It’s important that when you start your tattoo journey to pause and meditate a bit before getting a piece because if you get something with meaning, chances are it will stand the test of time and grow with you. Note: if for some reason you did that and outgrow your tattoo or that phase of life, we got you! Our team of talented Hawaii tattoo artists specialize in custom tattoos our of our Waikiki tattoo studio.
So what can you do beforehand to make sure your piece lives with you for the rest of your journey? Take your time and research. With each passing year, technology connects us more and more, whether we like it or not! Take advantage of the tools and look and see what you like, figure out what speaks to you, and save or take screenshots of ideas you like and artists who have styles you’d be stoked to wear for the rest of life.
Once you’ve decided on something that speaks to you and have figured out who you’d like to work with, schedule an appointment to talk to the artist. While walk-ins are always welcome, you will be able to maximize time and attention from your artist if you call ahead and schedule a time to talk about your piece, especially if you’re looking for a custom tattoo.
After your consultation is scheduled, show up! There’s nothing worst than ghosting anyone, but you really don’t want to do that to your tattooist, who has blocked the time for you, time that could also be spent with their loved ones or better yet, tattooing!
Once you’ve met, and if you vibe, listen. If you go in thinking you know how things are going to go down, unless you’re a tattoo artist yourself, chances are you don’t really know much about what you’re talking about. Your artist is a professional and all of our artists in our Hawaii tattoo shop are licensed and certified to tattoo. Even our apprentices operate under the guidance of an experienced tattooer. Long story short, your artist, and our team have your best interest in mind because it’s in her or his best interest to have everything go amazing. You’re going to rep her or his art wherever you go once you walk out that door and that’s something that s/he will take very seriously.
From there once you’ve got it figured out, work with the artist to understand the story about what you’re doing together. What’s the process of the artist, what do they like about it, what lessons do they have to share that your piece brings to mind while you’re working together. You never get an answer if you don’t ask and sometimes, you don’t know the questions you really want to ask until you start talking.
Then from there, it’s time for the fun part – getting inked! So sit back and enjoy it because Life should be enjoyed.
And if you have any questions, stop by our friendly shop at 434 Ena Rd.
A hui hou!
This picture was taken during the last Hawaii Tattoo Convention and shows Takashi practicing the Japanese traditional form of tattooing, tebori.
434 Custom Tattooing 