Finding The Right Tattoo Artist
Finding the right tattoo artist for you can be just as exciting as it is challenging. But with a little bit of research and planning, you'll be able to find an artist whose style and abilities reflect your vision and is just as excited about your project as you are. Here are 4 tips for finding the right tattoo artist for you:
Know Your Vision
Know your vision and be able to describe it to the best of your ability.
Describe details such as shape, size and location of the tattoo.
Gather visual references that match your vision and feature components that reflect your likes and dislikes.
Research Your Artist
You can find out a lot about someone by looking at their portfolio and reading their shop reviews. Now that you have visual references in front of you, you can start researching artists whose portfolios share similarities. Be sure to prioritize artists whose style meets your vision. Not all artists, if many, excel in a range of styles such as Black and Grey Realism, American Traditional or Japanese Traditional so find an artist whose portfolio features examples of the style you like most.
You should also check out their studio and hygiene practices--a clean, sterile environment is essential for tattooing safety!
Know Your Budget
Pricing will naturally weigh heavy with decision making but don’t allow it to be deciding factor. When you're looking for an artist, it's important to know what is and isn't financially feasible. If you don't know what is reasonable to expect as far as pricing goes, don’t be afraid to ask for average rates and whether the artist charges by the piece or by the hour. You'll want to make sure that whatever price range they are in fits within your own personal budget. As the saying goes “Good tattoos are never cheap and cheap tattoos are never good.” After all, this will be something that stays with you forever!
Schedule a Consultation
When you feel you’re ready, schedule a consultation with an artist whose portfolio really resonates with you. Consultations are often free and a great opportunity to sit down with an artist and collaborate. Here, an artist can make creative suggestions as well as offer professional feedback on your vision from an artistic and technical standpoint. This is also your chance to learn more about your artist on an interpersonal level. Consider their personality--do they seem friendly and approachable? Do they have a professional attitude? After your consultation, you should be able to determine whether or not you feel the artist is right for you. If not, there’s no harm in mulling it over and considering other artists.