What you Need to Know Before Getting a Tattoo
When you walk away after getting a tattoo, the most important thing is that you are satisfied. Why? Because tattoos are permanently etched into your skin. This is a feeling that is never guaranteed no matter if this is your first tattoo or your fifth. However, there are steps you can take before getting your tattoo to make sure that you do walk away happy with your new artwork.
Before Heading to the Shop
Before you head to the shop, it is imperative that you know what you want. Do you want a portrait of someone? Do you want something that resembles a flower? Or do you want a simple script? Unless you are coming in for simple lettering, it is important that you have an idea of what you want prior to scheduling an appointment. It helps the artist to finish work on the finer details by having at least an idea of what you have in mind. You can share pictures that you saved to give your artist some inspiration.
Depending on how much time your artist has available prior to your appointment, he or she may design a mock-up of your tattoo prior to, or the day of. However, the final result will depend on the following:
- How well your color choices show on your skin tone
- How much of your body you’d like to have tattooed
- How much time you’d want to spend with your tattoo artist
- How practical the placement of the tattoo is
Consider Style, & Design
Once you have decided exactly what you want to be tattooed on your body, you need to decide how you’d like it to look. This means that you have to come up with a style. Some of the most popular tattoo styles are:
- Traditional Japanese- These tattoos are inspired by traditional Japanese artwork and consist of lines that are clean and shading that is very minimal. This type of style is used to create flowers, koi fish, and tigers.
- Traditional American- This type of style consists of black outlines with primary colors and normally features roses and skulls.
- Illustrative- If you like intense color saturation and bold outlines, this is the type of style you should aim for.
- Realism- This type of style is used to recreate things using color contrast and shading similar to what they look like in real life.
- Geometric or minimalism- This is a style about precision with results that are symbolic and simple and are characterized with crisp black lines.
However, you don’t have to familiarize yourself with the meaning of the above-mentioned styles to get one. You can always browse social media to get some inspiration from the work other artists have posted.
If you are going for a script, whether alongside an image or standalone, you will need to figure out the type of font you’d like. If you are going for just an image, you will still need to look up a design preference. Adobe Typekit is a great resource to use for font and style options. You can print out the styles and fonts you like and show them to your artist.
Consider Size & Location
Remember to identify where you’d like to have the tattoo on your body and how big or small you’d like it to be. Maybe you don’t want it to be visible to others, or maybe you want the exact opposite. The location alone can determine the size of your tattoo. For example, there is a lot of space on your thigh and even your forearm if you are looking to have a large tattoo.
Regardless, your artist can advise the pros and cons of the sizing and location to help you reach a final conclusion.