If you’ve ever seen a photo of me, you can tell I’ve been to a few shops in my time and spent time in a chair. I even worked in one briefly while I was living in Hawaii.
One thing I’ve learned is that not all shops and artists are right for everyone and before you go get a new piece of art, there are a couple of things you should take into account.
Do your homework.
It used to be that you either got Tattooed while on vacation or you went to whatever shop was nearby that had been there forever and picked something off the wall. Now, you have choices, lots of choices and you also have whatever device you’re reading this on and thus have the ability to do a whole lot of research before you waste your time going to the wrong places.
While the internet is great, first-hand referrals are still one of the best ways to find an Artist. If someone has had a piece that still looks great after five years, that tells me the Artist knows what they’re doing, does the kind of work that I’m looking for and chances are, have gotten even better.
Know what you want, but keep an open mind.
You have this great idea and probably think you’re the first person ever to come up with this idea. I hate to break it to you but you’re not. The Artists have heard it all before.
If you want something unique, the best thing you can do is put together some references that the Artist can use to create something unique for you. Have a few things on hand that you can easily show and if need be, send the Artist so they have a starting point for the design. Talk to them and tell them what you like and, more importantly, why you like it. This way, they’ll be able to incorporate those ideas into the final piece.
You don’t want the same thing everyone else has and if your Artist is worth a fuck, they’re not going to want to do the exact same design fifty other Artists have also done (with the exception of Old School Traditional) so the more they have to work with, the better. That said, please don’t be obnoxious about it.
The shop itself.
Some places have an almost scary, no bullshit vibe to them while others look more like art galleries. It’s important that whatever the scene is, you’re comfortable and relaxed. What’s even more important is that the place is clean. It can be a street shop in a weird area but the place should still be clean. If you walk in and it feels more like a headshop, turn around and walk out.
This isn’t a joke. If they can’t run a clean shop, I don’t trust that the artists are practicing proper procedures. Unless I’m in the middle of the jungle doing some kind of ritual, I want my Artist to wear gloves, use clean equipment and not give me one of the many variations of hepatitis.
The Artist, their vibe and style…
Over the past 20-30 years, the Tattoo industry has exploded and this means that you have a lot more choices when it comes to finding the right Artist for you.
If you wouldn’t smoke a joint with em, don’t let em tattoo you. Mike might disagree with me but getting tattooed is an intimate experience and the artist is putting a part of themselves into and on you.
The shitty part is that you might find someone you vibe with but, they might not do the style you’re looking for. Some Artists love doing watercolor designs, some hate em and just won’t do em. Some Artists are gifted when it comes to working with black and grey but can’t stand working with colors. Some love doing bright cartoonish work and some only want to do photo realism, you get the idea. That said, a good artist will be honest with you but a great Artist will give you a solid referral to an Artist that specializes in what you’re looking for.
With placement and size…
Your body isn’t a flat two-dimensional surface, it’s got curves. You might think that a bouquet of flowers will look great on a certain part of your body but it doesn’t always work like that. A good Artist is going to work with your body so that everything has a natural sense of symmetry and flow.
If it’s your first piece, you also need to consider what you might want to add later. Yeah, you think it’s going to be one and done but you’d be surprised how addictive tattoos are.
Aftercare.
Buy the cream or spray or whatever the Artist recommends and follow the directions as gospel. For all intents and purposes, a tattoo is an open wound and your body is naturally going to be fighting with the ink. The Artist can do a grade A job on the Tattoo but if you don’t take care of it for the first month, it’s going to look like shit and you’ll want to blame the Artist even though we know damn well it’s your fault.
Side note, since I worked at a shop in Hawaii.
Yes, you absolutely should get an awesome tattoo to memorialize your trip, but wait until the last day. Sun and saltwater will destroy a new tattoo and you don’t want to miss out on any action, so go enjoy your trip and get some inspiration first, then find a local Artist and get tattooed the day before you fly home.