As a tattoo artist here in Orlando, Florida, there are tons of tattoos that are produced around me.  Im always learning new things and being inspired to better my work, but how can you, as the client, be sure an artists tattoo portfolio is a good one?

What to look for.

The tattoo artists portfolio is one of the first things you should look at when deciding on who to get your tattoo done by. There are a lot of factors to consider when looking through a portfolio.

Here are a two key things to look for in an artists portfolio.

What is in the portfolio?

Are the designs dark in nature? Are they brightly colored? Watercolor? Blackwork? Realistic? Illustrative? These are all super important in deciding on who does your tattoo! You wouldn't ask a realistic painter to replicate an abstract cartoon, So it seems unlikely that you should ask a tattoo artist who has a book full of watercolor tattoos to tattoo your realistic styled tattoo. So be observant of whats in an artists portfolio. The artist wouldnt have included those images unless it was something they enjoy tattooing or they are proud of.

'Oh look a panda tattoo! They must be the guy who does the panda tattoos!'

That is the last thing that means. It simply means that they did a panda once. It could lean towards the fact that the artist likes to animals. It could mean that they were proud of the tattoo. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE ARTIST IS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD THAT DOES PANDAS. Keep looking through the artwork.

Also, if you don't see something in the portfolio, it doesn't mean the artist isn't capable of doing so. If the style of what you're looking to get is similar to the portfolio you're looking through then chances are the artists could do what you're wanting to do. All you need to do is ask!

Is the work solid?

People please stop overlooking the important details of an artists portfolio. Linework, color saturation, composition, design balance, proper anatomy etc are what you should be looking for, not necessarily just the subject matter of the tattoo. So many things get over looked because people can be easily distracted by the size of the tattoo or what the tattoo is. But you should be asking yourself, "Are the lines straight or are they wavy and inconsistent? Is the color completely solid or does it look like a marker was drying up as you tried to fill the paper with color? Is there an awkward amount of negative space between elements of your tattoo? Is there a random finger popping out of the hand in the wrong direction? Are the limbs and body proportions balanced?"

Anyone can buy a machine online now a days and that's a scary situation. Just because your 'bro works in a shop man he's legit' doesn't mean he actually knows what they are doing.

REMEMBER, ANYONE CAN USE A BRIGHT COLOR. IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY KNOW HOW TO USE PROPERLY.

Avoid the 'Oh it's a flower! I love flowers! This person must be the only person who tattoos flowers!' and instead try the 'Oh wow the lines are super consistent!' or even a 'Oh look at the saturation in this one! I don't see any blotchy areas!' and the ultimate thing you want to be thinking is 'I love everything in this portfolio, I bet this person can make my idea come to life!

Location

I currently reside in Orlando, Florida. I love it hear and have no plans of leaving any time soon.

Schedule

My schedule is constantly changing! For the most up to date availability follow my social media accounts.

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