Thinking about getting a tattoo from a guest tattoo artist? There are a few things you should know about first:

The influence of art around the world varies from place to place. Artists are exposed to sights, sounds and textures that are singular to their environments. This has created a rich talent pool of travelling Tattoo Artists from around the world. It’s also the reason why there are so many different styles of tattooing. Whenever a tattoo artist spends time in a certain location, the other artists at that location get to learn from them.

Guest or featured tattoo artists tour the globe sharing their perspective of the world through their craft can be a great experience for any person interested in getting a tattoo. You can meet travelling tattoo artists at conventions or at local studios that are hosting them during their visit. If you’re an avid tattoo collector then it’s a potential opportunity to meet an artist you’ve always admired. Especially if you had plans on visiting their studio one day but couldn’t make the trip to their home base.

If you’re considering getting work done with a guest tattoo artist, we recommend learning as much as you can about the artist before hand:

• Google the artist name and learn about the artist’s popularity and reputation.
• Research their style, work and portfolio. A travelling artist is usually going to want to work on their trademark style.
• Look at reviews and experiences from other people that have been tattooed by the guest artist, especially while they’re on tour.
• Make sure to know what their rates are so there are no surprises after the work is finished and it’s time to pay.
• Try and figure out how long they will be at a location for. It will usually be short, so that means a smaller amount of time to discuss your design and get it tattooed.
• Contact the artist and try to get the details of the tattoo finalised before the artist arrives for the guest spot. This means that the artists will spent maximum amount of his time actually tattooing.

You should also think about how long the artist is going to be in town for. If it’s only a week, then they probably won’t have time for a larger tattoo. Be sure to call ahead to figure this out so that you know what kind of piece to ask for because in general, the entire tattooing process is expedited when working with a guest artist.