True Tattoo Article

How much does a tattoo cost?

How much a tattoo cost is one of the most frequently asked questions about tattoos. Clients usually ask, how much is it for a Tattoo sleeve? In this article, I would like to cover and help you to better understand the price of the tattoo you are looking for. I’m going to divide this article in 7 sections.

1-Tattoo price factors– Understanding what influences the cost of your tattoo.

2- Tattoo prices by different artists in different cities– Comparing costs in various artists and locations

3- Affordable Tattoo options– Searching for cost effective tattoo options

4-Custom Tattoo design pricing guide– For users wanting custom designs and seeking information on how they are priced.

5– Tattoo pricing for first timers– Tailored for individuals getting their first tattoo and looking for pricing information.

6– Cost comparison Black and grey vs Colour Tattoos– This is for users interested in the cost difference between colour and black and grey tattoos.

7- Hourly rates of tattoo artists– This is for those interested in how artists charge, and hoe you can be aware not get charged too much by a tattoo artist with no much experience.

1-What influence the cost of your tattoo is how experienced your tattoo artist is, and how expensive their investment on their tattoo supplies is. Cheaper tattoo options, usually equals cheap tattoo supplies, and cheaper needles will damage your skin a lot faster than expensive needless. To achieve realism, is important to have best quality needles, as realistic tattoos require different layers added to the skin, so approaching a realism tattoo with cheap needles, is not going to contribute to the soft blend realistic tattoos require. And cheaper needles used are not sterile, they go straight from manufactured to a box, skipping the sterilisation process wich it costs money when made properly by Top quality tattoo needle companies like Kwadron Tattoo Needles. And how experience your tattoo artist is, it will dictate how expensive your tattoo will cost per hour. I have to educate you that, tattoo artists with 5 years or less of experience, will tattoo you in a rush to deliver quantity and take more money from you, however, fast does not mean good, and to be able to deliver a good quality tattoo fast, it requires more than 10 years experience, of constantly drawing outside of tattooing to become a better artist. So if a tattoo artists charge 100 per hour with 5 years or less of experience, basically, you are being over charged. Usually Tattoo Artists who charge 100 per hour, and I believe it is fair, they have been tattooing from 10-20 years.

2- Tattoo prices by different artists like I said, it should be by experience. However, I’m going to educate you, the method some tattoo artists use, to deliver quantity, in as much short time as possible, to make as much money as possible, so they are selling quantity to you, and not quality. For example, if an artist wants to deliver a half sleeve or a full sleeve in one session, specially for realistic black and grey tattoos, their strategy is, they choose a big magnum needle to speed up the process, and they add usually 2 layers to the shading, which is “black” which it will give definition, and dark gey to blend the black, and those 2 layers make the skin pop, and the tattoo stands out, however the tattoo will look like the same tone all the way through, the artist who is trying to give you quantity, will have to approach your whole tattoo with one frame of mind only, which it will make your tattoo crash tone and depth wise, not having different tones, which a realism tattoo requires. Its very rare when a tattoo artist works fast and the quality is really good, one tattoo artist who’s capable of achieving that is Victor Portugal. Different cities will take a particular differ on your tattoo price. City Centre tattoo studios usually charge more than small town tattoo studios, as the rent in the city centre is a lot higher than small towns rent, however, it is easier to reach the city centre studios than small towns tattoo studios.

3– Affordable tattoo options– Searching for cost effective tattoo choices can be risky, as cheaper tattoos usually are approached with cheaper tattoo equipment’s, which it will not contribute to the quality of your tattoo straight way, so if you are looking for cost effective tattoo choices I would recommend choosing a simple tattoo style, which it will require less tattooing time, and a simple tattoo technique appliance to the skin. Tattoo styles that will have cost effective options would be- Sigle line tattoos, small tattoos, 2d tattoos. 2d tattoos are usually achieved a lot faster than 3d tattoos. 2d Tattoos are usually a basic outline and a bit of shading or colour. 2d tattoos are the opposite to realism tattoos. 2d tattoos, are usually achieved with a black line, a black line allows the tattoo to pop out a lot quicker, achieving fast definition to the tattoo, speeding the tattoo process, and achieving end result faster. You have to bear in mind that, the less you spend on your tattoo, the greater your tattoo will be limited, limited in size and detail. If you want a simple tattoo, to save money, its still worth to get it by a tattoo artist who use top tattoo equipment, for your health and hygiene safety, health and hygiene safety comes first, and your health comes first. The best advice on getting a tattoo also, is to think, its better to get something that is going to cost more, where you are going to love the tattoo, and split the tattoo in different sessions cost, go back to the tattooist when you can, to finish the tattoo that you love, instead of being limited by a budget, and get a tattoo that you are not sure about.

4- Custom Tattoo design, pricing guide- Back in the day, every tattoo artist had to draw everything by hand, that’s why 10 years ago, the best tattoo artists were the ones who could draw the best, basically, the best artists were the best tattoo artists. With the rise of Internet and technology, those days are gone, tattoo designs made by hand are so rare nowadays, it does still exists, however, it is not a norm as it used to be. With the rise of internet and technology, artists can skip the drawing process, by mix and matching images of internet in the iPad, and save a lot of time to achieve the tattoo process a lot quicker to make money faster.

So if you decide to go for an artist who works with photoshop, your artist will still need to spend time on your design, however, if you require your artist to draw your tattoo by hand, which it will be customised just for you, it should cost a lot more for a manual drawing, than if your artist works with photoshop. Every artist has their own way of working, Whatever choice you make has pros and cons, so getting tattooed by a tattoo artist who can not draw, who rely heavily on technology to speed up your tattoo process, they will impress you how fast they are at getting your design ready, however, your design will be repetitive when copied from Internet, and if your tattoo artists can not draw, the artist will be limited by the reference, and your tattoo will not have a custom feeling. And as the tattoo artist does not invest free time to draw, and increase their artistic skills, your tattoo will not have body flow, and your tattoo will not flow naturally in your body. Being able to draw, and follow the human body is so important, so when you pay for your design, you will get your money’s worth.

5- Tattoo pricing for first timers- First timers usually are quiet surprized by tattoo prices, as they always compare paying for a tattoo, to shopping to buy everyday accessories. You have to remember that a when getting tattooed, you are marking your body for the rest of your life, and the truth is, if you pay cheap, you will look cheap. When getting tattooed, you are not spending your money, you are investing your money. And  the most important way of getting tattooed is, you pay per visit. A lot of clients ask, how long will the tattoo take, or how much the tattoo will cost. If the tattoo artist gives you an exact price or time on much, or how long the tattoo will take, 2 things are going to happen, or the tattoo will be done quicker than expected, and the customer will have overpaid the tattoo. Or the tattoo will take longer than expected, and the client will have underpaid the tattoo. So as you can see, either way, both the client or the tattoo artist looses with this approach. The most fair way you can approach a tattoo artist, is if you pay per visit, so its fair for both of you, and everyone knows where they stand. You paying for your tattoo, is a way of respecting all the hard work your tattoo artist has made for you, tattooing is very physical, and tattooing for hours and hours, it brakes the tattoo artist back, so tattooing is not easy, so paying for your tattoo, is mote than fair, based on what’s requested physically, mentally and skilfully.

6–  Cost comparison, black and grey vs colour tattoos- The process comparison in black and grey and colour tattooing, is completely different. Colour tattoos definitely takes a lot longer than black and grey tattoos, therefore, colour tattoos will cost more than black and grey tattoos. Good quality colour inks also costs a lot of money for your tattoo artist, so when getting a colour tattoo, you are not only investing in the tattoo artist’s skill, you are also investing in the quality of the ink which will live inside of your body for a lifetime. Cheap tattoo colour inks from China, are cheap, however, they are not sterile, so choosing a cheaper tattoo artist, could cost you being tattooed with no sterile inks, which is not safe at all. So when approaching a quality colour tattoo, be sure to invest in a responsible quality tattoo artist.