Honest Tattooer Podcast

Tattoo Artists Play Heads Up. This Should Be Easy.

2.5K views · 5d ago · 45:44

How hard can it be for tattoo artists to guess a tattoo? Add a picture taped to your forehead and a few terrible clues, and apparently pretty hard. Matt Truiano runs another round of Heads Up with Matt Buck and Vega on EP 196 of the Honest Tattooer Podcast. This time they're guessing tattoo designs: panthers, Medusa, mermaids, blue-eyed lions, blackout, cyber sigilism, and more.

Topics: Heads Up returns: tattoo edition · A green lion eating the sun · “Jon does good trees” · Halloween flash and client requests · Cheshire Cat to turkey vulture · Reworks and a six-eyed Saint Michael

Why Good Tattooers Aren’t Getting Booked | Ryan Roi

7.4K views · 1w ago · 1:47:08

Guests: Ryan Roi, Jon Mesa

What good is a popular tattoo page if it isn't putting people in your chair? Ryan Roi returns to chat with Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Gabe “G-Money” Pantoja to talk about good tattooers struggling to get booked—and the difference between making content and marketing a tattoo business.

Topics: Ryan Roi returns · From tattooing to coaching tattooers · Getting comfortable on camera: Randy's story · Content gets attention. Marketing has a purpose. · Why good tattoos aren't the whole business · Clients, identity, and the person behind the work

What Tattooers Get Wrong About Tattooing

7.2K views · 2w ago · 1:03:35

Tattooers know what other tattooers notice—but are we seeing what our clients see? Artists and clients: what do you notice that the other side misses? Tell us in the comments. In this episode Client assumptions about tattoo prices and reputation Why tattoo content can miss people outside the industry Skin Deep's artist stories, London season, and documenting tattoo culture

Topics: Meet Josh Adams from Skin Deep · Tattooed at 14 on a pool table · From touring videographer to tattoo documentaries · Why tattooers' stories deserve to be told · George Bone and the Den of Skulls · Mike Rubendall's preparation and old footage

Your Tattoo Won't Look Like This Forever

5K views · 3w ago · 45:32

Guest: Daniela Sagel

A tattoo can look incredible fresh—but what happens eight years later? Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Gabe “G-Money” Pantoja sit down with Daniela Sagel and Gordo Letters to look at tiny tattoos years after they were made. Martin Dobson's hexagon collection gets the conversation going: a Twix bar, a Kobe Bryant jersey, and a mix of styles give the crew plenty to debate about detail, contrast, scale, and aging.

Topics: Meet Daniela Sagel and Gordo Letters · One leg, a collection of hexagon tattoos · Tiny realism: the Kobe jersey and Twix bar · What healed tattoos can teach tattooers · Seven and eight years later · Fine lines, bolder whiskers, and aging

When Tattoo Artists Should Say No to a Client

8.3K views · 1mo ago · 1:26:58

When should a tattoo artist say no to a client—and when should they find a better solution instead? Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano break down the tattoo requests they refuse, the ones they refer to another artist, and the client ideas they would rather redraw than reject.

Topics: Jon and Matt are flying solo · When tattoo artists should say no · Referring a client to the right artist · Knowing your strengths and experimenting responsibly · Tattoos that are too small · The stress of microscopic lettering

The Tattoo Trends That Won’t Age Well

5.6K views · 1mo ago · 1:18:35

Which of today’s biggest tattoo trends will become classics—and which will become coverups by 2031? Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano sit down with Italian new school and bio-organic tattooer Edoardo “Edo Tag” Taglioretti to judge post-ironic meme tattoos, extreme micro-realism, patchwork sticker sleeves, celebrity tattoos, and shock-value work.

Topics: Are today’s trends tomorrow’s coverups? · Meet Edo Tag · Three ways a tattoo can age · Pete Davidson and laser removal · Meme tattoos and intentional bad taste · Brand tattoos and free stuff for life

Tattoo Artists React to Wild Social Media Posts

7.7K views · 1mo ago · 36:50

A portrait that doesn’t look like Mom, a samurai tattoo built in reverse, and a tattoo reveal buried under a mountain of gel—what are we looking at? Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Matt Buck scroll through tattoo-related posts from social media and give their honest reactions. Some make the crew laugh, some spark a debate, and a few turn out better than expected.

Topics: A portrait of Mom goes wrong · Choosing a portrait reference and lighting it well · Contrast, negative space, and old family photos · Matt Buck on illustrating Decoded and Zero to One · Simplifying portraits: detail versus likeness · The story behind Jon’s butterfly tattoo

Your Tattoo Client Already Used AI

13K views · 1mo ago · 1:14:55

Guest: Matt Buck

When a client brings an AI-generated tattoo design, is it a useful reference—or the beginning of the end for tattoo artistry? Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano sit down with Matt Buck and guest Charles Arizmendi for an honest debate about AI-generated references, tattooability, disclosure, originality, client expectations, and the difference between being an artist and being a skilled “tattoo applicator.” Skylar Phung joins the conversation to argue where AI use starts feeling…

Topics: Meet Charles Arizmendi · AI is changing tattoo clients first · Impossible AI tattoos and unrealistic expectations · Is AI any different from Pinterest? · Useful reference or dishonest shortcut? · A client uses AI to design a Vishnu tattoo

What Actually Makes You a Real Tattooer?

8.1K views · 2mo ago · 1:21:50

Guest: Matt Buck

What actually makes someone a real tattooer—and who gets to decide? Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano are joined by Matt Buck and special guest Fabian for a debate sparked by Austin Spencer's question about what is cringe in tattooing right now. The conversation quickly becomes a deeper argument about tradition, online education, apprenticeships, AI, content creators, awards, equipment, and whether doing good tattoos is enough.

Topics: Meet Fabian and his freehand sigil style · What tattooers find cringe right now · What actually makes a real tattooer? · Do clients care about AI and tradition? · The “100% tattooer” merit badge · When unqualified tattooers start teaching

The Real Cost of Running a Tattoo Shop

5.8K views · 2mo ago · 1:16:55

Guest: Evol Tattoo

When tattooers finally begin to feel legitimate Why insecurity can keep an artist improving Procreate, paper, and developing a personal style Practical stipple-shading and needle-grouping advice How to earn a serious tattoo apprenticeship What to do when your mentor is not a strong tattooer

Topics: Meet Amanda Malia and Jacob Satterly · Amanda's unconventional tattoo apprenticeship · When do you become a real tattooer? · How social media changed tattoo standards · Why tattooers are never fully satisfied · Procreate versus drawing on paper

New Tattoo Technology Is Changing Everything

7K views · 2mo ago · 1:41:30

Can a painless tattoo patch or robot replace a tattoo artist? Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, G Money, Ermis, and returning guest Joe Capobianco react to CipherX's painless Microdot tattoos, Blackdot's automated tattooing system, and Melanoir's synthetic-melanin ink.

Topics: Who will shape tattooing's future? · CipherX and painless Microdot tattoos · Reacting to the first microneedle tattoos · Legal questions, knockoffs, and mass adoption · Blackdot: automated tattooing arrives · Can robotic micro tattoos age well?

Why Tattoos Age Badly (And How to Make Them Last)

7.6K views · 2mo ago · 1:01:10

Guest: Lalo Yunda

What makes one tattoo look great after 10 years while another fades, spreads, or becomes unreadable? Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, G Money, and special guest Lalo Yunda examine aged tattoos and break down the real factors behind tattoo longevity: sunlight, placement, pigment choice, ink migration, saturation, contrast, negative space, and strong design.

Topics: The Richmond Tattoo Convention · What aged tattoos teach artists · How sunlight and placement change tattoos · Facial lettering, ink spread, and application · A cautionary story about a bad ink batch · Fresh versus aged color tattoos

Would You Hire Yourself? What Tattoo Shops Actually Look For

3.6K views · 2mo ago · 1:22:41

Tattoo shops are looking at more than the quality of your work. They’re judging your attitude, professionalism, clientele, consistency, work ethic and whether other artists actually want to spend every day around you. This week, Atlanta tattoo artist Aaron Davis joins the Honest Tattooer Podcast to break down what makes a tattooer truly hireable.

Topics: Podcast Introductions · What Makes You Hireable · Portfolio Versus Attitude · Social Media and Hustle · Red Flags and Drama · Apprenticeships Today

The Fine Line Between Fading & Blowouts

2.6K views · 3mo ago · 1:04:22

Fine-line tattoos leave almost no room for error. Go too deep and the line can blow out. Stay too shallow and the tattoo may fade or fall out. Use too much pigment and delicate details can spread together over time. So what actually makes a fine-line tattoo heal clean, stay readable and remain crispy?

Topics: Meet the Guest · Joe’s Tattoo Journey · Private Studio Talk · Why Fine Line · Viral Reel Debate · Can Any Pro Do It

One Tattooer Left Europe for NYC—Another Is Going Back.

2.5K views · 3mo ago · 58:28

Follow Our Hosts & Guests Jon Mesa: @jonmesatattoos Matt Truiano: @matttruiano G Money: @gabetattoos Ermis: @ermisart Eoghann McGregor: @yurd.da.sells.blackwork