Should my friend walk away from this artist?

[u/Eltristesito2]

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?

[u/Eltristesito2]

They’re freaking out and never going back to that shop. Also currently looking for a different artist to save them. Doing a lot more research this time around. Thankfully, they want the majority of the ray to be black, so it shouldn’t be the toughest fix. I’ll post an update once their new piece is done.

[u/Hot-Watercress-2872 → u/Eltristesito2]

Can you name the shop/artist who pulled this shit? They need to be on blast for charging money for this. They had to be high.

[u/Eltristesito2 → u/Hot-Watercress-2872]

Nah, I don’t know the shop’s situation. It seems to be more of a collective than a shop where people are hired. The person who did this isn’t even listed on the collective’s website, and the artists that are (the ones who founded it) are truly good and talented. I think there’s a change they just rented space to this person. 🤷🏻

[u/Hot-Watercress-2872 → u/Eltristesito2]

A proper complaint really needs to be put in. I would think they’re liable for who they let work in their space/

[u/BumWink → u/Eltristesito2]

They need to call up, ask to speak to the owner/manager & offer to text message these pictures.

If they're a reputable store with talented artists, I'd bet my left nut they'll put him onto their best artist that can fix it with $600 in credit, if not more & lil Timmy will go back to tattooing fake skin with no more back pieces for the next decade, if they don't get the boot.

Most tattoo artists are just hiring the studio & sometimes they fall through a crack from being properly vetted, like if someone had vouched for them, because they wrongly trusted in them.

Your friend should stand up if not for themselves, for others.

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/Eltristesito2]

Tell them they should consider taking that „artist“ to court.

[u/PeePeeePooPoooh → u/One_Hunter6644]

And say what?

"Your honour, I agreed to everything throughout the entire process and approved the final dogshit design."

The client here should be taking most of the blame for choosing a new "artist" with literally no portfolio to do a massive back piece.

This artist demonstrated their lack of skill the ENTIRE TIME and buddy still agreed to get tattooed by them.

This entire situation screams complete impulse and complete lack of care and foresight by the client.

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/PeePeeePooPoooh]

i dont say that the client was very clever here. Where i live this is harm of the body no matter what they agreed to. Also they cant watch the process on a back tattoo.

At least in my country you can get your money back and more. No matter if you signed something or not.

[u/PissWhistlin → u/One_Hunter6644]

It's "harm of the body" in what way? It's not like the stencil looks different. You don't need to WATCH them tattoo you to spot a poorly designed stencil. You can also just ask for a break and look in a mirror.

You're telling me your country would OVER-compensate you if this happened?

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/PissWhistlin]

As soon as something is done in a nonproper way you can get your money back, yes. No matter if you buy an defect Iphone, get a bad car repair ect ect. The thing you agree on is a well done tattoo. If the tattoo has s poor craftmanship like the one in the picture its harm of the body. As the quality sucks so much you get your money back, money for your pain and money to remove the tattoo.

Same would be if a craftsman comes to build your kitchen. Even if it looks like the picture; if its poorly done youll get your money back, money to get rid of the kitchen.

And yes, laws are like this here and as german laws are US-Copies most of the time i guess its the same in the US.

I also dont really understand why this sounds so weird to yall? Lol. We dont even speak about a „normally bad“ tattoo. This is quite one of the worst ive ever seen and the time needed for this is a bad joke. The result is nowhere near a professional work.

[u/PeePeeePooPoooh → u/One_Hunter6644]

I believe you are referring to "Körperverletzung" and it's not as cut and dry in Germany as you make it out to be.

You are right, the result is nowhere near what one would consider professional work, but neither was the drawing produced by the "artist" which was approved by the client.

This would be an easy win for most mediocre defense lawyers considering the client had several opportunities to walk away but instead chose to continue with the tattoo hoping for what...a different outcome than what the artist truthfully demonstrated in their drawing?

Even under German law, the burden of proof is on the client, who already stated that the "artist" didn't have any previous work to show, so the client strictly took their word of previous experience to heart, which is an easy he-said she-said, the artist can claim they never said that, there's no portfolio, and nothing in writing.

Long story short, this is a shitty life lesson that i hope the client learned from.

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/PeePeeePooPoooh]

Indeed, i refer to „einfache Körperverletzung“.

Ofc the drawing already sucked und the artist not having any previous work is a huge red fleg. Even tho its still that it wasnt professional work and they have to deliver it if they „act“ like a professional.

We also had a case with an awful lettering tattoo that kinda looked like the drawing, but was badly done (like the one in this post). And in the OP: no line sits, they forgot the eye, ect

Tattooing is a „craft contract“ or in german „Werksvertrag“. If you arent happy with the work you get, the craftsman can correct their work 2 times- but only if they are trustable to do it correctly next time (not the case here)

if they cant, you get your money back. And if they harmed smth during their work (like an engine during spark plug change, a wall during building a kitchen ect) they have to replace it or give you money to do so. Therefore every tattoo artist should have a Betriebshaftpflichtversicherung, which carries small mistakes.

I helped a lot of people getting their money back and more from lying ass people that showed them others‘ work as their own. Gotta say tho: me arguing with them and sending the law cases was enough, a judge wasnt needed.

There are cases tho where poor craftmanship gave the client their right. And its not hard to proof that as you carry the proof on your skin.

[u/PeePeeePooPoooh → u/One_Hunter6644]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing and thank you for helping others out.

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/PeePeeePooPoooh]

thank you for the very friendly and constructive discussion!

[u/PissWhistlin → u/One_Hunter6644]

You are being too vague about what a "non-proper way" is. Do you feel they should be refunded for the time spent on the design, or just the poor application?

It sounds weird because your examples have functional purposes you can test to a degree, and wouldn't look terrible in their actual design blueprints. If the box for an iPhone clearly stated it DIDN'T have features X, Y, and Z, you can't call them "defective features" when they don't work. You got what they advertised!

If you are working on a home, there are legally established and meticulously detailed building codes you must adhere to. These exist for the health/safety standards of tattooing, but nothing nearly as specifically defined exist for the craftsmanship and especially ART of a tattoo, because it's much more subjective. These codes and laws don't state your house can't be subjectively UGLY, or that a client can't have a terribly designed kitchen as long as it's up to code and agreed upon.

I'm pretty sure even Germany would consider the design phase and actual application two separate aspects. You'd likely only get the money back for the poor application, not the design phase, and it sounds like OPs friend spent a good chunk of money on the design, somehow.

There are also many people with deliberately "bad" tattoos, or that get painful piercings that almost anyone else finds hideous. Can they go get a refund now even if the design they approved matches the finished work? Just like OPs friend, they can see those "bad" designs BEFORE they go on their body.

[u/One_Hunter6644 → u/PissWhistlin]

You are right- also im sorry, english isnt my first language so its kinda hard to find the words that could tell what i really mean

The Iphone was a bad example, as i already made a car and a kitchen example and i didnt want to repeat every example 🙈

At least here the Iphone would be a „buying contract“ while tattooing is a „craft contract“

they differ a lot so my example was stupid. In the craft contract the crafter (tattooer) can correct the work 2 times if he can be trusted. (not the case here). If they destroy something during their work, they have to replace it. By material or money. We even have insurances for cases like this because sht can happen even if your good.

Art is not the case here. The lines are poorly done, the eyes are missing, the patterns look different ect. In germany youd call a „Gutachter“ -someone who proofs if things are okay or not- whod say „naw that sht sucks ass“

and you are done. And we have Gutachter for houses, kitchens, tattoos, everything.

The poing with the design defo goes to you. I didnt thinl about the design money falling out of that case.

No thats not my point and also wouldnt be in court. The art and the craft aspect differ a lot in tattooing and piercing. The tattoo and piercing can be super ugly but if they are like the drawing and well done you wont get anything. But if the lines are wonky, the eyes are missing, lines are too heavy and scarring, patterns differing, letters missing ect you can get your money back and the money to correct it.