Finding the Perfect Artist
So you’ve been wanting a tattoo for longer than you can remember and you have the perfect idea… now what? How do you find the best artist? Do you ask a friend? Do you ask people on Facebook?
It can be a daunting task trying to find a credible tattoo artist, especially in this day and age where there are so many shops and artists. I put together this little list of things to look for when finding an artist… things that I would determine to be red flags if they don’t measure up.
1) Do They Have A Portfolio?
This is a big one. ALWAYS look at an artist’s portfolio. It’s good to ask a friend who they would suggest, but always look at the artist’s work first. Make sure that they do quality work and in the style that you want. You would never go to a plumber to work on your car, so don’t go to someone who does realism when you’re wanting a traditional panther. If you can’t find a portfolio of work in their shop or on their website (if they have one), I’d think twice.
2) Do They Draw?
Tattoo artists are artists. Tattoo “artists” that aren’t real artists are tattoo-ers. There’s a big difference and it can be hard to tell. There are a lot of tattooers who can’t draw a stick figure, and while that’s fine for an infinity sign, it becomes a pretty big f**kin’ issue when the design actually gets complicated. A true artist is always creating, and a real tattooer is always drawing.
Tattooers that draw are tattoo artists, tattooers that don’t are just tattooers.
3) Where Do They Get Their Designs?
Back to number 2, can they actually draw?! Nowadays, it is more common than ever for tattooers to rip off designs from the internet or A.I. programs. I see tattoos all the time that were screenshot from Facebook and Instagram or copied and pasted from Pinterest. Hell, I see artists posting ChatGPT designs promoting it as a quality tattoo design. Do you want to copy others or do you want a tattoo as unique as you?
I take pride in supporting other tattoo artists and buying their reference books as well as scouring bookstores and the internet for reference material to expand my artistic knowledge. I then use that to hand draw a custom tattoo… not one that you can find with a couple of clicks of the mouse.
PS- the “copied” version of the tattoo is almost always shittier than the original.
4) Are They Professional?
I mean… it’s pretty simple. Do they treat you like they are excited to work with you or do they treat you like a “canvas” and want you to sit down, shut up and pay them?
It’s important to find an artist that has a good bed side manner and is willing to work well with you to bring your vision to life. You’re trading a permanent part of your body to that artist and the least that they can do is be respectful. Even if you get a decent tattoo, the memory of a poor interaction will be with you as long as the tattoo.
5) Quality vs Affordability
“Well so-n-so will do it for $50 cheaper.” Arkansas minimum wage is $11/hr… that’s 5 hrs of work. It’s worth it to save a little longer and spend money when quality is on the line. Some artists price gouge and some low ball. Remember, look at their portfolio. As the great Sailor Jerry Collins once said, “Good work ain’t cheap… cheap work ain’t good.” Words to live by even when not talking about tattoos! But since we’re talking about tattoos, a solid, reputable tattoo artist will be more expensive than the guy down the street. I can guarantee you that I can give you a half price quote on a tattoo and someone else will do it cheaper. An honest, professional tattoo artist will charge their worth, and it’s worth it to pay what they want.
So… to wrap all this up, it’s always good to ask around and get suggestions from others, though I would only get opinions from people whose opinions you respect. As my father once said, “Opinions are like assholes… everyone has one and they all stink.”
I see people all the time going to Facebook to ask for suggestions on which tattoo artist to go to, and everyone tags and recommends the asshole tattooer, or the tattooer that can’t draw, or the tattooer that copies other’s designs, or the tattooer that is the cheapest, or the… well I think you get the picture.
I want to leave you with a few words that I saw painted on a sign at the Forth Worth Stockyards… “The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
Thanks for reading this and I hope that you find it useful when shopping for your next tattoo!
Cory McMahon, Tattoo Artist
