Honest Tattooer Podcast

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On the Honest Tattooer Podcast, Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Gabe discuss key tattooing questions before sharing street interviews recorded at the Richmond Tattoo Convention. They reflect on beliefs they’ve changed, what they’d do differently, and what styles they’d pursue if they couldn’t tattoo their signature work. They debate Instagram’s shift to video and a proposed 90-minute upload feature. Several artists argue great tattooing can be technical without great drawing, distinguishing “tattooist” vs “tattoo artist.”

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Matt Truiano hosts this week as the crew starts of the talks with what they did this week. Buck starts a freehand half-sleeve of a green lion with a grapevine tail eating the sun; Vega paints Halloween flash and books a Turkish/Eurasian floral tile tattoo; Matt finishes a large back cover-up transforming a Cheshire Cat into a turkey vulture and retouches a client’s Garden of Eden throat piece. They then play a “Heads Up!”-style guessing game using common tattoo motifs.

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On the Honest Tattooer podcast, Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano, welcome back Ryan Roi for his fourth appearance to discuss why tattooers’ bookings dropped and how he pivoted from financial advising to full-time marketing coaching for tattooers. Ryan explains the difference between content and marketing, focusing on deposits over views or followers, and emphasizes local leads, clear location info, consistent calls-to-action, and improving DM-to-appointment conversion (including moving conversations to text). He argues great tattoos are the minimum, while branding, identity, and human connection drive buying decisions, and addresses fear, perfectionism, and dealing with trolls (“block and bless”). Ryan shares success stories, discusses running ads with Meta’s AI targeting, and previews Koroku, an AI-assisted software to organize leads, manage DMs, and generate content ideas from client consultations.

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano welcome Josh Adams, creator and host of the tattoo docuseries Skin Deep, to discuss how the show documents tattoo artists, shop culture, and personal stories across seasons in the U.S., New York/LA, and an upcoming London season. Josh shares getting his first tattoo at 14 as rebellion, his background filming musicians and comedians on tour, and why he wanted to highlight tattooers’ stories beyond the work. They talk about choosing artists through referrals, local legends like London’s George Bone, and how shop environments reflect their owners. The conversation covers craft and preparation (including meeting Mike Rubendall), changes in media and phones, AI tools in editing, content-making, industry saturation, economic pressures affecting bookings, and what makes tattooers feel like “pirates.”

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano host the Honest Tattoo Podcast with guests Daniela Segal and Gordo. They reminisce about meeting years ago through the No Idols/Bowery shop circle, then discuss a social media project by @martindninja featuring honeycomb-like hexagon tattoos from many artists, using it to compare how different styles and pigments age, including tiny realism, traditional work and fine lines over time. They react to artists complaining about posting process content and connect it to an older black-and-white clip about creative pressure. The episode also covers Pew data suggesting higher income correlates with fewer tattoos, tattoos remaining taboo in Japan, shifting generational trends, tipping culture, and skepticism toward online tattoo schools and claims about fine-line techniques versus skin’s limits.

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano do a one-on-one episode about when tattooers need to say no, including turning down projects outside their strengths, designs that are too small, ideas that won’t age well, and clients who change direction or message-bomb before appointments. They discuss balancing honesty with opportunity, sometimes doing simple walk-ins for the experience can lead to bigger work, while also protecting time, enforcing rescheduling boundaries, and avoiding sending drawings that invite outside opinions or theft. Matt shares an email inquiry that shifts from a small spoon tattoo to unrelated references, while Jon recalls a client who switched from a tiger sleeve to a ChatGPT-inspired warrior concept. Vega joins to describe redrawing a flawed, asymmetrical ornamental design into a clean, symmetrical tattoo. They also touch on social media reach, posting choices, freehand vs iPad workflow, and tattoos they no longer enjoy doing.

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano are joined by guest tattooer Edoardo Taglioretti, a 12-year artist from Italy who specializes in new school and bio-organic tattoos. They discuss whether current tattoo trends will become classics or future coverups, framing how tattoos “age” physically in skin, culturally, and personally. The episode critiques post-ironic meme/joke tattoos, brand and shock-value pieces, and the role of social media in spreading trends before healed results are seen. They also break down extreme micro-realism, its technical limits, readability, contrast, and long-term longevity, plus the popularity of patchwork/sticker-style collections and finger tattoos with frequent touch-up issues. The conversation expands into laser removal experiences, celebrity tattoo taste, and how styles like new school, Japanese, and bio-organic evolve and remain relevant.

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This week we talk about the importance of choosing the right artist for the job, what makes a good portrait reference, lining at the end of a large, multi session piece, the cost of a good tattoo in Bali and what is goin on what that back piece?

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Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and Matt Buck talk with guest tattooer Charles Arizmendy and later Skylar Phung about how AI is affecting tattooing, especially as clients bring AI-generated references that look polished but often aren’t tattooable due to skin, body flow, aging, and detail limitations. They compare AI references to Pinterest/Google, discuss when AI is a helpful springboard versus when clients get overly attached to an exact image, and debate what feels acceptable (AI as reference) versus “dirty” (AI stencils/AI flash), plus whether artists should disclose AI use. They touch on environmental concerns, virtue signaling, the rising value of hand-drawn work, AI art accounts selling prints, and even a robot tattoo machine

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On the Honest Tattooer podcast, Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano sit down with Matt Buck and guest Fabian, a New York tattooer of 13 years with a graffiti background who now focuses on mostly freehand blackwork sigils—turning phrases into symbols by removing vowels and repeated consonants. The group reacts to a thread about what’s “cringe” in tattooing and debates whether artists who learned online, don’t build machines, and make lots of content are “less” of a tattooer, weighing respect for tradition against modern realities. They discuss influencers teaching without experience, AI and originality, social media marketing tactics, oversaturation, and whether being good at tattooing is enough anymore. The conversation also covers apprenticeships, mentorship quality, tool knowledge, cheap equipment, and the need for financial literacy, retirement planning, and longevity in the craft.

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On the Honest Tattooer podcast, hosts Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano talk with guest tattooer/shop owner Amanda Malia and her apprentice Jacob Satterly. They discuss blurred style lines, Amanda’s nontraditional early apprenticeships and how long it took to feel like a “real tattooer,” imposter syndrome, and how environment and competition affect growth. The episode covers how social media has changed perceptions of legitimacy, differences between Facebook and Instagram, and Meta pushing Reels. They share art and tattoo process habits, longevity-driven simplification, stippling/shading tips, and advice for getting an apprenticeship (draw/paint, get tattooed by the mentor). The conversation also explores shop culture, booth rent vs percentage, contracts, rising supply costs, and how to raise rent while maintaining a positive vibe.

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On the Honest Tattooer podcast, Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and guests Joe Capobianco, Ermis and Matt Buck discuss who will shape tattooing’s future as outside biotech and tech companies push new products faster than the tattoo community. They react Pain-Free Tattoo microneedle stamp concept. They also cover Black Dot’s venture-backed automated tattooing system, its current limitations, and skepticism about small-scale fine-line results without long-term healed examples. The group critiques Melanoir’s costly single-use synthetic melanin ink and broader corporate cash-grab motives, then pivots to affirm the lasting value of human-made craft, coils, and tattoo history. Joe promotes the free, tattooer-only TAT Hoedown (Aug 30–Sept 1, Dayton, Ohio)

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This week we take a look at an instagram post that shows Michelle DiDonato Quinones' tattoos fresh vs healed as we learn what works and what doesn't.

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Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, and guest Aaron Davis (Atlanta-based tattooer specializing in Afro-Americana, tattooing 7+ years) discuss what makes a tattooer hireable if they had no reputation, including how shop hiring has changed, the importance of portfolio, attitude, reliability, and the ability to pay rent by bringing in clients. They weigh social media presence versus consistent walk-ins, emphasize professionalism and respecting clients’ time, and name major red flags like drug/alcohol issues and personal drama spilling into the shop. The conversation covers the value of peer critique and being around strong artists, how apprenticeships have shifted with information online, changes in needle and machine culture, and secondhand gear marketplaces. They compare illustration and tattooing economics, touch on AI’s impact, and close with advice for aspiring artists: show up, build trust, study fundamentals, curate only your best work, be humble, seek critique, and ask whether you’d hire yourself.

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano sit down with special guest Joe Redding (@coyoteeyes), a fine line and black-and-gray micro realism tattooer who apprenticed in 2017 and went full time during COVID after bartending and other work. They break down misconceptions about fine line tattoos by reacting to a reel and its polarized comments, then discuss what makes fine line work last: consistent depth control, avoiding blowouts, using “bloodlines/train tracks” and “scrubbing” to create a pocket for ink, and often lining with diluted black or grey wash to reduce pigment spread while selectively adding contrast. They also cover limitations on darker skin or heavy sun exposure, crosshatching and ink choices, plus how Instagram algorithms, boosting fees, video frame rates, and AI are reshaping tattoo marketing and workflows.

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On the Honest Tattoo Podcast, Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano welcome guest tattooer Eoghann McGregor, a Scottish artist now working in New York, who has been tattooing about seven and a half years and describes his style as “weirdo trad” The group recaps the intimate Third Coast show in Chicago, talks about convention tattooing, walk-ups, and how body positioning can drastically change stencil size and placement. Eoghann shares how he got into tattooing through hanging around a shop, losing an early opportunity, eventually landing an apprenticeship, and then moving from Scotland to England and to New York after a visa sponsorship. They emphasize the value of constructive critique in shops, discuss shop culture versus private studios, and announce Ermis is leaving New York for Greece in five weeks with plans to return to tattoo in the U.S. periodically,

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Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano welcome guest Russ Abbott back to the Honest Tattooer podcast and discuss his major fitness changes, how improved health impacts tattooing, and the ergonomic setup he uses to stand while tattooing. Russ explains his magnifying dental-style glasses, reading glasses, and custom prescription polarized lenses with a polarized headlamp to reduce glare. The conversation shifts to the Abbott Color Wheel, why ink pigment transparency and lightfastness matter, and Russ’s plan to redesign the wheel by learning ink bases and building a more intentional palette. He also talks about focusing on Japanese kumiko-inspired geometric work, tattooing his son, Tattoo Smart’s slowdown, and concerns about AI and design apps becoming crutches versus learning fundamentals.

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Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, Gabe (“G Money”), and guests Michael L. and Matt Buck play Heads Up Tattoo artist edition hosted by Vega to identify tattoo-related “personalities” taped to their foreheads—some real tattooers and some decoys. They debate messy rules, points, and whether questions should be strictly yes/no, while correctly landing names. Afterward they discuss how to refine the game with clearer themes and fewer points, then each shares recent tattoos and broader reflections on staying inspired, fundamentals, client popularity, apprenticeships, and adapting technique for difficult healers, before plugging the Patreon aftershow.

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Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano talk with special guest Bunny about her path through tattoo culture from the early 1990s to New York City. Bunny recalls getting a first hand tattoo at 14 in Milan, then finding a safe community working around a Milan shop as a teen alongside misfits and bikers. She describes moving to Scotland and London, returning to Milan to see tattooing dramatically evolve, and how Instagram and shifting social acceptance helped tattoos become mainstream and trend-driven. After moving to NYC, she began working in shops including Armageddon, Magic Cobra, and Three Kings, discussing long shop hours, changing business pressures, and the challenge of managing personalities. Bunny shares why she prefers staying behind the scenes and advises shop staff to take the job seriously and respect the business.

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The Honest Tattooer podcast welcomes guests David and Dat discussing their backgrounds, preferred styles, and the realities of long back-to-back tattoo sessions, including managing skin trauma and the mental side of sitting. They talk about building deep client relationships through honest conversation, navigating fear of judgment around politics and religion, and the importance of expressing love and respect even with opposing views. David shares plans to serve overseas on a mission trip to Vietnam and explains his shift from industry influence to spreading hope through faith in Christ, ending with a concise presentation of the gospel. The episode also covers growth through criticism, humility in apprenticeships, social media’s impact, committing to a craft, and Dat’s journey from early “hot garbage” drawings to rapid improvement through work ethic.

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