What if I don't like my tattoo artist's design?
So my friend and I had talked about getting a tattoo on the same day for year and finally decided to do it. I have a usual shop and so does she but she thought it would be nice to try a new shop for both of us to try something different. She picked a few artists and I briefly looked at them and agreed with one she picked. We made a consultation and I knew exactly what I wanted. A month later (yesterday night) she sent me my design. I was really disappointed because it was not at all what I had in mind, I honestly thought the design looked really crappy and the lines she drew on the design were not very crisp. I messaged her back and asked her for a few things to change. After looking at the design I m honestly not convinced she can pull off what I want and make it look nice. It s not a very complicated tattoo but after seeing the initial design she drew I m really not sure if I want her to tattoo me. I don t want to be rude but I don t want a tattoo on my body I don t like. If I don t like her design today would it be extremely rude of me to walk out? I already made a deposit at the consultation. Please help!
How do I tell a tattoo artist that I don't like the design he made for me..?
I had a tattoo artist design/sketch a tattoo for me. I gave him 3 drawings that I made...to show him just what I wanted. I go to see the drawing he came up with tomorrow and (if I like it) get it tattooed on. I have this fear that if I don't like his design I won't know how to tell him in a "nice" way that I don't want it. (..and if its going to be on me forever I need to "want" it!) PS.. will a tattoo on my shoulder/bicep hurt (haha)
Tattoo consultation?
Its great that you are trying to understand the tattooing industry before getting a tattoo. You should first start by looking for an artist. Ask people you know, and look around locally at different shops. i recommend going in to the shop so you can get a good feel for the people working there, and so you can see how clean it is. You want to be sure that they are nice, that the shop looks and smells, clean, and that they have their state license to tattoo clearly displayed. Ask to use their bathroom, that should be clean and nice too. The people at the front counter should be nice and answer any questions you have. Talk with them, they know more about the artists at the shop, they can point you in the right direction for which artist's portfolio to look at first. Each artist should have a portfolio of their tattoos. It should show healed tattoos and fresh tattoos. A fresh tattoo will look red and shiny, a healed tattoo won't. Here is a good example of healed vs fresh tattoos: https://artistrobynmarshall.files.wordpr... As you are looking at the portfolio, be sure that you like the vibe of the art. Each artist has their own style, and will put a bit of that into every tattoo. If you don't like the artist's style, you won't like the tattoo they give you. Once you find an artist that you want to be tattooed by, talk with the people at the front about if you need a consultation. Each artist and shop does consultations differently, and each tattoo requires different things. You don't tell us much about what you want, but you can talk with the people at the counter and they can tell you if you need a full consultation appointment before the tattoo, or if you can schedule an extra hour onto the day of tattooing to design it. This depends on the artist's preferences, and what the shop has time for.
Is it ok to be picky about a tattoo artist's design for you?
I'm getting a half sleeve and it's very meaningful and important to me. I have high expectations and I've found a tattoo artist I think will meet my needs. The sketch she came up with was a little stiff whereas I wanted a more fluid feel as well as a handful of minor details I wanted tweaked. She encouraged me to let her know what I wanted changed so I met with her and did but the more I look at the sketch the more I'm seeing little things I may want altered before the design is finalized. I feel like I'm being too high maintenance and she'll get miffed if I keep pointing out these little things or changing my mind about a smaller detail. But I'm also telling myself that if it's artwork that's going to be permanently put on my body, I have the right to be picky. I just want to be totally happy with my ink but I don't want to be that one pain in the *** client. Is it normal for people to be this picky with the art that the tattoo artist comes up with for them? Does it get on the artists' nerves?
How do you approach a tattoo artist with an idea?
You are 75% of clients.Do some research on your local artists. Look at their portfolios online or go peruse the shops in person. Just ask to see their work. They'll have at least one album you can look at. When you find an artist you like, you schedule a consultation with them.The best customers we had would come in with pictures and thought out ideas. Know what size and colors you'd like, and be sure to tell them your budget. If it's something the artist will need to create, know what details you'll want included. There is typically a drawing fee, and sometimes that price goes towards the price of your tattoo.They'll draw something up, you'll agree to it or ask them to tweak it, and schedule an appt. Ta-da! Your the proud owner of some fresh ink.It sounds like your nervous about walking into a tattoo shop. Know that we are paid on commission and are happy to have customers, and you'll be a breath of fresh air compared to the guy who wants a sleeve done for $50, the teenager trying to pull off the fake I'd, or the obnoxious customer that just wants to hang around the shop and never gets any work done. Paying customers are a blessing.Best of luck to you!
I need help designing my first tattoo. I'd like to have the letters KJT in Kanji or in Vietnamese and a symbol for family strength on my shoulder, can anyone please help?
You need a Custom Tattoo artist. Not every tattoo artist can create good custom art. Many will tell you they can just to make the money on the job; but be smart and look at an artists portfolio thoroughly before hiring him.Ive been tattooing for 20 years now and ive seen an unbelievable amount of guys working as tattoo artists who dont belong tattooing at all.And you don't have to hire the same artist to both design your piece and to apply it as well. This gives you an entire planet of artists you can turn to.I happen to be very good at lettering concepts. If you want to see my work just go on Instagram @olderealmtattoo or @jakecoffee_olderealmtattooHope this helps…Jake Coffee ♤ Olde Realm Tattoo
How to tell a tattoo artist you don't like it?
First of All: If a tattoo artist tries to rush in ANY way, WALK OUT. Any tattoo, no matter what it is will turn out good if you have an artist who cares. His work being reflected for life on somebody should mean enough to him to take his time and do a good job... As far as the actually artwork: I am assuming you have looked at the artists portfolio, so make sure his general "style" correlates with the image you have decided on. Most pictures have to be adjusted in order to make them tattoo-able in any case. If you don't like the draw up, TELL HIM. If that makes you uncomfortable, make suggestions like: " I was thinking it could be more like this.." or "Why is this part different/changed from original?" etc.. If he doesnt have informative answers then walk away. But he probably will. Secondly, after he applies the stencil of the draw up to your skin and you see how it looks on your baody, make sure you inform him of anything you dont like...Otherwise, you seal your doom. BOTTOM LINE: If you dont like the draw up, the artist, or the shop- don't get the tat.
How common is it for a tattoo artist to not show the client the design until the client arrives to have the ink done, even if the client asked to see the design ahead of time?
Thanks for the A2A. I’m not sure how most shops work, but this is just from my experiences working at one shop.None of the artists I’ve worked with would ever start drawing something unless there is a deposit. Once they have a deposit and start drawing it, customers would have to come to the shop to see it in person. This is so customers don’t take the drawing to another artist. So, it is often customers don’t see it until the day they’re getting tattooed. If they don’t like something about the drawing they speak up before hand and the artist would adjust it on the spot. Some artists I know won’t even start your drawing until the day of the appointment, meaning there’s no chance of stopping in before hand to check it out. Every artist has a different system that works best for them. If you’re a person who wants everything prepared in advance find an artist who works like that.Also relevant: I’ve noticed if you show a customer a great drawing that’s everything they wanted they love it initially and then slowly doubt themselves and want to change a million things. Even though it is their body and they have a right to change their mind, a good tattooer knows what’s best artistically and deserve some trust in the creating process. A bad tattooer will do anything that will get your money and care less about the art. So if you really want to know what you’re getting into I’d say check out their portfolios first and pick someone based on their style. Give them your idea and trust they will knock it out of the park. If they don’t, speak up and don’t settle for something you don’t approve of.
Will a tattoo artist do the same design twice on different people?
I very much like a design that my tattoo artist has done on someone else. Do tattoo artists do repeat tattoos? Or would I have to ask for a slight modifications to it? I feel like since they’ve already spent hours designing it, it would save them time they could just reprint the same stensil outline they made before and peel it on and go?
Best place in Houston to get tattoo done, and should I have artist modify the design for me?
I am getting a small tattoo done soon in Houston, Texas, and I am looking for a clean, safe place to get it. A friend recommended the Sacred Heart Studio, but when I went to their website, they seem to focus on piercings, with tattoos almost as a side-business, which makes me a little nervous. Does anyone have any recommendations for safe, clean tattoo parlors? I will of course be checking out the possibilities in person before having anything done. In addition, I have a tattoo design that I like, but I want to have some minor modifications made to it—just turning a few parts that look slightly floral into distinctly floral. Is it better to pay one of these custom-tattoo guys on the internet who send you three options and then create a final one from your comments on those three, or to work with the artist who will actually be tattooing you? Thanks!