Choosing a tattooer?

[Johnny]

So would I but the cost of travel etc is all part of it unless you live close to a good shop. Surely there must be some excellent shops and artists in the State of Florida?

Would I rather put the money I spend on travel to London towards a tattoo from an artist in my home town?

I would rather saw off my dick with a rusty blunt breadknife.

That is kind of my point. I know I can get a great tattoo close to home but happen to be 4 or 8 hours away from a shop like Inksmith. I dont have to travel to get a great tattoo but it is an option.

And there is no way I am going to saw off my dick.

[Tight-Lines]

And there is no way I am going to saw off my dick.

Pussy.

[Johnny]

Pussy.

Now that made me laugh.

But if that is the secret handshake, I dont think I want in anymore.

[Jaycel Adkins]

And my problem isnt driving 4 hours, it's paying for gas and a possible hotel room. I'd rather put all of the money I save toward the tattoo.

Not to be obtuse, but, that is money going towards your tattoo.

Thank you for asking the question/resurrecting the thread, @Johnny. Some good advice was generated by that.

[CaptCanada]

Choosing for me is a mixture of magazines and research on the Internet. Finding names of artists I don't know in magazines and then scouring the web for them. None of them have tattooed me yet, but eh a guy can dream cant he.

And Johnny; getting a tattoo doesn't change your life in a blink of an eye. Getting your first tattoo, or starting a new tattoo, needle touches your skin for the first time... my first though is always "well to late now, forward is the only way for me" and when its finished all you can say (other then admiration of the artists work) is fuck thats in me thats cool.

Its like going from a child to an adult, but you choose when, you choose how your going to be... Going from non-tattooed to tattooed wont let you into a secret club, no secret handshake, no secret set of rules, or headquarter complete with hierarchy.... Its just a tattoo, so what are you waiting for... If you want one go get one. Just know that most of us have crappy tattoos and we have good tattoos. We learned what makes good tattoos, you don't have to be like that. Four hours away is nothing to get a good tattoo... Look at Iwar, from Norway to SF... RoryQ and Duffa coming here to Japan... 4 Hours, even with a hotel thats maybe an extra hundred bucks, unless you like staying at a five star place.

Take your time though, when you ready, you ready.

[Lochlan]

Liking this thread today.....good comments, respect and questions.

Also I second Mike Wilson....the man does some badass tattoos!

[Johnny]

Liking this thread today.....good comments, respect and questions.

Also I second Mike Wilson....the man does some badass tattoos!

@Lochlan - It's a good group here. There is tons of knowledge and everyone is willing to share. Good stuff.

[ShawnPorter]

Do you really want someone getting their first tattoo from Wilson though?

That could shellshock them forever.

Wilson: "Yeah, this broad at a grocery store threw a can at my head for calling her a hatchet wound*... so.. you wanted what, an eagle?"

*That actually happened, up till the eagle part. haha.

[MsRad]

@Johnny

keep in mind you could spend double or triple of what you originally paid if you don't like the results and have to get it lasered off or covered up. i don't know, but the extra $60-100 for gas and a hotel room is way cheaper than another $300-500 or more to get a tattooed fixed.

where in florida do you live? i'm sort of surprised Ursula isn't all over this

[abees]

Jax is about 4 hours away and I dont know that I am willing to go that far just for the tattoo. Again, my budget is small. I guess if we were going up that way for something else and I made it part of the trip it would work.

i feel i'm probably wasting my time in saying this, but that's not the right attitude.. do you need to get tattooed right at this very time? no.

if you like Mike Wilson, and think he'd do the best job on whatever you want to get tattooed (which i'm sure he would), then i'd suggest saving for however long it takes.

[sleepy mel]

@jade1955 im sure Swindon has some great artists (joke) just like my bit of East London specialises in scratchers who dont ask for i.d and tattoo 17 year olds wrists.

[Johnny]

i feel i'm probably wasting my time in saying this, but that's not the right attitude.. do you need to get tattooed right at this very time? no.

if you like Mike Wilson, and think he'd do the best job on whatever you want to get tattooed (which i'm sure he would), then i'd suggest saving for however long it takes.

Definitely not wasting your time. I appreciate all input. And I can understand why serious tattoo enthusiasts would have a hard time believing someone wouldnt be willing to drive four hours to get a tattoo with someone like Mike Wilson but that is not exactly what I am saying. If I knew it was my only chance to get a good tattoo then it would be a no brainer. Or if the situation works out that way it would be cool. But I know there are several great tattooers closer, I just dont know how to find them. My original question was really about weeding through the many great artists within say an hour of me.

I look through tons of pictures and I guess it is all starting to look the same. Maybe I just need to give it a break for a while and come back to it. I was primarily asking about what to look for in tattoos to separate the good from the great. What specifically can I look at in a tattoo to see skill? Are there some tell tale signs? It is easy to see the crap from the good or great but. There are so many, visiting all of the shops would be daunting. It's not a major crisis, I just figured I would ask here while I am getting my funds together.

To be honest, if I could figure out how to do it, I would love to work with Tim Hendricks. I like his approach that I have seen in interviews and his work is my favorite at this point. But again, I dont "need" to do that to get a good tattoo. I just think it would be cool.

[Johnny]

I would also add that I am not out looking for a cheap tattoo. I mentioned that I would be concerned that more "famous" artists would be more expensive but that doesnt mean I am not willing to pay for quality. I guess I was saying that if a really good local artist charges $300 and famous guys ask $600, then I would need to go local.

My problem with price is, I have no idea what it is going to cost to get what I want. So it is difficult for me to say what is cheap and what isnt. But no, I'm not expecting to find what I want for $80.

[Reyeslv]

I live by the rule that if you have to ask "how much does it cost?"... You can't afford it and you shouldn't be buying it.

[eisen777]

Dont pretend to know the price before you talk to the tattooer. Mike Wilson is great, people like that are worth saving extra for. If you are going large scale then do it in parts. Esp if its your first tattoo.

ohh....and tip well. So plan to add 20% to the total value of your tattoo as a way to say thank you.

[briankelly]

as a tattooer, my own approach to who i have tattoo me would mean that i myself would never have any work. i only get tattooed by friends and people i like. when i decide i want something, i think of who i know personally that can do it. sometimes i don't like getting tattooed from my more booked up friends, because then i have to wait too long.

[Jaycel Adkins]

You won't get any help in terms of finding out about price from the forum.

There is supposed to be a convention near you in a few months. I would just go to that and ask around, get a sense of people and style, and then follow-up in their shops.

Other people can speak better about what to expect at a convention, or even that particular one, but my sense is not to expect a quote or anything, just collect business cards of people who are nearer to you and that you think do good stuff and then follow up from there.

Good Luck to you!

[Scott R]

I know of Mike and that shop. Jax is about 4 hours away and I dont know that I am willing to go that far just for the tattoo. Again, my budget is small. I guess if we were going up that way for something else and I made it part of the trip it would work.

man your thinking about this all wrong. even if mike charged $200 an hr you will most likely get a much better tattoo that you will be happy with for ages. Also whos to say he knocks out your tattoo in 2 hrs while another guy may charge $100 but take 5 hrs. I just got my first proffesional tattoo after researching for months. If I would have gotten a tattoo from the same place my friend did I would have recieved a decent tattoo that took twice as long for the same money. I ended up going 3 miles down the road spending a few hrs with a great artist and getting a nice clean tattoo. I was lucky to have a good artist close but If I knew there was a world class guy 4 hrs away and that could be my first I would be all over saving and doing the minor road trip for it. I honestly think it would add to the adventure.

[Scott R]

ehh after finishing the thread I see others have beat me to this post johny. Take it for what its worth but everyone is giving you sound advice.

[Johnny]

I live by the rule that if you have to ask "how much does it cost?"... You can't afford it and you shouldn't be buying it.

True, but I have to ask price at some point to know how much to bring to the shop, right?

You won't get any help in terms of finding out about price from the forum.

No worries. I'm not asking for pricing help. I'll figure that out when I go talk to shops. I was just mentioning it because the topic had come up a few times. I just wanted to be clear that I'm not shopping price but I do have a budget and if the bigger names are significantly more than a quality local guy, I cant justify the extra. Others can and that is perfectly fine. I may change my mind later but for now, it has to be this way.

I dont want to get the wrong reputation on the forum. I am a pretty laid back guy and have questions. I'm not a cheap ass but I cant afford to spend a grand on a tattoo right now either. Sometimes it is hard to get my personality to come across in forum print. I have total respect for everyone here. Just new to the deal and trying to learn.

[Jaycel Adkins]

@Johnny

I think you are fine.

But at this point, I think people are going to just start repeating each other and/or themselves.

I personally don't think you are being "cheap", at least here in the States, especially Florida, people are getting really blasted by the economy, I understand.

The point is that, obviously, everyone here, to some extent, thinks a tattoo is an investment in yourself, and hence are willing to save, wait, travel, and spend accordingly.

[SF Dave]

the difference between good artists and great artists?

great artists have more clients who will patiently save their money and travel far distances to get work from them, because those clients wouldnt want it any other way.

[Stewart Robson]

This thread got really boring really quickly.

[Tight-Lines]

We need some tits and ICP jokes in this shit.

[slayer9019]

We need some tits and ICP jokes in this shit.

A good way to choose a tattooer is to NOT go to the guy who did this tattoo.