20 Deardengate, Haslingden,Lancs, BB45QJ
Thursday, 23 June 2016
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Sunday, 9 December 2012
new videos of how i do fun things :)
Sculpting a 3D Digital Skull from scratch using photoshop & Zbrush4
Profile pics of skulls
Image Planes aligned to check modelled version against
Texturing the base of the skull using Spotlight to 'paint' depth and detail!
Adding Teeth using Subtool Editor to duplicate & mirror.
Finished Blocked in model, i detailed it a lot after but the video was corrupt but i use this skull a lot instead of the generic one found in a lot of modelling apps.
watch it being made here on YouTube - subscribe if you want to see others like it when i post them :)
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OX!
"Ox" a design asked for today from a photo, before i can tattoo it with full confidence and without too much double checking on the spot i like to break it down and either trace over or use photoshop and a wacom to revise what shapes and shades will be needed. heres an example. there still a bit of darkness to go in over the bottom right of the hair but not something id waste time refining in the sketchover
you can watch the video progress here on YouTube - subscribe if you want to see others like it when i post them :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPDweX2X9w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPDweX2X9w
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
In the bath.... Pond'rin
Theres been quite a lot on my mind recently having me going over and over whether or not running the tattoo studio is how i see my life being in another few years, it doesnt happen that way in reality tho.
By nature we process and refine, whatever it is we do we have that same process. I was just peeping outside the box i reckon, hiding from the real problem.
Ive always had problems collecting deposits for appointments or worst still ill design a whole sleeve for someone to say theyve changed their mind and i havent been paid.. This is NOT a rare case!
It seems like lately when i tell customers i charge £35 per hour to design their tattoo they back off, thats crazZZyyyy!!!!
Now if i can be good enough f a tattooist with enough experience and reputation to get them interested how come im not trusted to come up with a design that customer will be overjoyed to see......providing they give me a good description!!!!!
THAT is where the axe falls and the tinted windows rise, they KNOW theyre not descriptive so assume theyll have one choice that they 'directed'.
The best bet for customers who think im untrustworthy with their design fee is to book in for an hour and actually dirct me as i draw and let me know if i am on the wrong lines ;)
I dont work that way, i use a lot of computer helpers that get me examples to make choosing your design a losd easier.....
......BESIDES i never tell anyone there IS no secondary hrs charge, just that one fee.....the penny pinchers lose out and the serious customers get more quality time ;)
Which brings e back to this yearly thing, i seem to get pissed off with the same/sort of tyrekickers every summer and it costs me, making me believe I AM struggling, year by year theyll get refused service and i get a better load of rabble/customers to fill the chair,
Anyway, just gotta say, same as last yr......."the ink spot will survive, the tyrekickers will perish" ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
By nature we process and refine, whatever it is we do we have that same process. I was just peeping outside the box i reckon, hiding from the real problem.
Ive always had problems collecting deposits for appointments or worst still ill design a whole sleeve for someone to say theyve changed their mind and i havent been paid.. This is NOT a rare case!
It seems like lately when i tell customers i charge £35 per hour to design their tattoo they back off, thats crazZZyyyy!!!!
Now if i can be good enough f a tattooist with enough experience and reputation to get them interested how come im not trusted to come up with a design that customer will be overjoyed to see......providing they give me a good description!!!!!
THAT is where the axe falls and the tinted windows rise, they KNOW theyre not descriptive so assume theyll have one choice that they 'directed'.
The best bet for customers who think im untrustworthy with their design fee is to book in for an hour and actually dirct me as i draw and let me know if i am on the wrong lines ;)
I dont work that way, i use a lot of computer helpers that get me examples to make choosing your design a losd easier.....
......BESIDES i never tell anyone there IS no secondary hrs charge, just that one fee.....the penny pinchers lose out and the serious customers get more quality time ;)
Which brings e back to this yearly thing, i seem to get pissed off with the same/sort of tyrekickers every summer and it costs me, making me believe I AM struggling, year by year theyll get refused service and i get a better load of rabble/customers to fill the chair,
Anyway, just gotta say, same as last yr......."the ink spot will survive, the tyrekickers will perish" ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Me bath....i sez!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Price checking?!
It's summer madness once again.......and it's back with a vengeance!!!!
Not that it's any more humid or as hot as any other..... More like people get about more and notice they pass at least 1 tattoo studio in very town, something thats never changed since forever when you've been interested in them since....well, forever!
Lately I've noticed a few cheeky lil punters coming in for quotes on tattoos they're showing great interest in and promising to come back "verrrry soon" and coming in a couple of week later with a very similar tattoonto what theyve previously described....even in the same place, just by a VERRRRY different artist.
Makes me wonder if I should give them my time second time round or just concentrate on the good customers who don't like to mess me about rather than someone who thinks my time isn't of any value.
Not that it's any more humid or as hot as any other..... More like people get about more and notice they pass at least 1 tattoo studio in very town, something thats never changed since forever when you've been interested in them since....well, forever!
Lately I've noticed a few cheeky lil punters coming in for quotes on tattoos they're showing great interest in and promising to come back "verrrry soon" and coming in a couple of week later with a very similar tattoonto what theyve previously described....even in the same place, just by a VERRRRY different artist.
Makes me wonder if I should give them my time second time round or just concentrate on the good customers who don't like to mess me about rather than someone who thinks my time isn't of any value.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Good news or Bad news?.....hourly rate increase needed!
Over the last 4 years I've made a point of not raising my hourly rate with every budget that's gone by although the price of stock increases the same as anything in life.
I've managed by booking my appointments in back to back so when I set up for a customer it's in their time and not in their absence.
Up until recently setting up when a customer arrives has been a necessity as I can never clearly remember exactly where I am with some of the bigger jobs I have going on and never sure what sort of needle setup, amount of machines or colours I need to get out ready.
With the smaller jobs I need to wait till the customer arrives to fill in and go through the declaration form with them and during that time I have to grab 5 minutes of fresh air.
Today I've arranged to have an all in one touchscreen diary/ photo declaration form/ health checker/ text or email reminder installed at the shop so while I'm setting up the customer can fill in the necessary details in my absence which will obviously speed the whole process up as well as keep track of where I am with a particular customers tattoo so I know exactly what I need to setup ready for them, they will have received a reminder through email or text so I will have less 'no shows' due to forgetfulness and I won't be as hesitant in setting up.
The computer is as cheap as chips but has a monthly subscription for the software and server provided to backup the shop details and give sup port which has finally tipped the scales and I'm forced to raids the hourly rate by just £5.
Not only for the subscription for the new 'puter but due to the latest increase in vat as well as recent budget....I can't ignore the obvious forever and must put hourly rates up to keep my head above water.
Them that know what my rates are won't be surprised and will understand they're still paying half the price of anywhere else locally for twice the quality and the increase isn't to line my own pockets but to increase the proficiency of the ink spot and guarantee the best service I can offer.
I've managed by booking my appointments in back to back so when I set up for a customer it's in their time and not in their absence.
Up until recently setting up when a customer arrives has been a necessity as I can never clearly remember exactly where I am with some of the bigger jobs I have going on and never sure what sort of needle setup, amount of machines or colours I need to get out ready.
With the smaller jobs I need to wait till the customer arrives to fill in and go through the declaration form with them and during that time I have to grab 5 minutes of fresh air.
Today I've arranged to have an all in one touchscreen diary/ photo declaration form/ health checker/ text or email reminder installed at the shop so while I'm setting up the customer can fill in the necessary details in my absence which will obviously speed the whole process up as well as keep track of where I am with a particular customers tattoo so I know exactly what I need to setup ready for them, they will have received a reminder through email or text so I will have less 'no shows' due to forgetfulness and I won't be as hesitant in setting up.
The computer is as cheap as chips but has a monthly subscription for the software and server provided to backup the shop details and give sup port which has finally tipped the scales and I'm forced to raids the hourly rate by just £5.
Not only for the subscription for the new 'puter but due to the latest increase in vat as well as recent budget....I can't ignore the obvious forever and must put hourly rates up to keep my head above water.
Them that know what my rates are won't be surprised and will understand they're still paying half the price of anywhere else locally for twice the quality and the increase isn't to line my own pockets but to increase the proficiency of the ink spot and guarantee the best service I can offer.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Evernote has saved my head from melllltinnnng!!!
Over the last few yrs its been hard work remembering a lot of details and conversational significance that people attach when describing what they want from a design they want drawing up which leads to a pissed off punter as they have to make another visit or two (one to recheck the edited version and another for their actual tattoo).
This slow paced workflow has suited me for the first 4 or 5 yrs in business but over the last few its taken a lot of enjoyment from the job as im letting people down at the first stages or at least taking too long for some peoples patience to endure, they just dont understand how many bits of info i needed to remember so its not a great loss. every for every customer i lose to bad patience is another patient customers gain as i have more time to get it better than they ever hoped ;)
Anyway back to it!!
Evernote is downloadable for Mac, windoze, Ipod, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, android, windows mobile......and free for all formats.
this is what you get with the freebie account, ive tried to max it out over the last 2 months ive been using it, once its synced with the main server it doesnt add to your allowance with each individual sync.....never even been 50% thru my allowance
im in my 3rd month of using it now and never have a problem with the syncing between 3 macs and an ipad, my mobile phone can take photos off bills and invoices....upload them and use osc recognistion (osc is scanning a photo or letter and picking the writing out and turns it into an actual editable text document rather than a jpg you cant change text as if youve typed it..ya get me?? :)
you get a personal email which you can uplaod pics to your a account if your using a pc without evernote or off a mobile on the move and sort them out on a pc later to add any html code or photos.
this is a screenshot of how my main window looks like,
you can share documents publicly or by email and it uploads them to an online space and gives you an url or sends the email to the secure link, (no password needed) which makes it easier to share documents which can be edited by the viewer (as a premium account)
The premium account would be amazin if i ever thought id need it id definately invest in it but at the moment im more than happy with the free account which is why im pumping it.
They even do a range of smartpens as well as reliable software that converts voice notes to editable text!!! (voice2note & dial2Do) 2 ive read good reviews about but too mumblin to make good use of em :D
GET IT HERE!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Rossendale,United Kingdom
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