You’ll always get someone that replies with, “How long is a piece of string!”
Nowadays, a tattoo is more than just a tattoo; it’s a piece of art, and it’s up to you whether you choose to make that an investment or not.
The Problem with Price Shopping
So many people end up with mediocre sleeves they are not completely happy with because they insist on focusing on one question: “How much?”
Personal experience has taught us that price-shopping for tattoos usually leaves you sitting in a sub-standard tattooist’s chair, receiving a sub-standard tattoo. Then what do you have? A sleeve that you’re unhappy with.
So what do you do? Live with it for a while? Get it lasered off? Let’s face it, the options here aren’t great! Most people, after a few years of seeing other people having great artwork, will find themselves another artist. They will then ask them to try and salvage the bad decision they made all those years ago. Assuming they have learnt from their mistake, they will have done their research, not based their decision on “How much?”, and found themselves a competent artist. Problem solved, right?
Not quite. Now the tattooist is in trouble. Instead of a blank canvas to allow the artist to excel and create, they are up against the workings of another. Even with the best will and expertise in the world, cover-ups and reworks never turn out the same quality as a tattoo that starts with blank skin. Success is determined by whether or not the tattoo looks better than it did before, not by the completion of original intent.
How to Get a Quality Tattoo (And the Best Answer to Your Question)
Follow these rules to get the best answer to your pricing question AND a quality tattoo:
- Decide what you want your sleeve to look like: Think about the style (traditional, colour, black and grey, realism), think about the theme, and think about the subject matter.
- Spend hours looking at portfolios: We mean hours scouring the internet and social media sites looking at hundreds of tattooists' work. Be grateful that you live in the internet age and don’t have to go from shop to shop looking at physical portfolios!
- Pick your tattooist: Don’t look purely at the location. If you want it badly enough, you will travel for it.
- Contact your artist and arrange a consultation: This is a big piece; this is an important piece. Any artist with any worth or sense of decency will understand that and will allow you some time to chat about what it is you want.
- Have an honest conversation about budget: During your consultation, you have the opportunity to ask that question, but most artists prefer the more delicate, “What is your hourly or day rate?” followed by, “About how many sessions do you think this will take, and how many hours will we be working per session?”. If this is more than you were hoping, mention it to the artist and discuss any other options. Be honest and upfront. Artists aren’t there to rob you; they just want what their work is worth. Some will adjust their design to fit a budget, especially if you are having a large piece done. Others, however, maintain their rates no matter what. Every artist is different.
- Do your homework before you purchase.
Please Remember...
You have your entire life to wear this tattoo, and you shouldn’t sell yourself short. Make sure that every time you look at it, you’re satisfied.
Tattoos are the only thing you take with you for the rest of your life, everywhere you go, until you die. It amazes us what some people will spend on shoes, holidays, or even a night out on the town, and then bargain-shop for a tattoo!
We have quite a few full sleeve tattoo pictures completed by our artists right here on this website! Or check out our Facebook and Instagram for loads of daily pictures and updates.