Every person getting tattooed deserves to have an artist who is excited about their project. There is an artist for every piece. Artists will often showcase the type of work they're looking to do in their portfolio. Some artists will post the things they are not willing or interested in doing at that time. Some artists are flexible, some artists specialize in a specific style.

Look through your reference photos for your tattoo. Does the work in this artist’s portfolio look similar? Is the quality what you’re looking for? Does this artist seem like someone you might want to spend a few hours with?

It’s easier than ever to get a glimpse into your artist’s method and process. Look through their instagram - and website, if they have it. Look through the Google reviews for the shop the artist works at and see if there’s any insight about the person you’ve chosen.

If you’re still anxious, reach out to them! Frequently, artists will have their preferred method of contact easily accessible on the internet. We want you to contact us!

Getting tattooed is more than just choosing artwork, it’s building a working relationship with someone who is going to permanently mark your body. That’s such an important decision. This is an experience you’ll remember forever - make sure the memories you have associated with your tattoo are positive!

Look through each artist’s portfolio carefully. What you’re looking for is a combination of:

• Line work: is it clean? Do the lines look shaky, or jagged?

• Similar projects: does this artist have items in their portfolio that are similar to the project I’m asking them to do? This can guarantee that the artist is interested in doing the type of work you’re looking to get done. You wouldn’t want to go to an artist who only does watercolor tattoos for an American Traditional tattoo.

• Color palettes: does the artist showcase a good understanding of color relationships? Does the color work in their portfolio look bright, saturated, vibrant? Is their black and grey work dynamic and showing depth?

Always remember - this is YOUR body, YOUR tattoo, and YOUR experience. You are in control of your experience.

Your artist will have design feedback, and offer professional insights on your project to ensure you get a wonderful tattoo that will stand the test of time. Artists spend years acquiring this information and are constantly adapting their process to be able to perform the best work possible - but if something feels off, or feels wrong for you, speaking up is better than getting a tattoo you dislike.

Clients and artists should have a healthy working relationship where both parties feel comfortable communicating information to one another. Respect is paramount between both parties. If you feel disrespected by an artist, you are by no means required to continue your working relationship with them. There are tons of artists out there - you can absolutely find someone who treats you with kindness and does great work!

Helpful insights for non-artists:

• Composition: this is the overall assembly of the tattoo. We’re looking for how well the design flows both throughout the piece, and on the body part it will be tattooed on.

• Flow: how well the piece attracts your eye. Do things feel jumbled, packed, overwhelming? Or does the artwork catch and lead your eye throughout the whole project?

• Saturation: how concentrated the pigment is in the skin. Does it look patchy? Do the colors blend well into one another?

• Dynamic: how interesting the piece is to look at. Does it feel dimensional? Or does the art look flat, monotonous, uninspired?

• Value: how dark or light something is (not how much it’s worth!). This is SUPER important for black and grey. A fun artist trick is to take the image and add a greyscale filter to it. Does it still look good? Or did it suddenly become flat, and 2 dimensional?

Artists will often use these terms in relation to your tattoo project. Hopefully this helps decode a little bit of our language!