Tattoo Novice or Pro . . . Things you ought to know . . .

This is the first in a series of chronicles to help you on your tattoo journey.

Before calling or emailing a studio:

DO YOUR RESEARCH

The Studio – Find out what kind of studio you’ll be dealing with.  There are “street shops” who primarily do walk-in work from mass-produced flash sheets (which are pre-made designs) that you can choose from and walk out with a new tattoo.  Then there are custom design studios who create specialized tattoo designs for each client.  This design process takes time, so don’t go to one thinking you’re going to leave with a new tattoo.  There’s usually a waiting list and it could take a few weeks to a few months before you see a design.  A “tat” (a term tattoo artists HATE) can be drawn or downloaded from Google in 5 minutes.  Real artwork takes time.

So if you wake up one morning and decide you want a random tattoo or need an ink fix, your best bet is to find your closest street shop who takes walk-ins.  If, on the other hand,  you’ve been thinking about a particular tattoo design for some time, but need help to bring it to life in your skin, then you need to find a custom design studio.  Which brings us to our next topic . . . The Artists

Check back soon for our next chronicle on how to choose an artist.