How To Find The Best Tattoo Artist For You
What makes the right artist for one person can be completely different for another. Finding a Tattoo Studio and Tattoo Artist that youll end up writing a five-star review for is what youre looking for, right? So what should you take into consideration when trying to find an artist for you? Below are some questions to ask yourself when starting your search for the right artist for you.
Tattoos Around The World Featured In Needles & Pins
For those who want a tattoo but have no idea what to get, we spoke to tattoo artists for some advice.
Dina Dicenso, the owner of Gristle Tattoo in Brooklyn, New York, told The Independent that you should start by finding an artist whose work you like.
For people who dont know what design to get, they should start by finding an artist whose style they love and ask to see their books of work for ideas, she told us. Artists usually have sketchbooks with lots of designs theyve drawn up that they would love to tattoo on prospective clients.
However, Dicenso does admit it is ideal to at least have a rough concept of what you want tattooed on your body.
Ideally, its best to have at least a general idea of a theme or elements to include in the piece and then work with the artist to customise it into a piece the individual will be happy with in the long-term, she said.
The 10 Best Freelance Tattoo Designers To Hire In 2022
Youll notice the tattoo designers on 99designs are split into three categories: Entry, Mid and Top level. Our in-house team hand-vets every designer on the platform to determine where they fit best.
To achieve top level status, a tattoo designer has to have a solid record of creating high-concept designs that meet and often, exceed clients expectations. But it takes more than creativity to be a top level designer. The designers we choose to bear this title are designers whose technical skills enable them to create usable products and whose communication skills dont just satisfy clients, but bring them back to 99designs when they want more tattoos designed.
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Flow Will Change On Different People
Its important to remember that these sweeping S-shaped patterns can vary from person to person. And there’s not just one way to do them. But as long as you’ve got that sweeping motion in some way, it’ll still work.
Because every body’s different, itll be easier to identify the flow on some bodies more than others. Also, the build of the muscles might affect the flow. For example, if someone has more prominent shoulders or biceps, that might affect the shape of the flow that you design your tattoo to. But, when you design tattoos with this in mind, it gives the design a dynamic feel – almost like it’s moving on the person’s skin – which is what you want, especially with styles like Japanese that require a lot of flow.
Reminder Of A Fun Experience
Tattoos can be a way to preserve memories of great times in your life. For example, if you and your friends went on an awesome hiking and camping trip, you could get a tattoo of the outline of the mountain range. If you went to Paris, you could get a little croissant tattoo . The tattoo idea could also be a reference to an experience from your childhood that youve treasured over the years.
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Find Inspiration From Other Tattoos:
If youre still struggling to come up with ideas for your tattoo, take a look at other tattoos for inspiration. Look at both professional designs and amateur ones frequently, the simplest designs are the most effective. When looking at other tattoos, pay attention to both the overall design and the small details like colors and line work.
What Should I Look For When Choosing A Tattoo Shop
Although it ultimately may not matter what the shop itself looks like if they have the right attitude and the artists that do the work youre looking for, its still something you should check out before you decide on a shop for your tattoo.
For many, part of choosing a studio is finding a place that not only matches their aesthetic but also makes them feel the most comfortable. If you dont feel comfortable or feel out of place because your style is completely different from the studios, then you may not have the best tattoo experience.
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Best Sites And Apps For Free Tattoo Designs And Ideas
These websites and apps will help you find the right design for yourself.
Over the decades, tattoos have moved from the fringes to become a part of the mainstream culture. It has also led to a steady evolution in tattooing as an art form, with a vast diversity in tattoo designs. If youre looking to get your first tattoo, picking the right design can get confusing. In this article, we bring you the 10 best sites and apps for free tattoo designs and ideas.
What To Consider With Your First Tattoo
- Placement and positioning: Will it fit in the area of the body you want to use? Do not go big on your first tattoo, even if your artists wants you to.
- Skin color: What color is your skin compared to the intended colors of your tattoo? Not all colors work well on all skin types, especially darker skin. Ask your artist if you’re unsure.
- Visibility: Do you need to cover it up for work? If so, make sure it can be easily hid under your clothes.
- Content: What do you want it to depict?
- Size and detail: A bigger tattoo will have more detail than a smaller one.
- Artist: Shop around and don’t settle for an artist you don’t like. This is especially true for more unique, detailed, or complex designs.
- Time: Consider how long it will take to complete the tattoo. For your first, I don’t recommended long sessions or multiple sittings.
- Aftercare: Healing takes about a month, depending on your skin and the tattoo itself. Aftercare is imperative, you can ruin a great tattoo if you don’t look after it. Don’t plan to get inked just before traveling, for example. Swimming and contact sports are also to be avoided.
Anchor tattoo
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Choosing A Quality Tattoo Artist
One of the main reasons people end up with a crap tattoo is that they didn’t do any research on their artist. Some things to consider:
- The old saying of “You get what you pay for” is never truer than when you’re getting a new tattoo. Particularly your first one. This is not the time to scrimp on the money because there are no cheap, talented tattoo artists.
- Every artist’s ability has limits. Tattooing is not a skill that can be learned from the Internet or by being a good pencil and paper artist. If your mate has just purchased a tattoo machine off of eBay, do not offer to be his guinea pig. You will regret it!
- Just like any other craft, it takes time, talent and a good teacher to develop into an amazing artist.
- Be realistic about your artist’s ability, if they can’t do the design you propose, go to someone who can. There’s no second chances in getting it right!
Forums Are The Best Place To Find Unique Cross Tattoo Designs
These designs were completed to be a tattoo. Google search results and wannabe websites have some beautiful plans, but they are not made to be tattoos. They may not look so good as an actual tattoo. These artists have no education in tattoo designs. Many of them do not know how to draw up a diagram that would look great as a real tattoo. These forums will help you weed out all of the bad ones and locate that great cross tattoo design.
Another way you can find some great tattoo designs is by looking up your local tattoo shops on the Internet. They will have portfolios of their artists work so you can view the style and quality of each one.
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Tattoo Designs Should Match The S
All the muscles in the human body flow in a natural S-shape. If you design your tattoos with this principle in mind, then they’re going to sit on the body a lot better, and it’s going to compliment the person’s figure.
Even if the tattoo isn’t done perfectly, it will still look good because it’s designed for that specific part of the body.
Note:
You dont have to stick to one direction. You can still have the general flow and shape coming from a different direction. However, as long as you have that flow in mind when youre creating a tattoo, itll make the design process a lot easier.
Consultations Can Help You Hone Your Tattoo Ideas
Working with a tattoo artist is always both a conversation and a collaboration. Bringing reference photos to the table, either of a subject, an image, or a style you like, is a great way to help your artist know more about what youre looking for. Carrie Metz-Caporusso, a tattoo artist based in Ann Arbor, says she prefers not to see photos of another tattoo artists work so it doesnt compromise the uniqueness of her own creations. I always ask for 4 things. The subject matter, the size in inches, the location and a photograph of the location, she says.
Consultations are pretty cool because I can get a look at someone and get an essence of what theyre already decorating themselves with.
If youre struggling to come up with an idea for your tattoo, Carrie says she always recommends a bit of self reflection. Think about what is unique to you. What represents who you are? For example, I have people who want dedication tattoos for a loved one who passed and they come to me with birth dates and death dates. Theres nothing wrong with this concept, but I encourage them to tell me what they think about when they remember their loved one. Was it a fun trip? A favorite song? That way I can come up with a unique design thats special to them.
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The Mysterious Secrets Of Sunflower Tattoos
- What is your current job’s tattoo policy? Do they allow them?
- If you’re a student, what field are you hoping to go into when you graduate? Although tattoos are now widely accepted, there are still times and places they are not appropriate. Jobs where you deal directly with the public or need to present a certain professional image will request you not to have visible tattoos.
- Never get a tattoo on your face, top of your hands or your neck for your first tattoo design.
- Try to avoid getting your first tattoo on the more sensitive parts of the body, like the spine, under the arm, or the stomach.
- Find an area that is easily covered up so you can cover your tattoo if you wish.
Some of the ideal body parts are:
- Top of the outer arm
How To Find Tattoo Designs
So, youve made the decision to get a tattoo, but Where can I find tattoo designs?
How to find tattoo designs that are unique and affordable is not as easy as it sounds. Should you pay for a design or endlessly search the free websites, visit the local tattoo shops?
There are thousands upon thousands of free tattoo designs available, but as you may have found out, most are of poor quality or of simplistic design.
Some of the paid sites charge as much as $25 for each design and once you print the design it may not be what you want and there is no refund.
The best alternative to find tattoo designs is the paid membership sites. For a one time fee of like $30, you get lifetime access and unlimited downloads to thousands of professional tattoo designs plus some extras.
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Has Someone You Know Worked With Good Tattoo Artists
The easiest and possibly best place to start your search for a tattoo artist is to ask a friend or relative with great ink for a recommendation. Chances are, if you love the art on their skin, theyll be happy to give you advice about finding an artist you love. This is particularly true if the work they got from their artist is the kind of work you are looking for. And seeing an artists healed work in person is even better than seeing pictures of it. In the tattoo world, word of mouth can be incredibly helpful because if they had a great experience, you will too!
Are You Ready To Hire The Freelance Tattoo Designer Wholl Capture Exactly What You Want On Your Body
When you get a tattoo, you get the tattoo for life. Sure, you can have a tattoo removed or covered up, but after making your original investment in the tattoo, facing these costs can sting more than the lasers theyll use to take it off your body.
If our top 10 tattoo designers arent what youre looking for, search 99designs to find the perfect designer for your tattoo. The right designer for you is out there, you just have to find them.
Want more tattoo designer choices?
Search for the most creative freelance designer for your tattoo.
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Have You Checked Out The Tattoo Studios Equipment
A step further into looking at a studios interior is checking out their equipment. Every legitimate tattoo parlor needs equipment, including a tattoo bed, sterilized needles, sterilized ink, gloves, and other tools to ensure a safe, risk-free environment.
You also want to look around and try to spot tattoo artist licenses and certificates. It definitely helps boost your confidence about a place if you know they only hire qualified and trained artists.
Prepare For A Tattooing Career With The Artist Accelerator Program
Learning how tattoo design is different from other forms of art is an important step in your journey, but it can also be pretty eye-opening to how difficult tattooing can be. Without the right knowledge, its impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist.
However, finding the straight-forward information you need to progress is difficult. And with so much out there online, its hard to avoid picking up bad habits from incorrect and outdated resources.
This is one of the biggest struggles new tattooers face, and too many talented artists have given up their goal of getting into tattooing because of the years it would take to unlearn their bad habits.
Thats why aspiring artists are learning to tattoo with the Artist Accelerator Programs structured course. As a student, you learn every step of the tattooing process from professional artists with the experience and advice you need to build your skills and create incredible tattoos.
With the Artist Accelerator, you can stop wasting time searching through incorrect information. You just get the clear, easy-to-understand lessons you need to start improving fast along with support and personalized feedback from professional artists in our online Mastermind group.
Over 2500 students have already gone through the course, with many of them opening up their own studios. If you want to join them and learn the skills you need to start tattooing full time faster
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The 10 Best Freelance Tattoo Designers For Hire In 2022
Good tattoo design is important because tattoos are one of the few types of art that are literally embedded into their owners bodies. And among the types of art we choose to permanently wearwhich also include piercings and cosmetic surgeriestattoos are the most visible.
In recent years, attitudes toward tattoos have shifted, thanks in part to the presence of beautiful, well-executed tattoo designs. Working with a talented freelance tattoo designer means having your vision for your tattoo, whether its a reflection of your past, your values, your perceptions, or your dreams, turned into an image youll be proud to wear for the rest of your life. Find the best freelance designer to hire from our list of top tattoo designers for 2022.
Planning For Tattoos To Wrap
In this example, well be making a forearm tattoo. After you sketch the shape of the arm, you can add a dotted line outside of that to account for areas where the tattoo will wrap.
It’s okay to go outside of the main shape of the arm if it’s little background elements. For example, a rose, leaves, water, smoke, flames, etc.
Note:
The only exception to this rule is the Japanese style, where tattoos are designed to wrap around the whole body.
Example of a Tattoo the Wraps Around the Body Correctly:
In this example, you can see how the shape of the body is traced in red, and that all the main elements of the tattoo fit inside that area. Only leaves and clouds wrap outside of those boundaries.
Example of a Tattoo the Wraps Around the Body Incorrectly:
When you don’t draw to the shape of the body, the designs just won’t fit well. In this example, the design has a lot of gaps, it doesn’t come down the full way of the torso, and it wraps massively around the ribs. Because it doesnt fit the clients chest, the design will not sit well on the body, and it wont be as aesthetically pleasing.
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