When it
comes to getting a tattoo you aren't short of options. There are different ways
of being tattooed, different styles, colours, designs and of course a vast
abundance of artists to choose from. Finding the right artist for what you want
is one of the most important things you could consider for a tattoo.
There are
those who insist that a tattoo should have a special meaning to you personally;
and of course in a way this does make sense, because if it has some important
meaning in your life then you're much less likely to ever regret having gotten
the tattoo. However - they don't need a meaning; if you want to get a big
tribal tiger on your back you don't have to make up some story about how it has
some deep, personal meaning in your life in order to justify to the artist why
he should give you that tattoo. He probably doesn't care, it's your body and
your choice.
There are
times when an artist might turn you away, but in most cases that's because the
idea you came forward with is quite simply terrible. Not even just that it
doesn't have meaning, but that its offensive to people or plain stupid and your
artist doesn't want to be the one taking the blame when you suddenly can't get
a job because of your 'rad new ink'.
So - what
should you be taking into account when you do want to get a tattoo?
First -
Why do you want the tattoo?
It's fine
if you want it because you think it's cool, or you think it will make you feel
more beautiful. But; if you're getting a tattoo of your partner's name because
you really love them right now, or you're getting a tattoo because all of your
friends are then you might want to reconsider. As sad as it is most
relationships don't last, and in general the tattoos people get as part of a
teenage-boy dare just turn out stupid anyway. If you're getting a tattoo it
should be something you want and something you're sure you're going to want on
your skin for the rest of your life.
Second -
Where do you want the tattoo?
In a lot of
cases, even before you know what you want, you should have an idea of where you
want it. Sounds strange I know - but the space you have to work with and the
location can have a big impact on the design itself, so it does make an
excellent starting point. Take into consideration your pain tolerance; some
places are much harder to get tattooed than others for this reason alone. The
ribs, feet, hands, neck, head and spine are generally considered among the most
painful, but everyone tends to experience pain a little differently, so
consider your personal pain tolerance. Additionally you should take into
consideration your job; there may be repercussions to the sudden appearance of
a visible tattoo. Even if you work in a tattoo friendly environment you should
consider whether or not you might want to move your career to a less tattoo
friendly office in the future.
Three -
What do you want?
As tempting
as it might be to be cool and get some huge, offensive bit of work across your
body - don't. You aren't going to impress anyone with that, and you'll probably
struggle to find an artist willing to do that. Start by considering the space
available and the location, look around at tattoos and pick out some things you
like. Don't copy them, because most good artists don't like to do that and you
won't end up with something unique to you; if you're just going to do something
that a hundred people have already done you might as well just look at your
artist's flash collection. However, if you want a unique, custom design you can
put together some images and designs that you like, settling on a general theme
or idea, and discuss it with your artist - a good artist will often come up
with an idea hundreds of times more awesome than anything you had even
considered.
Four -
Who's your artist going to be?
If your
answer is "Such-and-such got a gun off eBay and is gonna do it for me, cos
he wants to practice before going pro and is really good," then getting a
tattoo is not for you. Stop reading now and go make some new friends, because
that is a 'scratcher' and one of the best ways to get yourself some horrible
infection and a rubbish tattoo.
Not sure
which artist to choose? I can understand that; there are just so many fantastic
artists out there, it would be amazing if we could have work from all of them -
but there's simply not enough skin on the body. Forums, Google, Tattoo Blogs
and Facebook will generally help you to find some amazing artists; you're
certain to find someone you'll love within a reasonable distance from you. When
you're selecting the right artist for your needs you should look closely at the
styles they tattoo in most, the subjects they use most, and the general theme
of their work. Some artists thrive with more gruesome looking black and white
work, while others specialise in vibrant, colourful watercolour style pieces.
You should find an artist that works well with the style or subject you're
looking for from your tattoo.
Five -
Can you wait?
One of the
problems with wanting something amazing from an amazing artist is that they're
popular, and popular artists are in high demand. Even if you manage to have a
discussion with them right away they might not be able to book you in for the
tattoo until months after your initial consultation with them. And even then
your tattoo may require multiple sessions, long ones, spread over months if not
years.
The more
flexible you are the more likely you are to get things done quickly, so save up
some of your holiday time from work to take days off when you need to for your
tattoo. And be prepared for the costs. A good tattoo isn't cheap, so take the
time to consider how you're going to pay for it. In many cases the cost of the
tattoo is one of the reasons that they take so long to work on, particularly
the larger, more intricate tattoos from some of the bigger and more popular artists.
Kate
Critchlow is a tattoo enthusiast and young writer, offering a wide range of
articles from finding the right artist to choosing the
perfect design.
