Your Favorite Tattoo Artist Isn’t a Mind Reader: How to Tell a Tattoo Artist What You Want

You may have a piece of artwork in mind that you want to get placed on your body. Have you given thought to the meaning behind the graphics? It is wise to do proper research the content, context, and styling behind your preferred artwork. It is important that this is done before you visit the tattoo shop. It is hard for a tattoo artist to come up with a design that you will love if you have no prior idea of what you want to place on your body. Start by exploring tattoo ideas online.

2. Be Prepared for A Re-Draw of Your Tattoo (and to Pay a Little More)

The first meeting with your tattoo artist will really be a consultation. This is where you will need to present clear expectations and ideas. After this consultation, your tattoo artist will draw their perception of what you presented in the meeting. This is the drawing that may be used for your tattoo. It is important that you be very transparent about your fondness or discomfort with the final sketch. If it is not what you had in mind, speak up. However, keep in mind that you may have to pay for re-draws of you go beyond a couple of re-draws. If you find yourself needing more than 2 re-draws, you may need to rethink the design or consider finding a different artist whose style matches what you are looking for.

3. Have The Right Mindset That Tattooing is About Collaboration

You may be already aware of this fact, but the work of tattooing is based on artistry and creativity. If you ask any of the players in this industry, you will learn that the work of developing a design on-demand is a challenging task. If you are aiming to have a custom piece done, schedule a tattoo consultation so you can speak with a tattoo artist to share your ideas with them ahead of the actual tattooing. 

After this exchange of ideas in the first meeting with your tattoo artist, he or she will create a design that reflects their perception of what you described. This merging of the customer’s ideas with the creative perception of the tattoo artist is what reveals the collaboration involved in the process. remember that your tattoo does not yet have the power to read your mind. Therefore, the process of matching a customer’s ideas with an artist’s perception can take some time.

4. Consider and Respect Your Tattoo Artists’ Experience

It is important that you respect the experience and advice of your tattoo artist. Sure, you’ve been done a lot of research on what you want to have done and what the industry has to say about the particular design, but it is still necessary that you humbly approach your tattoo artist and seek his expert advice. Be familiar with the tattoo artists portfolio. The expert will give you guidance on what makes sense for you and what simply won’t work. Be prepared to process the advice of your tattoo artist in light of the wealth of experience he has.

5. Know Where You Want to Place Your Tattoo

Not knowing where to place your tattoo can be frustrating for both yourself and the tattoo artist. Not all tattoo artists will take on tattoo work that must be placed on certain parts of the body. You may think it is an incredible idea to place your tattoo on your inner lip, your face or on your fingers. If you have these spots or any other unique place you want to place your tattoo, ensure that the tattoo parlor that you are thinking about is comfortable with your desired placement. Reasons that some tattoo artists are not comfortable with certain placing tattoos in some areas is because of the quality of the finished product, the impact that the spot has on the longevity of the art and the quality of the finished product.

6. Avoid Tattoo Trends That You May Regret in the Future

Stay away from fads. Remember that the trend that you love today may be out of style and considered lame tomorrow. While trends go away, tattoos have a much longer shelf life. Fads also have a tendency to cause clients to disregard logic and find a tattoo artist who can do the style quickly so that they can be a part of the “new wave”. The issues you may experience form this kind of attitude to tattooing may leave you with a lot of regrets. We recommend that you stay away from trends and choose tattoo art that has deep meaning to you or a design that has longevity.

7. Be Patient in the Tattooing Process

This is a major issue in tattoo shops across the world. Customers find a tattoo that they are absolutely in love with, they take it to the tattoo artist, and they want it done now. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. This is especially true for the sleeve or back piece that you saw on your favorite rapper. Sleeves and back pieces are not done in one hour. This type of tattooing is very complex and takes a lot of time. This should be obvious to you, but it still needs to be said: large pieces take a lot more work than typical tattoos work. Also be mindful that your tattoo artist has many other clients.

Let’s talk a little about how larger projects typically work. You will begin this process by having a consultation with your tattoo artist. You will then have a conversation surrounding the type of tattoo you want, its placement and its size. They will take some time to trace the area to be tattooed and develop a drawing with what they understand from what you shared. You will then be called in to see the artwork and possibly begin the first phase of the work. Bear in mind that your feedback on the artwork may or may not extend the tattoo process. in the case of a custom back piece or sleeve, your tattoo will be done in several sessions with up to 3-week long beaks in between. This allows the tattoo to heal in preparation for the continuation of the work.

8. Don’t Ask Your Tattoo Artist to Copy Another Artist’s Work

This is a major no-no in the realm of tattoo work. You may see some design on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest that you want to add to your existing collecting of tattoos or add to your body as a first-time tattoo. Don’t take this to your tattoo artist as the exact design that you want. remember that the artwork you saw online was crafted by another artist. When you do this, you are asking your tattoo artist to copy another artist’s hard work and creative product. Instead of telling your tattoo artist that it is the exact tattoo you want, use it as a guide for what you want and support it with another similar artwork. this will help your tattoo artist to coin a design that is similar to what you want but bears his unique mark. If you are unable to find other similar pieces of tattoo art, just share it with your tattoo artist and let him know that is solely for reference.

9. Make a Lot of Time for Your Tattooing Appointment

It is critical that you allow adequate and unrushed time for your tattoo artist to do his work. Never ask a tattoo artist to rush their work. As a matter of fact, if you don’t have a lot of time to sit through the process, it makes sense to cancel the appointment and reschedule with the artist. If you want quality work to be placed on the canvas of your body, you need to be prepared to allow your tattoo artist to take their time and get the work done properly.

10. Be Diligent with the Aftercare of Your Tattoo

After taking all the necessary steps to navigate the fact that your tattoo artist cannot read your mind, and after getting your incredible tattoo placed on your body in the area that you really wanted, you must make diligent effort to care for your tattoo. If you do not want it to become distorted, faded or even infected, it is important that you take this tip very seriously. Aftercare is serious and this is why artists take so much time to inform you of what to do to take care of your freshly done tattoo. This will ensure that your tattoo is in the best shape when the healing process is over. 

Final Words

Implementing these tips will help to ensure that you get the best final product when you decide to go for your next tattoo. Sometimes people behave like tattoo artists are psychics or mind readers and they set unrealistic expectations. This is a quick road to disappointment. Instead of being unrealistic, use what you learned in this article and go amaze people with the quality of your tattoos.