Tattooing has earned a lot of recognition and respect through
the years. The history of tattoo began over 5,000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them. Now
days you'll see just about anyone with a tattoo: businessmen, jocks, and even teenyboppers. So of course it's crucial
to find the right tattoo artist for your permanent ink!
We took it upon ourselves to find an artist willing to get reviewed by us. In our search
we found Todd of
The Tattoo Experience.
When first entering The Tattoo Experience (in Tuscaloosa, AL) we could tell that Todd
had great talent and that the establishment was well put together. It's an older building, but very comfortable and
clean. The waiting area contains two very comfortable leather couches that beg you to lay down and take a nap.
The walls were filled with pre-made designs if you want to come in and choose a tattoo on the spot, but I recommend working
with Todd to design a tattoo --- he has great talent and can do just about anything.
We arrived early to feel the vibe of the tattoo shop --- and we have nothing but good things
to say about the building and employees. The other workers of The Tattoo Experience were extremely friendly to us and
other customers who wanted ink done or a new piercing. I've been to many other tattoo parlors where the employees don't
interact or even acknowledge that you're there. A few minutes before my schedule a young couple came in with their children.
At first the little girl was hesitant to come in, but one of the employees assured her that it was ok to enter --- and a few
minutes later I saw her on the store TV playing Xbox. Not too many places would allow children to do this --- especially
in a tattoo parlor.
Just before my tattoo session, Todd prepared his station (all tattooing stations are private
and in seperate rooms for your privacy). Todd grabs a brand new needle and prepares his machine (which he custom makes!).
After applying his custom made flame design, he starts the tattoo. Todd and I have been discussing what I wanted for
a couple weeks over MySpace, and he drew an amazing design that blew me away.
The process of the tattoo was nearly painless; this wasn't my first tattoo so I knew what to
expect, but some places will just grind into your skin --- Todd had a gentle touch to him that made him stand out over others.
The session didn't take too much time, in fact time seemed to fly by. The time sitting
there allowed us to get to know Todd a little more --- he's a down to earth father who has over 15 years experience under
his belt. Todd's work station was very clean and well organized, which is very important --- it shows a lot about the
artist and their work.
After applying the shadow effect Todd gave it one more wipe and it was done. The Tattoo
Experience has just gained another loyal customer --- I will definitely be back to get all my work done from Todd or anyone
else at The Tattoo Experience.
