It’s important to have your core idea fleshed out before setting up a consultation — unless you’re coming in for lettering, which often only requires you to decide on a font. During the consultation, your artist can work out the finer details. You can show them any images you’ve saved as inspiration and figure out placement and pricing.
Depending on the time they have available, the artist may create a mock-up of your tattoo on the spot or a few days later, but ultimately, the final results will depend on several factors:
how much of your body you want to dedicate to the art
how feasible the tattoo placement is
how well the colors you want will show up on your skin tone
how much time you want to spend with the artist
Here’s more on what you should consider when designing your next tattoo:
Style
Once you’ve decided what you want tattooed, you have to figure out how you want it to look. There are a ton of different tattooing styles, and you’ll want to go to an artist who’s skilled in the look you’re after.
Some of the most popular styles include:
American traditional. Characterized by clean, black outlines and the primary color palette, this style commonly features skulls and roses.
Traditional Japanese. Inspired by traditional Japanese artwork, this style’s clean lines and minimal shading are often used to create tigers, koi fish, and flowers.
Realism. The goal of this style is to recreate subjects using shading and color contrast, as they appear in real life.
Illustrative. By combining aspects of traditional tattooing and realism, this style is about bold outlines and intense color saturation.
Neo-traditional. A modernized take on American traditional imagery, this style leans heavily on shading and color to create realistic portraiture.
Minimalism or geometric. With a focus on crisp black lines and negative space, this style is about precision. The results are often simple and symbolic.
But you don’t need to be familiar with the lingo to get one of these styles. Browsing Instagram is incredibly helpful, as most artists post their work on their own channel and to a hashtag feed. If, for example, you’ve decided you want to get a tattoo of a cat, a quick #cattattoo search pulls up over 220,000 results.
Save the images you like most and show them to your artist during your consultation. They can use these as inspiration to create a one-of-a-kind piece of your own.
Design
Many people opt for pure illustration, but if you want script — standalone or alongside an image — you’ll need to figure out what kind of font you want.
Adobe Typekit is a great place to look up font styles, offering everything from handwriting to typewriter. The site even lets you see your text of choice in the font you’re considering so that you can actually visualize how it might look on your body.
If you see something you like, print out a couple of different versions to bring to your artist. They may not have your exact font on their computer, so they can use these pages as a reference.
Color
Although the style of tattoo often dictates the color palette, the artist can work with you to modify the design and style to better suit what you want.
That said, your skin tone plays a big role in how well individual colors will hold. For example, fair skin tends to hold white ink better than other skin tones. Red and purple pigments are also more vibrant on fairer skin tones.
Darker skin tones typically hold darker colors — think crimson red and royal blue — better than lighter hues. Having darker skin doesn’t mean that you can’t get pastels or other light hues, just that these options usually don’t appear as pigmented as darker colors might.
Greyscale is also an option. With this style, your artist will use a mix of pure black, watered-down black, and white ink to create the appropriate shades and hues.
Tattoo color guide
Lighter colors show up brighter on fairer skin tones, especially white, purple, and red.
Richer colors hold better on darker skin tones than pastel colors.
All colors will fade over time.
Remember, all colors — including black — will fade over time. You can search online for examples of tattoo appearance over time to get an idea of how yours may look one to five years from now.
Size and location
Speaking of fading, outlines and shapes may look sharp and slick at first, but over time, these can fade or even blur. It all depends on the size and location of your tattoo. That’s why it’s important to think about where you want your tattoo and how visible you want it to be.
Often, location alone can determine your tattoo size. After all, there’s only so much space on your forearm or your thigh.
Don’t worry if you’re still second guessing the finer details. Your artist can help you weigh the pros and cons of the location and sizing, as well as set expectations for how it’ll feel when you’re getting inked.
If you know what you want, consider it a sign that you’re ready to take the next step: Shopping for an artist. Ask your friends to see if they can refer you to a specific shop, or let Google or Instagram point you in the right direction.
Here’s what you should keep in mind while you’re sifting through your options:
1. Make sure your artist and the shop has proper licensing
A quick Google search will show you what your state’s rules and regulations are for tattoo licensing. Each state is different, so it’s important to be familiar with the guidelines in your area.
Once you know what you’re looking for, make sure the shop and artist you’re interested in are certified. The parlor’s licensing should be prominently displayed on their website and on the shop wall.
2. Keep an eye out for hygiene and general health habits
Most reputable shops smell like disinfectant and have spotless workstations and floors. If it smells like month-old gym socks, immediately turn tail and head to the next place on your list.
Assuming the shop passes your visual inspection, you’ll want to talk to your potential artist about their tattooing practices. Artists are required to use single-use needles and ink to avoid cross contamination. This also applies to gloves, bandages, swabs, razors — anything that your artist might use must be new.
3. Gauge shop courtesy and ask if the artist offers consultations
Last but not least, take note of the shop and artist’s general professionalism and personality. You’re about to trust someone to permanently etch a piece of artwork into your skin, and in order to do this, you have to be comfortable with the artist and with their work.
You want the artist to be as excited as you, or at least understand your passion. But remember, they aren’t required to work with you just because you like their portfolio.
If you aren’t meshing well or just not digging the overall vibe in the shop, it’s more than okay to move along to the next one. Just be sure to thank the artist for their time before you see your way out.
CHECKLIST: WHAT TO EXPECT
What a session is like and things to ask your artist
If you’ve made it this far into our guide, it’s safe to say that you have all your bases covered.
To wrap things up, here’s how your interaction with your artist and getting your tattoo done will likely unfold:
Reach out to the artist or shop to talk about rates and set up a consultation.
Meet the artist to talk about your design and expectations.
Agree upon the final design with the artist and confirm the rate. If revisions are needed, this may involve setting up a follow-up appointment to look over the final design before locking in your tattoo date.
Aspirin (Bayer) and ibuprofen (Advil) are off limits in the 24 hours leading up to your appointment, as they can thin your blood. This applies to the consumption of alcohol as well. You may be able to take acetaminophen (Tylenol), but confirm this with your artist beforehand.
Plan to wear something that will keep the area to be tattooed exposed. If you can’t do this, wear something you can easily slip in and out of.
Show up to your appointment 10 minutes early. Don’t forget to bring cash for tips!
Fill out any paperwork and, if needed, finalize any details of your design.
Your artist will take you to their station. You may need to roll up or remove any clothing that may be in the way of your tattoo placement.
Your artist will disinfect the area and use a disposable razor to remove any hair.
Then your artist will place the tattoo stencil onto your skin. Move this around as much as you like until you’re happy with the placement!
Once the placement is perfect, your artist will tattoo the outline of your design before filling in any colors or gradients.
After your artist is finished, they’ll clean the tattooed area, wrap it up, and tell you how to take care of it.
Don’t forget to leave a tip for your artist when you pay! It’s standard to tip at least 20 percent, but if you had an awesome experience and are able to tip more, go ahead.
If you have any lingering questions, ask before you leave the shop. One of the best times to get them answered is when your artist is wrapping your skin.
Since you’re here, screenshot or print out this handy list of questions for your consultation before you commit to an artist.
Things to ask before you get your tattoo
How long have you been tattooing? Apprentices can provide great work, but some designs are best left to veteran artists.
What are your qualifications? Some artists favor specific styles, even if they can do more general styles.
Can I see your portfolio? A reputable artist will have a portfolio of past work on hand so that you can get a sense of their range and specialties.
Do you guarantee your work? Sometimes small spots of ink or other blemishes can occur during the healing process. Most artists offer one free touch-up appointment to take care of these areas.
What’s your hourly rate? It doesn’t matter if your piece will take 15 minutes or 2 hours — most artists have an hourly rate, or minimum, that must be met before they’ll agree to a piece. Others price on a piece-by-piece basis.
How do you sanitize your equipment? If they can’t answer this question, it’s off to the next one. Poor sanitation practices can lead to an infection or worse.
Do you have latex-free gloves? This is especially important if you have a latex allergy.
What brand of ink do you use? Again, if you have allergies to specific ingredients or materials, now is the time to bring them up.
What placement would you recommend for this design? Maybe you’re determined to get tattooed on the inside of your ankle, but they think the piece would work better on the inside of your calf.
You need to be happy with the outcome, but remember that they’re the expert.
What aftercare procedure do you recommend? Reputable artists will have this information ready to go so that you know what to expect after your piece is complete.
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