Ahhh, the time-old question of "what makes a good tattoo" =)

First, I should probably do an entire episode on this alone. Great question!

Now, here' the summary:

Yes, a tattoo is art, and art is subject to personal opinion, BUT! The difference comes down to technical aspects of the tattoo, how well the tattoo fits the particular part of the body, and how well the customers vision was done for them.

Unlike other mediums of art, tattoos are like commissioning an artists to do a specific piece in a specific style. And if they fuck up, you're the one that has to live with it, so it's a big deal. When you buy a painting, or say, "wow, I like that piece of art on the wall", you're saying that you like the style of the artists and the piece exactly. You're liking something that's already been done. Now, when it comes to a tattoo, you're saying "this is what I want", and if the artist delivers exactly what you want, or better, it's a good tattoo. Otherwise the artist has fallen short, or you picked an artist that couldn't handle what you wanted. This is why looking at their portfolios is important.

OK, so technical aspects of the tattoo. Is the tattoo all "muddy" and / or blurry? That's a bad tattoo. Are there frequent blow-outs? (when you put too much ink into a spot of skin that can't handle it, it leaks out like a bruise) That's a bad tattoo. Did you ask for a portrait of your girlfriend and it turn out to look like your dog? That's a bad tattoo. Was the color palate totally off from what else is around it / your skin / what you asked for? That's a bad tattoo. Are the lines all shaky and not connecting at the points? Overlap? Poor shading? That's a bad tattoo. Has half the ink fallen out, making the tattoo look spotty or faded? That's a bad tattoo.

Does the tattoo fit the body? This has more to do with placement and designing the tattoo to fit the body part it's being placed on. The tattoo should conform to the anatomy of piece it's on. Unlike most art that's flat, all tattoos are curved and bend / twist. As if they're alive. A good tattoo with work with the body. Major flow lines and movement will flow with the striations of the underling muscles, or curvatures of the body.

Lastly, yes, it is art, and a personal choice. And here is where my question comes in. These guys (and girls) have not 1, but a shitload of crap. Which means they either like it like that (there are people that collect bad tattoos, and that's cool if it's their intent), they don't know any better (they've never seen a good tattoo (more likely), or they just don't care and think it's "cool" to be covered in tattoos, no matter what they are (also more likely).

My concern is with the younger crowd. They are highly impressionable, and think any tattoo is a "cool" tattoo. This is where I think the problem stems from, and is what I want to change. It's as if a 15 y/o thinks that any paint on a canvas is good art. They're not impressed with the art / tattoo. They think what's "cool" is what it represents; rebel. That's awesome and all, but be a rebel with a since of style. Shit, even Kid Rock (the "I love being white trash" rock star) had his back done by Bob Tyrrell. So I guess there's hope. Even if your music sucks ;o)

EXACTLY! wtf?

Lil Jon, please contact me, and I'll hook you up with some awesome tattoo work!

(I'm a fan, cuz he fuzed Krunk and Metal!)

Not sure if this was a question or a statement. If it's a question, then my answer is, "nope" =)