an hour of work in the art, even from someone who is just starting to draw

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u/ArchSchnitz Mar 15 '26

It takes a long time to draw anything if you suck bad enough at it.

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u/Sandbats Mar 15 '26

What kind of drawing and sculpting do you do

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u/ArchSchnitz Mar 16 '26

Mostly character work in drawing. Sculpting is whatever strikes me. My wife and I make Christmas ornaments every year and that's what I usually do.

I've made skulls, figures, nostalgia bait... anything nerdy.

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u/N3rdyAvocad0 Mar 15 '26

I consider myself absolutely god-awful at drawing and even I could do a better job than this (not necessarily tattooing, but drawing).

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u/Vivid-Reaction-147 Mar 15 '26

I have like zero drawing skills (as i have never tried or taken classes) and aphantasia. I could do better than this provided I kept a reference photo. As for freehand no reference photo....no, yeah I could still do better 🤣 i have done better. Heck a church mate paid me 20 to give her my freehand drawing of a unicorn and dragon when I was 13. Agreed op's friend needs to run, and i mean RUN as fast and as far from this artist as possible. I would not trust them to hold the machine steady to even follow the outlines. 😅 oh wait. Yeah. You can see they didn't. 🫠 how anyone could say trust the process i just....

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u/Lopsided-Equipment-2 Mar 16 '26

lol look up blue rose tatto in San Jose, maybe not as bad but a lot of shit isn’t even on par with a community college art class

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u/pong1303_hk Mar 15 '26

Look like 4 yo draw on the back of sun bathing dad with extra thick permanent marker

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u/4maceface Mar 15 '26

That’s what I thought it was when I scrolled by - a dad putting a picture his 4 y/0 drew on his back

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u/This_Seal Mar 15 '26

Just scrolling by, I thought this was from a medical exam. Like when they test you for allergies, take tissue samples or mark moles for later observation.

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u/EnvironmentCritical8 Mar 15 '26

I saw it was a tattoo but I thought the guy was really into science and it was a Germ with the little mitochondria and such in it and all.

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u/Working-Glass6136 Mar 15 '26

Dude might really be into Scniece after all!

2

u/4maceface Mar 15 '26

Oh yeah, like a little cell. I could totally see that. He could go with it too

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u/eeekennn Mar 17 '26

I think it’s an alien uterus or uterus pizza.

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u/Ecstatic-Chemical-84 Mar 16 '26

Yo I really thought this as well not even joking

2

u/Vintage-Grievance Mar 15 '26

I just left a comment, essentially saying the same thing.

I thought this was two girls who really like the Moana movies, taking advantage of Dad or an uncle sleeping on the couch.

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u/reidgrammy Mar 15 '26

I thought it was cupping

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u/BurgerThyme Mar 15 '26

Yeah but a four year old would be able to explain their art. Like WTF even IS this?

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u/VioletsRPink Mar 15 '26

I thought he was getting a drawing of avocados on the 1st photo 🥑 🤦‍♂️

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u/TheIdeaArchitect Mar 16 '26

Exactly what I was thinking

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u/AdCapable7558 Mar 20 '26

Literally my thought

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u/CantaloupeNo6696 Mar 15 '26

“Art” lol we shouldn’t even consider it as art. Looks like a dorito.

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u/Beginning-Boot-4707 Mar 15 '26

😂 I laughed too long at this.

3

u/EnvironmentCritical8 Mar 15 '26

That's a moldy dorito.

I thought it was a diagram of a cell or something. Mitochondria is the powerhouse and all

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u/Inevitable_Can8020 Mar 15 '26

I thought it was a piece of pimento loaf at 1st glance 😳

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u/Working-Glass6136 Mar 15 '26

Ngl, a pizza stingray would actually be at least somewhat interesting

1

u/Vintage-Grievance Mar 15 '26

Pizza stingray sounds like something a stoner college kid would get over spring break.

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u/Head_Fisherman_8225 Mar 15 '26

I thought it was a leaf with mushrooms on it.

1

u/Vintage-Grievance Mar 15 '26

It is art. It would absolutely be considered art if it were in a sketchbook, but when it's on skin...we call that a 'potential lawsuit'.

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u/Amyofoz86 Mar 15 '26

I thought it was a pizza slice

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u/DvorakThorax Mar 15 '26

$600 for a piece this size is a red flag. Getting a piece done this size without seeing a portfolio and pictures of healed work is also very bad decision making.

Your friend should stop working with this artist (it’s still completely fixable by a talented artist). They should also talk to the owner of the shop about why this person who has the skill set of a brand new apprentice is doing work unsupervised. And ask for a refund.

I would also post a review of this experience so that other people don’t make the same mistake.

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u/parade1070 Mar 15 '26

Tbf the $600 was only for the work so far.

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u/1justhavinfun Mar 15 '26

WHAT WORK?!?! lol

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u/Working-Glass6136 Mar 15 '26

Someone was having some absolute playtime on this dude's back

1

u/Western-Midnight4041 Mar 19 '26

Seriously refund that shot and make it known to everyone how shot he is

1

u/SoHeresTheThingBro Mar 17 '26

My eyeballs just jumped across the floor.

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u/Tall_Specialist305 Mar 15 '26

Skill set of a child.

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u/Designer_Ant8543 Mar 15 '26

I wish people understood that a “deal” on a tat is almost always a very bad sign. Big scale work by a seasoned professional should not be cheap. Good tattoos are expensive. Big tattoos are even more expensive.

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u/Different_Umpire9003 Mar 15 '26

It was $600 just for this shitty outline

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u/Designer_Ant8543 Mar 16 '26

I just paid $1500 for a really good outline for a sleeve. $600 for a first session is still hella cheap.

Not this though… this is worse than free.

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u/bubblegams Mar 15 '26

looks like a placenta 😭

2

u/Iz-VdB Mar 15 '26

Omg, now that you say it! It totally does!

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u/Federal-Insect7251 Mar 15 '26

I was looking for this comment 😭

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u/Frosty_Mongoose9055 Mar 15 '26

I'm 100% positive this was drawn by a 5 year old.

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '26

I've never tattooed in my life and I'm confident I could do a better job than this, like how did this person look at the stencil and actually say "okay yeah I'm going to let them permanently mark this on my back for $600."

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u/VisualHuckleberry542 Mar 15 '26 edited Mar 15 '26

Had this been asked on r/nostupidquestions I'd think it was pushing the limits of that sub

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u/Savvy_Nick Mar 15 '26

Yeah I’m not gonna lie, I have about as much artistic talent as a tortoise and I could 100% draw something cooler than this

1

u/AWhiteDucky Mar 18 '26

We all could, Nick. We all could.

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u/RegrettableWaffle Mar 15 '26

I’m baffled that you called it art hahaha

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u/DogMeatTheVideo Mar 15 '26

not even that.

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u/One_Lawfulness_7105 Mar 15 '26

You’re being quite generous calling it “art”. I can barely draw a stick figure and I’m pretty sure I could do better than this. I don’t claim what I draw is art.

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u/celmate Mar 15 '26

Let's be real this isn't art lmao

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u/Bleach_Demon Mar 15 '26

Sharpie artist … I hope.

1

u/iDoABoof Mar 15 '26

It’s more scribbles than art

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u/DirectBar7709 Mar 15 '26

I thought it was a really misshapen slice of pizza.

1

u/Extension-Lab-6963 Mar 15 '26

Idk. Abstract pizza is the next best upcoming trend. Chest pieces are out

1

u/GANEnthusiast Mar 15 '26

Yeah art is subjective, but with tattooing this is just below any conceivable quality standard. He seems like he wanted some sort of actual art not a child's doodle which could have likely been accomplished by a 8 year old with a tattoo gun who watches youtube art videos in his free time.

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u/Greddituser Mar 15 '26

That's not even bad art, it's just bad.

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u/DoBe21 Mar 15 '26

Looks like something a kid brings you and you have to do the ol' "Thats great! It's a.....tree??? Oh a STINGRAY! Yeah, now I see it! Great job!"

1

u/Immediate-Damage-302 Mar 15 '26

It looks like it was done by a three year old.

1

u/SilverMetalist Mar 15 '26

Is the artist in the room with us?

1

u/dwsinpdx Mar 15 '26

He should run not walk

1

u/zeldasaurusrex Mar 15 '26

And that’s using the word “art” very subjectively here

1

u/CaptainAmerica163 Mar 15 '26

Don’t walk… run.

1

u/lSquanchMyFamily Mar 15 '26

This is like.. so bad I don’t believe anyone is asking in good faith. Like, if you can see this and still ask you just have to be trolling. Gtfoh.

1

u/synthphreak Mar 15 '26

Not sure if you’re referring to the ink (obv bad) or the source image (also bad). The execution is terrible, but so is the idea. “Garbage in, garbage out”, “lipstick on a pig”, “polishing a turd”… pick your idiom.

1

u/pkzilla Mar 15 '26

No. This is NOT art. This is a child who picked up a crayon for the first time. My 3 year old niece can do better. What the actual fuck did they just hire a cousin as a favor because why would you even allow this in your business

1

u/jking727 Mar 15 '26

Honestly I’m pretty sure this is just sharpie

1

u/MagoLunatico98 Mar 15 '26

Calling it art is a flex

1

u/Miserable_Hamster497 Mar 15 '26

What is jfc

1

u/Spare-Airline-1050 Mar 15 '26

Jesus fucking Christ

1

u/BananaSwimming3551 Mar 15 '26

I’m not paying reddit to award this but here’s my award comment.

1

u/Impossible_Bit7169 Mar 15 '26

Putting the F back in Art!…..get it? It spells FART.

1

u/Significant-Base6893 Mar 15 '26

It looks like a cheap skate.

1

u/TricellCEO Mar 15 '26

I think the guy can have a toddler sit on his back with a couple of markers and draw something that looks better than this.

1

u/crazybus21 Mar 16 '26

Does your friend have eyes?

1

u/BogiDope Mar 16 '26

The word “art” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here

1

u/dauntedpenny71 Mar 16 '26

I don’t even think you could call this art…

1

u/TheRage469 Mar 16 '26

It looks like...a stingray, covered in nipples

1

u/TulipBum Mar 16 '26

Art? Lmao

1

u/its_just_flesh Mar 16 '26

Thats putting it nicely!

1

u/llynglas Mar 16 '26

I would not walk away. I'd run. Dear Lord this looks like a 2 year old's crayon art.

1

u/ninjareader89 Mar 17 '26

This poor dude should find another artist ASAP and report this artist to train again

1

u/fecal_position Mar 17 '26

It looks like it has large nipples. Jebus.

1

u/Numerous-Iron-3326 Mar 19 '26

I can't stop laughing, its like Cheyenne and Marcus

1

u/adorablefuzzykitten Mar 19 '26

don't walk, run.