From Awkward To Hilarious, These 17 Tattoo Moments Still Make Me Smile

This one is pretty self-explanatory. What I should add, though, is that when we went back to check the original reference, it turned out I had copied exactly what my client had written down.

He had, in fact, misspelled his own newborn daughter’s name. I was just the messenger. — Tattoo artist

This was said by my 17-year-old Māori client, whose ID I hadn’t bothered to check because she easily could’ve passed for 30. I’m very grateful this story is anonymous. — Tattoo artist

She asked me this after passing out for a couple of minutes, and, unfortunately, losing control of her bladder while half the shop witnessed it. What made it even worse was that after she asked the question, one of the other artists who saw the whole thing simply said, “No.” — Tattoo artist

I’m not kidding, I was tattooing a client’s face, and since it’s such a sensitive area, I like to check in often to make sure they’re okay. She looked up at me, made direct eye contact, and said this.

After that, I was way too scared to ask how she was feeling again. — Tattoo artist

For my first tattoo, the artist casually mentioned he hated tattooing the style I chose. That immediately made me wonder why he’d agreed to take the appointment in the first place. — Client

When I was 18, my artist questioned the circular tattoo I wanted on my pec. He warned me it would droop as I got older. I laughed and told him I’d never get fat. He just rolled his eyes.

Now I’m 35… and my circle is definitely more of an oval. — Client

And honestly? Sometimes it really is. — Tattoo artist

A client said this to me as casually as someone ordering coffee. I assured them that if they passed out, the tattoo would absolutely not be my top priority. Thankfully, they stayed conscious. — Tattoo artist

I started sweating a little, which apparently is a sign you’re about to pass out. My artist looked me straight in the eye and said that if I fainted, he was helping himself to the change in my pockets. — Client

Said by a fully grown adult — more than once. One of the most common fears about getting tattooed isn’t the pain; it’s what your mom is going to say.

No matter how old they are, clients never seem to stop being a little afraid of their moms. — Tattoo artist

To this day, I still hope they were joking. — Tattoo artist

My client had just been released after serving more than 12 years in prison — and he came straight to the tattoo studio. Before seeing his wife. Before seeing his kids.

I couldn’t tell if I should’ve felt honored or shocked. Honestly, it was probably a bit of both. — Tattoo artist

My two-hour tattoo ended up taking nearly three because my artist spent most of the session furiously texting his wife. Eventually, she called, and he put her on speaker so I could talk to her myself.

I’m not sure it helped much… especially considering I’m female. — Client

I’m not even kidding, the client insisted on a design I strongly advised against. He had very dark skin, and the piece didn’t have enough contrast to hold up well. After I finished, he stared at it with this pained expression and then asked if it would come off if he washed it enough. — Tattoo artist

I have a nervous tic that makes me blink a lot. I didn’t realize how distracting that might be during a tattoo. — Client

I told him he was on the clock, so I definitely didn’t recommend it. He insisted it would help with the pain and promised he’d sit through the rest once he got back.

He never came back. True story. — Tattoo artist

For my first tattoo, he just said, “I prefer music,” put his headphones on, and pulled out a Chupa Chups like we were settling in for a movie instead of a tattoo session. — Client