Styles of Ink

I think a key to getting tattoos that you are completely satisfied with means understanding that what you're expecting is not always what you're going to get. For instance, in the pictures below you can see two fairies. These are both tattooed on my shoulders. They were done by two different tattoo artists and as you can see they are completely different in style.



The pictures of the fairies were originally from some pictures of Amy Brown's (insert link here) fairies. I took the same image to two different artists and through their own style they translated the same picture in two completely different ways. Because I had 2 different tattoo artists put the fairies on my body, they look BAD! (any artists reading that have suggestions for a cover up, let me know!! (insert link here)).



If you look at the two fairies one has the black outline and one doesn't. This makes them look like they aren't a pair. Also look at the facial features on the fairies and see that neither of them look very pretty. As the customer I would have preferred a more experienced artist to walk me through my options for making them look like a cohesive piece. I didn't understand how different from each other they were going to look.



So, when you're getting a tattoo, what do you need to look for in an artist?

A good artist will tell you what size the fairy (or pin up girl, or portrait reproduction) that you want to get, needs to be in order for it to look GOOD! I have learned this PAINFULLY as you can see by the ink I'm currently sporting.

A good artist will also still be there when you go back to get more work done.

A good artist will have EXPERIENCE and will have gone through an apprenticeship program of some type to hone their skills and increase their technical abilities. Remember tattooing is an art form like painting or drawing. Sometimes an artist is naturally gifted and sometimes an artist just thinks tattooing is cool and gets into the business that way. You need to look for an artist that meets YOUR needs.

Since this art piece is going to be a permanent addition to your body, you want it to be GOOD, right? That's why I want you to take the time and look through your options of different shops in your area and find a good fit for you.

A final note, you get what you pay for!

Tattoos aren't cheap for a reason. They take time, energy and costly supplies in order to give you the best product. If you are getting a tattoo cheaply (as in less than $100 an hour) you are most likely getting ink from someone without much experience. If you're comfortable with that, feel free to proceed but I caution you to make sure that you very clearly convey your expectations to the artist. Good and open communication with the artist is critical to getting the tattoo you're dreaming about.