Let’s be honest: talking about tattoo prices sorta spoils the tattoo experience. This is certainly the case when you’re talking about your first tattoo. The excitement is through the roof, you’re nervous, but all things considered, you know stepping into that tattoo studio will change you for good korea tattoo.
But how much will it set you back? Again, talking dollars & cents at a time like this is a real buzzkill, but why wouldn’t you think about price?
After all, you’re a consumer looking to procure a service, the likes of which there are many competitors. You want to get a good deal AND quality work, so that means you’ve got to shop around, right?
The thing is that no matter how much practical sense it makes to inquire about the price of your prospective tattoo, it doesn’t come across as good etiquette. Your chosen artist wants to feel as though you are a supporter of his/her work & that you are confident in his/her abilities. You definitely don’t want them to feel as though they earned your business simply because they priced themselves low enough.
So, what do you do? Well, you answer a few questions with some research. For example:
I’m ready for a big tattoo. Will that cost me, even if there’s nothing complex about it? One would expect nothing less — the bigger the tattoo, the more work that goes into it. As such, the price reflects this. Also, ‘complexity’ of a tattoo design is best left to be broken down by the artist/expert.
The same design can be put anywhere on my body for the same amount, right? Tender, difficult to reach areas of the body make the work of a tattoo artist more difficult. Bumping up the difficulty can usually lead to a higher price for your custom ink.
There’s more black ink than color in my design. Does that make it ‘cheaper’? Use of color, especially in extravagant designs, can be beautiful, but it can come at a premium. Even trying to pay less with a monochromatic scheme means very little as you’re still using quality ink that’s the basis for the majority of all the artist’s work.
All artists & studios in a city offer work at the same rates? Not even close! Popular artists with significant experience usually name their price, giving them exclusivity and demand. Ditto if the studio they work out of is trendy & tough to get into.