Tattoos are similar to other products present in the market. There are the good ones, the bad ones, and the ugly, and then there are the amazing ones. Tattoo artists are not mere painters or body tattoo designers, but they are innovative experts who follow the current trends and carry on with tattoo designing according to customer demands. If you go to amateurs, then you can surely get contaminations, so it is always advisable to go to a trained and certified artist for making designer tattoos.
What to look out or in a tattoo artist, when you consult one?
- Skills:
The skill level is an important factor while choosing a tattoo artist. The art of tattooing is entirely different from drawing. Every skill takes practice and time to master. Good tattoo artists have years of experience, and they know how to make great contemporary and classic designs with myriad colors, shapes, sparkles and metallic dusts.
The ability of an artist can be determined with the help of lines, shading or coloring, writing, and consistency. One needs to see whether the single lines are solid and straight and is done using one pass. Wobbles and joins must be absent. Coloring or shading must be even, and darker patches or blotches of color must be absent. Writing or scripting requires a lot of practice. It indicates the position of an artist on the skill scale. Whether you go for permanent tattoo, or temporary washable ones, you must consult only experienced tattoo artists for drawing or making the stencils.
- Sample works:
For assessing a tattoo artist, one must see examples of the artists’ previous work. A credible artist must have a portfolio that is watermarked or signed in some way. The portfolio needs to contain the photographs of the tattoo designs they have already made for past customers. One should visit an artist in action if they can. This helps in verifying the portfolio of the artist.
- License and Certification:
The main reason for the ‘failing’ of a tattoo is that the ink was placed too deep in the skin, the result being the spreading of the tattoo and losing definition due to bodily fluids. In case the tattoo is not deeply impressed into the skin, it may cause disappearance or fading of the tattoo. Proper techniques are usually used by certified tattoo artists. Hence, one must find out whether the artist is following the laws laid down by the authorities and what licenses and certificates are needed for tattooing legally.
Cleanliness and infection control measures:
Artists that are reputed follow a set of guidelines and laws that helps in protecting both the artist and the client from communicable diseases, for example, Hepatitis and HIV.
- One must not hire an artist who compromises on such standards. The artist must also keep his or her work environment clean.
- The place must be wiped down and plastic wraps must be applied over beds or chairs after being used by clients. Disposable and fresh razors that were used to shave the client must be thrown after every use.
- The artist must wash their hands and wear gloves. Things being used for tattooing like ink, paper and pots must be new for every client.
- Needles used for tattooing must be new and still in their packages and must be opened in front of the clients. The tattoo machine must also be sterilized.
All these techniques help in ensuring that the equipment used is cleaned with ultrasonic, steam or chemical cleaner, thereby killing any viruses or bacteria.
There are many tattoo artists whom you can find in a fair or in a weekly market, but you should not go for these artists, as they are generally untrained, and once the festival is over, it is hard to find them. click here for tattoo artists from good designer studios.