How to Tell a Rookie Artist vs. an Experienced One

There are many tattoo artists in the market today and since they all claim to offer the best, how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one is one puzzle you must solve.

You have waited a long time to get a tattoo. Being your first tattoo, you certainly want it to look the best. The only way that you can achieve a defined tattoo is to find a talented tattoo artist. How to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one is paramount if you want to get good value for your money. With most tattoo shops both online and offline advertising about how they offer the best services, it can be difficult and pretty time consuming to find the best artist. However, do not just walk in to a tattoo studio blindly.

For you to know how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one, here is what you should do:

Research

You need to do some research about the tattoo artists in town. You definitely do not want a novice artist to operate on you. Remember, you are paying and protecting your health should be a top priority. Thus, you must ensure that you go to the best. At times, it is just best to pay more and be assured of a great service rather than pay less and get a service that is not worth its value in money.

Search Online

Dedicate enough time to look for the best tattoo studio. Today, the best way to get some info on the tattoo artists operating in your neighborhood is through the internet. Google and YELP can be very helpful as they can give you varying insights about different studios. Knowing how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one is very easy when using these platforms. Simply go to the review section and you will see what previous tattoo clients have to say about a particular tattoo artist. Nowadays most tattoo shops have taken to social media to market their business. You can use the social networks to gauge 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. Thus, many people wearing tattoos will be glad to tell you where they got theirs. Even on the streets, just stop a person wearing an outstanding tattoo and ask him/her who tattooed them. That way, you will get a tattoo artist who will give 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 rookie artist vs. an experienced one. The portfolio carries all the work that a particular tattoo artist has done in the past. It speaks volumes about the artist and the designs that they offer. What exactly should you look for in a portfolio?

Condition of the book

The portfolio of an experienced tattoo artist should be well kept and clean. The photos must also be of good quality. If they are unkempt and blurred, it will be challenging to assess the quality of the printed tattoos. The bottom line is that a tattoo artist who cares about their work should strive to present their work to clients in the best way possible. The book should enable you to answer the question of how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.

Do the designs appeal to you?

You are the only one who can answer this question. It is obvious that what might appear awesome to you might be disturbing and unappealing to another client. Assess also how the designs sit on the body – are they symmetrical or do they look out of balance? If the designs are not placed skillfully, the artist may be a rookie who just started tattooing or someone who is trying to make a living without any passion for their work. The placement of the designs should assist you in how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.

Are the lines in the tattoo designs even?

A good tattoo artist is able to even out the lines in a certain design. For instance, if a line starts thin but then thickens or gets blurry, after which it becomes thin again, it should tell you that the artist is a novice. While there are certain designs which require both thick and thin lines, where lines are supposed to be even, ensure that they are. You should also consider whether the lines are curved or overlapping. Also observe the freshly done tattoos. It is natural for the skin around the tattoo to look red. This is another strategy of how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one

The color of the tattoo

When you are looking at the color of a tattoo design, there are things you should watch out for. Does the color sit on the lines? Check whether the areas that have one color are evenly shaded. If a black color is used, ensure that there are no patchy areas. An experienced tattoo artist is also able to create a smooth transition from one shade of color to the next. For those tattoos that do not have color portraits, see if the edges are well manicured to achieve a soft finish. For you to 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.

Styles of shading

If you are looking for grey and black shading, it is important that you understand about the techniques that tattoo artists use. To start with, there is whip shading. This is usually used in traditional styles of tattooing. It is very distinct and you are likely to see even the finest details inscribed by the machine. On the other hand, the common black shading is softer and smudged, almost resembling a pencil drawing. Just like with color, the transition from one shading to another should be even. Note that the redness often expressed by new tattoos will go away once they are healed. With this information, you can know how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.

Once you are done scrutinizing the portfolio, the next thing to do in order to know how to tell a rookie vs. an experienced one is to assess their viability to meet your needs.

If you are looking for an artist to drill a tattoo right on your skin, be sure to find one who has experience with operating on people. Where a portfolio lacks even a single human form, you should deviate from hiring such as an artist. You need someone who will give you high quality service and ensure your safety at the same time. This is one of the ways how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.
When you do not get the design you are looking for in a portfolio, it does not necessarily mean that the artist cannot 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 with how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.
If an artist claims to produce the best portraits but they have not yet posted them in their portfolios, you should keep looking. Most artists post the original photos together with the copies. Insist on seeing the original copy of the person fixed near the tattooed image.
Cheap can be expensive – getting a magnificent tattoo will cost you more. Most experienced tattoo artists charge more than the beginners. As much as you want to save a few pennies, you should avoid hiring a newbie artist. Therefore, one may be justified to say that the charges of a particular tattoo artist can help you in your quest for how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one. However, the fact that a particular tattoo artist charges exorbitantly does not necessarily translate to high quality services. Compare prices of artists with the best portfolios to get the highest quality for the best deal.
How many clients have they had before? In some cases, some artists may design portfolios that give false information. Some may have copied the images from experienced tattoo artists, or even downloaded them from the internet. Before you swallow the information as gospel truth, inquire about them or call a few of the customers they have served. The more clients they have operated on the better. This is an assuring way of how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.
Are they focused on detail? For you to get a tattoo that you can comfortably flaunt to your friends, it must be well pronounced. The only way to get a finely manicured tattoo is having the best person on the job. One way for how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one is to assess their focus on detail. An artist who is keen to details 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 from the many artists in the market, scrutinize their portfolios fully. This will help you with how to tell a rookie artist vs. an experienced one.