371 Tattoo, south of Pine River, is an avenue for Charpentier to blend his decade of tattooing experience and his love of drawing together to give customers' permanent body art.

"I do it for a living because it's something I love," he said.

Dave is originally from St. Paul, but has lived in the area for 15 years.

This is Dave's and his wife, Julie's, first time owning a tattoo parlour.

Dave got his start tattooing in Vail, Colorado, during a three-year apprenticeship before becoming a professional tattoo artist.

However, his interest in tattooing began long before he created his first tattoo of an unfinished pyramid and the all-seeing eye.

As a kid he was always interested in tattooing, Dave recalls. He would approach big, burly bikers to ask to see their tattoos.

By grade school he carried a box of markers on the playground and would draw snake and heart "tattoos" on his classmates.

He began drawing at a young age and is largely self-taught - although he did take some college art classes.

While he has specific training in tattooing - he feels his skills as an artist come from his passion for it and his practice of it.

"I do believe all art comes from self," he said.

Dave draws his own tattoos and will help modify designs that a customer might bring in. Given the popularity of tattoos in the last decade, he works hard to create custom tattoos and avoids "flash" stencil-type mass-produced tattoos that some tattoo parlours use.

You don't want a tattoo that 1,000 other people have, he insists.

"It's an art form that needs to be kept pure," he said.

The time it takes for him to complete a custom tattoo drawing depends on the complexity of the subject and his schedule. "I try to go out of my way to get a tattoo done as soon as possible," he said. Typically the turnaround from concept to completed drawing is less than a week.

One of the most common requests he gets is to cover up someone else's work.

"I'm good at it and I like to do it," he said, of the corrective cover ups. Whenever a customer comes to him for help fixing someone else's tattoo, he is happy to help. After all, "It's on your body forever; you've got to like it."

Dave recommends that customers do research, and talk to tattoo artists to find the best fit for them - keeping in mind a common phrase in the tattooing world: "good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are not good."

Skin color, tone and pigment are important considerations an artist must weigh when tattooing. Ink color, quality and the knowledge of the artist make a big difference in the final product. And, the health of the individual being tattooed also makes a difference. "You always want to be properly fed and hydrated," Dave tells customers.

So, does tattooing hurt? Yes, is the foolproof answer, Dave gives, with the caveat that people experience the sensation of tattooing differently.

And, the experience may vary each time a person gets successive tattoos, depending on the artist doing it and the location of the tattoo on the body.

An individuals' choice of tattoo often depends on where they are in their life and what existing tattoos they might have.

Sometimes people pick a tattoo because it means a lot to them or is symbolic of something; sometimes they just like the way it looks aesthetically.

He's happy to collaborate with customers and provide advice on designs, but he won't tell someone what tattoo they should get or where they should put it. "It's not a fashion accessory; it's part of your body," he said.

Classic American tattoos are resurging in popularity, Dave said. An American flag, eagles, stars, Nautical symbols and pin-up girls are becoming more common requests.

The largest single image he's tattooed was a seated Buddha holding a bird of peace and a bird of war. That tattoo took up a man's entire back. He also does full sleeve and full leg tattoos as well as single tattoos.

371 Tattoo is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and by appointment.

Call (218) 587-3318 or stop by to make an appointment.