Behind the scenes: a day in the life of a tattoo artist

The shop opens at eleven, but the day starts at eight — at the drawing desk, coffee going cold, iPad full of yesterday’s revisions. Every design on today’s schedule gets one last pass before skin ever enters the picture.

Morning: draw, revise, set up

Consultations from the week before turn into finished linework. Stencils are printed in three sizes — bodies are never the size you guess — and each station is built from scratch: autoclaved tools, fresh barriers, single-use needles still sealed.

Afternoon: needles down, heads down

The first client sits at noon. Between lining and shading there are stretch breaks, stencil checks in the mirror, and the quiet negotiation every artist knows — your vision, their anatomy, one shared decision at a time.

“People think we tattoo all day. We draw all day — the tattooing is just the part you see.” — Theo Marchetti, lead artist

Evening: reset and flash

Stations are broken down, sharps logged, surfaces disinfected twice. Then the best hour: the team draws flash for the wall, trades critiques, and books the guest artist for next month. Lights out at eight — the drawing desk is already calling for tomorrow.