Tattoo Sleeve...help/advice required

[Dave78]

Stapes i've just had a custom peice finished and my tattooist was pissing himself with excitement at the thought that he could get to be creative and sketch up a design using his creativity with my idea (im FAR from an artist and he's Latvian so it took me a while to get it accross lol)

Present your ideas to various places and see who shows a buzz towards doing the idea, if they aren't keen they aren't worth the time!

Prepare to wait (any good artist has a waiting list!) and prepare to pay through the nose as a large peice (eg. a sleeve) will set you back £60ish an hour for around 10 (half sleeve) to 20 (full) ish hours!

Good luck buddy

[smilinassasin]

dave78 is spot on its expensive and if they say they can get you in tommorow dont go! have a look at www.skinkandi.co.uk in st helens its my mate Lee's shop and i'm opening a 3rd shop with him soon as iv'e started to tattoo (little stuff no sleeves). The atmosphere in the shop is ridiculous, funny gang of artists and he loves to get a challenge and to draw someones idea out and experiment with ways to make it look like a one off.

[Dave78]

as iv'e started to tattoo (little stuff no sleeves). .

oooh and thats another good point....dont be some guys first big job!

Not everyone is as responsible as Smilin is!

[widge milward]

Sounds wicked mate, looking forward to seeing the progress.

I really need to get mine finished, just so skint lol.

Dunny out of interest who is your mate?

[smilinassasin]

Oh hell yeah ask to see some of there work first, theres a hierachy in a studio just like in the gym of experience and what some people prefer doing i.e. black & white, traditional, portraits etc etc. The apprentice always has to do a major tattoo sometimes.........just dont let it be you! :-)

[Rob T]

Just email the artist as many source pics/videos as possible. Also, you can draw something up, doesn't matter how crap your drawing ability is, just to show what you're thinking about for placement and structure. As someone said, any decent tattooist will then be able to draw up a design... if they can't, go to someone else.

[bean]

Stapes, have you checked out Marked for Life? Ian "did someone say tattoo?", got all his work done there

[stapesmk1]

Cheers guys, much appreciated. Keep the advice rolling in! Found a few good stills on the tinterweb.

Ant... Not sure if Ian is in touch with those guys anymore so Im happy to leave them to be honest. Found some cracking portfolios in Bolton, Prestwich and Manchester, so not a bad start.

Stapes

[widge milward]

Good stuff buddy, can recommend Flecky's in Golborne mate. He does some excellent work and i know several people who will also say the same. His work is top notch.

Also a few of the Colosseum lads use Vida Loca in bolton and all have some really nice Ink.

[stapesmk1]

Seen Vida Loca, all quite inexperienced, but good portfolios. Miss Polly's work looks the best from there.

I'm looking at Naughty Needles in Bolton, Droyslden Tattoo Studio and The Tattoo Shop in Prestwich if anyone has any good feedback for them. Ill keep on looking but these three look like they do black/grey, colour, religious and portrait very well which put together kinda covers what Im looking for.

Any feedback on making the piece into a sleeve would be much appreciated. Its very much a landscape scene. See earlier post for my ideas on altering the angles etc, for a different effect.



Stapes