Finding an Artist Pt. 1

I often see people struggle finding a good tattoo artist for their project. Sometimes they just go with the tattooer who did their buddy’s tattoo rather than look around at other local studios or artists as a show of loyalty to their friend (or maybe it’s just lazy). Either way, it seems as though a lot of regular people - that is to say non-collectors - don’t quite know what to look for when searching for a tattoo artist! I don’t blame them, really. Unless you’re in the industry or have someone close to you who is, there isn’t much information out there about how to properly parse through an artist’s portfolio and discern whether or not they are the best fit for your particular project. In fact, some times people are just plain ignorant as to the difference between a good and a bad tattoo.

Hopefully I can help with that. I’ve been thinking about this topic for a long time and I think I can shed some light and offer some advice to those looking for their next tattoo! What to look for, what to avoid; how to find the best fit for your project!

For the new collector I think it’s much easier to provide advice on what to avoid rather than the subtleties and theory behind art theory, principals and technical application. Some tattoo application is much more obvious than others and is easy to avoid, but others not so much. For the first part of this series, lets just focus on what to stay away from if you can help it.

Desaturated Photos/Portfolio

Image desaturation often hides the actual skill of an artist. I know it sounds crazy, but a black and white photo of a tattoo will only show the values of the piece. Often times, the red irritated skin makes the shading of a piece seem much smoother and cleaner than it actually is. Granted, some artists like to desaturate their entire feed in order to make them stand out. For the most part, I would recommend avoiding these artists. If they have few or no coloured photos in their portfolio, it's likely they are trying to hide blotchy/patchy shading on their tattoos.

Bonus points if the artist is also increasing their contrast. This is evident by the value range between the lightest and darkest tones with a lack of mid tones. This filtering makes the artist’s blacks seem even more dark and their whites even more white! It flattens out any blemishes that may still be visible from the desaturation and makes the shading appear more smooth.

Desaturation does a lot of heavy lifting for artists who are either lacking in their technical ability or who are trying to “hide” their progression as they learn. This doesn’t mean all tattoo artists who desaturate their photos are trying to hide something, but its certainly a big one to look out for.

Obvious Technical Flaws

This one might seem like a no-brainer but sometimes it’s harder to figure out exactly what to look for when looking at technical ability. The first and foremost should be extremely obvious; does the tattoo displayed actually resemble the thing it’s supposed to? Everyone can tell if proportions are off or if the shading is blotchy (unless it’s hidden by the trick mentioned previously). However, there are a few things you can look for that will give you a better idea as to the artists technical ability.

First off, look at the lines of the pieces featured in the artists’s portfolio. Are they solid? Are they consistent? Or are they blotchy, wiggly or faded in some parts?

This is especially important to look out for if the tattoo you’re planning on getting requires extensive linework.

The same is true for shading. Is the shading a nice and smooth gradient from dark to light? If the shading looks more like different greys - or colours - stacked on top of each other then that artist may not be the one for you if your idea involves a considerable amount of shading.

When considering an artist take a look through their portfolio and pick a couple of pieces to analyze. Check the lines and make sure they are solid, consistent, and straight/smooth. Check the shading and make sure it’s smooth and not choppy or stacked. If it’s a colour piece you are looking to have done then make sure their colour is also solid and not blotchy with red, irritated skin patches or blank skin blotches throughout.