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Twelve 28 Tattoo
Category: Beauty and Spas Tattoo Tattoo [Edit]
28 Marcy Ave2nd Fl
(between Metropolitan Ave & Hope St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg - North Side
(347) 602-2560
- Nearest Transit:
-
Metropolitan Av (G)
Lorimer St (L)
Bedford Av (L)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Xiomara A. said: "Hudson Tattoo is a nice shop specializing in tattoos and piercings. The staff is so friendly. I just did a walk-in and didn't have to wait long at all. The prices were reasonable. I went with a friend that was having her helix…" read more »
35 reviews for Twelve 28 Tattoo
35 reviews in English
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Review from Jensen L.
Brooklyn, NY
5/14/2012
Second the Jess being magical part. I'm a little sad she's so good that her wait is getting stupid long.
Nevertheless, my arm belongs to her now. It's super obvious why if you read a sentence or two in each review or see her portfolio. I'll wait until my arm rots off for her to finish my piece. -
Review from Melinda H.
Brooklyn, NY
5/9/2012
Jess is magical. This review is long.
After A LOT of research on artists and studios around the city, I decided to go to Jess for my first tattoo last year; and I could not conceivably be happier that I did. She's incredibly talented with a needle, patient, professional, and has a VERY light touch. More important than any of those, she's truly an artist!
The concept was a memorial tattoo for a late friend of mine. I wanted to get his name and birth/death dates, but I also wanted to get a Greek phrase that was near and dear to both of us. A few things you should know: 1. My friend's name was very long. In addition to the three line Greek phrase 2. I wanted to get the tattoo on my wrist. 3. I am very skinny- translates to not a lot of tattoo "real estate."
I had already been told by several other artists and studios that my concept was not feasible and I should just give up on the idea, go with traditional script, and forget the Greek. I'm stubborn, picky, and when someone tells me I can't do or have something, I want it more. So I wasn't about to give up.
When I first went to Twelve 28, Jess actually wasn't there. Dan Bones was, and when I described my concept to him he said he thought Jess would do an awesome job and gave me her card. An artist who will refer you to someone who would do a better job rather than try to conform their style to your needs- VERY classy. I emailed Jess and had a consultation set up within a week or so. Rather than tell me my idea wasn't doable, she suggested that we do the piece in two parts: the Greek text on my wrist and the memorial on my forearm (I finally caved and admitted that my anatomical limitations just won't allow for ALL of that to fit on my wrist).
She showed me a sketch* that was about two by three inches, which I then spent three hours picking over while she patiently made teeny change after teeny change. ("Can you move that two millimeters up?" Fifteen minutes later, "No, one millimeter back down and make that line a half a millimeter longer." You get the picture.) I did this for THREE HOURS. I must have been the most obnoxious client ever, but she never complained. And she didn't charge me for that time, which I know some people would have! The actual tattoo took about an hour and didn't really hurt much. It didn't feel like butterfly kisses or anything, but I was actually able to have a phone conference with a coworker without her knowing where I was or what I was doing.
She suggested that I live with just the Greek text tattoo for a while and see how I liked it since it was my first tattoo. LOVED it and went back to her for the memorial part of the tattoo a few months later. It's about six by four at it's widest part, and it's GORGEOUS. Even as she was tattooing, other artists in the studio were marveling at her laser-like intricacy and detail.
I regularly have people tell me that together, my tats are some of the most awesome and unique they have ever seen- and I credit Jess every time. Her style is the perfect mix of feminine and badass, and I would (and have) recommend her in a heartbeat. Or less. I suggest you get inked by her before she becomes a celebrity tattoo artist, her prices (which are more than fair) become exorbitant, and she becomes impossible to book.
The End.
p.s.- I feel like I should also mention that Jess managed to do what no one else could (or would). She sized the Greek text so that it all fit perfectly into a two by three inch rectangle, even though the first line was four letters, the second line was five letters, and the third line was six letters; AND I insisted that the first three letters of each word be the same size and stacked directly on top of each other. If that's not a typographic challenge, I don't know what is. But she did it and did it BEAUTIFULLY.
Ok, The End. For reals this time. Thanks, Jess. -
Review from Jordan D.
2/22/2012 2 Check-ins Here
First things first. I didn't get a tattoo here.
My girlfriend did. She came in once for a quick consultation and another to clean up an old tattoo and then to get another. The entire process was seamless for her. Jess is super cool and friendly. The actual space is immaculately clean and is actually decorated pretty nicely. Jess worked with my girlfriend in cleaning up her initial idea for the new tattoo and the finished tattoo was beautiful. Even the tattoo Jess cleaned up and fixed came out awesome. I don't have any tattoos yet (jeez...what a lame-o, right!?) but when the day comes when I finally scrounge up the cash and finally decided on what I want, I'll definitely be knocking on Twelve 28's door.
If you're really sleepy and trying to stay awake, DON'T lay down on the couches in the waiting lounge. They are super comfy and WILL suck the life out of you.
Parking was a surprising breeze as well, for both times we came in. -
Review from Charity T.
Brooklyn, NY
5/20/2012
Called to make an appointment, spoke to the owner (Joy I guess her name) and she told me that someone is going to call me to set up an appointment. SHe said in 2 days that person should call me. Till now, been 2 weeks, NEVER RECEIVED the phone call. I didnt call back because they were the one who promised me.
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Review from Lena W.
Corona, CA
5/18/2012
I'm a person that collects tats wherever I travel to, New York was my next target area and to receive a new tat as my own personal souvenir. I yelped shops all over the main areas of New York. I only knew of a few places that ppl told me to avoid. I emailed about 5 shops, explaining to them that I'm from out of town, only in NY for a week, and this is what I was lookin for to get; cherry blossoms to commemorate the festival and my first trip with my best friend of 6 years.
The only place that emailed me back, even with 2 weeks of notice (bad me!), was Twelve 28! In fact, I emailed both Jess and Joy and even Joy suggested that Jess would be a better match for me for the type of tat I was looking for. Jess was very nice and flexible for the dates that I was in NY for. I will always be thankful for that!
I arrived on a Friday and Jess was there that evening. We talked for a bit about how I wanted the tat and what I was looking for. I put a lot of trusts into my artists, even though I don't really know them, but I see their work, get a feel for their personality and passion for the art, and Jess was definitely that person! She didn't just give me something to look at, she gave me options and created more options for me to decide on. She is very detailed, organized and absolutely a perfectionist! After deciding on which "format" of the tat I was getting, I came back at the end of the week and got my tat!
As mentioned, Jess is a perfectionist, so if the outline doesn't go on right, she'll spend the extra time to get it right till it looks PERFECT! The charge by the hour didn't bother me anymore seeing how she worked and the time she put into it. It was the best $300, and over 2 hours of work every spent!
Jess also has a plethora of random factoids, which I loved listening too when I would go into my Zen states to avoid feeling pain lol. She's a Scorpio, which explains her perfection for the arts and her easy going feeling!
Thanks soooo much again, Jess, for being flexible, a perfectionist, and an educator about left handers stats! :o) I'm spreading the word to make sure ppl go to your shop to get their work done and done right!
Cheers! -
Review from Sara G.
Manhattan, NY
2/18/2012
My husband got his first tattoos done by Jess, and he is very happy with his entire experience. Jess was professional, nice, quick and inexpensive. He was able to schedule a consultation session where they sat down and talked about the design - even for very simple tattoos - at length.
When we went back to the parlor to get the tattoos done, she had finalized the design, which my husband approved. She stenciled both tattoos out and was very particular in ensuring that they were in the right locations, symmetrical and lined up perfectly.
The parlor is your typical old-ish Williamsburg charmer, but the needles were clearly sterilized and everything was nice and clean.
I WILL say that when we got there one of the other artists was asleep on the couch. When he woke up he complained loudly about his hangover before announcing that he had a client coming in for a full back tattoo in 1 hour that he hadn't even started sketching yet. Um, dude, that's going to be permanent on someone. Maybe you should, like, take it seriously. -
Review from Vinay G.
Forest Hills, NY
3/30/2012
5 stars all around here. Nothing new. Just had some awesome work finished up by Gerald Feliciano. This guy is the man! Originally i had emailed Jess but she referred me to Gerald once she knew what i was looking to get. Met with him for my consult, told him what i was looking for and he just ran with it. Came out with an awesome design that i never would have thought of. His artistic creativity and drawing is on par with his tattooing skills. Highly recommend him to anyone looking to get inked. The shop is clean, the staff is funny, friendly, and very open to your needs. Definitely go check them out.
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Review from Ileana S.
9/27/2011
Five months after getting my first tattoo from Jess at Glamour Garage, I decided it was time to get my second one so I loyally followed her to Twelve 28 Tattoo. And what a space it is. It is much more spacious and they have super comfy couches.
I e-mailed Jess about my idea. We set up a time to meet. We talked about images and placement. We set up another appointment for the actual tattooing. I later e-mailed her a few images I thought worked.
I came in for my appointment and after 1.5 hours, I was wrapped up and ready to go home.
Overall, I feel pretty comfortable with Jess so there is no doubt that I will come back. Hooray!
Thanks again, Jess! :) -
Review from Evan B.
Queens, NY
10/10/2011
I came to Jess to get my first tattoo and it was a great experience. I was actually getting the tattoo for a dating website I run (http://www.onehundredd...) and I had to come in with two separate dates. After the first date backed out, Jess was very patient in scheduling a second consultation and working on both designs at the same time. She was also very flexible with her scheduling so that we could come in together. Atypical, I know, but Jess was so go with the flow that it really made the experience what it was.
The designs were great and the experience of the shop and of hanging out with Jess for over three hours was wonderful. She's awesome!
Twelve 28 is very comfortable and very relaxed. I highly recommend this shop! -
Review from anna b.
Brooklyn, NY
9/2/2011
Recently got some script done by Jess Versus at Twelve 28 and I couldn't have been more pleased with the whole experience. Not only did the tattoo turn out totally baller... Jess was also really rad and very comfortable to work with and, as a bonus, she's also very light handed.
The shop itself is clean and comfortable and the space is pretty huge. As somebody else here said, the atmosphere is really easygoing. Even though I've been tattooed several times before, for some silly reason, I still sometimes get intimidated going into tattoo shops.... but this definitely wasn't the case with Twelve 28. -
Review from Nandi P.
Brooklyn, NY
8/19/2011
My best friend and I were searching for the perfect spot to get our first tattoo. At the recommendation of a friend, we found Twelve 28, an incredibly cool tat parlor on a seemingly random block in Williamsburg. As soon as we entered the shop on the second floor, I knew we had picked the right place. It was clean, comfortable, and cool, with great music playing and inviting couches to lounge on while we waited.
Our tattoo artist was a very friendly and animated man named Dan Bones (a former animator and current death metal enthusiast). I took a liking to him immediately, as he made my friend and me feel relaxed from the start. He seems like the kind of guy you could just hang out with on a regular basis (and, in fact, he told us we could come by the shop anytime just to say hello!) Our chosen design was simple--just the outline of a black circle on our inner wrists--and the whole thing was over with quite quickly. Nevertheless, it was an incredibly memorable experience, and I will definitely be going back for my next tattoo. Or just to hang with Dan. -
Review from Mike H.
Salem, MA
6/11/2007
Twelve 28 Tattoo is a tattoo shop run by the talented artist Joy Rumore. She has a cute, clean shop and does outstanding work.
One of the key concerns when shopping for a tattoo artist is the cleanliness of their shop. You could eat off Joy's floors.
I've watched her artistic skills grow over the years, and she slings some pretty mean ink! -
Review from Benjamin C.
Brooklyn, NY
6/8/2008
I stopped by Joy's spotless studio on a whim last Winter,
and I was glad I did!
She's taken the rough ideas I've had and worked them into unique and truly inspired drawings. Joy's tattooed four pieces for me so far. I'm thrilled with her steady line work, vivid colors and expertly- applied shading. She's friendly, professional and fun to chat with in the chair. She even let me listen to The Last Unicorn in one session! You can be sure I'll be back for another appointment. -
Review from Whitney J.
Queens, NY
Updated - 10/1/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Now that my chest piece is done, I might love Joy even more than before.
Her new space is really fantastic and her work is untouchable as always. I cannot tell you how many compliments I've gotten on my piece- especially from older family members who are staunchly anti-tattoo.
Joy is professional and immensely talented and funny as hell. I actually enjoy our sessions very much, even with the whole "hey i'm getting poked with needles and bleeding" thing.
Won't go anywhere else1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/28/2010
I love Joy. I went in for a small tattoo and a chest piece consultation and she blew me away. She's… Read more »
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Review from Dann B.
Brooklyn, NY
10/25/2008
This place is great. Joy, the tattoo artist, is absolutely fantastic, both as a tattoo professional, and as a person. It's really refreshing to find someone who is so passionate about tattooing, and giving her customer what they want.
This isn't the type of place where you come in, pick a generic picture off a wall, find some way to give meaning to it in order to justify getting it tattooed on yourself, and then leave. Joy works personally with everyone who wants a tattoo by her, and makes sure they get exactly what they want. Throw an idea at her, and she'll throw together a sketch.
The atmosphere of the shop is very easy going. You can watch TV and just hang out while getting work done. It really makes the time fly.
I highly reccomend Twelve 28 and Joy Rumore for all your tattoo needs.
And the piercer downstairs is pretty cool too. :) -
Review from Amy G.
Brooklyn, NY
8/18/2010
Though I've never been tattooed by Joy (just been in the shop when Ashley Love is in town -- soon to be a resident of twelve 28 permanently!), she is sooo ridiculously friendly and professional.
The new shop is STUNNING. Immaculate. Adorable. HUGE HUGE HUGE, beautiful natural light, and right around the corner from a nice little deli where you can get your post-tattoo Arizona big-can. Can't wait to start coming here more regularly. -
Review from Kate B.
Brooklyn, NY
3/20/2008
Joy's studio is intimate & immaculately clean. Joy herself is an incredibly talented artist & a pleasure to be around. Her drawings are fun, crisp and bursting with personality. Her ink work is crisp and vividly colored.
I've just visited in the past while she inked my partner, but I'm sold. I would definitely trust my skin to her. -
Review from Joseph T.
Trenton, NJ
11/25/2007
The shop is really small.
Joy seemed like a pleasant person.
Her best work is her color work.
http://www.1228tattoo.com -
Review from Kat G.
Pittsburgh, PA
7/26/2007
Joy is one of my favorite tattoo artists. I've been tattooed by her three times, two of which lasted two to three hours long. While she put the ink in my skin, I was entertained. We sang "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" together (among other old songs that amused both of us) and she constantly was making me laugh. She's an amazing artist and took my vague plans for my back piece and has spun it into an amazing project. I honestly can't wait to finish it up so we can start on something else! She's the best and her new shop is absolutely amazing. She's one of the cleanest artists I've seen and is serious about everything she does. However, she knows how to have fun while doing it.
And don't let her hourly rates scare you. She does amazing work and is typically a lot quicker than most artists. You won't be disappointed if you put just a little extra cash into it. -
Review from jessica a.
Brooklyn, NY
10/3/2008
My Ohio-based friend Kristen thought about getting a tattoo of an ampersand on the inside of her wrist for like, two years. One day I joked to her, "Why don't you just fly up here and get it the hell over with this weekend? I'm sick of hearing about it."
15 minutes later she bought a plane ticket.
Joy fit my friend into her packed schedule because it was such a small tattoo, and she ended up being professional and friendly. Plus: woman-owned business. Yay! I'll definitely come here if I ever summon the guts to get my own tattoo. -
Review from Kat S.
Brooklyn, NY
12/21/2009
Joy is rad! She's done five (well, four plus one in progress...) of my seven tattoos, and I'm sure there will be more along the way. I came across her initially while looking to support a female tattoo artist (particularly one who owns her own shop!), and was sold when I looked through her portfolio and saw her impeccable lines and brilliant colors.
The shop is super clean, Joy will work with your crazy/awesome ideas to fully realize them - and probably make them even better than you thought they could be! - and she usually has dvds or good music to keep things interesting while you're getting work done.
I can't recommend her enough, though I don't want her to be so busy that I can't get an appointment! :) -
Review from Kerry G.
Decatur, GA
5/16/2011
Recently got worked on by Ashley Love, whose feminine traditional style is out of this world. Ashley does immaculate work--meticulously clean, careful choices of color, great lines. She is also a real pleasure to be tattooed by, and has great taste in music! The shop is lovely, very comfortable, clean, and stylish. It's a great environment to get some truly outstanding tattoo work done in NYC, especially for those looking for something bold with a feminine touch. I can't wait to go back and see Ashley again!
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Review from Lindsay H.
New York, NY
2/13/2009
After my friend suggested getting a tattoo at 1228, I hopped on over to make an appointment. i was originally going to go to flyrite, but my pal talked me out of it and said that the "milkmaid" would do the trick.
I am now the proud owner of a little pink track bike on my arm. THANKS FOR THE AWESOME TATTOO! too bad it's in that itchy state now. oh how beautiful it is. I get a lot of compliments.
Its very very clean, small, and the staff is awesome. There was this man there who loves poptarts, so who ever he is, you should bring him some. The process was painless and we went over where I wanted everything and what I wanted. I set up an appointment on a saturday night at 7, and it was not crowded and the perfect end to my evening. Price was not bad, considering 1.) its a tattoo 2.) its the city. -
Review from amy s.
Fresh Meadows, NY
7/21/2007
Joy's shop rocks, its not like any other tattoo shop I've ever been to. I've had other tattoos before, at places with 5 chairs and strange men looking at you while you are getting tattooed. My experience at Twelve 28 changed my whole perception on getting tattooed.
It starts with having a consultation with Joy, basically you let Joy know what you want, what you don't want, etc. She will take your ideas and work with you on making it perfect, via email no less! How awesome! Next, you set up and appointment and get your tattoo! We watched LOST and laughed the entire time.
I have to mention that Joy does fantastic work, and she is fast! I thought I would be there for at least 1 hour, nope I was wrong, it was done in 45 minutes!
Bottom line, if you are thinking about getting a tattoo, go to Twelve 28, Joy won't disappoint! -
Review from Renee M.
Brooklyn, NY
10/17/2008
Joy rules. I've been meaning to write a review since I got this tattoo in March/April...
I went in with a very general idea of what I wanted. She sketched something far better than I imagined. Then I didn't know how big I wanted it and let her decide. It's perfect. Everything about this tattoo is perfect. People stop me on the street to ask about it.
The colors are amazing and iridescent and bright and soft all at once. More than anything (and this is so new agey and feminist all at once), it's as if when she looked at me and talked to me she actually saw me and made something that looked like it belonged to me, and on me.
Plus, we watched the Chappelle Show the whole time and she was speedy and I never even noticed I was getting a tattoo. -
Review from Pamela L.
Brooklyn, NY
2/12/2009
AHHH!!!
can you sayyy freaking amazing?
by pure luck i was able to red eye it & sneak into her schedule
she (joy) was amazing, her personality lit up the room & my face, she was communicative & so careful, professional & down to earth
the shop was suppppppper clean & she was on point, explaining every last detail. (since it was my first tat)
it was over within minutes and to my surprise she was fast & gentle the procedure was painless and comforting, since she made sure i was okay frequently.
i was at ease, and i seriously recommend 1228 to everyone
who wants to enjoy getting inked . -
Review from Craig H.
Brooklyn, NY
8/15/2008
Cannot say enough about Joy Rumore, who owns/runs the place. The studio is super clean but still feels inviting. Joy is warm and funny and easy to sit with for a couple hours. More importantly, she's a brilliant artist. Her lines are expert, she has a light touch, and she works fairly quickly. She really shines, as you can see on her site, with color and shading. I went in with a rough sketch I had made in MS Paint, and she fleshed it out, added color, and gave me a tattoo that I get complimented on daily from people on the street. While she was working we (I, really, she just listened) watched Aqua Teens and while of course it hurt, it hurt a lot less than my other tattoos because her touch is so light. Tattoo healed quickly and painlessly. Thanks!
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Review from Gina M.
New York, NY
9/13/2010
My roommate just got a new tattoo done this past week, she said she's very happy with the place she choose... strange option as we live in Manhattan.. she already have 4 other smaller tattoo she got done in CA and this is the first one she had done in NY and she didn't stop raving about the place the whole weekend... I kind of hoped she'll get an infection or something to shut her up...
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Review from Rachel K.
New York, NY
9/28/2010
I recently got my first tattoo here, on the recommendation of a friend, and couldn't be happier with it. I knew I wanted the word "open" on my back, and Joy showed me several designs, and was very easy to work with and the whole process was much simpler than I had expected. I like that I was given the option of watching a movie, and am thrilled with the design Joy came up with.
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Review from Eric B.
Brooklyn, NY
2/7/2008
joy is a joy :)
everything you want in a tattoo studio -- personality, professionalism, fun and cleanliness.
she loves what she does, and it shows. she's incredibly laid back yet professional where it counts. i went to get a few tatts touched up and a new one, and she did an amazing job. fast, friendly, expertly drawn and cheap.
also, as it's just her, there's none of that revolving door crap that you find at other places, where there are like 4 artists and random bikers staring at you as you get your cute little star tattoo :)
highly recommended! -
Review from Vegan G.
New York, NY
2/17/2010
After first meeting Joy Rumore over three years ago now, I knew she was different then any other tattoo artists out there, and to my luck, that was just what I was looking for. I wasn't sure how to put my sleeve ideas on paper, but within minutes talking with Joy, she brought my idea to life effortlessly. I tried to explain my ideas to a few artists before Joy, but all I kept hearing was 'google images', big turnoff for me. After working with Joy, I can honestly say, she's my only artist for life. Her attention to detail is impeccable and is beyond talented with her skill to draw, color, and shade. Her tattoo shop, Twelve 28 Tattoo, is most importantly clean to the tee. She takes sanitary measurements very seriously. Its very cutely decorated and bright. Movies and music are always offered while getting tattooed to help past the time.
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Review from John D.
Stamford, CT
1/20/2010
A phenomenally clean shop! Joy is a down to earth professional who has a knack for perfection. I love the work that she's done, her portfolio is amazing. I have and will continue to refer clients to 1228 Tattoo!
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Review from Ashley D.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2010
Joy's artwork is nothing shy of amazing... she truly takes the time to do the details that make your tattoo... perfect. I would refer anyone to her.. out of about the dozen tattos I have... her work is above and beyond anyone elses. Not only that, but she can rock a very wide variety of tats... it seems like if you want it, she can do it. That's definitely not always the case with a lot of tattoo artists. Many have a few areas they excel in, however, joy rocks it all. I'm actually going back in two weeks for my next one by her. Joy, the tattoo industry is lucky to have you!
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Review from Caitlyn C.
Brooklyn, NY
2/21/2010
Joy was awesome. She was really helpful in scheduling me a last-minute appointment, completely accomodating, and even let me watch Goonies while she did the session.
I'm so happy with my tattoo, and the whole experience--the shop was clean, and she was super professional. Without a doubt I'll be returning here when I decide on my next tattoo. -
Review from Lil B.
Brooklyn, NY
8/6/2008
Joy covered up a previous tattoo quickly. I wasn't very happy with the results because a. I could still see the name that I was trying to cover up afterwards and b. I thought the tattoo was too cartoony. (To be fair, I sent in a picture of objects I wanted her to draw up for me, she didn't draw them beforehand and just tattooed them right on from the photo. I assumed she would do so, but when I arrived she just had the photo in hand, no drawing. I should have been more careful...) Having looked over many tat books and worked with a few machines myself now, I see that her work is generally quite cartoony and lacks sophistication/maturity. It's really just a taste issue - I know Joy does perfect work for many - but her tat style is just not for me.
