There are many tattoo artists on the market today and since they all claim to offer the best, how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one is a riddle that you must solve.
You have waited a long time to get a tattoo. Being your first tattoo, you certainly want it to look its best. The only way to achieve a defined tattoo is to find a talented tattoo artist. How to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one is paramount if you want to get good value for your money. With most tattoo shops advertising both online and offline on how they offer the best services, it can be difficult and time consuming to find the best artist. However, don’t walk into a tattoo studio blindly.
So you know how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one, this is what to do:
Investigate
You need to do a little research on the tattoo artists in town. You definitely don’t want a novice artist to operate on you. Remember, you are paying and protecting your health should be a priority. Therefore, you must make sure that you go for the best. Sometimes it is better to pay more and be assured of a great service rather than pay less and get a service that is not worth its money value.
Search online
Spend enough time searching for the best tattoo studio. Today, the best way to find out about tattoo artists operating in your neighborhood is through the Internet. Google and YELP can be very helpful as they can provide you with a variety of information about different studies. Knowing how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one is very easy when using these platforms. Just go to the review section and you will see what past tattoo clients have to say about a particular tattoo artist. Today, most tattoo shops have turned to social media to market their business. You can use social media to measure the experience of various artists.
Another way that you can find an experienced artist to do your tattoos is through referrals. A tattoo is something that you wear with pride. Therefore, many people who wear tattoos will be happy to tell you where they got them. Even on the streets, just stop a person who has a rare tattoo and ask who got it. That way, you will get a tattoo artist who will make you a high quality tattoo.
Lastly, evaluate the portfolios of various artists. This is one of the most recommended ways of how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one. The portfolio contains all the work that a particular tattoo artist has done in the past. He talks a lot about the artist and the designs they offer. What exactly should you look for in a portfolio?
- Condition of the book
The portfolio of an experienced tattoo artist should be neat and clean. The photos must also be of good quality. If they are sloppy and blurry, it will be difficult to assess the quality of the printed tattoos. The bottom line is that a tattoo artist who cares about his work must live to present his work to clients in the best possible light. The book should allow you to answer the question of how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- Are you attracted to designs?
You are the only one who can answer this question. Obviously, what might seem amazing to you could be disturbing and unattractive to another customer. Also assess how the designs sit on the body: are they symmetrical or do they appear unbalanced? If the designs are not skillfully placed, the artist may be a newbie who has just started tattooing or someone who is trying to make a living without any passion for their work. The placement of the designs should help you distinguish between a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- Are the lines in tattoo designs uniform?
A good tattoo artist can match the lines in a certain design. For example, if a line starts out thin but then thickens or becomes blurry, after which it becomes thin again, it should tell you that the artist is a newbie. While there are certain designs that require both thick and thin lines, where the lines are supposed to be uniform, make sure they are. You should also consider whether the lines are curved or overlapping. Also take a look at the freshly done tattoos. It is natural for the skin around the tattoo to appear red. This is another strategy of how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- The color of the tattoo
When looking at the color of a tattoo design, there are things to keep in mind. Does the color sit on the lines? Check if the areas that have a color are shaded evenly. If a black color is used, make sure there are no uneven areas. An experienced tattoo artist can also create a smooth transition from one color shade to the next. For those tattoos that don’t have color portraits, see if the edges are well groomed for a smooth finish. So you know how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one, it will depend on the way they play with color in their tattoo designs.
- Shading styles
If you are looking for gray and black shading, it is important that you understand the techniques that tattoo artists use. For starters, there is whip shading. This is generally used in traditional tattoo styles. It is very different and you are likely to see even the finest details inscribed by the machine. On the other hand, common black shading is softer and blotchy, almost resembling a pencil drawing. As with color, the transition from one shade to another should be smooth. Keep in mind that the redness that new tattoos usually express will disappear once they have healed. With this information, you can know how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
Once you’ve finished browsing through the portfolio, the next thing to do to figure out how to tell the difference between a newbie vs. an experienced one is evaluating its feasibility to meet your needs.
- If you are looking for an artist to tattoo your skin, be sure to find one who has a background in human operations. When a portfolio lacks a single human form, it must deviate from hiring an artist. You need someone to provide you with high quality service and ensure your safety at the same time. This is one of the ways to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- When you don’t get the design you’re looking for in a portfolio, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the artist can’t do a great job. Most artists post images of tattoo designs that they have not tried on any client in the past, just to show you that they have the skills to execute a particular design. This helps you a lot to distinguish between a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- If an artist claims to produce the best portraits but has not yet posted them to their portfolios, they should keep looking. Most of the artists publish the original photos along with the copies. Insist on seeing the original copy of the person pinned near the tattooed image.
- Cheap can be expensive – getting a gorgeous tattoo will cost you more. More experienced tattoo artists charge more than beginners. As much as you want to save a few pennies, you should avoid hiring a novice artist. Thus, one may be justified in saying that the charges of a particular tattoo artist can help you in your quest for how to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one. However, the fact that a particular tattoo artist charges exorbitantly does not necessarily translate into high-quality services. Compare prices of artists with the best portfolios to get the best quality for the best deal.
- How many clients have they had before? In some cases, some artists may design portfolios that provide false information. Some may have copied the images of experienced tattoo artists or even downloaded them from the internet. Before you swallow the information as gospel truth, ask about them or call some of the clients they have served. The more clients that have traded, the better. This is a surefire way to tell a novice artist vs. an experienced one.
- Are they focused on the details? In order for you to get a tattoo that you can comfortably show off to your friends, it must be well pronounced. The only way to get a neat tattoo is to have the best person at work. One way how to tell a newbie artist vs. one with experience must evaluate their focus on details. An artist interested in detail is able to produce sharp images, which will look fresh for a long time.
Only an experienced tattoo artist can help you achieve an outstanding tattoo design. To get the best of the many artists on the market, scrutinize their portfolios thoroughly. This will help you know how to tell the difference between a novice artist vs. an experienced one.