Tips For Getting a New Tattoo - Part 1
When getting a tattoo, there are a lot of things people do to prepare for it. Sometimes they do very little and sometimes they go all-out. I've had people come into the shop saying they're ready to get their first piece after thinking about it for 15 years, researching designs, researching best practices, researching artists, learning about the materials and the processes... and then I've had people come in saying "I got $90, what can I get?", trying to decide between designs on the spot which range from one end of the spectrum to the other, the only criteria being that it needs to be below $90.
Here are some tips that can help you, whether you're a first-timer, a long-time collector, or anywhere in-between.
1. Plan ahead. You're getting something painful and inky. Are you going to be road-tripping and sitting in a car for hours? Hold off on the lower-back tattoo. Are you running that local 5k tomorrow morning? Think about whether you really want that tribal piece covering your entire calf.
2. Plan ahead. While many people don't have so much disposable income these days, quality work is worth the money you can expect to pay. Some shops will charge way more than they are worth, and it doesn't mean that an expensive tattoo is worth it. But if the artist has a great portfolio, many years of experience, and when you talk to them they seem to focus more on quality work than on money, chances are even if they are a bit higher than other area shops, they probably are not charging "way more than they are worth". So expect good shops to have a shop minimum and figure that a tattoo from a good artist is based on the size and amount of detail in the design. In life, there must always be balance, and tattoos are no exception. Just like electricity has a positive and negative, and magnets have a north and south orientation, an artist should be expected to get paid what their worth is. I know of an artist with 15 years of experience who calculates his tattoos at roughly $25 per square inch, which means a piece the size of a Post-It note may run you $200.
Which brings us to the next tip...
3. Research the artist before you commit to getting work done by them. Get referrals from friends and family, and look at work they've done on other people directly. Visit the shop before-hand and go through the artist's portfolio. Speak with the artist directly. In many shops there are multiple artists, so if you don't like one artist's work or the artist themselves, check out the others. There are some basic questions that you can ask which will give you an idea of their quality:
- How many years' experience do they have? Even if you like the work in their portfolio, if they are still a new artist there is a lot of experience you get from doing the job for years compared to months. There is a big difference between doing a dozen nice pieces over the span of 3 months and doing hundreds of nice pieces over the span of 20 years.
- How many places have they've worked (or, what can they tell you of their work history)? While a young artist who has worked in 10 shops already may indicate that the artist is hard to work with and is kicked out of a lot of places (or has bad judgement and gets him/herself INTO a lot of bad places), good artists soak up experiences better than a Sham-WOW. Working in a lot of different environments teaches an artist to try new things, develop new skills, interact with different types of people who have varied skin qualities and design aesthetics.
- What is their work ethic? When you talk to them is price the first thing they mention, or do they listen to you about what you want? Do they ask you questions about other things you're into on a daily basis, and what is important to you in your life? Are they proud of the various pieces in their portfolio and have a story about the person who received the work? Do they get excited about other artists who have nothing to do with tattoos? Regardless of their level of experience, someone who cares about the work they do will be able to give you a much nicer experience.
- How did they learn to tattoo? There are now schools which offer a 2-week course in learning tattoo. I had been drawing for 20 years before I began tattooing (my whole life!) I had picked up and tried almost every material for creating art by then, including acrylic and oil paints, pencils, pastels and an airbrush. I can tell you honestly that a tattoo machine is different than any other tool and even a good artist needs time to adapt to it and learn how to use it properly. By that, I mean a blind monkey could learn in about 5 minutes how to make a permanent mark in skin using a tattoo machine but it takes months to learn to use it to make lines consistently and to fill in large areas solidly without chewing up the skin. It takes years to acquire the experience to make a quality tattoo every time. Anyone who is worth getting a tattoo from will be honest about this, so if you go to someone who believes they are qualified to guarantee you quality work each time after practicing only two weeks then you'll be going to someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
- How do they feel about their materials? Do they use cheap equipment, or do they understand that using high-quality materials will give the best results?
- Is their station clean and well-maintained? The care they put into their work area is an indication of the care they'll put into their work.
- Is the artist clean and well-maintained? The care they put into their cleanliness and appearance is an indication of the care they will put into the cleanliness and appearance of your tattoo. If you expect professional results then the artist should be professional.
Look for more tips soon in Part 2!
