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| In April 2011, José Santi Coló traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Austin, Texas to get a custom tattoo from Mr. Siego, owner of Blindside Tattoo Studio on S. 1st and Live Oak. Mr. Siego has been stacking up awards at every competition in which he is allowed to participate, and Coló recognizes quality work. This session, which lasted over 12-hours represents less that one half of the full vision Coló has for his tattoo. After about nine and a half hours Coló signaled he needed a break by losing consciousness. These images were taken after that point, when the tattoo was in the home-stretch. While the duration of the sessions isn't the shop record, it certainly ranks among the longest. |
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| When a client has traveled long distance for a tattoo, especially one as large and elaborate as this one, it is important to balance the quality of the tattoo with the time available to work on it. An unfinished project must, at some level give the appearance of completion. |
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| Mr. Siego re-touches existing lettering on Coló. He asks, to make sure that he wants him to thicken it with black ink, adding the warning, "once you go black, you don't go back." Black ink cannot be covered up, except of course, with more black ink. |
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| The toughest customers meet their threshold at Blindside Tattoo Studio. |
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| Although I wouldn't categorize the attitude as callous or sadistic, but there is a very dead-pan delivery to Mr. Siego. Perhaps it comes from years of seeing clients through their most excruciating self-inflicted agony at an hourly rate. |
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| Freshly inked skin undergoes a transformation beyond the imagery being placed upon it. Flesh takes on a resemblance of ground meat. Hard lines bring blood bubbling to the surface. |
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| At less than one-half of completion, Coló's nearly tattoo-free back now has an impressive addition. He plans to return in the summer months for the other side. |
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