How AI Is Changing Tattooing with Charles Arizmendy and Skylar Phung

Send us Fan MailMatt 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.Support the show

Send us Fan MailOn 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.Support the show

Send us Fan MailJon 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.”Support the show

Send us Fan MailJon 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.Support the show

Send us Fan MailJon 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.Support the show

Send us Fan MailJon 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. Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis 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?Support the show

Send us Fan MailJon 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 Support the show

Send us Fan MailOn 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.Support the show

Send us Fan MailOn 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.Support the show