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Why tattoo artists love when you bring snacks!

10/21/2025

If you’ve ever sat for a long tattoo session, you already know that the stress on your body from sitting for the tattoo can lead you to need need more energy than if you were sitting and watching a movie. One minute you’re vibing with your amazing artist, and the next you feel like your blood sugar has fallen down the proverbial well. That's why it's important to be mindful of how your snacking on the day of your tattoo.

Now, I'm not talking about showing up with a five-course meal. Just a granola bar, a sports drink, or even a pack of fruit snacks can go a long way. Tattooing is an endurance sport, and your body is using up energy even if you’re not moving much.

From an artist’s perspective, snacks are also a sign that you came prepared. It means you’re thinking ahead, and you’re ready to be in the chair for a while. Plus, nobody likes watching a client turn pale halfway through a session because they skipped breakfast. Oh yeah, about that: eat food before your appointment. Better to prepare ahead of time than get the sweats and feel shaky in the middle of your session.

At the shop I work at, A Dead Anchor Tattoo, we actually provide a few little snacks for you to munch on! It’s a small offering, but all it takes is a little bag of crispy treats to get you back on track if you feel off. Remember, no matter how well you tolerate pain or how much entertainment you brought to distract yourself, your body is still undergoing stress and will react to the tattoo whether you like it or not.

So next time you come in for a tattoo, grab something easy to eat and pack it with you. Your future self will thank you!

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Why does traditional tattoo art look the way it does?

10/6/2025

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If you’ve ever seen a tattoo with thick black outlines, bright reds and yellows, and classic
imagery like anchors, roses, or swallows, you’ve seen the traditional American tattoo style. Most of us know it when we see it. But why does it look that way? It's actually a mixture of history and practical reasons.

Early tattoos were created to last a long time, surviving years of sun exposure and skin wear and tear. Thin or detailed lines tended to blur over time, but heavy outlines kept the design readable even decades later. Those thick lines also made the artwork stand out clearly on different skin tones and under less-than-perfect lighting. This method of creating lasting tattoos influenced the look of the style as a whole and is still one of the most popular styles of tattoo to this day.

The Power of Color and Simplicity

The color palette in traditional tattooing is just as iconic as the linework. You’ll usually see
red, yellow, green, and black, sometimes with touches of blue or brown. This is because tattoo inks were limited in both variety and stability. Only certain pigments held up well over time, and among those only a handful were safe to use on most people's skin. While we have an almost endless supply of pigments to tattoo with these days, many artists continue to use the traditional palette to capture this original style of tattooing.

Another thing that defines traditional tattoos is their stylized nature. Because tattoos were often small and done quickly, artists used simple, recognizable shapes that could be read easily on the body. Famous tattoo artists, such as Norman Collins (aka Sailor Jerry) and Don Ed Hardy, helped to popularize the bold style and unique themes of the American Traditional tattoo. Interestingly enough, both of those men were heavily influenced by Japanese tattoo styles at the time. If you look closely at traditional Japanese tattoo art, you can see the similarities.

Traditional tattoo style endures today both because of its tried-and-true artistic techniques and because of the rich history behind the designs. They age beautifully and are readable at a glance. They're a nod to the tattoo pioneers of the past and are the epitome of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

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