Don’t Like Your Artist’s Drawing?

Speak Up

Be sure to always offer your input to your artist, the design will be on your body, not theirs! Small minor adjustments to their design can be made easily ont he day of your appointment. However, making substantial changes to the drawing the day of the appointment could result in rescheduling your tattoo. Communicating ideas for designs can be a challenge, learn to share what you like and what you don’t like. Also make sure that you pick an artist that specialized in the style you are most interested in.

Open Mind & Artist Interpretation

We encourage clients to detach and separate themselves from the inspirational images. It can be exciting preparing for your appointment, referring back to the reference images in excitement. But it is important to remember that your artist will also have a different interpretation of the tattoo. They will draw from their own stylistic signature, as well as traditional rules of tattooing, some which the general public do not have a grasp. With that being said, it is important to be familiar with the styles of art that your tattoo artist historically creates. Some artists are comfortable tattooing out of their style, some are not, and as creators we will inherently create in our own unique style.

Your deposit represents, “I trust you to bring a piece of art to life that meets what I am looking for.” If the trust isn’t there, the relationship will never work. This is especially important between new client/artist relationships because each is learning the eccentricities of the other.

Understanding Constructive Revisions

Tattoo artists (myself included) need to understand that a critique on our art is not, while it may feel like it, a personal attack. There is a way for you as a client to present constructive revisions to a design, but also understand where we as artist are coming from. We are also drawing from years of tradition and experience which may not be immediately understood by you as a client. Also, tattoo artist can refuse to create art they are uncomfortable with making. They may also have legit reasons for changing the design. Sometimes it may beyond just aesthetic purposes, but rather for compositional integrity.

It is important to understand that clear communication, compassion, and understanding is important when developing a relationship with your artist!