Day in the Life with tattoo artist Amanda Ibbotson

For some, the buzzing sound of a tattoo machine brings goosebumps. For others, it brings a rush of excited adrenaline.

Amanda Ibbotson of Afton is the one to bring that emotion forward.

Ibbotson, 31, is one of three tattoo artists at Self Xpressions Tattoo Studio, located at 208 E. Montgomery St. She has been tattooing there for two years.

“It’s one of the coolest jobs you can have,” Ibbotson said. “Every day, people are happy to see you.”

Ibbotson, who is certified in first aid and blood-born pathogens, begins her day at noon, when she opens the shop, cranks up the tunes and waits for her clients to arrive. Once they appear, paperwork is filled out and she discusses with them their ideas for ink.

The next step is to prepare the client by shaving the area if needed, then cleaning the skin with alcohol before transferring the stencil to the skin.

A tattoo is ink injected by a needle into the dermis, or the second layer, of the skin, where it remains permanently. Because of this, the process can be bloody. Ibbotson takes care to sterilize her work station after every client, and before each client’s inking begins, she covers all touchable surfaces with a plastic wrap film to prevent contamination.

Then, the real work begins.

Ibbotson mixes pigments for the tattoo, chooses a needle and begins work on the tattoo. The process can last anywhere from 15 minutes to six hours. Once the tattoo is finished, Ibbotson cleans the skin and goes over aftercare with the client. Then, she cleans every surface and disposes of the used needles properly.

Sometimes, Ibbotson will have seven or eight clients a day, while other times she may only have one or two. On “flash days,” when tattoos are at a set price on a set day only, she may have up to 35 clients.

Inspiration

From an early age, Ibbotson has been surrounded by the permanent art form.

“My dad got a tattoo when I was younger. Just one,” Ibbotson said. “And, he used to get tattoo magazines, so I always liked looking through the tattoo magazines and would try to redraw the tattoos.”

As a high school student at East Union High School in Afton, she took as many art classes as she could, even undergoing an independent art study, before graduation.

She eventually started working as an assistant at Self Xpressions in 2012, and two years later, she was offered her own tattooing career.

“It’s nerve-racking in the beginning,” Ibbotson said. “It’s something permanent. You don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t know what they’re talking about when they tell you you need to hit your needle depth or you need to do this. It’s really something you learn over a matter of time.”

After about seven months, Ibbotson gained her confidence. Her work at lines was improving and she was able to ink solid color onto skin. Eventually, she was able to do small details and other tattoo techniques.

Unique pieces

Ibbotson has done many standard pieces based on photos from Pinterest, as well as unique pieces.

“I think everything of hers (Amanda’s) is really clean,” said Craig “Knappy” Fogle, another tattoo artist at Self Xpressions. “She’s really OCD about things, so everything is really tight.”

The most unique tattoo Ibbotson did was a geometric design to cover up a swastika. The geometric design had a number of lines and faded into a dark color in the center to hide the black swastika tattoo.

Another unique tattoo that turned into Ibbotson’s favorite piece is of a blue snow leopard based on a design by artist Abby Diamond.

“My favorite was a blue snow leopard. I’ve done several of her (Diamond’s) watercolors as tattoos and it’s beautiful,” Ibbotson said. “I did it for a donation for a fundraiser for a family that was trying to adopt.”

The watercolor style is a challenging technique for Ibbotson because of the length of time the client is sitting.

“I won’t break them up into sessions, so you’re going to be sitting there for four to six hours on a watercolor tattoo. I love doing them. I love the challenge, but it’s a lot of prep,” Ibbotson said. “There are those that it’s just about the art. They enjoy a subject and matter and it’s their taste and style.”

Ibbotson, who is married with one child, is available to tattoo from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.