Homework You’ll Actually Want To Do
The best way to choose a tattoo artist is research. Research, research, research. Don't get married on the first date, right? Don't just look at one picture of one tattoo and make your decision. Everybody has Instagram, everybody has Facebook, everybody has a social presence that is just out of this world. Completely different than even 10 years ago. Every tattoo shop’s got an Instagram page these days, and then the individual artists have their own Instagram as well. So you really can do extensive research into the type of tattoo you want and who could execute that tattoo for you. With social media, you can even interact with those artists before you physically meet them. Most of them will even set up an appointment through their DMs, so just slide right in.
Specialization is the Name of the Game
Remember barber shops back in the day? They all had the same red and white pole and the same two haircuts to choose from. Today that is not the case. It's an age of specialization. And same for tattooing. There are many different styles of tattoos, and many artists specialize in a particular one. A watercolor tattoo, for example, is very different than a tribal design. If you’re unfamiliar with the popular tattoo styles, you can find them all on Tattoodo. It’s inarguably the best collection of international quality work – great place to find the design and/or artist that’s right for you.
Use It As A Chance To Travel
You can’t expect to find the perfect tattoo artist living next door to you. Traveling to a tattoo artist is part of the magic. Just as foodies will go to a whole other country to visit one restaurant and have a meal, a tattoo enthusiast might travel just as far to visit the perfect artist. Tony Bourdain didn't just step out of his apartment on 5th Avenue and say, “Here we are.” He had to get on a plane. I went all the way to Japan to get my Japanese Tuxedo done. Think of the word “artisanal.” It’s always associated with food these days, but guess what, tattoos are artisanal too. They’re very specific to the artist. But depending on how extensive the work is that you want, there are great artists all over the world, so chances are, you're not going to have to travel far.