Tattoo artists have a few insider tips that can make your experience go more smoothly. Most of the time, clients just want to stay in their world while they get inked. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it can sometimes lead to people doing potentially weird or annoying things during the process.
Of course, you should avoid these things as a matter of common sense, whether or not your artist tells you. But it wouldn’t hurt to be reminded.
To help you stay comfortable without creating tension with the artist, here are a few simple things to avoid:
Bring Too Many People
In general, it’s best to go with no more than three guests. You may need a friend to hold or drive you home, but it’s probably not a good idea to invite a whole entourage. The artist has a lot to do while working, so they don’t need to be distracted by the outside world. Also, you don’t want to get so many people involved that it causes a massive disruption in the shop.
Take Too Many Pictures and Videos
Some people will take a phone picture of their tattoo as it happens. Other people will take a picture standing next to the artist to brag about how cool it looked.
While it’s a nice souvenir, it’s also distracting for the artist. The tattoo is a private experience for both of you and, if you’re taking pictures, it may seem like you’re more concerned with showing off the work than paying attention to the artist.
Call Out Commands
It’s perfectly okay to say, “That’s too light,” or “That hurts.” But it’s a bad idea to give the artist a running commentary all day. “Okay, this part right here, I like it this way. Can you add a little more of this one and make that a little bolder?”
They’re trying to do their job. You may have a specific vision in mind, and your artist wants to do their best to help you get there. But they can’t read your mind. And if you’re distracting them from the job, the only person getting hurt is the artist.
Ask Artists to Copy a Design
There are a lot of artists out there who love to copy tattoos. But they’re not always the best artists. But some people will ask the tattoo artist to copy a design they saw somewhere else, even if it’s slightly outside their skill level or comfort zone.
This can be a huge turn-off for artists. They want to do their best work, and they’ll try to do that for you. But if you’re just going to ask them to copy someone else’s work, they’re not going to be very happy.
Move Around During the Tattoo
The biggest thing to avoid is moving around a lot while the artist is working. You can’t move enough to avoid getting the tattoo, but you can be too active while they’re working.
Getting tattooed itself is a painful process. It can be tempting to move around, but you’re just going to hurt yourself. It’s also distracting for the artist. And if you’ve ever been tattooed, you know how much focus it takes to get through each part of the process. If you’re moving around too much, it takes away from the process.
The Bottom Line
While the list may seem overwhelming, the good news is that almost everything you can do wrong (except moving around) is potentially avoidable. So, as long as you’re respectful and understand the artist’s needs, you can avoid any awkward moments while getting tattooed.
A good tattoo session is a personal thing. Every artist has their way of doing things, and every client has their way of relating to the artist.
But there are a few general rules that everyone can follow. If you’re respectful, give the artist their space, and remember to treat them with a little bit of care, you’ll both have a great time.
If you want a creative and long-lasting tattoo, we are happy to help you. Lucky Deville Tattoo is a tattoo shop based in Buffalo, NY. We can give you the tattoo of your dreams, no matter who you are or what your reasons are. Visit our artists and see what we can do for you!
