Your Tattoo Budget

    Getting a tattoo is not cheap and will require you to either dig into your savings account or set up a time frame to save up enough money to get tattooed, especially if you are looking for a quality work and focusing on a larger area on your body. Choosing the right tattoo artist that is worth saving for is also an important factor to take into consideration when deciding on getting tattooed. Becoming an artist isn't as simple as setting up the shop and getting right to work. Tattoo artists spend many years training as shop assistants and apprentices, and practicing their drawing and technique on their own time. More experienced artists usually charge a higher rate than someone who is just getting started.

    Why are tattoos expensive? Ask every tattoo artist how many times they get this question and you will be blown away at what answer they give you. The results of a tattoo are permanent and you want the best quality work you can get. In every case, not every dollar goes straight to the tattoo artists wallet or pocket. The artist splits a certain percentage of their earnings with the shop that they work in to cover things like rent, utilities, staff, advertising , miscellaneous overhead and supplies. The artists are also responsible for buying their own ink, needles and cartridges. Tattoo artists go through a lot of supplies in one day and that doesn't include a day when they have several clients getting tattooed. No matter if your tattoo takes 15 minutes or an hour, the same materials are needed to create the tattoo and sanitize the instruments before and after each session. Bandages and tattoo balms that are used during and after your session also factor in to the cost of your tattoo. 

    You can get a cheaper tattoo by going to a less reputable tattoo artist who may have purchased their cheap equipment from non professional suppliers, didn't go through proper training as far as cleanliness and cross contamination goes and didn't have an actual apprenticeship. Because of lack of regulation and licensing many tattoo studios present themselves as professionals but are indeed not. And if an artist is tattooing out of their home, that in itself should be a red flag when shopping for places to get a tattoo done. Fixing a "cheap tattoo" will end up costing you more money than spending more money and doing it right the first time. People spend a lot of money on their cars, bags, and clothes and they should invest more money into something that will last a lot longer than all of those material things. If you're not ready to pay for the tattoo you want, it's a good goal to work toward saving up over time. Good quality tattoos are worth the wait and the price.  

Cover-up Tattoos

    Covering up a tattoo is a procedure where your previous and unwanted tattoo is replaced with a new design. The cover-up tattoo is almost always guaranteed to be larger than original to ensure it gets fully covered. This allows the artist more freedom and creativity in designing a piece of art that will be used to mask the previous design.  Some people choose to cover-up a tattoo when they notice that the old design is fading and losing its vibrancy. Old faded tattoos easiest to cover up and many artists use bold and dark colors to do cover-ups. 

    When opting for a cover-up, take note that the design of your tattoo matters a lot and not every design is easy to camouflage. for instance, tribal designs contain a lot of major or minor details which might get difficult to hide. A small tattoo such as a symbol is much easier and quicker to conceal.  Many tattoo artists would suggest sitting down for a consultation to go over any ideas and come up with the best design that will fit the space that needs to be covered up. When an artist is working to conceal a tattoo, the focus is usually on the color of an old tattoo and how to incorporate the new ink into it. Black is a standard color each tattoo artist uses in the cover-ups. Darker shades of the same color can also be used. 

    Concealing a tattoo is based on how much you want to cover, to some extent. With the help of your artist, you can find a way to replace your old design with a new one. You cannot call it a new tattoo as some parts of the previous tattoo might see-through it or will be incorporated into the new design. Not all tattoo artists have experience with doing a tattoo cover-ups so you want to make sure to do your research when deciding to go forward in getting a cover-up done. 

Tattooing Then and Now: Digital Age

   Tattoos used to be predominately popular amongst the male population but since internet, more and more females are getting tattooed. It seemed to be an art form to intentionally break social norms, although with social media influence we are seeing upstanding members of society sporting ink. Although our grandparents may not agree, being tattooed is widely accepted and is becoming more mainstream.

As the times change, we see many aspects of tattooing evolve. Let's take it back to 1984. You want a tattoo. You search in the yellow pages for local tattoo parlor. You give them call and set up your meeting. You arrive to the shop, and start your search from wall to wall, looking for a design that jumps out at you. Now it may not have sentimental meaning but man, does it look cool. You build a relationship with that artist and the shop, and come back for more. You like what they do and give them the freedom to express their art and creativity. You may even appear in a magazine showing the world what they have created, reaching thousands. What happens when these pieces start reaching MILLIONS!? This is where the internet comes in. 

The digital age has given us a new perspective on tattooing. Some good, some not so good. We begin to idolize those with tattoos wanting to achieve their look. This has brought forth more copying of tattoos and restricting of artistic creativity. Some of these photos have been heavily altered digitally, providing misguiding information about what can be achieved. Often, photos are posted freshly done, misleading their audience as it pertains to healing and longevity. But with every bit of misinformation, you now have access to an abundance of inspiration and artist accessibility. 

You can now delve into the world of tattooing digitally, exploring new shops and artists without ever leaving your home. Each artist's social media is a time capsule into their growth and advancement throughout their careers. You can now find an artist that takes your inspirations and specializes in the art form that you would like incorporated into your identity. We can now build relationships outside of our local yellow pages with research and traveling opportunities. Creativity is unmatched and continuing to grow with every digital connection. 

Things Your Tattoo Artist Wishes You Knew

   

     What do tattoo artists really wish you knew the minute you walked through the shop doors? A lot of people go into their tattoo appointment not knowing what to expect. Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding to proceed forward with getting a tattoo. By now, you already have a design and size in mind and are ready to proceed forward. One of the things that the artist wants you to know is that you shouldn't be afraid going bigger on your design. A lot of small tattoos look cute at first, but with the passage of time, they lose the details that make them special. Artists know how ink ages, what kinds of things will fade and distort, and how to keep tattoos looking fresh. Trust them. 

    Another thing to keep in mind is that artists' fees will vary from artist to artist. You may have heard the saying "good tattoos aren't cheap, and cheap tattoos aren't good". You will find shops and artists that charge for the piece while others will charge hourly rate.  Whatever way you choose to look at it, you will see that good tattoo artists will charge more than you were hoping for. 

    Sometimes, clients think that because the piece is small, they wouldn't be charged the same amount as for something bigger. This is true, but most shops still have to charge a shop minimum to cover supplies and time spent for each appointment. Set-up for each appointment is the same no matter the size of the design, health and safety guidelines need to be met, and there is set-up, prep, sterilization, and supplies that still get used. Be confident in valuing your artist's time and creativity, that is what they do for a living. 

    Tattoo artists are not mind readers so communicating exactly what you have in mind, is key. It's important to strike a balance between telling your artist what you want, and letting them do their job. You should always feel free to say that something is not to your liking or if you have any questions or concerns, but micromanaging the process is a sure-fire way to lose your artist's trust. Trust goes both ways, and remember they're creating art that you both will be proud of.