You’re planning to get your next tattoo, and this time, you want to take your time. You’re already on the right track because taking your time finding the right tattoo artist or studio is the most important thing when getting inked. This is a skin art likely to stay on you for the rest of your life, so being careful is precisely what you should do.
Suddenly deciding you want to get a tattoo and then picking whatever studio is near you without any thought is a recipe for disaster. You might get lucky and end with a great tattoo, but more often than not, you end up with a physical manifestation of your bad decisions. Here’re helpful tips for finding the right tattoo artist for your next ink.
Know What You Want
The most important thing you need to do is research. The question is if you already know what you want. Your search for the right tattoo artist will be so much easier if you already know what kind of tattoo you want.
A Simple Design
If the design you want is simple, you can get it done in any tattoo parlor. Simple shapes and classic lettering can be done in any reputable shop. Some states require tattoo artist licensing, so you should look it up, but it’s not something to stress about.
A Complex Design
If the design is more complex, you need to do more research. You will have to look for the right artist or tattoo studio that can do the design you want. You can easily do this by searching online, especially on social media like Instagram.
Where To Search for an Artist
The best place to look for a tattoo artist is Instagram since almost every popular artist has one, not to mention you can quickly see samples from their profile.
Upload Sample Design
One way to look for an artist who can ink your desired design is by uploading it on Instagram, captioning it “Looking for an artist,” and asking for recommendations from your followers. Many Instagram folks will happily point you to the right people.
Follow a Thread and See What Pops Up
People love getting inked, and if you look around, you will easily find a thread about tattoo artists worth following. Following these threads means you can quickly get a notification about what’s going on in the industry, meaning you’ll also know the best and budding artists in the field.
Word of Mouth
If not on Instagram or online, one of the best ways for finding a tattoo artist you like is crowdsourcing or word of mouth. Don’t be afraid to ask them where they got or who did it whenever you see a tattoo you like. Remember, though — no touching. That’s rude, and you’ll come off creepy.
Visit Studios
You can also do some leg work and visit studios near you. This is good because you’ll have more time to check out the artist’s work and ask them about it. You might even be able to witness them tattooing someone. Most tattoo artists are happy to talk about their work.
Scrutinize the Samples
You don’t have to be an artist to tell if something is a quality tattoo or not. Have a keen eye and take a close look at an artist’s samples. Look closely at the lines, whether they’re smooth or not. Did they fill in the tat with bold colors? Are there any blank areas?
If You Don’t Know What You Want
If you still have no idea what tattoo you want to get, that’s okay. Discussing it with the artist can help, and you can see their samples. They might give you some ideas, and the artist might be able to draw one for you, too. If nothing clicks, you can get flash or pre-designed images the artist or studio already has.
Final Thoughts
There are two important things to keep in mind when finding the right tattoo artist and getting inked — don’t do it when you’re drunk or feeling impulsive, and always do some research.