We all got to get a tattoo for the first time in the famous local salon without thinking what kind of salon it is, including me. Without thinking, I jumped on the first show whose reputation landed in my ears. But I didn’t think about the way he is held, the style of his tattoo artists, and the feedback FRO tattooed people there…
I didn’t think about it when I did my second tattoo – including you can find the story here – if the price is reasonable, the tattoo artists sense of technique, if he is in order, etc… Also now a day temporary tattoo online custom is very common and popular, well.
And above all, I had not asked myself the question of this distinction between a public room and a private room.
Two years later, the question torments me and I tour the salons in Bourges to discuss with tattoo artists and learn more about their practices.
Public Salons, Real Tattoo Shops
There are tattoo artists in public; salons who most of the time have a window, a store front. which makes them visible to pedestrians in the city. In general, these tattoo artists have a schedule divided between, on the one hand, appointments, advice and discussions and, on the other hand, tattoo sessions.
Often times you can go into the store during the day (that is, take a walk-in) and ask questions of who is available to answer, even if a tattoo is in progress.
These fairs generally offer a very good availability to discuss and discuss the project. In Bourges, the city where I am at the moment, the shops like those of Bourges Artistic Tattoos or Foxhole Tattoo are an excellent representation of this: the window is decorated, attractive and reveals a friendly atmosphere, the artist’s work and are ready to welcome you to advise you and establish a good customer relationship. While public shops are the most traditional version of the tattoo shop, they are also the most accessible, anyone can access them without an appointment and you can get a tattoo at the same time as another customer. Thus, we can quickly lose privacy, have the impression of significant back-and-forth or a effect due to the sequence of sessions.
With the 2010s, the number of tattoo artists, salons, and especially tattooed ones skyrocketed. This craze for tattooing has created opportunities for artists from all walks of life, but also made big leap for tattoo artists who pay little attention to the needs of clients. My advice is simple: enter these shops and see how the current is flowing, it’s the best way to take your temperature first place. Do not hesitate to ask for a book or a book of flashes to see the work and the style more closely. It is sometimes thought that private tattoo parlors are the most common. However, I have already had the opportunity to get a tattoo in a private salon several times. There are many more private tattooists than it seems.
Private salons, the cocooning version of the tattoo
“I really have to know the type” -Greg, Bourges Artistic Tattoos they are more discreet, less findable, more intimate. These tattoo artists who welcome us on a time reserved for us are generally passed on to posterity. They are artists whose work has already been recognized and who often already have a good client base. Some welcome in closed places, such as in apartments or in rooms of their houses.
Others tattoo in shops which overlook the street but which do not welcome visitors in any way, like Bop ‘John, whom I had the pleasure of meeting.
According to his explanations, the organization of private salons is divided between the timeslots reserved for making an appointment, and the rest of the time dedicated to tattoo sessions. These fairs give priority to the time allocated to discussion and to setting up a unique experience for the client.
Victims of their success, tattoo artists in private shops; are very popular, have less availability and charge higher prices on average, so you must be prepared to wait a bit and plan a decent budget before realizing your project. . But don’t be in a hurry, be patient. Your tattoo will only be better in its aesthetics and its realization.
The real difficulty, when you do not know it, is to know who are the tattoo artists of quality an especially, those who are declared.
Yes, the private salon represents a real breach for illegal tattooists, who therefore do not respect the legal rules of taxation and hygiene. Above all, be vigilant! Do not hesitate to check the tattoo artist on his social networks to appreciate the quality of his work or on sites like find my tattoo
Tattoo conventions, a pilgrimage for tattoo artists
Stands. Artists. Visitors. A large space. We see lots of things there, we even discover more. This is a golden opportunity to refine your knowledge, get in touch with tattoo artists based indifferent cities and why not take the plunge.
If you haven’t made contact with the artist before, you can only get the flash tattoo on location, which obviously limits the choice. You may have already heard of the Mondale du Tutorage, but know that other conventions are multiplying all over France and are of interest to more and more people.
The atmosphere is festive and emulation positive thanks to lively exchanges and collaborations with clients and sometimes multi-artists.
Even if I can understand that we can be tempted by the magic of the moment, the question of hygiene disturbs me because I have the impression that the working conditions do not allow to respect the necessary sanitary rules. It all starts with the place which is not as well suited as the salon, the privileged material for reasons of circulation or conviviality, in short, my discussions with the various tattoo artists that I have met lead me to believe that conventions are as negligent about hygiene as they are friendly”.
It goes without saying that this is only my opinion, but I would personally prefer to take advantage of a convention to discover artists, get in touch with them to discuss and get to know their work, before making myself a tattoo artist by those I covet. Later during a guest in my city or a trip that I would organize.
In conclusion, when you do not really know about tattooing, you are quickly lost and you do not necessarily know how to find the right tattoo artist in your city between open so-called public salons, tattooists in private salons and those who come in conventions. What should be remembered is that public lounges are the most accessible to neophytes, even if there is a risk of sometimes feeling like at the factory.
Tattoo artists in private salons are often highly prized for their technicality and the time they devote to developing clients projects. However, to have an appointment with tattoo artists, you have to be patient because availability is not always very close. Special attention also to be paid to illegal immigrants who tattoo without respecting hygienic or legal conditions.
Finally, the Disneyland of tattooing, namely the conventions in the various cities of France andNavarre are an excellent spot to discover new artists or even your next tattoo, but devoid of anyprivacy, seem a little limited in terms of hygiene. , despite a great atmosphere that createsconviviality and emulation.
For writing this article, I deeply thank Foxhole Tattoo, Banshee Tattoo, Bourges Tattoos Artisticfor their time; more than pleasant and constructive discussions.
