Whenever you ask to see their collection of photos, the person in the shop will hopefully immediately recognize you as someone who knows a little more about tattoos–at least enough not to be satisfied by looking at just the flash. If the shop is not too busy or if the artist is not in the middle of working, they might stand on the other side of the counter to have a conversation with you. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions of the artist.
Reasonable questions to ask in your conversation that won’t take too much time for the artist to answer:
- What is their favorite style?
- If what you are looking to get done happens to be their specialty you are in luck; be it tribal, wildlife or whatever.
- Is there any one particular subject they like to do?
One artist, without hesitation, told me his favorite was skulls. I would’ve jumped for joy had that been what I wanted.
- How long has the shop been here?
This may be an indicator of the stability of their business. The tat industry in itself fluctuates, but continuity implies business acumen, responsible practices and the fact they are not a fly-by-night operations.
- How long have they been at the shop?
The shop may have been there for 20 years, but the artist may only have been there for a couple of months. If they have been there for what you consider a short period, ask them where they were before.
- How long have they been tattooing?
It might not matter so much that the artist has only been there for a short while, if they’ve been tattooing for several years. They might come from various backgrounds – anywhere from working on friends to having a fine arts degree. This type of information will give you more insight into the artist’s attitude as well as aptitude.
- Do they get to do much custom work?
This may depend on where the shop is located, but it also depends on how good of an artist they are, and whether they have their own style for which they are known for.
- Do they use apprentices at the shop?
It is often difficult for new artists to break into the business, and an apprenticeship is often a very good way to learn not only about tattooing itself, but also about the day-to-day operation of a small business. For artists to take apprenticeships means they’re interested in expanding the art form, in giving a new person a break (so to speak) and feeling confident enough about their own skills that they feel they can offer some insight and experience for the new person. This again goes back to the attitude of the artist and the shop.
Don’t let the looks of the artist intimidate you. Tattoo artists usually have a lot of tattoos themselves. In fact, I would be somewhat leery of an artist who has NO tattoos at all. The main thing is that you need to talk with them and get a feel for what they are like. As you talk with the artist and build a rapport, if you feel comfortable you may want to broach the subject of what you’re interested in getting done. Bounce your idea off with the artist and see what they are willing to help you with.
Remember however, that the artist is running a professional business! Be polite – don’t linger and overspend your welcome if you don’t plan on getting any work done at all.
Remember: Don’t base your decision according to what tattoos you see on the artist – they were not done by that person!