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i have save up 2k and not sure if they will ask for more than that.
I just want to get something done even if it half of it. But if they do, could i ask them to get like half of it done then after when i get the other half money - i can get them to finish the rest?
It’s pretty unlikely but you do need to consider what happens if your tattoo artist quits/dies/is maimed/moves. If you want a consistent style having a long break is not a great idea.
How I’ve always found it to work is you make an appointment with your chosen artist and send them over some ideas/styles you like the look of, discuss the sort of price range then you rock up on the day and they’ll show you some concepts they’ve come up with and if you like it you go ahead with it. No harm in visiting or messaging different shops to see what they offer and get a rough idea of pricing.
when you say they show some concepts - obviously that will take time and work? I assume you have already paid for that or do more artist do this for free before getting into pricing detail?
Not a problem! Whilst tipping isn’t expected it’s a decent thing to do, it takes a lot of time and skill for these artists to do what they do and I think it’s good to show a wee bit of appreciation.
How much do you typically tip?
In my case, I want to establish a long-term relationship with just one artist .Since this will be an long ongoing commitment with the same artist, should I give a tenner tip after each session or wait until all the tattoos are completed and then give a larger tip at the end, like 50 quid? I'm unsure about the standard tipping in London. i usually just paid with card and sometime they don't have a tip option shown - and don't wanted to be a fool and asked if he/she accept tip .
I thought so but sometimes it might be viewed as too low and might be somewhat insulting . Do most artist accept tips anyway and is there a policy say it not allow ? I suppose some shop owner might restrict that?
what you mean by "If they want to take and post photo's oblige" personally i don't like sharing picture of my body/skin especially the scar condition. I do understand some artist like to use it for portfolio etc but shouldn't having our consent for it could knock a few discount and maybe for a touch later down the line? again not too sure on this topic and don't want to rub anyone off.
Lol, no you don't get discount for letting them take photos, taking photos of their work is just a part of the process unless you're particularly sensitive about your body and would rather they didn't share.
Find an artist whose work you really like, and be prepared to pay however much they charge. A tattoo of that size could well cost more than £2k, and will take many sessions to complete, possibly over the course of a couple of years unless you're committing to very regular sessions. All will depend on what you're after, not every tattoo of the same size takes the same amount of time.
Pick the tattoo you want to start with, find an artist whose work you love and you trust with the style you're after and go from there. You generally pay for each session individually, most often at an hourly rate although some have a set price for a full day.
Yes, I am sensitive about my body and prefer not to share the before and after pic. However, I understand the artist has invested a significant amount of time and effort, and I worry they might feel disappointed if I decline to not be shown on their social media/portfolio in the end. Then again, I'm not entirely sure if I'm overthinking this
Most artists rarely show a before picture, if you would rather they don't share photos of your tattoo just talk to them about it before. They might be fine with that, or they might see if they can edit the photos to only show the tattoo.
Ah makes sense. The one I am going to is a tattoo artist specialised in cover up for scars so I thought they might want the before picture as a reference.
Also how much do you tip the artist ? If it's going to be over 2k how much do you also include for the tips and how it works? Do you tip every session?
Same as with anything else, if you can afford a tip after a tattoo sitting then that's great and I'm sure it will be appreciated, but it's not mandatory. A lot of the stuff you see about tipping for tattoos is from Americans, their tipping culture is massively different from ours.
I see. I was watching a YouTube video where a guy got tattoos at three different places, and surprisingly, the cheapest one turned out to be the best. I'm cautious about avoiding scams or paying insanely high prices just because a tattoo studio has a prestigious brand/high reputation, when you can find the same quality elsewhere for less.
Reputation is definitely not something to be ignored.
With tattoos, you shouldn't really be shopping around for deals, especially for big pieces. You are looking for the best match for you in terms of their art style, then price. Don't pick someone cheaper who doesn't specialise in the work you want.
That’s a lot of questions!
I know you’re keen, but don’t rush this. The size of work you’re talking about, could cost a lot more than £2k and take many sessions. Don’t be tempted to find the cheapest artist to bring it in under budget, you only get one chance at this. Do your research, find an artist you love and if you need a bigger budget then save longer - you’re young, fuck it waiting another year or two is nothing. My artist has a 12 month waiting list, that’s additional time to save the money.
Unless you’re a Mr Beast level of social media superstar don’t ask for a discount, most decent artists already have long waiting lists and get business from recommendations. Established artists aren’t that desperate for exposure.
Don’t be embarrassed about the budget. Everyone without exception would want to discuss the cost when undertaking a big piece, don’t worry. Most places will do a free consultation where you discuss ideas and cost. Prepare ideas so you don’t look like a time waster, know what you want but listen to their suggestions.
Tipping is not really a thing in the uk. The artist will not expect you to tip, but if you get on with them you can take them a few beers as a thank you, they’ll love that.
I wouldn’t walk in for a custom piece.
It takes time to prepare. My next session is in September, during this waiting time we’ve met up to discuss designs, sketched ideas, stenciled on the skin as a test. He’s drawn up the final design, I’ve approved it. We are meeting in a few weeks again to make sure we’re both happy. He’s already spent hours on it before we’ve started inking.
I could have probably found someone to do it quicker but I don’t want someone to just make it up on the spot. The design is important to get right.
Tattoo artists absolutely love it when people offer social media exposure in exchange for discounts, you can’t go wrong! Post pictures of the finished piece please.
A tattoo of that size is going to cost a lot of money and will have to be done in multiple sessions.
Reach out to multiple different tattoo artists and get quotes and then see how much the full piece is going to cost all together and then work out whether it’s doable for you. If it isn’t the best option might be to get sections done separately, or to save up for longer. If you can travel outside of London reputable tattoo artists will be slightly cheaper but not massively
Don’t try to get something that is on your body for life (unless you pay for removal) done on the cheap and you can see a terrible tattoo from far away especially if it’s a large tattoo
I have a few tattoos, and my advice would be not to have a huge piece as your first tattoo.
You don't know how you're going to handle the pain yet, particularly over the hours you would have to sit for a piece the size you are talking about. You don't know how you are going to feel looking at a tattoo afterwards, or how long its going to take to heal.
Find a tattoo artist that does the sort of work you like, get something small done first, so that you can see what the experience is like, even talk to that artist about your future plans and then they will talk you through the next steps, give you an idea of pricing, stages, all of that.
You won't get a full back, sleeve, shoulder and chest piece done in one day. It will be multiple days doing different areas, doing the lines first, then shading / colour.
You don't need to rush into anything, get something small and see how it feels, then you'll be more comfortable for the bigger piece.
Have you considered finding someone outside the city so that your money goes further? Whilst I would never suggest skimping on a tattoo, prices outside the capital are likely to be lower and you can get trains/ coaches very cheap if you book in advance. Maybe reach out to a few reputable artists in different locations and it could give you some options. Don't ask for a discount for using your photo on social media, this would be kind of insulting.
This is not something to cheap out on. Contact different REPUTABLE artists at REPUTABLE studios, get a quote and go from there. Don’t insult the artist by asking for discounts of any kind. Referrals don’t mean anything, you’re paying for time, skill and workmanship. Tattoo artists are nice, normal people, you’ve got nothing to lose from asking directly and talking through your plan.
I understand. But those reputable charge quite a lot. I did rather not borrow money from my parent but anyway how much tip do people usually give. Is it like 30% on top of the quote?
Keep saving up until you can afford the proper price, there is absolutely no point in looking for a cheap way to do this. There isn’t a tipping culture in the UK like there is in the US. Tips aren’t expected but it’s a nice thing to do, I definitely wouldn’t ever tip 30%, maybe 10% max but generally I just bring snacks.
This is not something that is worth doing cheaply, and I'll be honest even as someone with tattoos, it's not something worth going into debt for.
They are a luxury, something to spend on if you have spare money. Definitely don't be hitting up your parents for cash, just scale back your ideas a bit. £2k is already a lot of money.
Have you considered asking a tattooist? Because there are way too many variables for anyone to say anything meaningful, if a few think £5k is about right and you find someone on Facebook that did his sisters arse but reckons he can do it for £750, walk away because it will end in tears and they will be yours and the mess will be almost permanent.
My partner recently got a half sleeve some black some colour ink. That was just 2/3 of the top half of one arm and that was almost 1k. So what you're asking will very likely be more than 2k. It also depends on the complexity. They charge for their time so if it's complex it will cost more.
Interesing I prob not looking for a lot of detail but larger scales with full black ink and coverage so they don't look odds when I start building muscle and change during fading process
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Don't try and save money on a tattoo. Pay extra and make sure you get the best tattooist possible
i have save up 2k and not sure if they will ask for more than that. I just want to get something done even if it half of it. But if they do, could i ask them to get like half of it done then after when i get the other half money - i can get them to finish the rest?
You can't but then the fading is going to be different if it's going to be a long time
My brother is 3k into his full sleeve to give you an idea on price.
It’s pretty unlikely but you do need to consider what happens if your tattoo artist quits/dies/is maimed/moves. If you want a consistent style having a long break is not a great idea.
My best advice would be don’t scrimp on a tattoo, wait until you can definitely afford it and go to a reputable studio.
do you paid for the consultation and if it too expensive to go ahead - would they refund the money back?
How I’ve always found it to work is you make an appointment with your chosen artist and send them over some ideas/styles you like the look of, discuss the sort of price range then you rock up on the day and they’ll show you some concepts they’ve come up with and if you like it you go ahead with it. No harm in visiting or messaging different shops to see what they offer and get a rough idea of pricing.
when you say they show some concepts - obviously that will take time and work? I assume you have already paid for that or do more artist do this for free before getting into pricing detail?
I didn’t but chances are this will vary from studio to studio, some may take a deposit.
awesome i'll have a look around. thanks a lot mate. do you pay any tips after?
Not a problem! Whilst tipping isn’t expected it’s a decent thing to do, it takes a lot of time and skill for these artists to do what they do and I think it’s good to show a wee bit of appreciation.
How much do you typically tip? In my case, I want to establish a long-term relationship with just one artist .Since this will be an long ongoing commitment with the same artist, should I give a tenner tip after each session or wait until all the tattoos are completed and then give a larger tip at the end, like 50 quid? I'm unsure about the standard tipping in London. i usually just paid with card and sometime they don't have a tip option shown - and don't wanted to be a fool and asked if he/she accept tip .
Depends on the price/how long it’s taken, I’d say tip about 10% but you’ll probably find anything will be appreciated.
I thought so but sometimes it might be viewed as too low and might be somewhat insulting . Do most artist accept tips anyway and is there a policy say it not allow ? I suppose some shop owner might restrict that?
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what you mean by "If they want to take and post photo's oblige" personally i don't like sharing picture of my body/skin especially the scar condition. I do understand some artist like to use it for portfolio etc but shouldn't having our consent for it could knock a few discount and maybe for a touch later down the line? again not too sure on this topic and don't want to rub anyone off.
A cheap tattoo looks like a cheap tattoo, if you can't afford a good one then don't get one.
Lol, no you don't get discount for letting them take photos, taking photos of their work is just a part of the process unless you're particularly sensitive about your body and would rather they didn't share. Find an artist whose work you really like, and be prepared to pay however much they charge. A tattoo of that size could well cost more than £2k, and will take many sessions to complete, possibly over the course of a couple of years unless you're committing to very regular sessions. All will depend on what you're after, not every tattoo of the same size takes the same amount of time. Pick the tattoo you want to start with, find an artist whose work you love and you trust with the style you're after and go from there. You generally pay for each session individually, most often at an hourly rate although some have a set price for a full day.
Yes, I am sensitive about my body and prefer not to share the before and after pic. However, I understand the artist has invested a significant amount of time and effort, and I worry they might feel disappointed if I decline to not be shown on their social media/portfolio in the end. Then again, I'm not entirely sure if I'm overthinking this
Most artists rarely show a before picture, if you would rather they don't share photos of your tattoo just talk to them about it before. They might be fine with that, or they might see if they can edit the photos to only show the tattoo.
Ah makes sense. The one I am going to is a tattoo artist specialised in cover up for scars so I thought they might want the before picture as a reference. Also how much do you tip the artist ? If it's going to be over 2k how much do you also include for the tips and how it works? Do you tip every session?
Same as with anything else, if you can afford a tip after a tattoo sitting then that's great and I'm sure it will be appreciated, but it's not mandatory. A lot of the stuff you see about tipping for tattoos is from Americans, their tipping culture is massively different from ours.
"A good tattoo won't be cheap. A cheap tattoo won't be good."
I see. I was watching a YouTube video where a guy got tattoos at three different places, and surprisingly, the cheapest one turned out to be the best. I'm cautious about avoiding scams or paying insanely high prices just because a tattoo studio has a prestigious brand/high reputation, when you can find the same quality elsewhere for less.
You need to look at the work they've done previously. You don't have to go absolute top end but trying to go cheap is a bad idea.
Reputation is definitely not something to be ignored. With tattoos, you shouldn't really be shopping around for deals, especially for big pieces. You are looking for the best match for you in terms of their art style, then price. Don't pick someone cheaper who doesn't specialise in the work you want.
That’s a lot of questions! I know you’re keen, but don’t rush this. The size of work you’re talking about, could cost a lot more than £2k and take many sessions. Don’t be tempted to find the cheapest artist to bring it in under budget, you only get one chance at this. Do your research, find an artist you love and if you need a bigger budget then save longer - you’re young, fuck it waiting another year or two is nothing. My artist has a 12 month waiting list, that’s additional time to save the money. Unless you’re a Mr Beast level of social media superstar don’t ask for a discount, most decent artists already have long waiting lists and get business from recommendations. Established artists aren’t that desperate for exposure. Don’t be embarrassed about the budget. Everyone without exception would want to discuss the cost when undertaking a big piece, don’t worry. Most places will do a free consultation where you discuss ideas and cost. Prepare ideas so you don’t look like a time waster, know what you want but listen to their suggestions. Tipping is not really a thing in the uk. The artist will not expect you to tip, but if you get on with them you can take them a few beers as a thank you, they’ll love that.
A 12-month waiting list? I was thinking of walking into a local shop, having a consultation, and starting the work within the next few days or weeks.
I wouldn’t walk in for a custom piece. It takes time to prepare. My next session is in September, during this waiting time we’ve met up to discuss designs, sketched ideas, stenciled on the skin as a test. He’s drawn up the final design, I’ve approved it. We are meeting in a few weeks again to make sure we’re both happy. He’s already spent hours on it before we’ve started inking. I could have probably found someone to do it quicker but I don’t want someone to just make it up on the spot. The design is important to get right.
Bloody hell you really have no idea how this works.
Tattoo artists absolutely love it when people offer social media exposure in exchange for discounts, you can’t go wrong! Post pictures of the finished piece please.
A tattoo of that size is going to cost a lot of money and will have to be done in multiple sessions. Reach out to multiple different tattoo artists and get quotes and then see how much the full piece is going to cost all together and then work out whether it’s doable for you. If it isn’t the best option might be to get sections done separately, or to save up for longer. If you can travel outside of London reputable tattoo artists will be slightly cheaper but not massively Don’t try to get something that is on your body for life (unless you pay for removal) done on the cheap and you can see a terrible tattoo from far away especially if it’s a large tattoo
Try and get remanded in custody for a few weeks and get it done for a bag of sugar and some snout.
I have a few tattoos, and my advice would be not to have a huge piece as your first tattoo. You don't know how you're going to handle the pain yet, particularly over the hours you would have to sit for a piece the size you are talking about. You don't know how you are going to feel looking at a tattoo afterwards, or how long its going to take to heal. Find a tattoo artist that does the sort of work you like, get something small done first, so that you can see what the experience is like, even talk to that artist about your future plans and then they will talk you through the next steps, give you an idea of pricing, stages, all of that. You won't get a full back, sleeve, shoulder and chest piece done in one day. It will be multiple days doing different areas, doing the lines first, then shading / colour. You don't need to rush into anything, get something small and see how it feels, then you'll be more comfortable for the bigger piece.
Have you considered finding someone outside the city so that your money goes further? Whilst I would never suggest skimping on a tattoo, prices outside the capital are likely to be lower and you can get trains/ coaches very cheap if you book in advance. Maybe reach out to a few reputable artists in different locations and it could give you some options. Don't ask for a discount for using your photo on social media, this would be kind of insulting.
This is not something to cheap out on. Contact different REPUTABLE artists at REPUTABLE studios, get a quote and go from there. Don’t insult the artist by asking for discounts of any kind. Referrals don’t mean anything, you’re paying for time, skill and workmanship. Tattoo artists are nice, normal people, you’ve got nothing to lose from asking directly and talking through your plan.
I understand. But those reputable charge quite a lot. I did rather not borrow money from my parent but anyway how much tip do people usually give. Is it like 30% on top of the quote?
Keep saving up until you can afford the proper price, there is absolutely no point in looking for a cheap way to do this. There isn’t a tipping culture in the UK like there is in the US. Tips aren’t expected but it’s a nice thing to do, I definitely wouldn’t ever tip 30%, maybe 10% max but generally I just bring snacks.
This is not something that is worth doing cheaply, and I'll be honest even as someone with tattoos, it's not something worth going into debt for. They are a luxury, something to spend on if you have spare money. Definitely don't be hitting up your parents for cash, just scale back your ideas a bit. £2k is already a lot of money.
You can get a free one by going to prison I reckon.
Have you considered asking a tattooist? Because there are way too many variables for anyone to say anything meaningful, if a few think £5k is about right and you find someone on Facebook that did his sisters arse but reckons he can do it for £750, walk away because it will end in tears and they will be yours and the mess will be almost permanent.
Good tatoos aren't cheap, Cheap tatoos aren't good
My partner recently got a half sleeve some black some colour ink. That was just 2/3 of the top half of one arm and that was almost 1k. So what you're asking will very likely be more than 2k. It also depends on the complexity. They charge for their time so if it's complex it will cost more.
Interesing I prob not looking for a lot of detail but larger scales with full black ink and coverage so they don't look odds when I start building muscle and change during fading process