Meet Christian Quintanilla of Quinta Tinta Studio in South Central Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Quintanilla.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started tattooing in the summer of 2007. I purchased my first tattoo kit at the Santa Fe Springs swaatmeet for $50, wasn’t the best equipment but it was good enough to get my dream started. Like it was yesterday, I remember so much joy I felt when I opened up my kit and plugged it in for the first time and heard those coils running. Since I was just a beginner with no type of experience or prior apprenticeship, I obviously had no clients so I had no other choice but to practice on myself. Friends started noticing the potential so just like that I gained my first practice dummies lol just kidding, if it wasn’t for those people believing in me I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.

I remember doing house calls going from one city to another trying to keep up with my appointments. Lots of late hours and practicing consistently started to pay off. I then gained more experience with time of course and partnered up with a good buddy of mine that was on the same train and we opened up our 1st private tattoo studio in Downtown LA. A few years later, I partnered up with a couple of other buddies of mine and we opened up a much larger studio also located in Downtown.

Now almost 13 years down the line in my independent career, I find myself owning my own private studio located in South Central Los Angeles around the corner from where I grew up. I can honestly say it wasn’t easy getting here and after so many ups and downs, I can still look back at my past and say if could do it all over again differently, I wouldn’t change a thing. I thank everyone that’s influenced my life positively as much negatively. I love my life and everyone in it, I am the man I am now and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the struggle.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely wasn’t easy to get to where I am now, I had so many long nights and at one point, I had a full-time job aside to what is now my career. I had to deal with still being a full-time husband and father, and it wasn’t easy following a dream that only I had. At one point, my wife seeing how tired and drained Id be when I came home she would tell me to just stick to my full-time job. But I never gave up on what I knew was going to be my way out.

Please tell us about Quinta Tinta Studio.
As a body art technician, I guess you can say I’m well rounded in a lot of areas but I would say I specialize in portraits, custom realism, and cover ups. Having so many clients I’ve gained over the years one thing I love to hear is when they say, “man, you’ve come along way, I remember you going to my house with all kinds of bags and books and now look at you”. Makes me proud to know that the blood, sweat and tears I invested payed off. One thing I can say about myself that all my clients can say about me is that I’m very professional and I keep good relationships with each and every one of them

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing, I had to go through the struggle to learn about the rewards.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4520 S. Avalon Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 90011
• Phone: (323)458-2172
• Email: Chrisquin679@gmail.com
• Instagram: QuintaTintaStudio_6
• Facebook: QuintaTinta

Image Credit:
I want to give credit to @sewervision, @brushwork, @caylebjones, and @huntertyb

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