If there is one tattoo design that has had enduring popularity, that’s the skull tattoo. These can be representative of both negative and positive, evil and good, death and life, though you will mostly find that people have skull tattoos as a representation of a positive that has come from a negative.
Given how popular skull tattoos are, therefore, just about any tattoo shop will be able to give you one if that’s what you are looking for. However just because most tattoo shops will do skull tattoos, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a great tattoo. This is why you need to be careful, especially if it’s your first time getting ink, or you have recently moved to a new area and do not have a go-to place as yet.
To help you out, we have highlighted some useful tips below that will help you find the best tattoo shop.
Know Exactly What Kind of Tattoo You Want
This may seem like it was something that didn’t need to be pointed out, but you’d be surprised how many people enter a tattoo shop not knowing what they want. Before you start looking in tattoo parlors, make sure you have a firm idea of the tattoo you want. For the purpose of this post, we are discussing skull tattoos, although the suggestions and advice remain the same whatever you want.
Find images and references of the kind you like and print those out (or have them readily available on your phone).
Find a Tattoo Artist Who Specializes In What You Are Looking For
There is a common misconception that all tattoo artists who have done training and are fully certified are the same. Just like any artist, whether it’s a painter, or photographer, while they may have had the same initial training, not all tattoo artists are equal. Therefore, if there are specific techniques or a particular drawing style your tattoo design needs, you need to choose an artist who has experience and skills in that particular style.
Get Recommendations and Referrals
It is a good idea, following on from the above, to look at examples of a tattoo artist’s work. They will normally have a portfolio readily available or images on their website. As good as this as an indicator of whether they will be able to give you the skull tattoo you are looking for or not, it’s not what you should rely on solely.
Look at customer reviews, especially those left on impartial sites, and even try to find out if you can contact those past customers to see in person what the tattoo artist’s handiwork looks like.
Avoid Anywhere That’s Not Clean and Professional
It is an extremely old fashioned and untrue cliched that tattoo shops are seedy. They may be a little intimidating, but that should only be because of the needles and permanent markings that can be made under their roof. Just like any other business in the beauty industry, a tattoo shop should be professional and clean, like a hair or nail salon. If you enter a shop and you get bad vibes, either because it doesn’t look clean or something else, don’t bother.
Find an Artist You Have a Rapport with
It doesn’t matter if they are the most highly decorated and reputable tattoo artist on the planet, if you don’t click with them, it could ruin the whole experience. That’s the key thing you need to remember, getting a tattoo is as much about the experience as the end result. Find a tattoo artist who is on the same wavelength as you and who is willing to listen to your ideas and offers helpful suggestions, not someone who is too aggressive or unsociable.
