“ I have a tattoo idea, but how do I find an artist to do it? ”
The process of booking a tattoo, especially your first, can feel overwhelming. It’s hard to find answers and there’s a lot of conflicting information online, so we at HOLM* decided to put together guides for all things tattoos. One of the first steps is finding an artist. But how do you do that?
KNOW THE STYLE YOU WANT
There are many, vastly different styles of tattooing, so make sure you’ve figured out the style you like. You should be asking yourself: do you like darker shading and bold lines, or do you prefer something softer, more abstract? Is colour something you’d like in your tattoos?
Most artists these days will have a style they specialise in. At HOLM*, Joe is our go to for anything dainty and fine-line. Lewis is more conceptual and likes to have a personal connection to his work. Jamie loves working with abstract ideas and collage concepts. Owen likes working with geometric shapes and lines. Sam focuses on realism with a varied range of elements and Liam is our colour guy who works with an illustrative style.
Knowing the style you like is vital in choosing an artist who can do that style and do it well.
LOCATION
Some people are happy to travel across the country, even the world for a specific artist. Others are looking for something more local. Depending on which end of the scale you fall on, your search may be different.
For local artists you can start by looking into all the studios in your area and go through the artists until you find someone who fits your criteria.
Instagram is a great tool for finding artists, both locally and further afield. If you’re searching for a specific style and location isn’t a problem, using hashtags can help you find artists very easily.
Look at the artist’s portfolio
Most artists will have their portfolio and examples of their work posted to their instagram account. Look at their work closely. Do you like how they draw things? Is their linework and shading how you’d like your tattoo to look? Make sure they have visible examples of the style you’re looking for. If you like the way most of their work looks, you’ll like what they do for you. Getting a tattoo is a collaboration, you need an artist you’re happy to release control with in order to get the best tattoo possible.
Word of Mouth
Ask your friends who they’re being tattooed by and where! If you like their tattoos, want a similar style and they had a good experience, chances are you will too when it’s you being tattooed.
If you’re willing to travel, you can also ask your friends what tattoo artists they follow on social media who do the style you’re after.
HYGIENE
Make sure any artist you choose is following all the correct hygiene procedures. If nothing in their set up is wrapped or they’re not resetting in between every client - you probably shouldn’t be getting tattooed by them!
A good way to find out ahead of time, is to check google reviews. These are difficult to get removed, so if the studio/artist aren’t reputable, chances are you’ll see that in their google reviews!
Getting a tattoo can be dangerous if the correct hygiene standards are not being met, it will run the risk of infection and infections can be really serious. No tattoo is worth losing an arm or a leg over!
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