Tattoo FAQ 16: What do I need to know for my first tattoo?

Original question from our visitor: 1.Where/how can I search to find the best artist to do the work? I want "photo" quality, nothing "cartoonish", for lack of better wording.(I have no tatoos yet...)
2.Looking for a ball park on cost.(small ankle bracelet possibly.)
3.Is it best to get artwork to artist earlier than appointment if only visiting Vegas for 5 days? I have particular flowers in mind.
Thank you!

Answer:

The best way to find an artist in my opinion is by seeing someone’s tattoo that you really love and asking them who did it. Then go to that person and see if you get on well with them. Each artist is going to have a personality that you may or may not get on with and for something as important as a permanent mark on your body, Id say this relationship is quite important. I still visit my artists whenever I can and have pretty deep relationships with a couple.

Another way is searching them out at tattoo conventions but this can sometimes be to late for you to book because many artists are already booked before the convention even starts and this is because people have heard they were coming by word of mouth, reading tattoo magazines or searching the web for either up coming conventions or the specific artists of the genre of their choice.

As for the style you want, that’s how you should select your artist in my humble opinion. If you want realistic work. look for an artist who really specializes in that genre. If you want portrait work, look for that. If you want traditional, go for that. Sure most artists can do a bit of everything but I have found some just absolutely kick butt in a specific area because it is what they love to do. You can find these specific artists the same way you find any artist. Search online with a search engine and put the info in your string that makes the most sense to what you are looking for. Example… “Tattoo realistic artist Las Vegas” Play with the string until you get the info you need. This is how it’s done with the wonderful Net. Time consuming but fun and this is for the rest of your life, so if you cant spend a couple weeks or at the very least a few days searching, I really question how you would ever make a decision you would be happy with forever. The more time you put in to getting the details BEFORE you sit in a chair, the chances are the happier you are going to be after you get out of that chair.

No one but an artist can give you a cost estimate. And every artist is different. Some cost per hour, per session, per square inch, per genre, etc. I have no idea who you will end up with, so I cant even guesstimate this for you.

Please oh please... If you don’t live in Las Vegas, don’t get your ink there. Being on the road is hard enough on the body but then try to go without wearing shoes or socks as your ankle heals up while running the streets of Vegas. Dealing with hotels and basically public bath’s is not smart. You’re asking for infections and rubbing and loss of color and a whole load of problems. Just don’t do it. If you are going on a trip specifically to get a tattoo, which I have done, then cool. Fine… Your going to be there to re-group after the chair time and have already set up the scene to take it easy on the skin after the work is done. If you’re going to Vegas to gamble, don’t make the tattoo a gamble too. NOT a good thing. I cant stress this enough.

There are great artists out there too, so its not that. It is really the 1st week of care that I so worry about. This is a very touchy time for your ink. This is nothing more than a very pretty wound. You have to forget how pretty it is and remember the skin is wide open and so are you. Is this what you really want?

Of course if your mind is set on doing it there, then yes, of course, take as many examples of the type of design(s) you want. Make sure you look at the artist’s books that he or she has previous work displayed and see if they can even handle that type of work in YOUR own opinion. They might say they can do it no problem but if you want flowers and all they do is bio-chemical work, well…maybe check out another shop or another artist in the same shop. Also, look for a CLEAN shop. Make sure they explain everything to you before you agree to sit. Make sure the needles are opened in front of you. DO NOT sit for someone who has everything lying around and not sterile wrapped like there is even the slightest chance the needles are not new and the guns not just set up from freshly autoclaved parts. So to get an “advance” appointment when you have never been in the place? Well, I suppose you could have the appointment but if you decide to not sit, they might get pissy, and you might lose a deposit that many of them require to hold that time slot for you. Its your call.

To me, all of this is all so important and so hard to make sure of when you are on the road so this is why I say try and stick close to home for the work. KNOW the artist for this, and for the future if something goes wrong, for touch ups, or you just become so hooked you must have more ink from that fantastic artist you have already worked with and trust. It’s like having that favorite OB/GYN doctor… Well for me it is anyway. The husband would of course have a different reference for that I'm sure.

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