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You want to find a good tattoo artist in your area, but it can be difficult. With so many options out there, how will you know which one is the best for you? Well, don’t worry! This article will teach you everything that you need to know about finding and choosing an experienced tattoo artist. We’ll cover:
-What makes a good tattoo artist
-How to find someone nearby
-The questions they ask before getting started
-And more!
If you Don’t Know What Tattoo You Want
If you’re not sure what kind of tattoo you want then you can look online for ideas, or you could get a tattoo artist to design something that they think would work well.
Tattoos are more likely to be successful when the person getting it is happy with both the meaning and the end result of their idea!
How Do You Find Someone Nearby?
In order to find someone nearby who has plenty of experience, simply google “best tattoo artists in [name of town]”.
Be Willing to Travel if Necessary
If you’re not in the same city as a good tattoo artist, then consider travelling. If it’s an important piece of art that means something to you then it’s travelling to make sure that you get an experienced artist.
What Makes a Good Tattoo Artist?
A good tattoo artist will have experience knowledge, and creativity to make tattoos look great. They will know how different styles should be executed so that your tattoo looks as professional as possible
What to Look for in a Tattoo Artist
Having a good relationship with your tattoo artist is important, but there are other things to look for as well:
Is the Tattoo Artist Experienced?
A professional tattoo artist will usually have many years of experience and should be happy to show you their portfolio. You can also ask around in shops near you and see if anyone would recommend them!
Check their Reviews
Checking reviews are crucial. Here are the platforms you want to look at when checking out a tattoo artist’s reviews:
-Yelp
-Google Maps
-Tattoo Forums (Reddit)
-Manual Google searches (Ex. Artist name + city + review)
You’ll want to look at the following for each review. Is it recent? How many stars did they give the artist and service in total? What was their experience with them like? Were there any complaints about things that weren’t fixed during their appointment, or other customer service issues?
We recommend taking some time to read through all of these reviews before making your decision! You can even ask artists you’re interested in what tattoos they have done on people who live near you so that you know how well known they are locally.
Check out customer forums and ask around your community – there will be some artists who don’t advertise much but still might be really good and mainly operate by word of mouth.
Check their Portfolio & Specialty
Look at their portfolio. You’ll want to see a variety of different styles, as they should be able to do any tattoo you might like. Some portfolios may have pictures that the artist has taken themselves or uploaded onto their social media accounts; these usually aren’t professional quality so it’s best not to base your opinion on them exclusively.
It’s also important to remember that artists will naturally specialize in certain types of tattoos so make sure to ask them about what type of tattoos and what body parts they tattoo the most. Some artists will be good at doing smaller designs on body parts like the ear, while others might be good at larger designs like a full sleeve.
If an artist is too busy for a consult with you in person, try emailing photos of what you’re thinking about getting done instead.
Tattoo Awards
Check to see if the artist has won any awards . Awards are a good sign that the artist is skilled and respected within their industry.
Good Hygiene
Good hygiene is one of the most important things for preventing infections when getting the tattoo . Make sure that the artist washes their hands before and after touching your skin.
The Tattoo Artist should also wear gloves when tattooing you, to avoid any possible contact with blood or other bodily fluids.
Additionally, make sure they don’t smoke, drink alcohol or eat while working on you; all of these things can lead to bacteria getting into the wound which could cause an infection. If the studio doesn’t have a bathroom nearby for them to wash up in between clients then it’s best not to get a tattoo there at all.
The equipment they use should always be sterilized and disposable needles/ink caps that need to be disposed of after one use. This helps reduce health risks like getting HIV or Hepatitis C from old needles. If someone doesn’t seem very clean then it’s best not get work done by them! It might sound harsh but it
Finally, be aware of how long ago this person last worked. You need someone who has good hygiene so as not to spread germs from one client onto another!
Related: what do tattoo artists use to wipe away ink?
Questions to Ask Before Getting Started
Here are some sample questions to ask the artist. If they hesitate or are not able to clearly answer any of these questions you can take it as a big red flag.
– What’s your name?
– How long have you been tattooing for?
– Where did you train and how many hours of work do you usually put in per day?
– Do I need to bring anything with me, like a rough sketch or reference picture, before we start the session?
– Can I see some examples of your recent work on my skin type please (i.e., dark skin)?
– Where do you source your needles and ink from?
– What is the cost of a session with you?
-What body parts have you tattooed the most?
Conclusion
Tattooing requires skill, experience, dedication, knowledge and respect for both the body art form as well as the client. It’s important to choose wisely when finding an artist that best suits your needs or risk having any one of these sacrificed in order to meet another need.
My hope for this article has been that it will answer some basic questions about how to find good tattoo artists so readers can make more informed decisions before getting started on their next tattoo! Good luck!