Changes

'''STEPHAN:''' I have been tattooing professionally since 1997. I did a 2-year apprenticeship before I began tattooing.

'''SCHWAB:''' I started my apprenticeship in the fall of 2000.

'''STEPHAN:''' Well, when I get to create whatever I want, I just try to create an image that's fun for me, and the way I naturally draw is a bit exaggerated. A lot of times for a tattoo, you have to have a consultation with the client and go over their idea to find what will work best for the body part and what’s most appealing. Once we’ve got that set, I just try to tweak it out as far as I feel I can get away with and still have the client happy in the end.

'''SCHWAB:''' In the process of creating an image, I consider the strength of the silhouette, what features or message I want in the forefront of the composition and, lastly, what, visually, I want to have the most impact.

'''HERNANDEZ:''' When it comes to coming up with artwork for a tattoo, I need to fit the art to the canvas. It’s no longer a 12 by 16 sheet of paper. I have rules now. Which direction is the portrait facing? Does the art flow with the body shape? What colors are going to work with this person’s skin color? As for subject matter, I try to come up with images that will be able to be seen clearly from a distance. I try not to clutter too much subject matter into a small space. All the while bending to the client’s requests for whatever they come in for. It’s definitely a whole different monster. Going from doing a face and a funny body to ANYTHING THEY WANT is quite a challenge, a challenge that I love.

'''MZ:''' I like to think of caricaturing as a verb (to caricature). A lot of new school tattoos are images of animals and people ― well, pretty much everything, where the subject is caricatured. What are some ways you try to push your ideas to get a strong image but still hold true to the original subject?

'''JANKOWSKI:''' Staying true to the subject while still getting strong images means that a lot of times I’m trying to figure out what things matter in the piece. For example, if the point of a bird is that it is cute and shy, you're going to put more emphasis in the eyes in the expression on its face. On the other hand, if you’re doing something evil, like a wolf, you'll probably put more emphasis in the teeth. It really depends on what you're trying to convey, and here at the shop we really want to make sure we place enough emphasis on what’s trying to be told.