Run by two of the most talented artists I know, Ryan and Minnehaha Calleja, Good Hand Tattoo is the parlor that I go to if I need someone that I can trust to do a piece on me.
Artists to the core, Ryan and Minnie are free spirits who found each other at the School of Fine Arts in UST. So you know that these two are not amateurs or wannabes; they were born to do what they do, and they've had the training to back it up.
I'd always liked Minnie's style and rendering (feminine, but strong and rich), so immediately we agreed on a traditional pin-up mermaid and galleon piece, on my back. She was attentive to what I wanted, but at the same time, gave her professional artistic opinion on how it might look, so although it really was her art, it felt like a collaboration between me and her.
She drew it out, free-hand and fresh, right in front of my eyes, on a sheet of paper. It took a while, but I loved what I saw. She stencilled it out, and began outlining. It took us two sessions, and a total of 7 hours to complete the whole thing. It hurt like a b****, but Minnie was very comforting and gentle the whole time.
I've tried other artists before, but Minnie did my last one, and it looks like she's going to be doing a lot more of my tattoos in the future. read more