Guy Aitchison Journal
May 20, 2026
The work we're looking at today is by Mason of Blue Tattoo Cafe in San Diego,…
The work we're looking at today is by Mason of Blue Tattoo Cafe in San Diego, CA. He says: "Being a self taught artist of three years and a shop owner, I never pass on the opportunity to have anoth…
Read More →May 20, 2026
Lines and Edges: A Critique Example The tattoo that I'm critiquing for the Li…
Lines and Edges: A Critique Example The tattoo that I'm critiquing for the Lines & Edges example is by Cecelia, who was asked by her client to do a "Mother Nature" type piece that represents the pr…
Read More →May 20, 2026
We are well into the second year of taking questions of all sorts from both a…
We are well into the second year of taking questions of all sorts from both artists and collectors, and have had many questions about improving overall tattooing. I think the best format for this i…
Read More →May 20, 2026
Welcome to this month's edition of Ask Guy, where I've been taking your most …
Welcome to this month's edition of Ask Guy, where I've been taking your most challenging questions over the past several years, and trying to make sense of them. For this past year the column has b…
Read More →May 20, 2026
Many of you have been asking about collaborations, since multiple artist tatt…
Many of you have been asking about collaborations, since multiple artist tattooing has become a popular and successful experience for many tattooers. There have been a lot of high-profile collabora…
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Critiques are a long-standing tradition among artists, especially in academic…
Critiques are a long-standing tradition among artists, especially in academic settings. Outside the classroom it's sometimes hard to get an honest critique aimed at helping rather than tearing down…
Read More →May 20, 2026
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This month I'm taking a look at the work of Colin Byrne of DC Tattoos in Irel…
This month I'm taking a look at the work of Colin Byrne of DC Tattoos in Ireland, who aims to be a versatile artist who can work proficiently in many styles. Colin has been a client of mine for sev…
Read More →May 20, 2026
I'm always excited to do a critique, since there's generally such a positive …
I'm always excited to do a critique, since there's generally such a positive response from everyone. I'm especially grateful to the individuals who are willing to come forward and have their work c…
Read More →May 20, 2026
from Wile: As a new tattooer to the industry, how do you go about sticking to…
from Wile: As a new tattooer to the industry, how do you go about sticking to a style when it isn't popular in your area? I'll give you my situation as an example. In my area traditional tattoos ar…
Read More →May 20, 2026
, from Robert: Hey Guy, I know you've done a lot of collaborations with other…
, from Robert: Hey Guy, I know you've done a lot of collaborations with other artists like Paul Booth and Jack Rudy. I work in a shop with some other pretty decent artists and we're starting to tal…
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Welcome to the latest installment of Ask Guy, where I'm taking questions from…
Welcome to the latest installment of Ask Guy, where I'm taking questions from both artists and collectors about all questions relating to the tattoo art form. I'm hoping that with my 26 years in th…
Read More →May 20, 2026
From Jennifer: Hello, I have severe acne scaring on my back, shoulders, & che…
From Jennifer: Hello, I have severe acne scaring on my back, shoulders, & chest. The scars are older & smoothing out (15+ years). Can deep pitted skin be tattooed? If so how do I go about finding a…
Read More →May 20, 2026
I've gotten a great variety of questions ranging from artistic to professiona…
I've gotten a great variety of questions ranging from artistic to professional to healing concerns, and I've been enjoying the diversity of conversation. This month, though, I'd like to touch on so…
Read More →May 20, 2026
Welcome to the third installment of my column, Ask Guy, where I'm responding …
Welcome to the third installment of my column, Ask Guy, where I'm responding to questions from both artists and collectors. Tattoo Magazine has generously provided me with the space to share these …
Read More →May 20, 2026
Welcome to the second installment of my column, Ask Guy, where I'm responding…
Welcome to the second installment of my column, Ask Guy, where I'm responding to questions from both artists and collectors. I want to thank Tattoo Magazine for providing the space for me to do thi…
Read More →May 20, 2026
As seen in Tattoo Magazine, December 2012
As seen in Tattoo Magazine, December 2012
Read More →May 20, 2026
So I went in to try to apply for a tattoo apprenticeship, and basically they …
So I went in to try to apply for a tattoo apprenticeship, and basically they told me that flamer like me has no place in the tattoo industry and would never be able to break in. They were the only…
Read More →May 20, 2026
I have been tattooing for about 15 years and I am well-known in my area. I d…
I have been tattooing for about 15 years and I am well-known in my area. I do well and I am also a High School Art teacher of 23 years. Unfortunately my shading does not have a smooth transitioni…
Read More →May 20, 2026
When im tattooing and the tattoo requires to use a solid black in some areas,…
When im tattooing and the tattoo requires to use a solid black in some areas, the tattoo doesn't look damaged or swollen when it's fresh, but when it starts to heal it tends to look damaged- a heav…
Read More →May 20, 2026
I'm still early into my apprenticeship although I am pleased with my progress…
I'm still early into my apprenticeship although I am pleased with my progress, im am still looking for a really light gray wash, i want to use a really light gray and get more values into my tattoos.
Read More →May 20, 2026
I'm having a real problem with blowing people out, left and right... any advice?
I'm having a real problem with blowing people out, left and right... any advice?
Read More →May 20, 2026
I've been tattooing close to a decade now and one of the things I still have …
I've been tattooing close to a decade now and one of the things I still have trouble with is getting black in tribal tattoos to lay down smooth and in as few passes as possible. I've watched artist…
Read More →May 20, 2026
I have a question about clientele approach...
I have a question about clientele approach...
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