So you’ve finally found the perfect design for a tattoo, all that’s left is finding an artist to execute your vision. It can be overwhelming looking for a tattoo artist, especially in a big city like Toronto. There are tattoo shops everywhere, hell, you know a guy who can tattoo you in his basement. Picking someone to put a permanent piece of art on your body shouldn’t be blind choice, making an informed decision is extremely important.
DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Instagram is a great place to find new artists! For example, Bamboo Tattoo features all of our artists on Instagram. You can find links to each individual artists portfolio. By looking up shops nearby you can quickly sort through amazing artists. Amount of followers doesn’t indicate the talent of an artist! Focus on the little things, like straight lines in tattoos and fully saturated colour.
KNOW WHAT STYLE OF TATTOO YOU WANT
Something as simple as flowers can be done in many different styles. Traditional flowers vs blackwork flowers can look extremely different. Traditional tattoos are known for bold lines, bright colours and incorporating iconic imagery such as roses and anchors. New school tattoos are cartoony and have exaggerated proportions. Look into what style of tattoo you like best!
FIND AN ARTIST THAT SPECIALIZES IN THE TATTOO STYLE YOU WANT!
Each artist specializes in a different style of tattoo. A tattoo artist that specializes in realism and mostly works on full sleeves isn’t going to be the best choice for small script, you want a tattoo artist that specializes in script and fine lines. An artist that only has black and grey work in their portfolio isn’t the best choice for a colour tattoo, you want an artist that works frequently with colour, it’s a very different way to tattoo! An artist that loves what they’re tattooing is going to provide the best tattoo for you.
ASK!
Don’t be afraid to go into a tattoo shop with ideas. You’ll be advised on your design and will be given artist suggestions. People who work in tattoo shops are trained to point you in the right direction. If you know someone with a tattoo in the style you want, don’t be afraid to ask them who their artist is.
The most important thing to remember: