Page 37 - INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE

TATTOOS How Can You

Distinguish

a
Good Tattoo

Artist

This question originally appeared on Quora, The best answer to any question. Ask
presented by a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge.
You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.
Answer by Kevin “Jack” Allaire, licensed freelance tattoo artist:

This is easy and difficult at the same time. The first thing you have to do
INK &WATER " is look through the portfolio of the artist. As with a lot of things, a person's
previous work speaks volumes. Make sure there is a large variety of different
work in the portfolio: color, black and gray, traditional, realism. If a portfolio is
filled with pieces of flash art (small, common, money-making pieces picked
T A T T O O from off the wall), I would call that person a tattooist and not a tattoo artist. "

Original designs of great detail are a sure sign of an artist who does tattoos as
his medium of choice. And as silly as it sounds, price of the artist determines a lot.
The old adage of you get what you pay for generally rings true. You pay for qual-
ity. A typical price of an average artist is $75 to $100 an hour. Your better artists are
generally two to three times that at a minimum.Ask all the questions you want to!
Good tattoo artists love to answer questions and provide comfort to their clients,
from what kind of machines they use to what kind of ink they use to how long
they've been at it and what they have a preference for doing.
The look and presentation of the shop itself speaks volumes about the artists in
the shop. You won't find a great tattoo artist in a dingy, dirty shop.
> > ?
From aBad

One

36 DESIGN N THINGS. September/October.
| september/october