honesttattooer

17/07/2025

National Tattoo Day is July 17th.

The day is dedicated to celebrating the art, culture, and history of tattoos. It’s a time for tattoo enthusiasts to share their stories, appreciate the artistry, and potentially even get a new piece.

Share your favorite tattoo story in the comments below.

13/07/2025

At least watch a video on packing color too

07/07/2025

We have the power to change the way people feel about their bodies—and their lives. Don’t underestimate the impact of what we do.

➡️ Tag someone who needs to hear this. Share this with an artist who’s making a difference.

07/07/2025

🖤 Rest in Power Wes Wood 🖤

This weekend, we lost a true giant in the tattoo world—Wes Wood, founder of Unimax Tattoo Supply and one of the people who helped make tattooing legal again in New York City.

Wes wasn’t just a supply guy—he was a cornerstone of the NYC tattoo community. When tattooing was still banned in the city, he was one of the people fighting behind the scenes to change that. Because of Wes, tattooers could finally work legally, safely, and with dignity in the place so many of us call home.

If you ever walked into Unimax, you know—Wes looked out for tattooers. Whether you were brand new or decades in, he gave people their start, their tools, their shot. He supported artists, taught by example, and never forgot that tattooing is a craft and a community.

A lot of people wouldn’t be tattooing today if it weren’t for Wes Wood. That’s not an exaggeration—it’s a fact.

From all of us at Honest Tattooer: Thank you, Wes. For the doors you opened, the standards you held, and the culture you helped build. You made a difference. And we won’t forget it.

06/07/2025

Submit your drawings to [email protected] for tips and critiques if you want to improve your art. Let’s make the tattoo industry full of the best artists where we can all help each other grow as artists and creatives.

18/06/2025

You poured your heart and soul into a masterpiece. Gave it everything you had. You post it, hoping the world will see what you see, maybe even acknowledge the skill and effort behind it.
But instead, everyone’s losing their minds over a fine-line Times New Roman letter “T” on someone’s hand that took two minutes to tattoo—while your post gets nothing but crickets.

13/06/2025

Priorities

27/05/2025

You guys are funny

23/05/2025

Whang-Od (Maria Oggay) is 108 years old and is the last mambabatok of the Butbut tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga, Philippines. Using thorns, bamboo sticks, and soot-based ink, she preserves the ancient hand-tap tattoo tradition once reserved for warriors.

Despite her age, she continues to tattoo—and teach the next generation—while her home has become a pilgrimage site for those seeking a piece of living history.

She was formally nominated for the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure Award) in 2017 and received the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2024 for her cultural impact.

Whang-Od isn’t just a tattooist—she’s a national symbol of heritage, resilience, and the enduring power of indigenous art.

Let me know if you want a version with hashtags or formatted for a caption + image carousel.

11/05/2025

03/05/2025

Acting from the heart doesn’t mean your work is actually any good. And passion doesn’t replace fundamentals. You can feel something deeply and still lack the skills to express it clearly.

Art school isn’t the only way to learn, but learning is essential. Composition, anatomy, value, color theory—none of that comes standard just because you care a lot.

If you’re making art that moves people, that’s amazing. But don’t confuse raw emotion with refined ability.

27/04/2025

Take care of yourselves.