Here is the system, in a nutshell, of how to get a good tattoo. Have an idea (but not too many), pick a style or look you would like and then an artist who does that kind of work really well. Give the artist your ideas but be flexible and let them work their magic, that’s all there is too it!

Most common mistakes;

Trying to get too many ideas into one piece. For a sleeve maybe 2 or 3 main elements is plenty. Not everything has to have a meaning and a story (this is reality, not Miami ink) and you don’t have to have everything that’s important to you represented in one tattoo. You have a whole body to spread ideas over.

Going too small with a design. It never looks as good, have the courage of your convictions and jump in the deep end!

Picking the wrong artist for the job, either a bad one or someone who doesn’t specialise in the style you want.

Trying to mix different styles into one piece. You wouldn’t have ketchup with Sushi or put floral print curtains in a minimalist lving room and tattoos work in a similar way, try to keep ideas and themes within a similar style.

Thinking that you know better than the artist. Does the artist have a good portfolio (and surely they do if you have picked them out)? If so, then trust their judgement and skills and listen to their suggestions.

Waiting too long between sessions. When you wait a year or so between sessions the tattoo has already started the ageing and settling in process and so the new parts never quite look the same and the artist is not likely to be as enthusiastic as they were to finish the tattoo. Surely you want the tattooist to really be enthusiastic about your tattoo, right?

Not being patient. It can take some time to start to appreciate the difference between good and bad work so don’t rush into finding the right artist and when you do, they will probably be busy so be patient and wait for them. Waiting a few months is nothing when something is going to be on you for life.

Copying someone else’s tattoo. When you try to just copy someone else’s tattoo (because it’s “perfect and exactly what you had in mind”) all you get is a 2nd rate copy of the original, it is never as good. When does Hollywood ever remake a film and it’s better than the original? Never, and it’s a bit like that. On top of that, no good tattooist will ever just copy someone else’s artwork, its unethical and severely frowned upon in the world of decent tattooing.

Shopping for a bargain. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for but unlike pretty much everything else, tattoos will be with you forever. Some people think nothing of spending £100 on some trainers or jeans but want to spend as little as possible on a tattoo, it’s clear which one is gonna last longer. You can always find a cheap car but don’t think you are gonna get the quality of a Mercades when you pay for a Skoda!

Too many cooks. A tattoo should be the ideas of the client, translated with the skills, experience and vision of the artist into an amazing piece. As soon as partners or parents start to get involved it becomes a nightmare. There is an excellent blog post, by the excellent tattoist Eckel here, about this very subject, but here is a quote that sums it up; “the only two people that are important when it comes to get a tattoo done are you and me. No one else.”