It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find the right artist. I deliberately used the word “master,” because it’s not enough to simply create a design, whatever it may be — you have to put a piece of your soul into it. Let’s search for the Holy Grail together: how do you choose the right tattoo artist for yourself?
It’s no longer enough to just look at who works for how much…
A beginner, with perhaps only a handful of completed designs, now charges almost as much as a veteran who’s been in the field for decades. I’ve spoken with young talents who ask how much to charge their friend for a fun practice tattoo over the weekend. Back in the day, when tattoos weren’t so trendy, we were happy just to find a willing friend who would let us practice on them, even if the result wasn’t perfect. Money wasn’t even a consideration. We sacrificed our time and equipment to practice and gain small bits of knowledge. Today, many people seem to only see the easy money — trying to earn as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Perhaps the demand for lasting, usable, genuine skill has faded from fashion.
Unfortunately, even the fact that a tattoo artist has been working for decades doesn’t guarantee a perfect final result. You can come across young artists who surpass the old masters in just a few years, and you can also know others who haven’t developed at all over the past 20 years. If someone enters the profession with the proper background, they can master the fundamentals of quality tattooing in a very short time. However, if someone becomes complacent and starts to believe they’ve already proven themselves, they can get stuck at that level — unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of this as well.
Don’t choose based on distance
Many people only look at which studio is closest to where they live. If you’re lucky, you’ll find the right person there — but if not, don’t hesitate to travel those extra few kilometers to reach the door of the right studio.
If you walk into a studio and it’s dirty, smoky, or unkempt, turn around immediately. Masterpieces very rarely come out of places like that.
Take your time when choosing the right tattoo artist
More and more people are uploading designs created by others and trying to pass them off as their own. Many spend big money on advertising and promote skills they don’t actually have. Watch out for the growing number of people giving away free tattoos or chasing likes — it can be a red flag. Just because someone is well-known doesn’t guarantee they’ll be the right artist for you.
There are countless styles
Basically, we can talk about color tattoos or black-and-gray tattoos. Within these, a design can be oldchool, newshool, tribal, realistic, oriental, geometric, dotwork, lettering and any combination of these. It’s a good idea to research which style your envisioned design belongs to, so you can more easily find the artist who can execute it most professionally. You can find excellent Hungarian artists in almost every style — just take the time to do your homework; trust me, it pays off.
Don’t assume that every tattoo artist can do everything
Many people think that a tattoo is just a tattoo and that every artist performs equally well in all styles. Unfortunately, this isn’t entirely true. If someone truly immerses themselves in a particular style, they can master all its nuances over the years, but other styles might feel completely foreign to them. Someone might be able to create the perfect portrait on your skin, yet struggle with drawing a simple 10-centimeter line. If they advise you to go to another artist for a specific design, it’s usually not because they’re arrogant or unwilling to do your tattoo — it’s about ensuring the best result for you. A self-respecting master is aware of their own limits and won’t take on a design they can’t execute flawlessly. In such cases, you might think they’re arrogant or conceited, but they simply don’t want to disappoint you or themselves — they are fully aware of their own abilities.
Here is the Holy Grail
Don’t cling rigidly to your original idea. Once you’ve found the right artist, trust them completely. Believe me, they have far more experience than you. They know what can be done and what is simply impossible to execute.
If you want a relatively simple design, almost any tattoo artist can execute it at a high level. If you can’t decide between them, request a personal meeting — in many cases, this can help you decide who you’ll be able to work with. Because this is a collaborative process — you’re not just the canvas, you need to help the tattoo artist. If something doesn’t feel right or you’re unsure, speak up, as it’s still easy to adjust the design during the preparation stage. However, once the tattoo is on your skin, making any changes becomes much more difficult.
If you’ve managed to find the perfect artist for you, give them as much creative freedom as possible, and let their imagination soar. They’ll bring out the best in themselves, and if you patiently embrace the challenges ahead and take aftercare seriously, the final result will be as good as — if not better than — what you imagined.