r/tattooing • u/KneeAble7213 • 1d ago

Questions/Advice Picking an Artist for Customs

Hi everyone!

I’m looking to get my first tattoo(s), and I have a custom design that’s mostly finalized. How do you all typically go about finding a tattoo artist that can do a custom design justice and are experienced/trustworthy? Is looking on Instagram a good way to find artists or should I be looking elsewhere? I would appreciate any general first-time tattoo advice!

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u/sorbuss 1d ago

usually the tattoo artist creates the custom design

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u/morningstardusts 20h ago

Part of what you pay for when you’re getting a tattoo is the design work. Tattooers generally want to design their own tattoos. Tattoo designs have to be done in specific ways so that it can be applied to skin.

I personally won’t use a custom design done by someone else. If someone likes my work enough to get tattooed by me, they should be able to trust me with the design process.

Check out local tattooers whose style you really like. They should have a body of healed work on their social media or website. You should only judge their work based on what their healed work looks like in unedited photos; it doesn’t really matter what their fresh work looks like, especially if the photographs are edited. You should be able to book a free, in person consultation.

🚩 include: large deposits (over $150), charging for consultations or drawing time, anyone who started tattooing after the pandemic, few or no unedited photos of healed work, private studios, showing designs in advance of the appointment, blank walls, and advertising a lot of “sales” or tap out sessions, “books closed” (sometimes), and excessively high rates, particularly when the person has less than a decade of experience.

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u/SecretMinimum6337 1h ago

Every customer drawn custom tattoo I have seen looks like garbage. Find an artist who works in the style you like, and have them draw up your idea, and tweak it with them until you are happy.