I have never had a tattoo, never wanted one, and my husband was vehemently opposed, but now that he is no longer my husband, I have been thinking about it. I have wanted a tattoo as a tribute to Heath, well, since January. I even have it planned out in my mind and just need to sketch it. Anyone know how to find a good tattoo artist?
I think the vast majority of artists and studios have web pages. Google some studios in your area, look at the web pages, look at the types and styles of the tattoos in the various artists portfolios. As you think about your design, look at the styles and imagine who could render that well. A real geometric artist probably isn't going to do well with/enjoy hearts, flowers, and fairies.
On the other hand, I think for a lot of us newbies, our designs are pretty simple and any artist with a modicum of talent and experience will probably be able to do it justice.
For me, my daughter had done a day-long observation at a studio, so that gave me a starting point. I did look at the various artists who work there and went with the "fairies" artist, for two reasons: 1) she was a woman and 2) I thought her love of flowers would translate well to my little leaf. And it did.
L