A Guide to Getting Your First Tattoo

Tattoos are going to be a permanent addition to your art collection. You will be wearing it everyday. Make certain that it is something that you truly want. Be sure that the image you decide on is something you will want to live with for eternity. Getting a tattoo on the spur of the moment is not a great idea. Decisions you make in the heat of the moment could give you serious grief down the road.

Tattoos can be extremely expensive if you go with an elaborate custom design. Custom time takes the artist more time to design and more time to apply. If you are ready to make a significant investment in your body art than custom design tattoos are for you. Stock design tattoos are less expensive and take less time for your tattoo artist to design or apply. If you select a stock tattoo design from your tattoo artist you are probably going to get a design he has done many times before. Your artist will be able to move quickly through the design. You may be able to compromise on price and design by selecting a stock design and adding a small change or a new color to make your tattoo unique but still affordable.

Your next step is to decide whether you want color or black with intense shading. Color is going to be more costly because your artist will need to change equipment more often to add the colors. It will also take more time to complete. Color does make your tattoo one of a kind. The variety of colors to choose from will make your tattoo stand out from the crowd. On the other hand black and shaded tattoos can also hold their own. Black and shaded tattoos can be very classic in appearance. A black and shaded tattoo can be very distinct because of the high contrast between natural skin color and the black ink.

Where you are going to put your tattoo on your body is a huge decision that should be given careful consideration. Think about the tattoo and the clothing you wear. Do you want this tattoo to be visible at all times? If the tattoo is visible will how it will affect your work place, your family and other places you visit. It is it appropriate for everyone to see your tattoo or is this one of those tattoos for someone else's eyes only. Where you place your tattoo is completely up to you and your environment. Think about your future plans before you decide on placement.

Some places on your body are just going to be more painful for tattoo application. Areas where the skin is the thinnest is going to be more painful than areas that have more muscle mass or fat build up. Areas that may hurt more include your ankles, head, check and lower back. If you want to go for a less painful application point you might try your arms, legs, shoulders or your rear end.