Artisan Tattoo

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Eve Kupersanin

via Google

Jason tattooed my beloved cat Chester on my arm and not only did he capture Chester's image perfectly, but he also managed to capture Chester's spirit in the art-- I'm not sure how, but people who have known my legendary cat agree. Jason is also just a great person. A+++ and I'd never trust anyone else.

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Thomas Nolfi

via Google

First, let me just say that this review has been about 3+ years in the making. It’s hard to grasp and admit that you have a bad tattoo. Sometimes, it takes the mind a minute to connect with what is going to be on your body for presumably the rest of your life. We can justify and look at the art a million different ways, but sometimes, it just takes some courage and a few strong moments to admit that the tattoo you have is not good. Factoring in price and prep work, it’s a super hard pill to swallow. With that in mind, below I will detail my entire experience with Artisan and my artist Kati’s partial coverup of a tattoo that she did on my right shoulder. Around 2018, I started to research reputable tattoo shops in the area. To stand out, you really have to own and appreciate a few little niches. This shop is a duel coffee/tattoo joint. It’s nice and the food/beverage choices seem practical, but in hindsight, I wish I would’ve focused on a shop that was more worried about mastering their craft over pouring a couple of espresso shots. I show up for my first appointment, eager and a little nervous, and the first thing my artist says to me is, “Oops, I thought I had somebody else coming today. I think I doubled booked my clients.” Alright, now that is when some more anxiety started to creep in. I appreciated her honesty, but it only made things more difficult to handle as she presented me with a skull tattoo cover-up. Uh oh. I explained that, that wasn’t really what I wanted and I asked her to refer to our emails on the session. So, like a stuck up child being told to eat her veggies, she sat there with her iPad and scavenged through her emails to try to prove me wrong. It was beyond awkward. I’m sitting there with my shirt off and my artist is huffing and puffing. Not a good or welcoming start. Eventually, she saw our correspondence and apologized for the mixup. Being an understanding person, I can see how mistakes can be made with scheduling and I just suggested that we find another time and day to start the tattoo. She agreed and sent me on my way…I didn’t even get a complimentary muffin for the 35 minute drive. Fast forward about a month later, around the end of November and it is the night before my first tattoo session. I get a text (iMessage) from my artist stating that she has a terrible migraine and cannot do my tattoo the next day. Alrighty, no big deal. I had my deposit in and at some point soon hopefully, a tattoo will be done. She seemed like a nice and professional artist who would make things right. Little did I know, this mess just became worse and worse. Finally, tattoo day! I show up right on our scheduled time and beat my artist to the shop. There was another artist that was working on another client in the opposite chair across from the one I sat in. I signed in on a iPad that asked for consent and all of the other typical tattoo verbiage that one receives before getting inked. My artist showed up and we got to work. It was a long first session but it went mostly well. The thing I hate about getting a tattoo is when you want to give some input after a design is finalized and you are gaslighted into oblivion or made out to feel terribly guilty. The vibe was to keep my mouth shut and let the artist do her work. I’ve had artists like that before, and I understand, but it was a hostile and unsettling vibe. Long story short, the cover-up was botched and she explained how in the next few sessions it would start to come alive. That is the last time I went to Artisan. Not because I didn’t want my piece to be finished but because my artist cancelled on me 3 more times. She kept explaining how she was either sick or had previous engagements she forgot about. At that point, I had lost all confidence, and did not bother to reschedule with her. It took courage and a little bit of convincing to share my experience. Please do your research about local shops and artists. I know that sounds cliche, but there are better and cheaper options around Pittsburgh area.

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Ty

via Google

Jason is such a cool guy and stellar tattoo artist! I found him after searching for someone who I could feel confident about their line work and ability to punch in color. I had never been inked and went in terrified. Yep, I found myself hyperventilating but I sat for the process because I knew the finished product would be something worth the pain (I’m a weenie, Jason isn’t heavy handed or anything). Also, to anyone with melanated and darker complexions, I can attest that Jason produces legible and beautifully saturated works. Thank you again, Artisan!