Honest Tattooer Podcast

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 dr...

Send us Fan Mail 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....

Send us Fan Mail 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? Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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 acceptabl...