The traditions of tattooing have been deeply rooted in the echoes of time. If you meet anyone who has been tattooing for more than 15 years, they will tell you how things used to be. […]
Tag Archives: art
5 Traits that Hold You Back
The Transition.
Haram is past the honeymoon phase at the shop. She has plenty to do and knows what is expected of her. It is obvious that she is up for the challenge. Teaching someone to tattoo […]
Tattooing has Changed, Have You?
In 1995 there were 14 tattoo shops from O’fallon, Illinois to O’fallon, Missouri. In 1998 there were 40. With each shop averaging 3 artists working in house, that would equal 78 new jobs for tattoo […]
Fancy Door Bells…
The Tattoo Machine. The first tattoos were hand poke. Humans used sharp instruments to rip tiny pockets under the skin. A repetitive popping motion that was performed by hand. Pop Pop Pop. Some people say […]
Advice for the New Tattooist.
Tips for the Freshman Tattooist. Its has been said that you haven’t been tattooing until your fifth year is complete. This is when you get to see your old tattoos healed. It takes that long […]
Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals.
My friend Haram is wanting to learn how to tattoo. After learning a bit about the history of tattooing, she took quickly to studying the designs of the past. It is important to understand what […]
Emotionally Driven Tattoos
Emotionally driven tattoos When a loved one passes away, the feelings of helplessness washes over us. The desire to “do something” gnaws at our heartstrings. Tattooing has always been the ultimate act. The one thing […]
Worked to Death.
Measuring success. What is your barometer for success? What are your benchmarks to get there? Have you been making progress? As self employed practitioners of the tattoo arts, we enjoy a rebellious reaction to those […]
Want More Money? Then Stop Worrying about the Money
Your reward is a byproduct. The fastest route is a straight line: unless you’re so focused on the destination that you fall off the path. This happens when you are trying so dang hard to […]
Haram’s Approach to Success
The greatest thing about working with others is watching them grow. Perspective and comfort zones are put to the test as we merge into a new way of life. Tattooing is just that: A Lifestyle. […]
Become the PRODUCT!
“I just love my tattoo! It was fast and efficient!” -nobody ever Why. Why do I want to rally the troops? Why do I want to reach out to artists? Because times have changed. The […]
Cancelation Policy!
People cancel their appointments. This is a simple fact of business. I do not take offense to a cancelation. Do you want to know why? I love my clients. I love hanging out with them […]
Lessons Learned
My SELFJournal has a few parts to it. There is an opening of the day that includes writing your Itinerary, a Gratitude lList, Targets and daily Goals. Upon closing the day, you write Lessons Learned, […]
Bastards of Art Podcast : Episode 26
Learning to Tattoo Recently I have been hanging out with Haram. She wants to learn how to tattoo. But first she must understand what it is she is asking for. Matt Hodel
Tattoo Artist Meet-up!
What we do is not secret. Secrecy has been considered a value in the tattoo culture. It has been such a tradition to guard all of your information that we pretend we are sitting on […]
Tattoos I Tattoodid…
Sometimes I feel so swamped drawing new tattoos for clients that I forget how much I have done. They say if you wanna have self esteem, do something to be esteemed about! I’m posting this […]
History Lesson in Tattooing
The history of tattooing is as colorful as tattoos themselves. Where would Batman be without the Joker? Every town has their rival shops. Without them tattooing would be boring. I can teach someone how […]
Bastards of Art : Lost Episodes
The Bastards of Art Movement Last year I had the idea to try a podcast. I wrangled Jon Fournier into the project and together we recorded 24 episodes that were released weekly. Together we […]
Meet My New Friend
Never have I had a prospective practitioner present themselves in such a positive way. A young lady approached me about learning the craft of tattoo. I have a pretty standard reply to those who have […]
BLURB’s Online Portfolio Maker
www.blurb.com I love Blurb. I just got done making another portfolio. In the past I have used Adobe InDesign to layout my books. Doing it this way gives me a lot of control of the […]
Wanna see some of my older tattoos?
It’s Throw Back Thursday! I found a memory card from 2008. I guess I didn’t like taking straight photos in back then.
Be Successful, Damn It!
Being successful isn’t out of your reach. I use an app called flip book. It searches the internet for me and brings back topics I’m interested in. Today, the blog I reposted below came across […]
Kelsey’s Photo Shoot
www.matthodeltattoo.com
The True Tattoo Artist
When Nathan was ask what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said “A professional baseball player”. His fourth grade teacher told him to pick something real. I think this pushed him harder. […]
Frank.
This is the closest I get to a portrait. Franky and Madison have been getting tattooed from me for almost a decade. Here is Franky’s new tattoo! It is a tribute to his love, Madison. […]