Tattooing is a very personal kind of artwork, and that artwork is entirely influenced by the tattoo artist you choose. Each tattooist has their own kind of style. We see this even in broad styles like watercolor – an artist like Gene Coffey uses lots of black to hold the image together while Sasha Unisex uses bold color gradients. Unless you’re designing your tattoo yourself or paying an artist to do it, you’re stuck with an artist and their unique style until the end!
So, here’s how you can find that one tattooist who will make the most of your piece.
Shop Around!
Don’t rush into this! It takes time to find an artist that you’re comfortable will create something beautiful that fits you perfectly.
Be sure to shop around. Follow heaps of tattoo shops nearby on Instagram, visit your local studios to check through their portfolio and don’t forget to chat with the artists themselves. If they have the time to talk through the kind of ideas you have to see if they ‘get it’.
Don’t be Afraid to Travel
The tattooist of your dreams may not be just down the street – that’s just the way it is – and while I’m not entirely up for plane hopping all the way to Russia for Sasha Unisex to do a killer watercolor tattoo on me, I do think it’s important to consider travel when setting the budget for a tattoo.
Listen to Tattoo Artist Chatter!
Word of mouth is a great way to find out exactly what any tattoo studio is like. If you have any friends with tattoos ask them where they went, how the experience was and all the other questions bugging you. You’ll be able to see firsthand the kind of work that they do.
This is really helpful when finding out where you should avoid! While people love to talk about tattoos, they won’t wait before telling you about all the negative experiences and bad tattoos they’ve had and where.
Budget Flexibly
Tattoos can be very expensive. When it comes to finding the perfect artist you don’t want to be limited in quality because you didn’t save enough. Save yourself the worry by over budgeting what you think you may need for your next piece and if it ends up being estimated much higher than you thought, save a little longer!
At the end of the day, it’s all your decision. Whether you’d rather budget less, shop around more or how far you’re willing to travel to have your work done. Whatever choices you make, always think them through before you jump into anything!
