Tattoo guide: our advice for choosing the right one

The equipment used must be single-use or sterilized (before each use) and the tattoo must be carried out in a dedicated room. Information to take into account may be the professional's window. If it displays the SNAT logo, the National Union of Tattoo Artists , you will have every chance of dealing with a tattoo artist who respects the standards in place.

Ask yourself: what is the reputation of a shop? Listen to what your loved ones or friends have to say about a particular brand and their feedback. Good or bad, it is an indicator to take into account. Consider weighing opinions based on who is testifying. Cross-check your information. Two opinions are better than one. The age of a studio is also a good indicator. A professional who has been established for a long time has often reached consensus on the seriousness and quality of his work.

Don’t hesitate to walk into a shop. It's a way of understanding the world of a tattoo artist. Take into account the welcome given to you, listen to the music, observe the works hung in the studio, the decoration. You will thus have information on the tastes and references of the house.

It's reasonable to assume that if you don't like what the tattoo artist puts on their walls, there's little chance you'll like what they plan to put on your skin. Especially if they are your own drawings... Ask questions, it's a way to initiate an exchange and feel the person in front of you. It's not an interrogation either!

Either way, avoid messy plans in your kitchen with your friend who just got a machine when he doesn't even know how to hold a pencil. You will avoid some disappointments, a tattoo that may disappoint you... and you will keep your friend.

WHICH TATTOO ARTIST TO CHOOSE?

Should we specify that a tattoo artist must know how to poke correctly to do his job well? No. How do you know if this professional is competent? When we are in the dark, there is an unstoppable weapon that we all have the capacity to use: common sense. Trust yourself! Are you able to see if a portrait of Rihanna looks like Rihanna? What if an old-school cherry doesn't look like a tomato? It's the same for a tattoo.

Unless you are looking for a very particular style, clean and neat work is expected of professionals. Which means: straight lines, lines that stay in their place, a sense of proportion, flat areas of uniform color, etc. Be careful, however, to make the difference with tattoo artists whose style precisely turns these criteria upside down.

Ask him about his references, his seniority, if he did an apprenticeship and with whom, if he does guests in other studios, in France or abroad, etc. The current flows ? This is a great first step. Come back another time if necessary to go into a little more detail about your project and find out more about the question of prices and its agenda. You sometimes have to wait several months to get a slot. Don't hesitate to see several shops in order to really make an informed choice.

There are still a few specialized magazines and even applications (we recommend ATC Tattoo , on Google Play and Apple Store) to understand tattoo culture. Otherwise, your main source of inspiration will be Instagram. All the tattoo artists are there. It is THE essential social network for the profession.

Any tattoo artist has an account - unless they are in a particular process. Forget Facebook, Twitter, if you want to discover the work of a tattoo artist, browse the artist's publications. Subscribe to his account, it's a door to his world. Look at the accounts he subscribes to, this will also give you an idea of ​​his network and his references. A tip: regularly consult or subscribe to hashtags (#oldschool) to help you broaden the scope of your searches and thus find names that you did not know.

There are talents! Tattoo artists today work hard to come up with something personal, a unique style with which they hope to stand out. There is something for every taste. So be open-minded by taking a quick tour of the best the industry has to offer. Study the essential figures towards which all eyes turn, they will give you a measure of the extent of the possibilities. This will certainly give you ideas, in addition to chasing away the bad ones.

Have you thought about tattoo conventions? Generally organized over two or three days, they bring together local, national and even international tattoo artists during the event. Ideal for having a more concrete feeling. They are all listed on this site .

In this environment of artists where more and more tend towards specialization, let's not forget those for whom a true tattoo artist is a versatile professional, knowing how to put himself in tune with the desires of his client, whether they involve realism, Japanese, tribal, etc.

Traditionally, a good pro can do just about everything. Of course, it will have its affinities but it will be able to demonstrate consistency whatever the genre scanned, depending on whether you want realism, old-school, Japanese, biomechanics. It will also channel your creativity... if you want them all at the same time! He alone is guardian of the coherence of creation. If you act stupid, he'll tell you and he'll be right.

Finally, there are the real stars, the popes, those whose names everyone knows and to whom we would dream of entrusting a piece of our skin. Those for whom we are prepared to wait a year, even years, and above all to save. These artists have built such a reputation that you are sure to have an exceptional and unique piece.

Obviously all this has a price and from a certain level we have to face the facts: these artists devote themselves essentially to major projects. So count an arm, a back, or even the whole body. Then there is certainly a queue which can last up to several years for the gods of Olympus. You will have to be patient. Finally comes the cost… it can hurt. Some tattoo artists take up to 300th an hour. You have been warned.

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A TATTOO?

Let's be clear, a good tattoo comes at a cost. To repeat a well-known lesson in the industry (in English please): “ Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good ”. Like everywhere, quality comes at a price. Normal right? And then, tattooing is for life, so you might as well take the time to put aside the money needed for a great project and enjoy it peacefully in the following years. But if a pattern really gives you a crazy desire, treat yourself!

Discuss it early with the professional. This will give them an idea of ​​the creative margin that you leave them. Otherwise, he will be able to budget for the project you have in mind. You need to agree before committing. Tattoo artists work according to different formulas. Everyone has their own.

Basically everyone agrees on a price fixed by the hour, half-day or full day, or even a fixed price. Today, count on at least 70 euros per hour for a competent professional. Obviously, if you want a star ( Filip Leu , Tin-Tin , etc.) the prices can skyrocket. For some, the hourly rate offered is several hundred euros…

Knowing that everything also depends on the size of the room obviously. For an entire arm for example, it takes 15-20 hours, otherwise between 1 hour and 5 hours for a small-medium piece.

The first discussions with the tattoo artist will make you aware of the level of commitment required by the project under discussion. Because, beyond the price, there is the question of the time required to achieve it. This will be an opportunity to take stock of your motivation. See what you want. Start with a pattern before jumping into a mural if you're unsure. Not everyone is ready to commit to several years like the clients of Japanese masters who have their entire body covered.

We can never repeat it enough: you will keep a tattoo for life . Price is therefore not the priority criterion. If you don't have the means, put aside or revise downwards the ambitions of your project.

DIFFERENT TATTOO STYLES FOR MEN

Today, the artistic and creative profusion is so great that it is impossible to take a complete tour of the styles, but here are already the broad outlines with which to get our bearings.

1. JAPANESE TATTOOS

This is THE must-have style. It is indeed difficult to resist the force of attraction of oriental mysticism as well as such an iconographic abundance where mythical and legendary animals (dragons, phoenixes), Buddhist and Shinto deities (Kannon, Fudô-Myôô), animals (carps) intersect , snakes) or even flowers (peonies, chrysanthemums, cherry trees, etc.) rivaling each other in beauty.

Since the 19th century where tattoo culture formalizes in the city of Edo the Japanese are masters in body decoration and the creation of frescoes that can cover the entire body. Traditionally, tattoo artists work by hand, using a wooden stick at the end of which needles are tied into a bundle.

In the 20th century, some pioneers adopted the Western electric machine imported from abroad, combined with traditional technique. Today we distinguish between the purists, those who follow the rules of the art and the “Japanese” who freely draw inspiration from the style to adapt it to Western graphic codes.

2. ASIAN TATTOOS

Two particularly well-identified representatives of Asian cultures: Thai tattoo – Sak Yan – and tattoo from Borneo, Indonesia. The first is a tattoo whose roots draw from Khmer culture, the country's animist tradition, Buddhism and Brahmanism.

In Thailand, tattoos are done to meet very specific needs. A magical power is attributed to them, capable for example of providing physical protection in risky professions, success in commerce, love, good health. They depict inscriptions as well as stylized forms of animals and deities in a very fine and detailed manner.

Master tattooists may be monks whose gatherings of “disciples” – the tattooed – give rise to spectacular events in temples.

The people of Indonesia have produced rich and varied forms of tattooing for thousands of years. In Borneo, among the Dayak, the Iban tribe has perpetuated a very ancient tattoo culture. Tattoos were signs marking the exploits of the wearer, like a sort of curriculum vitae allowing one to read about his warlike exploits, his travels, etc.

Only black in color, the patterns are borrowed from nature (scorpion, crab, eggplant flower) and form very graphic sets which will considerably inspire the entire Western wave of tribal style in the 1990s.

3. THE OLD SCHOOL/NEW SCHOOL INFLUENCE

This one was polished in the holds of ships, in ports in the four corners of the world. In the past, sailors proudly wore old-school designs after rounding Cape Horn, crossing the Atlantic or surviving the immensity of the Pacific, not to mention having good fights in crowded bars on a night of stopover.

In the 1950s, the style found one of the most beautiful illustrations with the work of the American Sailor Jerry (the one of rum). With Cap Coleman and others, these are the fathers of this essential style. The iconography made of anchors and three masts has been enriched over time with mermaids, portraits of women, geishas, ​​etc.

We recognize it with its thick lines, its reduced color palette and its flat areas. This is a tattoo made to last and which never goes out of style. This is the advantage of the classics. If you have a taste for vintage, this is for you.

In the 2000s, a whole generation took up the codes but in the process renewed the images sometimes saturated with colors: this is the New-Skool.

4. BIOMECHANICAL AESTHETICS

Directly inspired by the Swiss artist HR Giger (the creature from the film Alien , that's him), the style mixes mechanical elements and organic compositions. The fascinating result has the advantage of adapting perfectly to the body and its movements.

Given its origins, it is obviously popular with fans of science fiction and fantasy. There are many variations mixing robotics with the organic, the biological, with representations of fractals, etc.

The effects are particularly spectacular and some tattoos are disturbingly realistic. Trompe l'oeil that take you into futuristic universes.

5. LETTERING

Popular with Latinos and Californian Chicanos, the lettering is aimed at lovers of beautiful letters, typography, and men of conviction who wish to assert their message. Favored by rap culture, it is also very popular with fans of street art and graffiti. So, if you have a word to say, take the time to consider good lettering. On the forearm it's great, on the back it's impressive and on the stomach it's also effective.

6. TRIBAL/POLYNESIAN INFLUENCE

In the legend of the English captain James Cook (18th century), he disembarked in Tahiti and was amazed to discover the tattoo culture of the Polynesians, the tatau, which he transcribed in his notebooks under the name "tattoo". It is an identity and decorative tattoo.

The interlocking motifs form very complex and very graphic compositions in which we find stylized shapes of animals, sacred figures, etc. Very aesthetic, it adapts to the body and highlights the lines of the muscles, the joints, and emphasizes the curves.

In the Polynesian archipelago several tattoo cultures coexist, so it's up to you to know if you prefer the style of Samoa, Tahiti, that of the Marquesas, etc. Very popular in the 90s, the Polynesian tattoo is a classic.

7. (HYPER)REALISTIC TATTOO, PORTRAITS AND REPRODUCTIONS

A good hyperrealistic tattoo is always a slap in the face. The effect is immediate and the result spectacular. This face stares you straight in the eyes, this vampire sends shivers down your spine, here it is the famous kiss of photographer Robert Doisneau which is reproduced to perfection. Welcome to the world of illusion and trompe l'oeil.

We no longer really know if we are looking at a photograph or an image on skin! Contrast, placement, details, fineness of the gradients... all the crazy things are allowed, depending on whether you prefer compositions in black & white (it ages better) or in color. A touching aspect of realism is the homage that some pay to deceased loved ones.

8. GRAPHIC TATTOOS

Artists compete in their prowess in these very technical genres where mandalas are deployed in all forms, crossing repetitive geometric patterns into which realistic portraits retouched on the computer are grafted.

This is a creation whose inspiration owes a lot to software like Photoshop which has opened up limitless creative fields. Everything mixes, transforms, everything is modified according to very complex parameters manipulated with dexterity by tattooists whose technique has been enhanced with the technological means of their time. Ultimately, these are original creations, even VERY original. 

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR TATTOO PROPERLY?

Arrive well rested. No alcohol beforehand (it thins the blood), nor drugs in order to stay calm during your session. Tattooing, as they say in the industry, is “No pain, no gain”, in other words: you get nothing for nothing.

But with a good night's sleep behind you, clear thoughts and breathing through your stomach, you will be relaxed and ready to let your tattoo artist work for the time necessary to complete the tattoo.

The more relaxed and confident you are, the better you will accept needle bites. If the pain is intolerable, there are creams that temporarily numb the skin.

1. BREATH WELL FOLLOWING THE ARTIST’S METHOD

Some tattoo artists are real machines and could work for hours. It will be up to you to find the right balance between the need for the project to move forward and your resistance to continued pain. It’s a job that’s done by two people. Discuss with your artist.

We all have limits and some areas are more painful than others. So if you don't have any tattoos and you want to start right away on the sides or stomach, take the time to reconsider your choice based on the tattoo artist's recommendations.

Bring your laptop or spend your time on your smartphone to watch a film, why not? It's up to you to decide with the tattoo artist, as long as it doesn't bother him and the film doesn't come before the work in progress.

Some tattoo artists like to chat while working, others are so focused that they prefer to remain silent. It's an exchange between the two of you, it's up to you to find your balance.

2. WHICH AREAS TO CHOOSE FOR A MEN’S TATTOO?

For your tattoo, favor certain areas while others should be completely avoided.

PLACES TO AVOID

We strongly advise against the neck, hands and face . If you are looking for a job, this can be disabling. Unless you work every day in the tattoo industry or other tolerant environments, keep your feet on the ground and be well aware of the professional framework in which you operate.

Society as a whole is not yet necessarily ready for this kind of imposed distinction. Mentalities change, of course, but we must carefully weigh the consequences of the act. Traditionally, before footballers and pop singers popularized them, tattoo artists refused to tattoo these visible parts of the body, for the reasons mentioned above.

These kinds of requests were only accepted for people who were already heavily tattooed, with a “body-suit” or “full body”, in other words the body covered in tattoos.

DELICATE AREAS

The sides and chest should be considered in case of an artistic project and great motivation. Don't be fooled, on the coasts it will sting! The advantage, however, is that the surface leaves enough space for the tattooist to express all his creativity. On the upper torso, your tattoo can be hidden by a buttoned shirt or slightly uncovered if it is ajar. Elegant and intriguing.

The lower back, wrist and ankle are areas more generally favored by women. Up to you. It is true that these areas leave little room to really exploit the possibilities of a tattoo. It all depends on what you want to say.

AREAS TO FAVOR

Cuff (complete arm), forearm, upper arm, back, torso : these are the areas of the male anatomy that lend themselves well to beautiful graphic development. The possibilities are numerous and interesting.

Find the right measurement. Do you want to express your personality? Tell a story ? Get started: make a Japanese cuff, realistic chest, or upper back lettering.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR TATTOO?

The period following the creation of the tattoo should be considered carefully. Strictly follow the advice given by your tattoo artist. If you have chosen it well, it is he who will give you the right information.

• Once home, wash your hands well, remove the film and run the freshly tattooed skin under water to rinse away fluids and other ink residue.
• Dab with a clean towel then apply the ointment recommended to you and cover again with food-grade film.
• In the days that follow, there is no longer any need to film the tattooed area. Just take care to wash it properly in the shower, with a neutral PH soap and to moisturize with a little ointment several times a day to loosen and soften the flesh which will become tense due to healing.

The skin will be swollen and you will feel a little irritated. It's normal. The healing will give rise to the urge to scratch which must absolutely be curbed in order to allow the scab to form.

During this entire period, avoid any friction that could tear off the crust and damage your tattoo, dab with the towels. This will gradually dry out and then fall off once healing is complete.

This may take more or less time depending on the skin, the type of technique used during the tattoo and the part of the body concerned. Allow around ten days.

Avoid bathing at home, the swimming pool or sea bathing throughout the healing phase. But also the sauna, the hammam, etc. Wait a month to expose your tattoo to the sun, UV rays are not your work of art's best friend, quite the contrary! Moreover, once at the beach, don't skimp on the total screen in case you want to expose yourself to the sun.