Opinions on Talent

I have concentrating on my skills as a serious artist for about eight years now - and now I would like to take the big step into the tattoo industry... Skin art is what motivated me to work so hard for so long to establish what I am finially satisfied to call talent... I just posted up some artwork on myspace at h0wb0yart ... I figured no better place to hear the voices and opinions of artists that know - So - I am throwing myself to the dogs - Tell me what you honestly think... Thanx - howboy...

have you already found who you'll be apprenticing under / which shop?

you seem to have some skills, you'll adjust well to tattooing. ignore the naysayers.

Inkgoddess - not yet at all... I live in this place called Kansas - where legislation has made it almost impossible to get liscensed - and on top of that, there are very few artists that are actually liscensed to apprentice... I am prepared to move out of state - I just need to find someone that sees potential... I dont care what I have to go through to make this happen - I am well aware of what it takes - and have been for some years now... This IS my obession and I WILL find a way to make it happen.... Dez - Thank you sincerely - I appreciate the complement... You guys rock... Howboy

Yeah, you will want to travel and get tattooed by the best you can get to. Keep at the art, get good tattoos, and the folks tattooing you will point you in the right direction if they like you, so you better not be a jerk and it helps to be real humble... Who are you getting tattooed by now? Dez, you forgot to follow up with a really aggressive/offensive side remark designed to piss someone off... Wait, forget I said that. :-)

thanks, gabe, i'll be more careful next time.

I have been getting my work done at The Electrik Chair - by Kriss Harness - Wichita, KS... Just the start of a full left sleeve-to-be... Previously I had the guy in Laramie, WY that owns The Underground do a little work on my chest... I will post them for you if you care to see - as soon as I can get to some non-dial-up... Prob. Later tonight...

Oh yea - hey Dez - I got it covered for ya - and thanx for the reminder Gabe... "You fuckin wannabe fuck! I bet you are just like all these other little wannabe fucks that fuckin jerk the fuck off to miami ink every fuckin night - fuckin fuck fuckety fu fuuuuu FUUUUUUUUU" (Head explodes)...

thanks, bro, i feel much better now.

haha, i like dez. cocky ass sonofabitch. can i see your art? or do you have a website or anything....i wanna see more than the few "arteests" that post on here. [email removed]

Good luck just keep focus and make sure you look at you work with a real outlook.Do not fool yourself into thinking your the best thing that hit the earth.Basically be real with yourself,Always respect the people that support your art with out them you are nothing.

Hey Howboy I"m in ks as well and I've just recently moved back to KC from Wichita. You're not only in a rough state but you're in a rough area of the state as far as gaining your apprenticeship. There's a fuckton of great artists around you right now. I know for a fact that Dennis McPhail's shop ( Artists At Large ) has been inquiring about a new apprentice, and he'd be my choice to go with, the man is awesome. Body Ink and Steel up in newton will need a new apprentice in about 6 months to a year if I remember our conversation right , he's a prick but he's reasonable. Not to talk a bunch of shit on artists down there but Dolacheck (sp?) I think at bullwinkle's will rob ya blind is what i've been told by many people in your situation. He supposedly asks for 5grand up front then kicks ya out on your ass in less than a year due to personal differences, not too mention he acts as if he's god's gift to needles. Normally I stay away from the drama he said she said shit , but i've heard it from about 5 people who've lost their money wiht this guy trying to get licensed. Pete at King Pete's ( formerly Point Blank I believe) is a great artist to learn from as well and he's alot easier to get along with a bit more personable I believe , but he doesn't have any tattoos I always found that somewhat odd. hmm. There's a nice little shop up in emporia wish I could remember the name but in my opinion it'd be a great place to learn, I think the owners are a bit hippieish if that's a word? But being a college town in ks none the less you're looking at alot of little flash type work , ya know? Good practice material till ya find your style and stride. There's also that fella up in Manhattan , god why can't I remember these names, but he's good and yeah another college town. If you were lucky enough to get in with the guy in topeka, FineLine I believe, you'd be set in ks for life, but from what I understand he's a money making fool and has had his hand in making it so hard to get licensed in ks so he's not too keen on letting anyone in the industry. But he is talented and he is responsible and his daughter is hands down on of the best tattooists in ks in my opinion. But since you say you are willing to relocate ,I would imagine since Oklahoma's recent legislative decisions there's going to be a nice little rise of artists popping up there , might be worth checking out for you and it's not extremely far either. Either way best of luck to you.