Choosing Tattoo Artists (2024)

FAQs

How do you pick your tattoo artist? ›

Ask for Recommendations

Friends and loved ones with pieces you admire are the perfect place to start when searching for an artist. You'll want to know who the artist was, what they charged, and how your person's experience was. And because these are people you know, it's unlikely they'll be bothered by your questions.

One of the most important things to look for in a good tattoo artist is technique. A bad artist will simply scribble their design onto your skin with little regard for clean lines or symmetry. A good artist, on the other hand, will take their time to create a precise and beautifully executed design.

A general guideline is to tip between 15-20% of the total cost of your tattoo, but you can adjust this amount based on your personal budget and satisfaction with the service.

Ask all the questions you want to! Good tattoo artists love to answer questions and provide comfort to their clients, from what kind of machines they use to what kind of ink they use to how long they've been at it and what they have a preference for doing.

A great tattoo should have fully saturated black, color and shading. When it recovers, there should not be gaps or shapes in the tattoo that show it wasn't completed properly. The lines of a tattoo must be crisp, straight, and constant throughout the tattoo. Wonky lines are a big indicator of an unskilled artist.

Upper arm tattoos evoke both adventurous and practical qualities. With this balance, it makes sense that all genders universally consider this placement to be the sexiest tattoo location.

What is a nice first tattoo? ›

You'll want to keep your design simple to prevent the ink from bleeding together, but you can pick a small symbol that is meaningful to you. Geometric tattoos like a star tattoo or heart tattoo are super popular, as are minimalist wave tattoos or skull tattoos.

Larger tattoos are more likely to age well compared to smaller tattoos. Certain tattoo styles that feature bolder linework stay looking vibrant for longer. Highly-detailed pieces retain the original style's design integrity more easily over the years compared to minimalist style tattooing.

Sometimes, your friends and family are the best resource for finding a good shop. If you know anyone who is tattooed and had a great experience, it's easiest to ask where they went and start researching that place to see if it could also be a good fit for you!

Tell the artist the tattoo style you want.

Briefly mention the tattoo style you were hoping to get so the artist can decide if it's something that they're comfortable and confident working on. “I'd like to get this as a neo-traditional piece in color.”

So when you work out what you want, make sure you make a note of your tattoo size in inches. Second, multiply the height by the width to get the square inch size. This is what you'll tell your artist when you discuss your design with them, so be sure to double check that you've got the right size! And that's it!