Tattoo artists often encounter unique and sometimes uncomfortable requests from clients. One artist recalls a strange older customer who had bizarre tattoo ideas and frequented the shop. Another artist worked on a woman who moaned loudly during her tattoo session. A memorable story involves a woman getting her boyfriend’s name tattooed, only to have him break up with her shortly after. Another artist declined covering up a man’s tattoo of his daughter’s name above his genitals. A Black tattoo artist refused to tattoo a KKK symbol requested by a client. One artist shared a humorous experience of a man getting a violin tattooed on his back for his partner’s amusement. A tattoo artist had to tattoo a star on a stripper’s buttocks, which led to an awkward encounter with his family.
A gay couple requested a regulation-sized dartboard tattooed on one of their buttocks, with the bullseye as the asshole. An elderly dominatrix made a tattoo artist uncomfortable with her graphic descriptions of her lifestyle during a tattoo session. Another woman requested a giraffe tattoo on her bikini line, mentioning the animal’s long tongue. A strange request involved a woman wanting a rat tail tattooed coming out of her vagina. A client insisted on getting ‘HATE LOVE’ tattooed on his knuckles despite the artist’s warnings. A woman surprised her partner by getting his name tattooed before revealing that he had cheated on her with her best friend. Another customer wanted his wife’s initials tattooed but later revealed it meant ‘do not resuscitate.’
A client requested a pin-up of Tinker Bell drenched in semen, creating a challenging situation for the artist. An apprentice had to tattoo the image of toxic waste close to a client’s genitals while he was drunk, causing a tense moment. Despite the unusual and uncomfortable requests, tattoo artists share their experiences with humor and professionalism. If you are a tattoo artist with similar wild stories, feel free to share them in the comments. These unique encounters highlight the diverse and sometimes bizarre nature of the tattoo industry and the unexpected situations that artists may face.
