How much does a tattoo cost?
How much a tattoo cost is one of the most frequently asked questions about tattoos. Clients usually ask, how much is it for a Tattoo sleeve? In this article, I would like to cover and help you to better understand the price of the tattoo you are looking for. I’m going to divide this article in 3 sections.
1-Tattoo price factors– Understanding what influences the cost of your tattoo.
2- Tattoo prices by different artists in different cities– Comparing costs in various artists and locations
3- Affordable Tattoo options– Searching for cost effective tattoo options
1-What influence the cost of your tattoo is how experienced your tattoo artist is, and how expensive their investment on their tattoo supplies is. Cheaper tattoo options, usually equals cheap tattoo supplies, and cheaper needles will damage your skin a lot faster than expensive needless. To achieve realism, is important to have best quality needles, as realistic tattoos require different layers added to the skin, so approaching a realism tattoo with cheap needles, is not going to contribute to the soft blend realistic tattoos require. And cheaper needles used are not sterile, they go straight from manufactured to a box, skipping the sterilisation process wich it costs money when made properly by Top quality tattoo needle companies like Kwadron Tattoo Needles. And how experience your tattoo artist is, it will dictate how expensive your tattoo will cost per hour. I have to educate you that, tattoo artists with 5 years or less of experience, will tattoo you in a rush to deliver quantity and take more money from you, however, fast does not mean good, and to be able to deliver a good quality tattoo fast, it requires more than 10 years experience, of constantly drawing outside of tattooing to become a better artist. So if a tattoo artists charge 100 per hour with 5 years or less of experience, basically, you are being over charged. Usually Tattoo Artists who charge 100 per hour, and I believe it is fair, they have been tattooing from 10-20 years.
2- Tattoo prices by different artists like I said, it should be by experience. However, I’m going to educate you, the method some tattoo artists use, to deliver quantity, in as much short time as possible, to make as much money as possible, so they are selling quantity to you, and not quality. For example, if an artist wants to deliver a half sleeve or a full sleeve in one session, specially for realistic black and grey tattoos, their strategy is, they choose a big magnum needle to speed up the process, and they add usually 2 layers to the shading, which is “black” which it will give definition, and dark gey to blend the black, and those 2 layers make the skin pop, and the tattoo stands out, however the tattoo will look like the same tone all the way through, the artist who is trying to give you quantity, will have to approach your whole tattoo with one frame of mind only, which it will make your tattoo crash tone and depth wise, not having different tones, which a realism tattoo requires. Its very rare when a tattoo artist works fast and the quality is really good, one tattoo artist who’s capable of achieving that is Victor Portugal. Different cities will take a particular differ on your tattoo price. City Centre tattoo studios usually charge more than small town tattoo studios, as the rent in the city centre is a lot higher than small towns rent, however, it is easier to reach the city centre studios than small towns tattoo studios.
3- Affordable tattoo options- Searching for cost effective tattoo choices can be risky, as cheaper tattoos usually are approached with cheaper tattoo equipment’s, which it will not contribute to the quality of your tattoo straight way, so if you are looking for cost effective tattoo choices I would recommend choosing a simple tattoo style, which it will require less tattooing time, and a simple tattoo technique appliance to the skin. Tattoo styles that will have cost effective options would be- Sigle line tattoos, small tattoos, 2d tattoos. 2d tattoos are usually achieved a lot faster than 3d tattoos. 2d Tattoos are usually a basic outline and a bit of shading or colour.