Professional Tattooists vs. Non Professional Tattooists

Written By John Motyka, Elite Ink Tattoos

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to receiving beautiful skin illustrations,
Invest in yourself wisely…..

Not all tattooists are created equally!

Very rarely does a person pick up a tattoo machine
and master it in little or no time. Tattooing is a serious business and
as a potential tattooed client you should be concerned about the
level of professionalism your potential tattooist possesses.

Just because a person owns a tattoo machine does not make them
qualified to tattoo you. The tattoo machine does not come with a set
of instructions. In order to excel as a tattooist it takes years of hard work,
determination, and a love and respect for the craft. This means that the level
of work you receive is only as good as the imagination and creativity of your
tattooist. More importantly the skill level of your tattooist certainly determines
whether or not you will end up with a tattoo that you can be absolutely
proud of for years to come.

Picture this if you can. Not all artists make good tattooists and not all
tattooists make good artists. Every tattooist is on a personal growth journey.
Some are further along than others. Some have prepared better than others
and have gone ahead of the pack. While others may be in the middle and
infancy stages of their learning. You as a consumer should take a little more
time to know where your tattooist stands. Its always wiser to take take a
proactive stance and never settle for second best. Take advantage of whats
available to you. There are people in the industry who care about your experience being
the best ever. Dont hesitate to visit several studios that have high satisfaction ratings. Attend
tattoo conventions because you deserve it. By doing this you will find the right person
who can help guide you in the right direction.

To gain a better perspective of this matter lets compare a guitarist to a tattooist.
The guitarist picks up the guitar for the very first time and does not have a clue.
The tattooist does the same and is also clueless. As the guitarist learns notes he is
able to perform the basic maneuvers. The tattooist also learns basic maneuvers
through personal guided training. Last but not least the guitarist spends hours on
end trying to master chords, timing, and songs. The tattooist spends hours
on end trying to master application of artistic line work, and shading.
Being able to weld a tattoo machine is similar to welding a guitar. Some
can play their instrument at the Elite level and perform in bands. While others
attempt to figure it out. Most tattooists who perform at a higher level find work in
professional studios. Those studios follow certain guidelines that the tattooist must
adhere to. Some fall to the wayside because they become easily discouraged.
Not everyone that picks up a guitar is a good guitarist. More importantly not
everyone that picks up a tattoo machine can consider themselves capable of
performing a professional tattoo.

You always get what you pay for. Just because its cheap doesn’t mean its good. Good
work costs good money. That is reason why true professionals cost more. Its all about the
work and not about the price. Do your homework and ask questions. Expect to pay several
hundred for top shelf work. In the long run you should find it absolutely rewarding and consider it
one of the best investments you have ever made.

John Motyka, Elite Ink Tattoos
www.247tattoos.com