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In this podcast episode, tattooer and fine artist Vincent Castiglia explains how he began using blood as a medium, describing its unique kinetic energy and personal connection. He details the technical process—collecting blood (initially via diabetic lancets), preventing clotting, storing it refrigerated in airtight vials, diluting only with water, and using decomposition stages to control hue and value. Castiglia discusses public reactions, misconceptions, and the spiritual and historical context of blood in art, including cave paintings, and shares commissions using others’ blood. The conversation covers imagination, synchronicity, trauma, Giger’s insight into a painting linked to Castiglia’s near-amputation accident, artistic influences, advice for finding an authentic voice, and closes with commentary on modern tattoo content trends and contact information for his websites and Instagram pages.

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This week we welcome guests Stevie “Crazy Stevie” Wells and Phil Luck. They discuss the overhead of large shops, a global slowdown in tattooing, and how social media has changed community and communication. The conversation contrasts street shops and private studios, arguing tattooers should educate clients and that younger generations struggle with in-person communication and expectations of permanence. They define a good tattoo as readable and built to last, compare tattoos to fast fashion, and share stories about consent forms, safety practices, and handling difficult walk-ins.

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On the Honest Tattooer Podcast, we talk with special guest Jeremy Schad from Syracuse, New York, who started tattooing in 2019 during COVID through an informal mentorship that drilled clean linework and helped him become known for fine, crisp lines. Jeremy shares his background in digital art and music, how a blown-off tattoo appointment led him to meet his mentor Michael Conklin (now his shop co-owner), and how he transitioned from working at Apple’s Genius Bar to full-time tattooing with support from his now-wife while facing skepticism from a previous marriage. The group discusses learning methods (fake skin vs real people, watching tattoo livestreams), critiques viral social media takes like “coil machines are obsolete,” reacts to ultra-fine single-needle work and a botched tiger coverup to highlight why coverups are difficult, and talks about what drives engagement in tattoo content. Jeremy plugs upcoming convention work in Baltimore and shares how he tattooed the band Holding Absence after “shooting his shot.”

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