ARTICLE #1 How to choose a tattoo artist / tattoo studio

ARTICLE #1 How to choose a tattoo artist / tattoo studio

By Ben Mordechai

200 x 200

Tattoos are for life and therefore they are not something that should be done frivolously, ever, otherwise you will be carrying a permanently inked mistake and sign of foolishness on your body like a billboard for the rest of your life; and your photo may end up on this website one day. Therefore it is very, very important to put a lot of thought and consideration into getting your tattoo because the reward for getting a great tattoo is that it will be something that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

What makes a good tattoo artist? Good tattoo artists must have a variety of skills that can only really be developed while working in the tattooing industry for a few years and not from anywhere else, ranging from people skills to drawing skills to technical and mechanical skills, to name just a few.  Therefore the first thing to look for in a tattoo artist is experience, lots and lots of tattooing experience, and the last thing that you want is to be a guinea pig for a newbie tattoo artist in contrast, regardless of any other consideration.

How do you find a tattoo artist with experience in your area? The best way to find an experienced tattoo artist is to ask around and to inquire with tattooed people wearing tattoos that you like as to who did their skin art. People almost always love to talk about their skin art on occasion when someone is really interested in looking at it to admire and they will gladly tell you who their artist was. From looking at five to ten tattoos up close that were done by the same artist will give you the real proof as to whether or not that artist is a candidate. It is certainly possible that the specific artist’s style that you may really like is relatively new at tattooing, but doubtful.

But just because an artist tattoos great tattoo-art does not mean that you want them touching your body, ever, because there are secondary and tertiary considerations that must be taken into account when finding your tattoo artist such as how clean and hygienic they work. As a matter of fact, the tattoo needle penetrates deep enough into your skin to transmit bacteria right into your blood stream and at the least, embed it into the dermis layer of your skin for it to fester. Therefore it is of life and death importance that you inquire about the cleanliness and hygiene of the work area and inquire with the tattoo artist about government inspections and certifications.  A professional tattoo artist will happily tell you all of this information and more if they see that you are pleasant mannered and serious, because they want your business and will as a result will show off their expertise to convince you of their safety. If you get any attitude or feel intimidated for any moment by the tattoo artist or the studio whatsoever, have a backbone and speak up about things and it will resolve itself, or just leave and go to another candidate.

If the tattoo artist is awesome and and they tattoo safely and the work area is normal, the next questions are whether or not the tattoo artist is someone you get along with, do they discuss topics while tattooing which are uncomfortable and awkward, are they dressed in a manner that is not overtly offensive, are they  odiferous with body odors, are they high or drunk or in an emotional funk because his or her girlfriend left them.

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