Choosing an Artist/Studio

As you will no doubt have been told by Parents, Friends, Siblings and just about everyone else “A tattoo is for life”, “Tattoos don’t wash off” and of course there is the “What if you don’t like it” and even worse “What if they do it wrong”, and yes, all of these sayings are true – so what can you do to avoid getting it wrong.

There are two key things you can do to avoid regretting your tattoo as soon as you get it, choose the right artist and the right design. I know it sounds a bit obvious, but it is amazing how many people get it wrong. This document provides some information on how to find the best Artist/Studio for your requirements, you will find the documents Choosing a Design and What You Need to Know on the Dragonslayer Tattoo Studio web site (www.dragonslayertattoo.co.uk).

OK, I lied, there are actually 3 things and the most fundamental is – don’t go down the pub on Saturday lunchtime, have a few beers and think “I know, I’ll get a tattoo”, then promptly walk into the high street tattooists, pick a picture off the wall and say “I’ll have that” (most reputable Tattoo artists will refuse to tattoo you if you are intoxicated through alcohol). A pair of jeans is probably cheaper than a tattoo and you can take them off, but you most likely spend more time picking the right pair, so think things through and don’t risk regretting your tattoo on a whim.

To get it right you need to choose your design concept and find your Artist/Studio in parallel, so please bear with me and refer to the other documents at the appropriate points, I will try to make things as clear as possible……

There are a lot of great artists out there – and some really bad ones, who have had no formal training but we will come to that later – but Tattoo Artists are people too, and people tend to do what they like better than things they don’t like, so the trick is to find a good artist who likes the sort of designs you like, and it is fairly simple but a little time consuming to achieve.

So, step 1 – identify the concept for your design/artwork – see Choosing a Design.

Step 2 – so now you have a rough idea of what type of artwork you want (remember you will have to live with this for a long time and what you like now you may not necessarily like in ten years time), now you need to find the artist. The best way is by personal recommendation – you have a friend who has a tattoo in a similar style to the one you want and you are impressed by the quality of the finished work – unfortunately this may not be an option for you.

Check out the Tattoo magazines, make sure you pick UK based ones or you will be looking at a lot of US or European artists work and that probably won’t help you much. Skin Deep Tattoo Magazine is a good candidate but there are others. All of the pictures of work done include details of artist and studio (although some of the artwork in the magazines are by non UK artists), pick out the ones that impress you and that are in the right type of style, hopefully you will find one within a reasonable travelling distance, if not contact the one you are most impressed by – good artists are happy to recommend other artists especially when there is a location factor.

If you can’t find an artist you like by either of the two options mentioned above you need to investigate the Studios and Artists in your area. Good studios don’t charge for a consultation so it may take some time but shouldn’t cost money – if they want to charge you then they probably aren’t confident that they will get your business, so this is an indication that they may not be the best in the area. You can visit as many Artists/Studios as you like before you finally commit to getting your Tattoo – remember the good ones are generally free with their time and advise as they are confident of their ability and the fact that you are likely to pick them, so if they aren’t bothered with you or haven’t got time to advise you or answer your questions they probably aren’t good.

Step 3 – meet and get to know your selected artist, as most Tattooees will tell you, Tattoos ARE Addictive, you think you will only ever have one and start planning your second somewhere between 2 hours and 2 weeks after your first one was started, so when you find a good Artist you want to develop a good relationship with them. Remember intricate or large tattoos take many hours to complete, so make sure the artist you pick is someone you are comfortable with, can have a laugh with (trust me you will need a laugh).

When you meet your artist, check out the studio as well.

· Make sure the studio is licensed by the local Environmental Health Department (usually based at the local Council) for the business of Tattooing – this is your ‘guarantee’ that the studio follows good health and hygiene practices, there should be a clearly displayed certificate showing this.

· Health and safety requirements mean you won’t be able to smoke in the tattoo area, however if you are a smoker you need to know there is somewhere you can go to and have a smoke break (OK if it is a half hour tattoo you should be able to cope without a fag), without standing in a busy street exposing your fresh artwork to traffic fumes etc.

· Can you get a drink (non alcohol) whilst having your tattoo, make sure you know this before you start – if they don’t have any drinks facilities take something with you (NOT Alcohol – there are guidelines in place that do not allow tattoo artists to tattoo people thought to be under the influence, and these are based on good solid medical advise, alcohol thins the blood which makes shock more likely – the same goes for drugs).