There are usually two reactions you can have to seeing someone with a lot of tattoos on their body:
“Wow! That looks so cool! I really wish I could do something like that.”
“Wow! That looks so cool…and, dang, that must have cost so much money!”
It’s the latter reaction that brings to mind the notion of tattoo prices and the world of body art. Anytime you bring up the idea of some kind of monetary exchange for something considered ‘art,’ there’s going to be some tension. For some, tattoos are the height of body art, using the ultimate medium (the human body) and turning it into something altogether different, better, unique. For others, tattoos are just permanent drawings on skin that are nowhere near the height of art and nothing to be held up with the likes of artistic expression movements through history.
When it comes to pricing art, in this case, tattoos, feathers can certainly get ruffled. Walk into most tattoo studios, and it’s likely that you won’t find prices anywhere. Maybe you’ll find an occasional promo deal with some little ‘meh’ tattoo thing BFFs or young sweethearts might do on a whim to get folks in the door. But serious tattoo studios and artists aren’t much for just slinging ink. They want to do something good and get their name out there, and they want a reputation for quality.
Unfortunately, consumers tend to make the world go round, and this makes tattooing tough to do with an artistic mind and spirit. Even if it’s not the work an artist wants to do, drawing a cartoon bird on a sorority girl’s shoulder blade with a chanting group of jackasses nearby helps pay the bills. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Customers can do a lot to help keep the artistic aspect of tattooing alive by doing more than just asking about tattoo prices from the get-go. This isn’t to say that how much you may pay isn’t important; it’s just that there are other much more important questions to be answered that you should be asking.
For example:
Can you break down the cleaning process? Unless you’ve been living under a very large rock for the past two years or so, the world has been grappling with a health crisis that it just can’t break free from. On top of the amazing scientific work that’s being done to help get us past this mess, one thing that’s been stressed is keeping things clean. This includes washing hands, and as tattoo studios have been allowed to open again, doubling down on how much they’ve had to really clean every square inch of their space.
Which areas of speciality do certain artists have? While tattoo artists can do just about all kinds of designs quite well, there are certain things they do better than others. It’s not a point of shame or derision – it’s about knowing what you rock the best. If you have a clear idea of what you want tattooed, find the artist who does it the best, not just someone who can do a pretty solid job. There’s a distinct difference between the two.
How do you work around clients with certain allergies? Believe it or not, some folks have allergies to certain ingredients in tattoo ink. Others are strict vegans and are adamant about sticking to vegan products, which include vegan ink. Tattoo artists are like other artistic individuals in that they can get fairly married to their habits and materials. The progressive artists, however, understand that they need to adapt to a changing world and changing dynamics in their customer base in order to meet greater needs AND attract more customers.
What’s the quoting process like? Leaning closer to the tattoo prices idea now, we come to the quoting process. Getting a quote for a tattoo in the past wasn’t the easiest. It usually consisted of the artist telling you:
“Well, I can do this for this much or this for this much. If you want something else, tell me now ‘cuz it may not happen.”
Nowadays, modern tattoo studios take the time to interact with prospective customers so as to find out what they want including the size, color, placement, and complexity of the design.
As a final point about tattoo prices, keep in mind that if you’re only thinking about how much you DON’T want to spend or how much you’re hoping to save, it may mean that you’re just not ready for the tattoo you want.
by SARA LYON