Tips from tattoo artists
[attach]4637[/attach]One of the main pieces of advice tattoo artists Guy Abergel and Dmitri Globa give their customers still winds up getting ignored: never use the name of a girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse in a tattoo.
“This one guy came and he did the rose with the name of his wife and then after two months he got divorced and got it covered up,” Globa says.
“And then he came back and got a different name on top of it!” Abergel adds, “We’ll probably see him in the future.”
The co-owners of Art Studio Tattoos, a tattoo parlour meets art studio near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue, suggest that if people go with names, they should choose permanent relationships like their kids or parents.
Although Globa and Abergel have been tattoo artists for years, this is their first shop together. The pair first met in 2009 at another tattoo parlor in Etobicoke and quickly realized they had much in common, including their attitude about art and their work ethic.
After learning everything they could from that business, they decided to open their dream shop in North York earlier this year, which they chose for its proximity to their homes. They also liked the area because it meant they could widen their clientele.
“Here it’s a lot more mixed or diverse,” Abergel says. “Here we have a whole wide range of ethnicities, so it’s a lot better for us, we get more creative to play with.”
Instead of having a book full of options for people to pick a tattoo from Globa and Abergel say they prefer to create one of a kind creations for their clients.
“We offer 100-percent custom designs in every way from the ground up,” Abergel says. “Basically the client gives us the idea. Either they come with images or they just come with a fresh idea and we put it together, showing them images from our library just to get an idea of where they are going with it. Once they pick something, we work with them together on exactly what they want and we tattoo it.”
The studio also offers airbrushing services on surfaces that range from car hoods and motorcycle helmets to canvases and kids’ bedroom walls. Globa and Abergel, who both got their first tattoos at the age of 17, learned how to draw and paint before they transitioned into the world of tattoos.
Abergel says he’s been airbrushing for 13 years and most recently painted the ceiling of a comic book store in Woodbridge with the greats like Spiderman, Batman and Superman. He also created a giant mural of Canadian icons, such as Terry Fox, for a middle school at Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue.
Globa says the shop is 100 percent disposable, meaning all tools are used on one person and then tossed. He says they will also only tattoo people who are 18 and older.
One of the things Globa likes most about his job is that every day brings something different.
“Always I feel like I want to do tattoos and that’s why I’m happy when people come into the shop,” he says, adding some people prefer portraits while others like Japanese symbols.
“So that’s why we are here, we like to customize.”
As for picking a favourite, Abergel says his best is yet to come.
“After I finish a painting or a tattoo it’s awesome,” he says. “I always love it because I always put 100 percent into it but at the end I’m always looking at what could have been better. So my favourite is yet to be done.”
I got my first tattoo there and Globa did an amazing job. Also you get great work at a great price there. Its pretty much the reason why i went back 2 weeks later and got 2 more ;-) Keep up the good work guys and see you soon for my next one.
cheers.