About Me
ARTICLE by Stephen Couse
TROY - After years of putting ink on bodies in Albany, tattoo artist Donald C. Demers Jr. is bringing his craft and customers back to his hometown. Full Effect Tattooing opened for business Tuesday at 460 Broadway in the Collar City. Demers worked for seven or eight years at Lark Tattoo in Albany and built up a large clientele there. He decided the time was right to go into business for himself and open up shop in Troy. "I want to bring people back to Troy, my hometown," he said Thursday.Demers grew up in South Troy and had an interest in tattooing for as long as he can remember. He's been tattooing now for 15 years. "I've been into art all my life, and grew up with bikers," he said. "All my uncles had tattoos, and it's something that's always intrigued me." He started reading books about tattooing and attending conventions. After doing a variety of jobs for others, he came to realize that tattooing was something he could do as his own boss. "I never liked working for someone else," he said. "I knew I could work for myself."Demers said he learned a lot working at Lark Tattoo but got tired of seeing the owner reap all the benefits of his work.While working in Albany, the county passed a law requiring tattoo artists be tested and certified. He was the first to comply with the new law. He has also learned to be a teacher, mind reader and psychologist. Many people come in for a tattoo and don't have a clue what they want, according to Demers. He has worked on small tattoos that take less than a half hour to complete and bigger projects that don't end. "It never ends until you have no skin left," he said.Some of his customers can sit for up to four or five hours. "After that, it hurts just to look at."He does all the outline and black ink work first. Then it takes a few weeks to heal before more work can be done.Inside his shop, customers can leaf through tattoo magazines or a book of "tattoo flash" - designs created by artists - for ideas. Many customers know exactly what they want or bring designs in with them. Others know of Demers' work and seek advice from him. "I like to work with the body and make it fit the body," he said.And if someone comes in with an idea that he is not comfortable with, he will politely say, "I think you're in the wrong shop."Demers said the city seemed a little apprehensive about having a tattoo shop on Broadway and worried about the type of customers he might attract. "I know I can run a nice, clean, legitimate business," he said and pointed out that he lives in Troy and wants to be a part of the downtown revitalization. Lynn Beaumont of Albany stopped by Thursday evening for work on her "half sleeve," from her shoulder to her elbow. "Don is my favorite artist," she said as Demers prepared his tools.The tattoo, her third, was a Christmas gift from her boyfriend and was started in Albany.
"It's a gift that keeps giving and giving," she said. She had an idea of what she wanted and developed the idea with Demers. He then created a charcoal drawing, which she has hanging on her wall. Beaumont said she works at Bombers on Lark Street in Albany and when people ask her about her tattoos, she tells them about Demers. After 40 minutes, he was done with her arm. "It looks awesome," she said as she looked in the mirror.
The shop will be open daily from noon to 10 p.m. and will likely be closed on Sundays.
Demers charges $125 an hour and has a $60 minimum. For extensive work taking more than three or four hours, he will consider dropping his rate to $100 an hour.
"I will work with people," he said regarding rates... For over 15 years Award Winning Tattoo artist DON DEMERS has made an impressionable mark on the Tattoo industy! NOW OPEN 7 days a week -12 noon-10PM "FULL EFFECT TATTOOING" 460 Broadway, Troy N.Y. 12180. Call Today For an appointment
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