You definitely need to find out what you're getting yourself into before you get a tattoo. Some of the most important things to do beforehand are learn about the artist you're looking at using, learn about the area you want to get tattooed (what kind of pain you're looking at), and look more into the tattoo you want to get (alternative meanings). Knauer recommends, "When a new client comes into the shop and they're asking about getting work done or saying they want to get work done, we usually say look through all of the portfolios and pick which artist would best fit what you want to get. So we take it that route. It makes a lot of sense for us." This is because tattoo artists specialize is certain types of tattoos like realism, surrealism, black and gray, color, and more.
I'm not going to lie to you. I know from experience that sitting hours while getting tattooed is not always the easiest thing. Tattoo artists understand that, but that doesn't make it okay to show every emotion and say every single thing you're thinking while you're there. If you've done your research, you should be able to trust your artist. Busher explained, "I couldn't even tell you how many times someone that was getting the tattoo, that was able to see it be done, would sit there and say 'You missed a spot' or 'You still need to do this.' 'What about this?' I'm just not done yet, that's what's happening. Pick at it when I say I'm done, and then we can figure out what you want to do. Just have faith, but make sure you do your homework on your artist. It's a thing. If you love your artist's work, then you know what to expect and they'll definitely make sure you get what you want."
