In 2000, I moved to Austin the & wanted to mark the occasion by getting my 1st Tattoo. I drove by Atomic North dozens of times and finally decided to check it out. I looked through a portfolio by an artist named ""Tim."" (He's not there anymore thank God!) His portfolio looked respectable and I had a picture of the exact tattoo I wanted, a tribal Shark Circle. I thought it would simple enough and paid $90.
""Tim"" then proceeded to deface my chest deeply and tattooing his square version of my drawing larger than the drawing, off center without even stenciling or drawing on me 1st, Being a 1st timer I thought this was normal. There was so much blood, he cut deep,a and it was on my chest so I couldn't see what he was doing. It hurt like hell.
When ""Tim"" was done I had a square tattoo instead of a circular one in the drawing i gave him. I was in shock that this jerk would deface my body so badly rather than refer me to someone who knew what they were doing. The owner of Atomic North saw the picture and theTim's horrible results the next day. None of the shark fins or tails were the same size and it looked nothing like the drawing. The owner actually gave me a full refund because ""Tim"" did such an awful job. But I've had to live with this monstrosity for 10 years now, and it sadens me whenever I look at it.
There was no L.A. Ink show back then. Kat Von D & Cory Miller, 2 of the best tattoo artists in the world, will DRAW FREEHAND on someone occasionally, and then OK it with the client, but they never ever TATTOO FREEHAND. If only show like L.A. Ink existed in 2000.
I ran into ""Tim"" at the old Ritz Club on 6th months later and he tried to talk to me. I said simply, ""I recognize you. I don't ever want to talk to you. You ruined my life.""
I hope ""Tim"" is out of the tattoo business am disgusted with Atomic North for hiring someone so inexperienced who has scarred me for life with an awful tattoo! The only reason I didn't give them a 0 rating is because it wouldn't let me.
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