A bad tattoo experience is a permanent one

 

By Millar Hill

 

The presence of tattoos are becoming more apparent within pop culture. It’s a practice that crosses social boundaries among all groups of people. Research has shown tattoos were once seen as a form of deviance or rebellion but now the ink piercing art is becoming to be an acceptable form of expression.

 

If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, the first step is to figure out what you want.  Permanency is a big factor when thinking of ideas for what will be on your body according to tattoo artist Dean Sleiman, who works out of Radiant Maiden in Windsor.

 

“Do you really want to get that tattoo? Do you really want it on your body for the rest of your life? Because it’s not going to come off,’ said Sleiman. “In the future will it affect your job? If you’ve just turned 18 and you want to get your hand or neck tattooed, I mean, that is going to make a huge impact on your job decision.”

 

When local photographer Ryan Brough got his first tattoo, he was on tour with his former band. He considers it to be one of his worst experiences.  At the time he was 18-years-old, barely legal, when a friend tattooed the words “S4C love Rob Dyer,” which stands for Skate4Cancer.

 

“We were at the bar, and this guy says ‘hey you guys should come back to my place and get free tattoos’ and before you knew it, it was 2:30 am and we were getting tattoos,” said Brough.

 

Brough thought it would be a good idea to have a friend tattoo him. He says the tattoo was ridiculous and is thankful for getting it fixed up. Brough’s bad experience leads to the next step. How to find a reputable tattooist.

 

 

Sleiman suggests doing some investigating and to view the artist’s portfolio when searching for an artist. He believes it’s the best thing you can do.

 

“No portfolio, that’s probably one of the hugest things,” said Sleiman. “If you go in and there is no portfolio, it’s like ‘what am I looking at? I want to get a tattoo but I don’t know what I’m going to get if I can’t see your portfolio.”

 

 

For Brough, he studies the artist’s previous work and sets up a consultation before picking a tattooist.

 

“You have to meet the person,” said Brough.  “Go for a consultation because there are some tattoo artists out there that have good work, but you might be like ‘I don’t really want to involve myself with that person’.”

 

Aside from research and reviewing work, ask yourself, is the artist versatile? Can they tattoo a variety of styles? – American traditional, realism or black and grey to name a few.

 

“I’d say one of the big things is consistency, to be very versatile. That’s not only in design but also in attitude.  (As a tattoo artist) You need to know when to say no and when to say yes,” said Sleiman. “Whether it’s a client that has a bad attitude or a client that has a design you’re not comfortable with.”

 

According to Sleiman, cleanliness is a determining factor that separates the inexperienced from experienced. He believes working out of homes is a unprofessional practice.

 

“You can’t be clean, if you are pooping where you eat,” he said.

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