Having a custom tattoo is an admirable goal, however, it takes more than just great tattoo ideas to make a truly awesome tattoo. You will need a skilled tattoo artist who shares your vision and with whom you feel comfortable. Here are a few tips to help turn your custom design into reality.
Tattoo Artist Raul Ugarte
Working with your artist to get what you want!
• Find a tattoo artist who is a good fit for the type of tattoo you want, and with whom you can communicate easily. If you aren’t on the same wavelength, you are unlikely to get the tattoo you want.
• Have a clear idea of what you want. Show the artist some pictures of what you do and don’t like, and come in with an idea of where you want the tattoo and how big it should be.
• Be flexible. The tattoo idea is yours, but your tattoo artist has experience with translating pictures from canvas onto human flesh. They may even suggest different placement, ink colors or size in order to make the tattoo work better with your skin type, skin color or body shape. For instance, text that wraps around an arm often looks awkward, but text on the chest or back looks better because viewers can see the whole tattoo at once.
• Schedule another appointment to look at the artist’s rendition of your custom design. Don’t be surprised if he/she asks to keep some of your reference material to help in the drawing. At the next meeting, look over the proposed design closely and make any necessary tweaks to it. If, however, the design is far from what you had in mind, either ask him/her to redraw it, or look for another tattoo artist who might be a better match.
• Once you are both satisfied with the design, he/she will apply a stencil of the image to your skin; look this over carefully. Inspect the design, size and placement with the aid of a mirror, and make sure any text runs the right way.
Tattoo Artist: Mike Devries
Finally, relax and let the master do their work! A tattoo is a permanent marking, so make sure that you are completely happy with the artist’s design and stencil before allowing the tattoo gun to touch you. A custom tattoo takes extra research and investment, but the results are definitely worth it!
Buena Vista Tattoo Club