By Bridget Punsalang
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| Me working on my client Sydney |
Saratoga Springs, NY
www.bridgetpunsalang.com
All day long, I hear people talk about the tattoos they regret or are not happy about. I cover them, I fix them, and sometimes, there is nothing that can be done about them. Educate yourself so you never have to end up in that situation in the first place! Ultimately, YOU are responsible for what you put on your body, so make it an informed decision! Here are some tips for making sure you won't end up with a tattoo you despise or regret:
1. RESEARCH YOUR ARTIST!!!
I can not stress this point enough!! The market is currently saturated with artists of all varieties and skill levels. There’s a lot of people to pick from out there. Look around. Choose wisely.
In this day and age, everyone is online, whether it be a searchable website or social media outlet. A good artist should have a wide range of photos in their portfolio. Or at least an album of portfolios in their shop. I would never get a tattoo from an artist who can’t show me dozens of tattoos they did.
-Look for consistency.
You want to see that they do a good job on pretty much everything they do. If half of the pictures are really bad and half of the pictures are spectacular, you should be wary.
-Be cautious with recommendations from friends.
I constantly see people suggesting their horrible scratcher friends that they swear by and think are sooooo gifted. However, don't be afraid to ask your friends who have great work who they go to. Then go back to the beginning of this section, and start by looking at their portfolio.
-AN ARTIST THAT WORKS SOLEY IN HOUSES IS A HUGE RED FLAG! BEWARE!I constantly see people suggesting their horrible scratcher friends that they swear by and think are sooooo gifted. However, don't be afraid to ask your friends who have great work who they go to. Then go back to the beginning of this section, and start by looking at their portfolio.
-Look for an artist that does the style of work you're looking for.
If you want someone to do a portrait, look specifically for portraits in their portfolios (with the original photo reference). If you see your artist has a portfolio full of nothing but old school traditional, there’s probably a good chance they don’t do portraits (and vice versa).
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| Tattoo by Bridget Punsalang |
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| Tattoo by Matt Mrowka |
2. REPEAT AFTER ME - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EMERGENCY TATTOO!
A good artist may not be able to get you in quickly (although, a last minute opening is not necessarily an indicator of a bad one either). Sometimes they are either booked for weeks or months at a time or even have a waiting list or temporarily closed books. It's your body, and you want the best, because you are going to have to stare at it for the rest of your life. What’s a few weeks or months in the grand scheme of things?
Take some time to think about your tattoo as well. If in 2 or 3 weeks, the idea is no longer as appealing to you, you can take that waiting period as a blessing in disguise.
Do you really love him/her after just 3 months of dating? Do you need a name on you to prove that?
What will your job think about that neck tattoo of a bare-chested demon woman?
Is it a good idea to get a hand tattoo fresh out of high school?
These are all important questions to be contemplated while waiting patiently for your appointment.
3. DON’T PRICE SHOP
Be prepared to spend some money. There is an old saying that a good tattoo is not cheap and a cheap tattoo is not good. Never shop around based on price because you're not going to like where it lands you. Remember section 1? We are choosing the artist based on artwork. Artwork that will go on you permanently. All budgets aside, price should never be your primary deciding factor. If you can't afford it, please refer back to #2 on this list.
And never ever haggle or try to get the price lower. We lose all respect for you at this point, because you clearly don’t respect us or our livelihood.
4. GO TO THE SHOP AND MEET THE ARTIST/S AND STAFF
Get a feel for their demeanor and appearance. Are they friendly and informative? Ask the style the artist prefers to work in, and ask to be referred to examples of it, if it interests you. Ask if there are ways your idea can be improved, and be open to suggestions.
Don't be opposed to being suggested to another artist who may do that style
better (and then research them as well!!)
That being said, when researching, you should always also be looking at cleanliness. Read through their policies, look at their pictures, don't be afraid to ask questions that may potentially impact your health or safety.
A good clean artist will answer any of your questions regarding cleanliness.
5. BEWARE OF INTERNET TRENDS!
Bring lots of references, sketches, doodles, or lists of ideas and elements you would like in your tattoo. The clearer your idea is, the more likely your artist will understand exactly how you want your tattoo to look.
But be warned! The Internet is chock full of lies! Most of the time, that Pinterest picture you are seeing is freshly tattooed, which doesn’t necessarily mean it will look good years later. Teensy tiny lettering, sides of fingers, and white tattoos all look great in that perfectly edited viral photo, not so much years, or sometimes just months, later.
Don’t expect an artist to copy a tattoo you found online. Be original. Someone else took the time to conceptualize that tattoo, respect that and think of your own idea.
If an artist meeting all the above criteria says a tattoo is not a good idea, don’t continue searching for someone who will do it. Finding someone who will do it doesn't make it suddenly become a good idea, it just means the artist cares more about your money than your body.
That being said:
6. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE NOT A TATTOO ARTIST
Just because you watch Ink Master and Tattoo Nightmares religiously does not mean you know anything about tattooing techniques and the various realms of possibilities. Mentioning that you do, while quoting information from the shows, makes you look even less credible. Don’t tell use how to do our jobs, if you’ve already gotten to number 6 on this list, it should already be pretty clear to you that we know what we are doing.
Trust that your artist knows the best techniques, color combinations, etc, to make your tattoo perfect. Base this trust on sections 1-5 and it should be easy.
7. SPEAK UP!
If you are not happy with your design, don’t be afraid to say something BEFORE it goes on you. You should never feel pressured to get a tattoo you are lukewarm about. Redraws are a whole lot easier than coverups.
If you are not comfortable, don't be afraid to walk away before you even start.
Read and reread quotes.
Check grammar, spelling, dates, etc.
Look at it on paper, not only in the mirror.
Make sure you are 100% happy with placement before you start.
Stencils aren't permanent, they can be moved, tattoos, not so much.
Artists are human too, mistakes can happen to the best of us.
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| This tattoo took me around 15 hours total |
8. UNDERSTAND REALISTIC TIME FRAMES.
A sleeve does not happen overnight. The artwork for it does not either. One of the common questions I hear is “how much for a sleeve?” without any explanation of subject matter, style, color, etc. Expect multiple sittings and no solid quote or promised end date for anything extensive. It's not a race.
Understand that even though you think you can sit for 12 hours straight, your tattoo artist will disagree, and more than likely, so will your body.
9. PREPARE YOUR BODY
Now that you have found the perfect artist to meet your tattooing needs, you will need to provide them with a well prepared and healthy body to work on.
I cannot stress enough the importance of making sure your body is in tip-top shape before you plan to get tattooed. Be well rested, eat a good meal, be hydrated. If you are on medications, or have any chronic or acute conditions, talk to your doctor first. All of these factors can shape your experience, your comfort level, your stamina, your eventual healing, and therefore the quality of the tattoo you are getting. Hours of pain and persistent skin irritating can cause cause a lot of stress on the body. You should always make sure you are at 100% before you start!!
Be sober! Bad decisions come from not having a clear head, and the thinned blood of a drunk or hungover person can lead to patchy colors and rough healing.
And for God's sake, sit still, focus on breathing steadily, and stop giggling with the friends you brought with you.
Needles + moving target = messy lines.
Needles + moving target = messy lines.
10. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS YOUR ARTIST GIVES YOU
Yes, you know that person that you picked based on sections 1-5 and now trust completely to give you a good tattoo? They know better than the internet, your best buddy, or that guy at work about how to heal your tattoo. Follow your aftercare instructions exactly. I have seen perfectly good tattoos walk out of shops and come back needing a good touch up because it was not properly cared for during healing.
And yes, we can tell.
Bridget Punsalang
Needlewurks Tattoo Saratoga Springs, NY
www.bridgetpunsalang.com
