STAINLESS SAVED MY ASS, well, the tat on my chest, at least!
Three weeks ago, I made the mistake of getting my very first tattoo (at another studio called Freak Show, on Garland Road in Dallas) without doing any research into artists, studios, etc.. Since getting that horrendous tat, I've visited 12+ other shops (in person) and researched countless others (online) in the DFW area...and the work & patience really paid off, 'cause I found my new home-away-from-home with some of the coolest Artists in town...at Stainless Studios!
I made no appointment and experienced absolutely no wait and when I walked-in on a late Monday afternoon. After being warmly greeted by all three available Artists in an immaculately clean stud and the AMAZING consultation Chellez gave me, I immediately feel at ease and decided to treat myself to an early birthday present and get the two new tats I wanted. After explaining what happened weeks earlier, Chellez made a deal to do not only the two new tats but rework my first one!
After I peppered her with questions about what I was thought I was looking for, she patiently talked-out the designs, what they mean (in general and to me, specifically) and helped guide us to what I didn't realize I wanted (slightly bigger and a little bolder)...she must be psychic cause she read my mind before I even knew it! I was SOLD!
After she got setup, made sure I was comfortable, she got to work on the first tat rework (stylized version of Doctor Who's TARDIS) and did such an amazing job, I can't see ANY of the problems I had with the original work (sketchy lines reworked into bold, strong, STRAIGHT lines!) and actually improved on the original reference I provided by making the light on top look a billion times better. SUPER YAY!
The two new designs were simple but Chellez gave it the attention to detail as the more detailed rework. CLEAN. CRISP. BOLD. LINES! Exactly what I wanted! YAS!
Being in a client-focused-design-industry myself, I made some observations throughout my visit. Anyone who runs a business (or enjoys an stunning client experience) might appreciate these notes.
In no particular order:
- Spotless parking lot, reception & studio areas.
- Their entire location has TASTE. Every bit of artwork is hung with care, there's a strong sense of alignment and balance in the layout and decor of the place. (Most other places I visited were a mess in this department).
- Every phone call the studio received was picked up on the first ring.
- My interactions with all three Artists made me feel like family. I could talk (and joke) freely and comfortably throughout my entire visit (about 2-3 hours, honestly I lost track of time cause it was so fun).
- The Apprentice Artist (Nando) eagerly helped Chellez and used every minute of spare time to draw and explore his craft.
- I overheard Weso, another Artist, gave Nando some amazing critique of his work and how to make it better, which Nando accepted brilliantly. (that's super important because it shows how focused the studio is on developing Artists and not "button pushers.")
- They have standards in work produced. Weso turned down a job because their requests would have looked horrible (my words, not his). He handled it so professionally that I wanted to give him a hi-five. As an artist, it's hard to delicately explain why a design won't work and exactly how he was willing to approach a quality solution without upsetting anyone, and somehow he did it...they just didn't want to listen to his advice. I doubt he'd ever say it (or even think it) so I'll say it... "He told you so!"
Of all the places I checked out, which includes all the dives in the heart of Deep Ellum and others on the fringes of Dallas, in Garland and Arlington, Stainless Studios is by FAR the cleanest and most client-focused studio in town and somehow managed to beat everyone else's price and quality, hands down. I'm coming back and proud to be recommending them all my friends! read more