Tattoo of the week: Lesson #1, Know thy artist

Our feature this week, 22-year-old, Melissa from Florida, currently has four tattoos with a full length ivy vines that cover her back in memorial of her step-grandmother. Most of our submissions have no regrets for any of the work that they've had on their skin, but Melissa regrets the tattoo artist that did one of her tattoos who had never inked dark skin. Word to the wise, ask your tattoo artist if they are comfortable tattooing your skin complexion before making a life long commitment to something permanent. This week, we feature you, Melissa, for giving us an important lesson on knowing the history of your tattoo artist.
To be featured as our tattoo of the week, submit images of your tattoo(s) (at least 3 pics) + your answers to the questionnaire below to afropunkcommunity@gmail.com.

Tattoo of the week: Lesson #1, Know thy artist
Feature Melissa

Name
Melissa aka Born Jamerican

Age
22

City
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Occupation
Hotel Front Desk wench

How many tattoos do you have?
4

Which one is your favorite?
The vines of ivy that cover my back and side.

When and where did you get it?
I started my vine work 2 years ago in a studio in Hamden, CT and then finished it up in Ft. Lauderdale.

What does it mean to you?
It's a memorial tat to my step great-grandma who was more like grandma to me. She raised my mom and most of my family in Jamaica and I took it pretty hard when she passed in 2006.

How old were you when you got your first tattoo?
I was 18 when I got my dragon tat that is on my lower back.

Why should we feature your tattoo?
It's pretty cool and most people never see it and would never think that I am tatted up.

Do you have a particular tattoo artist you go to? If yes, where is he/she located?
Yes, Leah at A Touch of Color in Hamden, CT. no website.

Have you ever received a tattoo under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
No. That's just silly.

Do you regret any tattoos you have?
I got one done at some guys apartment that came out shitty because he had never tatted Black skin before. I quickly got that fixed. I don't regret that tat--just the artist.

Tags: #1, Know, Lesson, Tattoo, afro-punk, afropunk.com, artist, of, the, thy, More…week:

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Comment by NuLite on February 19, 2012 at 8:53pm: Loving the ivy tatt

Comment by LilMissyBlack on February 12, 2012 at 9:32am: Awww. snap. I'm featured again. SWAG

Comment by Nora Woods on February 10, 2012 at 1:23pm: Classy art work

Comment by THA ORIGINAL GATA™Monique Dupree on February 9, 2012 at 1:58am: that's just HOT!!!

Comment by Cyrille Phipps on December 16, 2010 at 12:28pm: I'm a Jamerican too but without tats. At least for now!

Comment by LilMissyBlack on December 14, 2010 at 6:26pm: The messed up tat is the one above my Life tat. It wasnt as big a mistake as the post makes it seem.

Comment by Mamadoc on December 14, 2010 at 10:27am: Love it because it's original and has such a special meaning!

I love my tattoo artist but I think I was perhaps the 1st black person he had inked. Fortunately, he realized he needed to make some adjustments at the very beginning.