AlexHeizer.com: Blog

Keeping a good rep

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:12:00 -0500

The shop I work in, Top Gun Tattoos, is located immediately outside the Fort Leonard Wood army base in St. Robert, Missouri. So immediately outside the Fort, that the only thing between the Fort's entrance and our shopping center is another smaller strip of stores. You might think that this would be a perfect location for a tattoo shop, but there are actually two other tattoo shops in the smaller strip of stores between us and the Fort. Oddly enough, that doesn't keep us from being busy. However, being two miles down the road doesn't stop one of the other shops from being busy, too.

The unique thing about Fort Wood is that if you are in the armed forces, you will end up there at one point or another. It serves as a training center for all branches of the military, so you're pretty much guaranteed to spend at least some time there during your service. With so many people going through the Fort, it's not hard to imagine why all of the shops stay busy.

Every week I hear from at least one of the GI's that they got a good recommendation about the shop from someone on Post, or the guy across the hall got a great tattoo from us last week, or something like that. This weekend I even did a new tattoo on someone who got a tattoo last weekend at a different shop on the strip and decided to come to us for this one. I think all three of us do great work there and we're so laid back and easy to talk to, so it doesn't surprise me that people give good references for the shop. What does surprise me is that even though every 8 weeks there's a new shift of trainees Top Gun still has a great reputation for our work. With as many people going through Fort Wood as often as they do, it always amazes me that word gets around like it does. Almost like a collective unconscious, a subconscious mindshare.

Maybe one day all will be revealed. Probably not. I think I'll just sit back, make great art and enjoy it.

-Alex

Making something original

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:55:00 -0500

One thing that gets me revved up at work is being able to create. What I do best is to create things which may or may not be something you see other places, but in a way that nobody else does them. It may be flash from the wall or a custom-drawn piece, but either way, by the time I'm done with it there will be something unique about it.

This weekend I did a piece from the wall that's probably been done in half the shops in the country. This happens all the time, and is why shops buy flash in the first place. I've read about shops being proud to not have any flash on the walls and do only custom work, but in my opinion that attitude shows the limitations of those artists. If you can't customize and make a piece of simple existing artwork unique, you aren't very creative. Having my own style, my first thought whenever I see a piece of flash is to envision how I would do it. In the case of this piece I did this weekend, this meant some subtle color blends that weren't in the original design, but would make certain elements really pop. He told me that getting something different than everyone else was getting was important to him, and he was happy that I gave him that.

Every once in a while someone will ask about the competition in the area, since there are at least a half dozen other shops within 2 miles of the shop, and 4 of those within a half mile. I always respond that it's not really a competition because every artist working in all of the shops is unique, with their own style. Getting a tattoo isn't like buying a can of peas, where you compare the exact same brand and size at different stores. If the customer wants something basic and doesn't care that much how good it is, then they'll just go to whoever they see first anyway or will comparison shop for prices. But if they care about the quality of work they're getting, then they'll choose a shop or artist that fits them best. Sometimes that's me, sometimes that's another shop.

This week I'll have some new designs, which I hope helps people see what's possible with tattoos that they usually don't think of when they imagine a tattoo. More than ever, there are a lot of artists who are becoming tattooists, so don't worry about taking your time to find one who can make something original for you.

-Alex

Coming soon... ME!

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:49:00 -0500

For the past few weeks, my wife Michelle has been really kicking out this incredible website. In some ways, I feel like a third wheel, but after spending the last month in a new shop getting settled in it's great getting to watch her do what she does best! Without her talents and skills, anything I do would just look like ordinary pictures of some tattoos and drawings. When she works her magic, I feel blessed that I'm going to have the best-looking artist site around. Thanks are not enough for the wonderful work she does.

Although we're both putting the finishing touches on the site, it's already been indexed in the search engines and people are visiting it every day, reading the blog, browsing through the galleries. I hope everyone sees something they like. If you're a fan of tattoos, I hope you appreciate my work and stop in and visit if you're in Missouri any time soon. If you aren't a fan of tattoos, I hope my art can help you to see that the tattoo scene has been changing in recent years and that beautiful art can exist on canvas, paper and even skin.

Once the site is finished I'll have a shop where you'll be able to buy t-shirts, stickers, posters, temporary tattoos and more with my designs on them, and a page where you can contact me to discuss your ideas for a new tattoo and make an appointment online! And you can already leave a comment if you like something I say on the blog. So come back soon, I hope you will love the new site as much as I do!

-Alex

Talking with the troops

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:36:00 -0500

Working next to an army base, I get a lot of military men and women coming into the shop. Like any other segment of the population, they come in all shapes and sizes, all types of personalities, all kinds of backgrounds. Today’s media doesn’t often have a lot of respect for those who it reports about, other than the fact that they help to boost ratings. Those who serve in the army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard and national guard are reduced to statistics and icons, to help support the latest headlines about the war efforts. One of the things which has impressed me about the troops, though, is something you normally don’t hear about from the media: confidence and respect. Okay, so that’s two things.

With rare exception, each of the troops I talk with in the shop are strong individuals who have personally benefited from their service, whether they’ve mentioned that they appreciated the experience or not. You can tell from talking with them that their nature may be introverted or extroverted, laid-back or crazy-go-nuts, loud or quiet, but regardless of their nature they stand up straight, look you in the eye and treat you with respect when they speak with you.

One serviceman that I worked on recently spent most of the time under the needle calling his friends back home to let them know he’d just graduated and would be going home. He told each of them that they wouldn’t recognize him because of the changes he’d gone through. He said you just can’t understand what it’s like until you go through something like that yourself. I believe him. When I look at some of the kids in town, I see a huge difference in the way they act compared to the troops that I talk with every weekend who are just a year or two older. Thankfully, I am able to get to talk to the troops every weekend. It makes me feel not so bad about ignoring what the media has to say when it mentions them.

And, it makes me even more sure that the best way to support our troops is to bring them all home safely.

-Alex

Think ’ink’!

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:33:00 -0500

I’ve seen some articles lately about what to look for in a shop when you go for a tattoo. Among the things to look for are, or course, whether the shop uses single-use needles and other sterile practices. But lately I’ve been thinking about one of the things most people don’t even consider: the ink itself.

I thought about this the other day after being particularly pleased with how a blood-red color went into a piece I was working on, and Michelle suggested I write about it since most people don’t even think about how different inks affect the look of a tattoo. I’ve recently switched ink brands and immediately noticed a difference in how quickly I am able to put in color and how rich and full the colors appear to me. Both brands are professional quality and used in shops across the country, but the important thing is as a customer make sure you take a look at how your artist’s work comes out since there can be a difference in how each brand’s ink looks in people’s skin.

In the past there was a big difference in quality between the brands. Mostly it seems they did this for economical reasons (high-quality ingredients can be expensive), but rarely out of carelessness or for malicious reasons. Nowadays, low-quality, inexpensive inks should only be used by people first starting out who practice their skills on non-human targets and are still trying to figure out if tattooing is right for them before shelling out a ton of money on professional equipment and supplies. Even an apprentice should be using quality ink, but that is handed down to them by their mentors (which means if an apprentice is using cheap ink, consider the professionalism of the mentoring artist). The good thing is with tattoos becoming more mainstream, more companies are producing good quality inks. This means there’s no good excuse for your artist to not use top-notch color in your skin.

All-in-all, among all the things to look for when choosing a shop and artist for your next tattoo, check out the artist’s work to make sure the coloring looks good for the piece you plan to get, and don’t be afraid to ask what brand of ink they use. Remember, the ink is what is going to stay in your skin for the rest of your life. Make it count.

And, don’t forget to ask about single-use needles and other sterile practices while you’re at it.

Peace,
-Alex

Getting into a new groove

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:24:00 -0500

Recently I joined a new shop. It’s been around for a few years, it’s just new to me. Every other weekend is busy, being next to an army base which pays its troops every other week. This gives me an opportunity to get settled in gradually, since there’s sometimes a bit of downtime around the shop.

In addition to the new shop, I’ve been trying to expand my experience with different pieces of equipment that I haven’t yet tried. This includes new brands of ink, nitrile gloves instead of latex, new machines, and single-use needle tubes. I’ve always only used needles one time, then disposed of them, but traditionally tubes are stainless steel and are cleaned and sterilized in the shop, then re-used. Switching to single-use tubes means one more small way to improve the health conditions around the tattoo world.

I’m still using the needle tubes I first bought when I started tattooing back in 1990, so it’s hard for sentimental reasons to switch to disposable tubes. But, sometimes it’s good to go a little outside your comfort zone to explore new ideas. Being open to new things can lead to new areas of creativity, even if it seems like something mundane or inconsequential on the surface. Breaking out of a habit helps you learn new things, and gives you an opportunity to reexamine the things you do out of habit. Sometimes doing things the way you’ve done them for years is the best way, which is why they’ve become a habit. But when new information or materials become available, we’re able to choose whether our habits are still good, or if we should develop new ones.

Tomorrow, I’ll see if there are any new habits I can form. I have some new equipment just sent over directly from China that is just begging to be tried out!

-Alex

What I love to do

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:04:00 -0600

A good friend of mine in the tattoo business summed it up like this:

"I get to do what I love to do all day, every day. Plus, what other artist sells every piece they make?"

What better job to have than one that you love? The tattoo world is a rare one in the job market where every worker fights to get into their first position by putting in free hours at a company, sometimes paying for the privilege. In any industry there are standout companies which don’t have to worry about finding people to fill the few internships available, but even in those companies plenty of employees have "fallen" into their positions or just submitted an application along with applications at a dozen other companies. But ask any established tattoo shop and you’ll find they always have new people asking to be taken on as an apprentice, or to be given their big chance to work in their first shop. As an artist, I find it really great to be a part of a culture and industry that has so many energetic people come into it every day simply because it is what they’re driven to do!

Some may look at them as competition, but I know it’s hard to keep any close circles from getting stale. Especially artistic ones. Every new artist brings a new perspective and the opportunity to see something never seen before. These new perspectives and opportunities are what being an artist is all about, and what I love about going to work each day.

-Alex