Getting the Perfect Tattoo: Finding an Artist

Also see:  Getting the Perfect Tattoo:  Choosing your Tattoo Design.

Finding the Perfect Artist:

Finding a great tattoo artist is even more important than finding the perfect design.  A good artist can easily copy your perfect design.  But the perfect tattoo artist can take any design or idea and make it an amazing piece of tattoo art.  

What you should look for in a good tattoo artist:

*Clean and sanitary

*Technical ability to apply good tattoos

*Artistic talent

*Professional demeanor

*Good reputation 

Finding the right artist for you will take time and patience.  

Clean and Sanitary:

Tattooing is puncturing the skin with a small foreign object and can be considered minor surgery.  Therefore, it is vitally important to have a tattoo artist that will keep their work area clean and has been trained to avoid contamination from blood-borne pathogens.  Below is a list of things to look for in your artist’s studio:

*Clean and neat appearance

*Sharps container for needle disposal that is clearly labeled

*Plastic on all tattooing equipment and surfaces

*Sealed, dated, single-use packaging are used on all tubes and needles (for shops without an Autoclave or ultrasonic cleaner)

A good tattoo artist will happily answer any questions you have about cleanliness and safety.  No artist should ever seem annoyed that a client is asking such questions.  If an artist can easily and confidently answer your safety questions, you are probably in good hands.  After all, an artist doesn’t want to contract a disease from the tattoo process any more than you do.

Technical Ability:

Being a talented artist does not necessarily mean they are a good TATTOO artist.  A talented tattoo artist with be both an artist and have good technical tattoo ability.  

Some ways to tell if your tattoo artist has good technical ability when looking through their portfolio:

*Consistent, crisp outlines

*Color that is evenly saturated

*Smooth shading and blending

WARNING SIGNS of Poor technical tattooing ability:

*Inconsistent, blurry outlines

*Patchy, faded colors

*Irregular or choppy shading and blending

*Any obvious scarring 

Artistic Talent:

Tattoo artists vary drastically when it comes to artistic ability.  To recognize artistic talent, remember to do your homework.  Having some basic art knowledge will help you do this. An Artist’s portfolio can give you an opportunity to look at what this artist has done, how they may have improved over time, and if you like the overall look of their art in general.

Courtesy, Honesty, & Ethics

As with any profession, tattoo artist come in all types of temperaments and personalities.  A quality tattoo artist will be courteous, honest, and ethical.  A tattoo artist should be honored that you wish to have their personal artwork on your body for the rest of your life.  But this relationship goes both ways.  It is also equally important for the client to be courteous, honest, and ethical.  This means that if you book an appointment, you show up on time.  Furthermore, do not have an artist spend hours drawing an amazing design for you then take it to another artist.  A good and healthy tattoo relationship is based on trust and respect from both the artist and the client.