Travin Scott

What made you want to be a tattoo artist or when did you decide?

I’ve loved to create art ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon. In middle school I sold small paintings, and even got my artwork into a gallery in Carlsbad in highschool. When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my response has always been the same; “An artist.” As a small child, I was fascinated with tattoos. My family says I used to cover my arms and legs with sharpie in elementary school because I thought blackout tattoos were cool. 

As a teenager with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, I struggled with maintaining a job. Mornings were spent hysterically crying for weeks on end, preventing me from showing up to work and burning the bridges between my bosses and I. The need to create art was the only thing that kept me going. I would lay in bed and draw for days, occasionally getting up for a snack. I realized that if I desired success, I need a career that would constantly challenge my creativity. Naturally, I was drawn to the tattoo industry. 

What’s your background? How did you get started? 

At 18 years old I immediately began my search for an apprenticeship, reaching out to nearly every shop in San Diego – at one point I really did think I had landed an apprenticeship, but the artist told be I would have to learn about tattooing at his house. For many reasons, including his “apprenticeship” (which I never followed through with), I became fed up with being taken advantage of and decided to teach myself how to tattoo. 

Early December that same year, I was lucky enough to have met a female artist who happened to be retiring. She gave me all of her equipment and instructions on how to use it safely. I started out practicing on melons, oranges, and bananas, then quickly moved on to fake skin. 

It didn’t take long for me to start practicing on myself. I did my first ever tattoo on my ankle on December 28th, 2021.

I did my first tattoo on a friend about a month later. I eventually began doing enough tattoos to rent out a private studio, but I didn’t enjoy working alone. Ideally, I wanted to meet and work around other like-minded artists. About a year later, I found Wolf and Shadow Tattoo Collective. Being turned down multiple times while looking for an apprenticeship made me hesitant to reaching out. Words cannot describe my excitement when I was hired at my first shop. 

What styles do you specialize in or prefer to work on? 

 

I work with black, gray, and white inks, typically using whip shading alongside either heavy blackwork or fine-lines depending on the design. 

What are your tattoo goals? What kind of pieces do you love working on? What would you love to do more of?

My work is inspired by taxidermy, insects, oddities, and anything most would consider to be unsettling. I also love creating tattoos out of threshold images. 

Many don’t know that I also make animations. I recently started creating flash sheets using frames from my stop-motion animations, and my goal is to re-create my animations using tattoos. I always need volunteers! Please email at travintattoos@gmail.com me if you’re interested. 

Are there any tattoo requests you turn down?  

I tend to avoid script tattoos. 

How do you work with your clients? 

• I prefer that my clients email me at travintattoos@gmail.com to book their appointments. 
• I only offer one appointment reschedule so anything beyond that or later than a 72 hour notice will result in a loss of deposit and you will be required to submit another deposit to reschedule. 
• If you need to cancel your appointment altogether, please note that your deposit is non refundable. 
• Please let me know if you are running late to your appointment. If you are more than 15 minutes late and don’t keep me in the loop, your appointment will be canceled and you will lose your deposit.

FLASH TATTOO

• I only tattoo each of my flash designs once
• All flash designs posted on my Instagram are available unless said otherwise 
• A $50 deposit is required to book pre-drawn (flash) tattoo appointments. This deposit is non refundable but will go towards the total price of your tattoo.
• Please Email me to book your appointment 
• Your tattoo inquiry Email should include the following:
• Full name
• Email
• Phone Number (optional)
• My availability will always be posted in my Instagram highlights, choose a day/time for your appointment and include it in your email
• Include a screenshot of the flash design you are wanting, along with a detailed description of the size and placement you would like
• Include any questions you may have at the bottom of your email
• I will get back to you as soon as possible!
• Once we settle on a date and time for your appointment, I will ask for your deposit via Venmo. You will have 24 hours to submit your deposit otherwise your appointment time along with your flash design will be forfeited to the next person.

CUSTOM TATTOOS

• My minimum for custom tattoos is $200
• Custom tattoos will be booked at a flat rate depending on placement, size, and intricacy.
• A $80-$100 deposit is required to book custom tattoo appointments. This deposit is non refundable but will go towards the total price of your tattoo.
• Please email me to request your custom tattoo appointment 
• Your tattoo inquiry email should include the following:
• Full name
• Email
• Phone Number (optional) 
• My availability will always be posted in my Instagram highlights, choose a day/time for your appointment and include it in your email
• Include reference photos to help me get an idea of what you want drawn
• Include specific details about the sizing and placement you have in mind
• Optional but helpful: You can include pictures of other tattoos you like to help me decide if my style would be a good fit for your idea. 
• Include any questions you may have at the bottom of your email
• I will get back to you as soon as possible. 
• If your custom tattoo is taken on: Once we settle on a date and time for your appointment, I will ask for your deposit via Venmo. You will have 24 hours to submit your deposit otherwise your appointment time along with your flash design will be forfeited to the next person.

Who’s your ideal client?  

• I enjoy working with clients who are easygoing and appreciate me as an artist, not a machine.

Do you have any advice for the first-timer? 

• Research your artist! Make sure you like their style before asking for a tattoo.
• Bring lots of water and some snacks 
• Bring earbuds to listen to music, it’s difficult for me to carry on a conversation while tattooing and I’d hate for you to listen to me breathe for hours on end. 
• Come to your appointment on time, having eaten a good meal beforehand 

What’s your favorite Local destination? 

• Fiesta Island dog park 

How do we find you on Social Media? Please list your usernames and channels below.

• Instagram: @ubie.dubie