So you've decided what you want to get. You've saved up your money and you are now itching to get new artwork on your skin. Maybe it's your first tattoo and you want to make sure it not only comes out perfect, but you don't catch any creepy diseases while getting it. Maybe you've got a bunch of tattoos, but you just aren't happy with the artwork from your old shop. Maybe your wife has finally laid down the law and says you can't go to your cousin Jimmy's basement anymore to get tattooed. Whatever the case may be, I'll give you some tips on picking out a good tattoo shop.
In the past, it was really common to just drive down the street and stop wherever you saw a neon "tattoo" sign in the window. Another method is by word of mouth. Although people still do both, many people tend to research the shop they saw or were told about before they even step foot into it. So...that shop you always pass on the way home from work? The place your coworker Erin swears is the best? Go ahead and Google those bad boys. Do they have their own website? Good! I am weary of places that don't (and yes, there are still places that don't). In today's day and age, it is essential to have a website. Not only does it show that the shop is serious about their work, but it allows the customer to do some background research before they even step foot into the shop (which makes life easier for us shop help, let me tell you).
The most common place that people research is Yelp. Haven't heard of it? Google it or go to Yelp.com. It's basically a site where people write reviews of businesses. The app is pretty neat, too...out of town and feel like seafood? Yelp a good seafood spot. Out of gas and need to find the closest station? Yelp. It's amazing. Anyway, with the popularity of Yelp, shops have really been benefiting from this modern-day word of mouth website and app (my own shop, included-we have a perfect 5-star Yelp rating, thank you very much). You can read the direct thoughts of real customers about hundreds and hundreds of businesses. Yelp has increased our sales quite a bit, and I've noticed that over the past few years we've gained a lot of business from further away cities, due to Yelp's ability to rank a certain mile radius search by star ranking. Whenever I ask new clients how they heard of us, the answer is almost always Yelp.
That being said, I've noticed that a funny thing happens when people use Yelp as a recommendation. At my shop, the guys that are usually available for walk ins are almost always the new guys. It makes sense; the guys that have been there for a long time have clients that they can book themselves the whole day, every day, for weeks or even months at a time. The new guys just don't have that popularity yet. Whenever a walk in comes in from Yelp, they usually get "the new guy". Now, my shop is awesome, so of course the tattoo comes out awesome, and the client will almost always Yelp about the artist by name. This leads to more and more people coming in and requesting this particular artist by name...people think they're going to "the best" artist, and trust me, our new guys are good once they get done with their apprenticeships, but they aren't necessarily the "best" because they have the most shoutouts by name...it's just people choosing someone because a bunch of other people happened to call him out by name on Yelp. So basically what I'm getting at is...beware of bandwagoners. At my shop, you'll get some sick work regardless...but I can't guarantee the same thing at other shops.
Therefore, the best thing you can do as a customer is to RESEARCH YOUR ARTIST. This is so important to ensure you know what you're getting. Even if a shop as a whole has a great rating, you never know if they have a "bad seed", so to speak. Start by checking out artist artwork. You've probably already found some shops you want to check out at this point, so go to their websites and see if they have online portfolios (the actual shop will have artist portfolios inside them, of course, but the advantage here is that you can peruse the work without feeling like someone is watching over you, expecting a response. Sometimes people get intimidated and just say "yes", even if they really don't want to get their work done there, just because they feel pressure). Another place that is becoming more popular is Instagram. The guys at my shop all have their own Instagram pages where they post their work daily. Try Googling the artist's name along with the shop name and see what you find. If they have one, it'll probably pop up in the first few listings.
Now, the most important part...is this artist good? For the non-artist, this can be difficult to decide. Your first instinct is usually right...if you like how the work looks, great! If you don't, that's ok, too! They might not even be a bad artist, but if the work isn't how YOU want it, then they aren't the artist for you. Simple as that. Artists all over specialize in so many different styles, so it is important that if you have a specific vision, you go to someone who can pull it off. Otherwise, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. For example, we have a phenomenal artist who specializes in traditional work (bright colors and bold lines-think Sailor Jerry). He is booked out for at least six months at a time. It's ridiculous! People love him, and for good reason. However, sometimes people hear that he is the best, so they'll come in asking him to do some crazy black and gray work, like a portrait. Now, can he do it? Probably. Is it his specialty? No. He almost always recommends them to one of our portrait guys in the shop, because he knows they'll do it better. As far as the actual artwork goes-when you are looking at the work of an artist, make sure that the example work shows clean lines (like the artist made the lines in one single stroke, rather than having to keep picking up the machine to draw a long line) and solid colors or shading, if there is any (no funky spots that look out of place in the tattoo, like it isn't finished). Again...if it looks good, you're probably in the clear. Don't be shy to ask friends what they think of the artwork, too. Just remember that style preferences are different from artistic ability.
So you found your shop and your artist. Time to go into the shop! You'll want to bring in your references for your tattoo (information on how to do that is going to be outlined in a future post) in at this point. When you walk in, how do you feel? What is your first impression? Does it appear clean, like a doctor's office? Do you see cobwebs in the corner of the shop with dust on the windowsills? These things matter. If they don't care enough about the appearance and cleanliness of their shop, then they probably don't care too much about tattoo cleanliness, either (and hence one reason why I am employed-to keep the shop looking it's best). If you can, check out the stations. Are they clean? Do you see someone breaking down stations to get ready for new clients (This is a timing thing, you would have to enter the shop just as someone was done getting tattooed).
Are you greeted by someone, or are you awkwardly standing at the front, waiting for someone to approach you? I really hope you're greeted by someone...I think it is essential to make someone feel comfortable in an environment that can potentially be very intimidating. Ask the person if they use single use needles (they should), if they ID every client (they should), if they use sterile coverings and dressings as required by law on each client's station (they should), and if they sterilize all non-disposable items, such as tattoo tubes, in an autoclave (they should, and on this one, if the answer is yes, ask if you can see their spore test for their autoclave-it should be tested MONTHLY by law). If any of these questions come back as no, then don't walk but RUN out of there. Think about it- would you eat at a restaurant that served you on dirty dishes? I didn't think so. Tattoos are the same idea, but tenfold...you can catch gnarly diseases, and any shop worth it's salt will do everything within their power to follow all body art laws and practices to keep their clients safe.
Perfect, your shop passed all the tests. Go ahead and ask to talk with your artist, or grab a business card and come back with your references for your tattoo, which I will be explaining how to do in a later post. If you talk to your artist at this point, I always tell people that it is super important that you feel comfortable. If your artist gives off any weird vibes, then I don't care how talented he or she is, you should find someone else. Depending on what you're getting, you're going to be sitting with this person for a LONG time. Some people don't talk to their artist much during tattoos, and some do. Both are fine...but still. Do you want to be paying your hard earned cash to someone who you don't feel comfortable with? No. And I don't want you to, either. You deserve the perfect artist, and I'm sure that you'll find him or her if you follow these tips.
