How Do I get A Tattoo Designed for Me?
We are all aware that sometimes people make bad tattoo choices.
Our policy is to do tattoos that people are not going to regret or want removing. We will not do girlfriend/boyfriend names, (as we have covered up so many) or racist or extreme political tattoos. Also customers should be advised of the folly of novelty or gimmick tattoos.
Firstly, think about what subject matter or styles you would like to have incorporated into your design i.e. Nordic, Celtic, 1950's Americana, Art Nouveau, Old School etc.
Do you want it purely in one style or combining several?
Do you want it in colour or black and grey?
Where do you imagine it on your body?
This is important as tattoos should always fit the body, moving with it, not against it. Also, customers aged twenty five or over only will be considered for any public tattoos, and only necks above the collar line and tops of the hand (not the palms or sides of the hand) discrete tattoos, no bigger then 20mm, behind the ear are the only exception as they are not very visible.
The face, we feel, is still an ill advisable place to consider a tattoo.
In order to proceed with any public tattoo the client will have first had a consultation with the tattooist who will advise them of the pros and cons of tattoos on these parts of the body.
Even if you already have tattoos on public parts of your body done by other studios and you are under twenty five we will not consider you for any more public tattoos until you are twenty five. We do not want you to regret any tattoo decisions you make.
Do you want fine detail or would you prefer it bold and simple?
The more reference brought to the consultation, the better. That way, we can get to what is really inside your head!
By all means bring your own drawings (however rough) to help us understand your ideas.
NEVER come to a consultation saying that, you have no idea of what you want (this does happen!)
This is not helpful to us ; we are artists, not magicians! We cannot conjure a design form thin air. We do need some input from you, however vague.
Some designs we will do on paper first (especially detailed work) and these will take some time to draw up .Other designs we will draw "freehand" directly on the body with a pen. This works well for tribal type deigns and helps us get a really good flow on the body.
Don't worry about this though-just because the tattooist is drawing on you, it doesn't mean that we will immediately tattoo you! We are just trying to build up ideas and if you don't like the design, then you are not under obligation to have it. We will just then try something else.
On the other end of the scale though-don't take the piss! Don’t ask the tattooist to draw you a series of designs, only to keep changing your mind (this also happens!) Or to then decide you actually wanted something completely different anyway.
Do respect the tattooist's time, as while this design is the most important thing ever to you, the tattooist also has to draw up many other people's most important designs ever! Also if we have wasted time dealing with someone who doesn't know what they want, we have wasted appointment space that someone else could have had.
For inspiration, you could check out tattoo magazines like TOTAL TATTOO. There are many of these in the shops from all over the world.
Flash sites(such as bmezine.com)
Check out libraries,museums,books,clothing,objects .etc.
Ultimately, inspiration can come from anywhere in the universe.
So, see the whole of the universe as your inspiration!!