Selecting a tattoo artist is probably the most important step of getting tattooed. The tattoo artist can really make or break a tattoo. Whether it’s your first time planning to get inked or you’re an ink aficionado, selecting the right artist is the most important decision you have to make when it comes to getting a tattoo. Here I’m going to give a basic guideline for finding the correct artist, for beginners. Ink aficionados are also welcome to read and comment your thoughts and experiences related to selecting a tattoo artist.
So how do you find a good tattoo artist?
Start by researching artists in your area or in any area that you are planning to visit. Just do a simple google search and look at their reviews and narrow down to some artists(around 8 would be enough). Focus more on the reviews at this stage.
After you’ve narrowed down artists, look at their Website or Instagram feed to get a feel of their work. Every artist is active on Instagram these days and will display a good portfolio. By looking at their work you can understand what style of tattoos they do. Artists usually put big pieces on their portfolio. That doesn’t mean they don’t do small tattoos. The most important thing to look here is what styles the artist is good at.
When you are at the stage of looking for an artist you should have a good idea about what you want to get in terms of imagery and position. Read the article here where I discuss about selecting a design and a placement for your tattoo.
If you see an artist who’s complete portfolio is minimal black work, there’s a good chance they won’t be able to pull off a color realism portrait tattoo. So it’s important you only narrow down to artists who have the capability to do what you want.
Time for the consultation
This is when a lot of people get the jitters and call it. In my opinion people back off at this stage when they haven’t done the proper research and thinking on what they want. This was my case when I was getting my first tattoo. I wasn’t sure about my idea and I was intimidated to go and talk to an artist without a proper idea.
However if you are certain about your idea/concept go ahead and get appointments for a consultation with multiple artists(I suggest 3). Every artist has different ways of making appointments so refer to their contact instructions.
When you are going for consultations please don’t stop at the first consultation. The first artist may seem the perfect fit for the job but the second and third could be better. Plus, visiting multiple artists and talking with them will give you a good perspective on a lot of things related to tattoos.
Selecting the artist
A very important thing to remember at this stage is figuring out the artist’s ability to draw. Some artists are exceptional at tattooing but they can’t draw. They just pull images from the internet and mash it together with basic Photoshop. However their tattoos look very good once done. If you meet across this kind of an artist you should ask yourself whether you are okay getting a tattoo like this. If you want to get a custom drawing that’s unique to you, you should look for a different artist with better drawing skills in my opinion.
If you want your tattoo to look exactly like a reference image then the drawing capability is not much of an issue. Keep in mind that talented artists who do custom designs will charge more in most cases. It just reflects the time and effort they put into the tattoo. So if you’re going for a custom drawing please have the money ready to go through with it.
The tip here is understanding what you want and selecting the artist according to that.
Getting the tattoo
Okay now you’ve selected the best artist for your tattoo. Now it’s time to follow through with the plan and make the appointment. Don’t try to fine tune your tattoo before putting down a deposit and making the appointment. The artist won’t talk too much details unless your appointment confirmed. Believe it or not tattoo artists get a ton of work and aren’t really bothered to work with every person who walks in the shop.
Once you put a deposit the artist will give you a time slot for the tattoo. On the day you make the deposit give as much information as possible to your artist about your artwork. Before your appointment it’s better to visit the studio one time to make sure the artwork is coming along as you want. One time is enough. Don’t disturb your artist constantly because they don’t like it when you do that.
If it’s your first time you’ll definitely feel a bit nervous right before your appointment date. Don’t overthink it. You’ve already gone through all of the details and you are ready to get the tattoo. You did all the homework before even you selected your artist.
So go ahead and get Inked.
