Leaderboard

good points @SStu i would also add that, aside from finding style and artistry that fits your vibe, making a connection can be difficult. conventions are a good start, if you can find time to chat with an artist who isn't busy... but oftentimes, good artists are already tattooing or their mind might be consumed with all that goes with that. still.. if you hang around their booth enough, you can catch their vibes or maybe find some time to chat and see if you connect. i will say, some of them get super into their work and might not be as approachable as they would be otherwise. visiting shops is also a good way to catch a vibe of the shop, in general. again, if the artist is busy, you might not get a great feel for who they are. if you're in there long enough, you might catch a bit of their conversations or personality or how they're interacting with the client they're working on at that moment, and that could provide some sense. honestly, sometimes, it's really just hit or miss and you don't know until you get in chair. the more you do that, the more you get an understanding of what you're looking for. so, just keep getting tattooed!!

Art is subjective - and what style resonates with you is truly what should guide with with respect to style and artistry. There really are no wrong answers to this question. Learn to visually discern if a healed tattoo has clean, clear and straight lines PLUS good ink saturation. At that stage you can gauge if you've found a good tattooist. You'll need to satisfy both answers in order to be truly happen with the result and decades of wear.

There is a vintage motorcycle club that meets in Knoxville at the Time Warp Tea Room. For 2020 (before the virus thing) we have a challenge to put 20 old bikes back on the road. I found a '78 GoldWing that had been off the road for at least 9 years and finally stashed in a fence row. Drug it home, stripped it down and proceeded to rescue it. It is finally ready for serious road testing. I named it "Johnny 5" because it is the 5th GL1000 I've owned.