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kiss04bam · Tattoo lover Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

Ive done alot of researching about tattoos and getting tattoos, shop environment. But if your a first timer, how do you know the artists work is good? What may look good to me may not look good to someone else right? Right now Im researching two shops that I may get my tattoo and they have there work shown online. I know what to look for at the tattoo shop like new needles, autoclave, clean and sanitary, What can I look for in a good artist? Should they be registered with the better business bureau? Pointers please for a first timer.....thanks

Ash Christ · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject:

Watch them work.

Bren · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:35 am Post subject:

Watch them work??? Wrong! Hi there... What you should look for is that licence on the wall. Pay for quality, not a deathwish. Get them to run through their sterile procedure if wary. Machines should be set up infront of you. needles out of sterile packets, or clave pouches. Bagging of thier equipment. Studio should smell like a dental surgery and look as though you could eat off the floor LOL
Look for clean linework. Good solid colour. Before and after shots of art. The list goes on mate. Do your homework and get a tattoo to be proud of! Wink

Ash Christ · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

[quote="Bren"]Watch them work??? Wrong! Hi there... What you should look for is that licence on the wall. Pay for quality, not a deathwish. Get them to run through their sterile procedure if wary. Machines should be set up infront of you. needles out of sterile packets, or clave pouches. Bagging of thier equipment. Studio should smell like a dental surgery and look as though you could eat off the floor LOL
Look for clean linework. Good solid colour. Before and after shots of art. The list goes on mate. Do your homework and get a tattoo to be proud of! Wink

[/quote]

Good point.

You couldn't possibly aquire that information by watching them work.
What was I thinking.

devilduckie523 · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:38 pm Post subject:

Ask to watch them, look at their portfolio, I know here in Pa you only have to be licensed/certified to be a shop owner....talk to them build a relationship (somewhat) with them, you never know you may end up wanting more then one

dimaggio_mark · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: first time jitters

Ok so I'm no expert by a long shot. I am however just healing from my first tattoo and the VERY last one of my circle of friends to receive my ink. So on to what I have learned. I have had all my tattoo designs drawn and completed about 4 years ago, the only step, find a sweet shop with an even sweeter artist. I learned that talk is cheap, everyone out there has something bad AND good to say about the SAME artist. Find the licensed professionals of course and all that other stuff mentioned above is VERY VERY important, listing it would be redundant. Look online, research newspaper articles and past show events. The artist I chose I found by pure coincidence. But after I read the article about him in his shop I wanted more. I found his own personal website, as well as more than one site that featured him as a winning artist in competitions and for awards pertaining to tattoo design and artwork. Everyone has followers, every artist has haters. The best artist's make you feel comfortable, like a best friend. They want you to get what you want (with their own style in it of course). They don't just want your money, they want you to be a walking billboard for more future clients. For me I got to chatting with my artist about his worst and best tattoo's along with his morals and things he wouldn't do or doesn't like to do. With that base it was a little easier for me to see into what he believes in as an artist (important for myself). Remember that you may find the best deisnger in the world with his artwork, but if he doesn't have a mastery of his tools, you could end up with an incredible piece of art infected Incredibly. And just to round out the sarcasm with some seriousness in this topic... Yes you can watch them work, but some artist's work very well and you can't tell that they had no idea what they were doing until 25 days later after the healing process when the client comes back in and that tattoo looks terrible, not because the client didn't take care of it properly, but because the artist didn't know what he was doing. Pictures are great but I felt more piece of mind when I saw finished, healed art from my artist on an actual body in front of my face. Don't be afraid to let the artist's know you are shopping for the best one, if they are really interested in your well being and the art of tattoo, they will show you step by step what they do, and they will encourage you to find the one that makes you most comfortable, not to pick them because they want to get paid. These are just my way too many and way too long opinions...