Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Miller.
Hi Jeremy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We first opened our doors almost 17 years ago, in December of 2009. After spending six years in the Air Force, I left the military and moved to Austin with the intention of pursuing my MBA at St. Edward’s University. Since I had learned to tattoo while in the military, I took a job working late night hours at a local tattoo shop to make ends meet while going to school. While I was in that first semester of school, a professor asked me why I was working for someone when I had a business degree. I didn’t really have a good answer, so I began to play with the idea in my head. After a few weeks, I started verbalizing my idea, and word got back to my boss at the time. This was quickly met with threats and termination, and I found myself suddenly unemployed. Looking back, necessity made me accept the risk of opening a new business. I truly had no plans on starting my own tattoo shop, but being left with no job and a new baby at home put me in a position of either trusting in my own abilities or getting a regular job. So, I wrote a short business plan and started looking for space. When I first found my location, the landlord was hesitant to bring in a tattoo shop. So, I drove him around town, explaining the various things I wanted to do and the things I wanted to avoid. I signed the lease on November 11, 2009 and 1 month later the doors of Pigment were opened to the public for the first time.
Those first couple of years were quite challenging because I was new to town and the business was new. However, I was fortunate to have the GI Bill, which ensured my housing was covered while I was a full time student. This gave me the ability to let my work product be fully dedicated to the business. After a few months, I realized the importance of having a good team, and I started working to surround myself with the best tattoo artists possible. We have made it nearly two decades by continuously providing tattoos that can’t be achieved by your run of the mill tattoo shop.
In 2012, I wrote my masters thesis on adding laser tattoo removal into the tattoo shop environment, on the idea that tattoo artists would be better suited to perform laser tattoo removal. I later took this concept and became the first tattoo studio in central Texas to offer laser removal. Through this diversification of services, we became a one stop shop for clients who had regretful tattoos. This also expanded our ability to bring quality tattoo work to people who were previously stuck with poor quality. Since that time, we have partnered with laser manufacturers to help tattoo studios get more involved in lightening tattoos to open cover-up possibilities. Today, laser tattoo removal accounts for a large portion of the business, and provides our clients with more options than any other tattoo studio in central Texas.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has certainly not been a smooth road. While we are very blessed, there have been countless challenges and struggles over the years. While people are the most important part of the business, they also pose the greatest challenge. In my case, working with tattoo artists requires that I have an understanding of the personalities of this industry. Tattoo artists are entrepreneurs by their nature, and they are often nomadic. This means that most tattoo artists want to continue moving and they want to be in charge of their own work. Due to these natural tendencies, the greatest challenge in owning this business has been to keep good tattoo artists happy and keep them from moving on to another shop. This became especially challenging following COVID because so many tattoo artists made the decision to move into the private studio environment. However, as time has moved on, more and more artists are realizing that the private studio environment does not provide the peer to peer interaction that drives improvement in their art.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My art is perhaps the thing that I am most proud of from my 23 year career as a tattooer. While most artists draw for the tattoo that they have scheduled, I draw because I love to draw. I have worked very hard to get into a position where I can draw before having a client, and then I am able to sell my art as a tattoo. My particular style is very unique and you won’t find anyone else in Texas that does what I do. In fact, this style has been coined as “Texas New School.” New school tattooing is based off of 90s style cartoon tattoos that were heavily influenced by graffiti, skateboard, and hot rod cultures. There is a silliness to it that feels lighthearted and joyful. My work stands out in this category because I make stylistic choices that all fit the image that I have in my head. This includes thick lines, bold and vibrant colors, heavy contrast, and overly exaggerated proportions. I love silly word play and humorous subjects. But, the subject matter of each piece isn’t what matters, rather the way the artwork is executed. The great majority of my tattoos are drawn as full color pieces that are framed and hang in my gallery, where over 100 pieces are hanging at any time.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy in this career is what I call a complete art package. This means that the concept was taken from a random idea that popped into my head, all the way to a fully complete and healed tattoo. This includes concept sketch, a rendered sketch, a full color framed piece of art, and the completed tattoo. This makes me happy because it is like the concept finished its meaning. When an idea pops into my head and I can’t seem to get it sketched up, it feels like wasted thoughts. Or if I can’t find a client for a design, then the design still feels incomplete even if it is hung up in a frame.
Pricing:
- Most artists don’t do art work in advance of the tattoo. I do offer this as several different options. I always try to provide clients with a sketch for no charge, but for $500, I bring the client into the design process and I provide a fully drawn and framed piece of art for the client to keep.
- Most tattoos are priced on an hourly basis
- Laser removal is priced based on size
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Texasnewschool.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremymiller/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeremyMillerDoodlesandTattoodles/photos_by
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pigment-tattoo-and-laser-removal-austin-2
