The Decision Process

Making the big plunge: whee can i find a good artist, and what should i look for in tattoo artist?

The bane of the tattoo world is the shadowy, unprofessional person called the “scratcher.” A scratcher is somebody who:
--Does not have the proper training in either tattoo art or of running a professional operation;
--Does not know and/or care to use responsible sterilization methods;
--Promises to provide tattooing services for an incredibly low fee, for free, or in exchange for drugs (ack!);
--Chooses not to apprentice through a legitimate tattoo shop because of one excuse or another (but lacks the knowledge one needs to work in or run a professional shop);
--Will hurt you because they don’t know what they’re doing;
--Will give you a permanent tattoo you will regret for the rest of your life;
--You should stay away with a ten-foot pole.

Never, never, never get work from a scratcher unless you are willing to accept all the hazards listed above. Of those in a study by Clinton Sanders who regretted their tattoos, more than twothirds of them regretted their tattoo because of poor quality!

Looking for an artist can be as easy as checking the Yellow Pages, or as complex as checking references, magazine photos. There are a number of ways to find good artists, including (but certainly not limited to):

--Perusing tattoo magazines. While not all tattoo magazines are of the National
Geographic quality, the photos will speak for themselves. Some issues highlight specific artists’ works; a good way see the type of work someone does. Use the photos in the magazines to compare with those of the artist you are interested in. These magazines have done a lot to show what is *possible*.

Some things to look for in magazines:

• Style (realistic, black & grey work, tribal, etc.)
• Placement on your body
• Ideas for images
• Size in proportion to your body
• Artists whose work you like.

Attending a tattoo convention. Read the FAQ section on tattoo conventions for more information. You can approach this one of two ways.

You can either go to a shop because someone recommended the artist to you, or you can go in cold. For obvious reasons, you will have a little more information with you if you already know something about the artist. This may make you feel more at ease when going into a shop for the first time.

Bodyart enthusiast Dr. Kai Kristensen, a pathologist and a recently retired lab director of an internationally prestigious medical center in La Jolla (California), says the most important aspects of a good result are to:

• Choose an experienced, knowledgeable performer who knows about sterilization and avoidance of infection. 
• Avoid infection during the healing process. With both of those bases covered, healing of either should be non-eventful and the desired appearance should be guaranteed.

What images do you think of when you think of a tattoo?
Do you think of anchors, of roses or of skulls? While these traditional images are still available, you will be pleasantly surprised at the variety you will find today. There are two basic types of tattoos: Flash, and custom. As you can imagine, “custom” means you have a design you like that you take in with you. “Flash” is the stock designs you see on the walls of the shop.

The main thing to remember is that you’re not required to choose from the selection of flash in a shop--You’re NOT limited to just an anchor, a rose or a skull. Remember however, that these smaller pieces of pre-priced flash are the bread & butter of many shops, since they are proportionately expensive ($75 for 20 minutes’ work, for example where an artist might charge $100 an hour for custom work). Also, the number of customers who lay out the big bucks for large, elaborate custom pieces is too small to keep a regular shop in business.

A few of the major styles of tattooing:

BIO-MECHANICAL: A style popularized by illustrator H.R. Giger, who designed the creature from the _Alien_ movies. Bio-mechanical work usually involves an anatomical flesh intertwined with some technical drawings of machines. A close relative of this style involves just the biological look of flesh without the mechanical parts.

BLACK & GREY: Refers to the colors used, this style requires the artist to have advanced shading techniques for subtlety.

CELTIC: Beautiful, intricate knotwork of the Celts (a hard “k”, NOT a soft “c” like the basketball team). These are much harder for artists to do, and is best done by someone who specializes in it. Also usually done in just black ink.

ORIENTAL: Big, bold pieces of Oriental images (carp, clouds, dragons, etc.) based on the Ukiyo-e woodblock prints of 18th Century Edo-period Japan.

Note: It is fine to call this “Oriental” and not “Asian,” because it references an object and not a person.

PORTRAIT: Images taken from photos, best done by someone who can render realistic photographic images. Usually done in black and grey ink. Sailor Jerry: Traditional sailor tattoo style made famous by Jerry Collins in Honolulu.

TRIBAL: Usually bold simple lines, simple patterns. Almost always done with just black ink.

With a good artist working for you, you can get practically any image you’d like. Accomplished artists can render portraits, wildlife, psychedelic and biomechanical styles with impressive results. Your main challenge is to find the artist who can best do the design YOU want.

The Decision Process by Unknown at Friday, 8 November 2013, Rating: 4.4/5 from 100 reviewer.