I find it quite fascinating how many different styles of tattoos there are from bio-mechanical to traditional.  With many artist specializing in a specific style it’s important to find the artist that most closely matches the style of tattoo you want. Many artist are not comfortable doing portraits, others may just concentrate on traditional and then they’re artist that can do it all.

Take the time to talk with many artist and ask what styles they like doing the most. If you know the style of tattoo you want, look through the artist portfolio and look at similar styles to make sure the quality is what you want. Spending the extra time before hand can make all the difference; as I see too many individuals that wished they had gone elsewhere. Don’t let that be you!

With the number of shops that have opened and will continue to open I can only imagine that a large percentage of the artist have very limited experience, some should not even be called artist.  That’s why they coined the phrase “scratcher” and you can go on-line and see numerous examples on Craigslist or other websites.  I’ve been amazed at some of the atrocious work that some are wearing. Again, don’t let that be you!