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Since you are traveling, make sure to follow your aftercare to a T! Keep it clean, clean, clean. You need to communicate what you want and don't want then trust him to come up with something that you'll like. Just pay super close attention to the detail when he asks you to look at it in the mirror BEFORE he starts to tattoo you. It can be an overwhelming experience to take it all in at the moment. Most of all - enjoy the experience! Remember to eat before you go, bring water and some sugar to snack on. Post photos when you get back. We love seeing photos of tattoos.

I keep coming back to this thread...

Totally agree with @Gingerninja's recommendations. Communication is the key - and it is certainly OK to take some examples of what the artist has done to show as references to what you're looking for. That's why artists typically have books available to see what they've done before. Enjoy and post pictures!! Hopefully, @Dan will pitch in here - he's got experience having work done while visiting Hawaii.

I'm always surprised by the wait list some artists have Vs. some that don't have as big of one. A longer wait list doesn't always mean a better tattoo. However, it can if you've chosen the right person to do it. I guess it all comes down to what you prefer. I'd be willing to wait a long time for certain people but I worry that some people equate a long wait list to greater quality when that isn't always the case.

My artist (Christy at Blue Flame Tattoo in Raleigh) has a typical waitlist of 5-6 months. I had viewed her work online and on a couple of her clients, and her work was what I had been looking for for years. It turned out that she had a cancellation and i got my first tattoo after waiting only a month. But now that I know her work firsthand, I would wait a year, albeit impatiently, for an appointment with her. For me it's about the artistry, the personal compatibility, and the shared vision. I thought I wanted only one tattoo, but now I'm working on a sleeve. Your artist's work is beautiful! Will you be able to have a consultation in less than a year? For me it was really important to sense a rapport with my artist. I'm lucky that I found a Tesla artist without a Tesla waiting list.

wait til it's done, AND STOP LOOKING AT IT WITH A MICROSCOPE ! do you go up to other people's tattoos and look at them from 2 inches with a magnifying glass ? no,I don't think so, tattoos should look good from 5 feet away.

I've waiting over 2 years for one particular artist. If it's what you want to look at forever, it's worth the wait.

I agree with @Gingerninja - you'll get what you want if you go with either of those at Kings AVe. For NYC and quality artists, $250/hour isn't really that bad, IMHO. I think Megan Massacre is in the $400/hour level. In any case, welcome to the forum!!

Hello, I currently have this tattoo on my left bicep. I'm looking to get a peony tattooed on my right bicep (approximately the same size as the rose). I live in NYC, and was looking into Matt Beckerich at Kings Ave Tattoo. I like this piece of his: Particularly, the purple peony. However, Matt only works on Wednesday at the parlor, and he is a bit pricey (approximately $250/hr). I was wondering if anyone knew of any artist/shops in the NYC area with similar skills/capabilities as Matt in creating peonies. Preferably, someone more affordable would be good too, but money is not really the issue. Availability of the artist is definitely a big plus--if they work evenings/weekends. Please let me know if you have any advice regarding who I can get the piece from! Thanks!!

And what did you like about it?

Thank you guys for your advice.

Welcome! Matt is killer for Japanese style work at Kings Ave, and yeah, pretty much anyone at Invisible. RG is great, and I think Damien Rodriguez is criminally underrated.

I think the funniest part is that it looks absolutely nothing like a penis.

Many artists only book a few months at a time, so they open and close their books every couple of months. They do it to keep themselves organized and minimize cancellations. Both Garver and O'Donnell take this approach. It's a personal preference. But again, if you want something from a certain artist you do what it takes to get tattooed by them.

Yes you can show him a photo of what he did before. He'll probably do up something similar but different though.

Exactly like a penis.

Welcome!! Let it heal and relax. At this point the best thing you can do is let it heal properly and then talk with your artist when you go back in for the next phase.

Don't worry about it yet...it's not done.

whadja got against penises?

Hi guys! I'm 23 and just got my first tattoo one week ago. The healing process has gone really well so far.. and today just about all the peeling is gone. What else should I expect? I'll just keep it moisturized!? I've been using Redemption organic tattoo aftercare ointment but this morning switched to lubriderm unscented! Is that ok? *some pics at various stages of healing*

No! Don't worry

I'm gonna go on record to say that Matt is awesome... Garver is a bit less but not by much. Check out RG at Invisible, too. I say save your pennies Matt or Garver!

After being in hospital last December for 2 weeks with cellulitis that was caused by an infection brewing under tegiderm (that had sprung air pockets I had patched over), I will never use the damn stuff again. It was a large area (whole front of thigh) and I could have lost my leg. The infection brewed within 48hrs and became MRSA positive. Back to soap and hot water for me, always did the trick before!

i know i mean i asked the dude to make me a sick dotwork cock and he didnt really live up to the task at all. next tat i think i'm gonna go the photorealism route for sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I can figure out multiple attachments, I found some examples of your design (Google!) where you can see how quality and placement make a big difference (note on some of the narrower sleeves, they had to lose the staff, and the smaller ones definitely lose detail that the big ones can keep) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, I do need to have working turn signals in my car, so I'd have to go with the Kia I think...

Ditto to what Devious said :) Best course of action now that you have a sketch of what you want (which I'll say as a fan of Egyptian style art is gorgeous), find an artist that can do justice to the image - done well it will look really nice, especially if you can find an artist that excels in realistic Black/Grey portraits. In a consult with the artist, they'll be able to give you a rough ballpark of the final cost, but as it depends on many factors and this will likely be relatively large (assuming you want all the detail like the figure's forearm tattoo, your tattoo will need to be fairly large. It's a great image to have a large tattoo of though, so "go big or go home" would definitely apply here!), don't expect an exact amount, but they will give you a breakdown of their/the shop's price structure and how your piece will likely fall into it. Things like time/amount of ink/one shot or multiple visits will all be factor. They'll also be able to talk more specifics about an appropriate size to balance space and detail. If you'd like to tell us a general area of where you live, the group is usually able to suggest a good artist or two. One other thing if you're new to tattoos (if not, maybe other newbies might read this) that was a surprise to me, don't be surprised if your chosen artist has a waiting list anywhere from weeks to months. Believe me, it's worth waiting a few months for a quality artist who will do a phenomenal job instead of rushing to someone who has a mediocre portfolio and the tattoo doesn't do justice to this gorgeous sketch. To be fair, you can get lucky and get straight in with someone amazing, but it's better to be ready for a wait and be pleasantly surprised to get a quick appointment. In any case, welcome! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm Rae. I have long hair, a few piercings, a few tattoos and I work in animal medicine. I like tattoos. This is my lameass introductory post. Here's my bigger pieces done by Liz Gruesome in Fayetteville, NC at Smokin' Guns. Next appt is scheduled with Johnny Awesome on the 29th from the same shop for my thigh. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Welcome to the forum! I spent some time in Fayetteville over the years I was in the Army!. What are you planning for your next piece?