Every week we ask you guys to show us your ink in celebration of Tattoo Tuesday: we choose one favorite submission each from Twitter and Tumblr and they win a free 3 month membership to SuicideGirls.com.
Research to find a suitable practitioner. Look up local artists, and ask around. If you happen to see someone that has a tattoo you are particularly fond of, ask them (politely) where they got it done.
Look at portfolios. Several different ones if you have to. Find someone with a style and personality that will mesh well with your own – especially if it’s your first.
Make an appointment, both for a consultation, and to get the actual work done. While walk-ins are convenient, if you have a more elaborate piece, respect the artist enough to give them time to work on it.
Be original.
Know what you want, and have several ideas about where you’d like the tattoo to go.
Make drawings (as long as you don’t have the art skills 5-year old) or find reference photos, as many as you think you’ll need to get across the concept/image you want.
Listen to the artist’s suggestions, and understand that they may say no to some of your ideas simply because they wouldn’t come out right or make a good tattoo.
Get something that means something personal to you, as long as it’s easy enough to convey. Getting a tree that twists into a lizard that has bird wings and a feathered mask may be the most sacred thing you could possibly think of in this world, but, really, how would that look? Weird, that’s how.
Bathe beforehand.
Bring something (non-alcoholic) to drink.
Let your artist know if you feel like you’re going to be sick and/or pass out. The last thing you want on your person is a big line going in the direction you fainted because you didn’t tell your artist you were about to black out.
Tip your tattoo artist. ALWAYS. Even if they’re your best friend. TIP THEM. It’s rude and offensive not to. As a rule, leave an extra 20%, unless it’s something minimal like $50-$60, then tip about $10. If it’s a HUGE piece that the artist works on for over 5 hours, then tip anywhere from 25 to 30%. (If the artist also happens to be your significant other and they won’t accept money, give them some extra good sex that night or something.)
Every week we ask you guys to show us your ink in celebration of Tattoo Tuesday: we choose one favorite submission each from Twitter, Tumblr, and MySpace and they win a free 3 month membership to SuicideGirls.com.
Inspired by the positive feedback we’ve received from her Vehicle Maintenance 101 video posts, Shotgun Suicide is taking on bodywork of a more personal kind. In the first part of her new ongoing Body Mods 101 series, Shotgun Suicide takes you through the basics of getting a new tattoo, and aftercare for it.
Every week we ask you guys to show us your ink in celebration of Tattoo Tuesday: we choose one favorite submission each from Twitter, Tumblr, and MySpace and they win a free 3 month membership to SuicideGirls.com.
Every week we ask you guys to show us your ink in celebration of Tattoo Tuesday: we choose one favorite submission each from Twitter and Tumblr, and they win a free 3 month membership to SuicideGirls.com. It really does get harder and harder to choose a favorite…
Every week we ask you guys to show us your ink in celebration of Tattoo Tuesday: we choose one favorite submission each from Twitter and Tumblr, and they win a free 3 month membership to SuicideGirls.com. It really does get harder and harder to choose a favorite…
