Getting a tattoo is an exciting experience – especially if its the first one! You want to be smart about it though, and not make the same mistakes a lot of people make when getting their first work done. Let’s take a look at some guidelines to follow when picking out a tattoo and choosing a tattoo artist.

1. Avoid flash artwork – get something original. The work that’s up on the walls of shops is usually all standardized flash artwork, meaning it’s sold to shops all over the world, and many people all have access to the same designs. This means that you are not the only one out there with that tattoo -far from it, actually, as most people get flash, especially if its there first tattoo. Flash art keeps the tattoo shops in business, but most artists are more than happy to work with you and design something original, either by viewing art you’ve shown them as an example or carefully articulating what you desire in a tattoo. This relates to our next point on the artist himself or herself.

2. Working with a good artist. This is essential. Look around and see whose art stands out to you. Most all shops have web sites now and many times they highlight the portfolio of their tattoo artists. See if you can find someone whose work draws you in and then go from there. Most artists are happy to create custom work for you.

3. Be careful choosing words and symbols. Words and symbols aren’t inherently bad for tattoos, it’s just that they are entirely specific to ones interests and life at the time. It’s possible in the future these tattoos may not be enjoyed as much as a more abstract piece of artwork whose meaning can somewhat shift as a person changes. This point mainly applies to getting peoples names on your body.

4. Be prepared for the pain but don’t worry too much. Think about how many people around you have tattoos – everyone of them dealt with the pain and made it out alive. The truth is you will too. Many tattoo artists describe the sensation as aggravating a bad sunburn. This doesn’t sound particularly nice, but you can do it. If not, there are numbing lotions increasingly available for the squeamish – ask your shop if they carry any and if they can work for you.

Finding a good artist and getting an original meaningful design makes for the best tattoos. Don’t get impatient and just get anything – this is your body, this is your first tattoo: make it count!

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