Quote:
Originally Posted by tommiwommi
I think if an artist uses and likes something and it works for them, great!
There's nothing wrong with trying a product to see if you like it or not.
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while I agree there's nothing wrong with trying a new product, it seems there's a constant cycle of people looking to products to make their work better. Constantly shifting from one to the next looking for some "magic" product that will make their work better. If all of this instead would be focused on art, application, and finding one's own particular rhythm, I believe any product can be made to work just as good as the next. Think about it, how many different ink companies are there now? How many of them are well established?? Let's name some...
Waverly
Eternal
Skin Candy
Starbrite
Iron Butterfly
Sta-glo
Classic
Intenze
Dynamic
Kuro Sumi
Alla Prima
Fantasia
National
Spaulding
Millenium
The list goes on and on. Each of these products have been reviewed time and time again. DO we really need any more choices???
We live in a time when there are tons of tried and true products on the market for tattooing, and it's rather easy to find them. Simply digging through this very forum will give you a wealth of knowledge. Sadly, most would rather just ask a question and wait for an answer. It's becoming very redundant.
I dunno, I haven't been in the greatest of moods as of late and my opinion on this could be attributed to that.
However, I will say that if you haven't heard much about a product (especially one that's been around for some time) chances are it isn't worth it. For example, if I post a thread asking about the "prizm colors" sold by superior, should I expect a serious critique of the product, or should I expect nonsense?? Given the company making it, most likely nobody here would have anything positive to say about it because it's from a company that sells s&!t. Has everyone tried it?? Probably not. That doesn't change the fact that based on face value, and the company's reputation that it's not that great.
Common sense would dictate that if a product isn't recieveing reviews in an age of mass information exchanging, chances are it wasn't worth reviewing.
On another note, how many of these companies have been around long enough to have refined their product?? I mean, it is ink we're talking about. What exactly does one look for in an ink? Ease of application, saturation, consistency, blendability, and DURABILITY being the big one. Most of those can be figured out rather quickly, but the big one, DURABILITY can only be measured in time. How many of these products have even existed long enough to be able to stand behind that one?? I'm willing to bet not that many.
How many of these inks are considered a "cash-in" by the artists making them. By "cashing in" i mean how many of these guys are developing and selling a product solely based on their body of work. What ink did they use to create all of that work prior to creating said brand? How many of them actually make the ink with the idea of creating a better product vs just making a buck while they can? Hell, how many of them actually make the ink period?
This isn't me ranting just for the hell of it, nor am I trying to break anyone's balls or anything like that. I'm simply trying to generate conversation and debate that I haven't seen in quite a while on here. I've had these questions rolling around in my head for quite some time and I guess this just seemed like the right time to let em loose.
If well all spend our time digging for the next great product, whether it be machines, inks, needles, etc, we're gonna wind up losing focus on what really matters. Good tattoos. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can replace hard work, dedication, and a desire to improve one's own ability. All that other s&!t just falls to the side in comparison.