Wanting a tattoo, few questions

Start subscribing to tattoo magazines (there are online ones too). Not only can you get some ideas from them but you can probably get reviews on parlors in your area.

 

Colodan is 100% right about finding guys or girls with a lot of tats and asking where they would go. Experience is key. A relative of a good friend of mine is COVERED in tats and told me to go to the shop I did.

I only have 1, it's tasteful and meaningful. I came up with it myself, even made the drawing. My tat was put on the wall as all custom work is at the reputable shop I went to is, and several months later Troy Lee Designs somehow comes up with the same idea. What?

As a business professional, I had to have it discreet. I went for the right upper arm, covered by short sleeves.

Personally, I didn't think it hurt at all really. Much less than I expected. But I do kow certain places hurt more than others. And the more detail/ shading hurts more than less detail and shading.

The most important thing is to make the tat meaningful, especially as your first Tat, and also if you don't intend on going fully tatted when it doesn't matter what it meant because everyone can see your 2000 tats. LOL

 

The first place I would start is with your sisters fiancee, if he has that much ink hopefully he's found a good artist and not just let a bunch of friends learn/practice on him
As for the drawing, get the basic sketch of what you want, then make the tattoo artist do a final design drawing. Don't let anyone tattoo you till you get one that gets the final drawing to your liking. Also be aware, most artists will not give you the drawing when they are done so you might try taking a pic of the design as you evaluate different artists.

 

Very good info here.

I drew up mine as best i could, found a place that didn't piss me off (some of the shops are just complete ******s) and talked to them.

Different artists specialize in different things. Some do faces, some do letters, some do graphics, etc. You want the dude that does creatures. Unless you want a cartoon style...

He took my drawing, made it much more awesome, then blew it up to proper size. That process took about 2 weeks. I wasn't in a hurry and I had lots of feedback and tweaks to his art. Once we agreed on it, since it was going to take 4-6 hours (it took 4.5), we scheduled it. I wanted all in one sitting.

IME, I tip too.

After you get it, they are addictive... but that will wear off. Don't act on that impulse and get another.... wait a year and see if you still want another...

As far as pain goes... location, location, location. Some spots I can barely feel, in others...

 

I went in with an idea in my head, just told him what I wanted, he took my idea to a whole different level, when I got back from dinner he had it all drawn up and it was better then the picture in my head, thats where I decided he was an artist rather then just a tattoo guy. He also let me keep the original drawing.

 

one other thing, once you are in the chair, if they don't show you opening a fresh needle from fresh packaging, get up and walk away.

 

One of my friends paid a lot of money just this week to have an old tattoo covered up (cleaned up and incorporated into a slightly larger tattoo). Remember, your body might not always be shaped the way it is today....her tattoo was really gross looking with her current body shape.

 

That butterfly turn in to a pterodactyl? ;D

 

LOL....yeah, I was trying to use my words as respectfully as possible. Especially since she's a reefer and might one day join 3Reef

 

All great advice. Try to find someone that will actually look at what you want, suggest anything that might make it better and sketch something ahead of time for you to approve. Also make sure you tip, somewhere in the ballpark of 20-30%.

My avatar is actually the sketch I brought in to get tattooed on my leg with some text. My artist suggested a different font than what I originally picked because of distortion concerns down the road and drew up a new font made to look like match sticks. It looks awesome.