My Daytona Beach headquarters has been Tropical Tattoo on US1 in Ormond Beach about 2.5 miles away from the Sidewalk Commando-infested Main Street. The atmosphere at Willie’s Tropical Tattoo is a mixture of a serious artist studio with master tattooers plying their art on appreciative clients (a busy business run by Will and Jean with help from long time friend Marcus), and a gathering place for longtime bikers.

Between doing bike related activities there is lots of visible art being applied to the human canvas. When a prospective client walks into the studio he’s greeted by Marcus or James, who walk them through the selection of the tattoos and placement on the body. Some clients bring their own artwork on paper or in their mind and the dissuasion includes price and payment method, cash or plastic. Some ask for a particular artist or already have an appointment. Otherwise they’re introduced to the next available artist who discusses the project and make recommendations.

Once the work is agreed upon, the tattoo artist will repair to the back room to prepare the artwork into tattoo form. Then he will come back out to the waiting room and escort the client to the work station and the work begins. Some tattoos take minutes while others take hours, sometimes with multiple sessions over days, months, or in some cases years.

Does it hurt? How much discomfort depends on location on the body and a person’s own threshold to the discomfort. When it’s complete, you’ll receive instructions on the care of your new work of art.

If you go to a shop like Willie’s Tropical Tattoo expect great tattoos and thorough care instructions because a satisfied client tells his friends and a unhappy client tells the world via Facebook and Twitter.