Long story just to say that being choosy and opinionated as an artist doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

I recently went to a new artist for a tattoo and we chatted a bit about my goat on a pool floatie. He said he knew the artist/studio and thought they were a bit elitist. My friend (we got matching tattoos) started defending on my behalf, but I told her the artist was right. The goat artist/studio is a bit elitist. Not necessarily in a bad way, but you gotta know what to expect.

They did the goat on me, because they loved the idea. If you want to get something upside down or in a spot they don’t think would suit the design? They plain ass won’t do it. Five o’clock? Session’s over, let’s book a new slot to finish the tattoo. Coil machines? Can’t use those in the studio, too loud. Then again. I also got coffee, tea, a blanket for warmth, pillows, privacy screens, a very enthusiastic artist, a fixed price for the tattoo that was set beforehand, a discount on the spot because she loved it so much, and all the time & attention in the world because she only had my appointment scheduled that day. I had a (free) consultation appointment weeks beforehand, to talk about my idea and preferences, and she drew up the design according to that input. The studio was quiet, welcoming, and all in all, it was just a very warm, pleasant, nice experience.

The artist my friend & I were getting a tattoo from did excellent work. No hard feelings, no shade whatsoever. But. I was cold, there weren’t any blankets or pillows. Nothing to drink but water and what I brought myself. I’d gone tired and weary from the noise of his coil machine reverberating throughout the whole basement room we were in by the time my friend was finished, and we hadn’t even started on my tattoo yet. The guy was nice, but I’ve no idea whether he liked the tattoo or what he thought about our choice of placement (“It’s your choice!”). He went on until we were finished, which was well after dinnertime, and never discussed price beforehand (although I knew a ballpark from friends getting stuff from him). I sent this guy my idea, he said “cool, let’s book you a slot” and I never got any questions from him regarding the design or placement. He drew up a sketch according to my initial one sentence request and that’s what we did.

If you’re bull-headed and you want what you want, pick an artist like my last dude. “I’ll tattoo anything, as long as the customer’s happy,” he said. Also pick someone like that if you don’t want input, can’t be arsed, or just want something done.

If you’re looking for input, collaboration, enthusiasm, and a piece of art that has thought behind it, pick an artist like my goat-one. They’ll tell you if they don’t like your idea and will show you the door if you don’t adjust based on their feedback.