How do you make a tattoo look better without touching the tattoo itself?
You improve the looks of the body it’s on!
I recently asked my good friend Mike Geary over at TruthAboutAbs if I could give away his ebook “Insider Secrets for a Lean Body” to my newsletter subscribers. Luckily his answer was “Sure Mark!”.
I read through it the other day and it contains some really simple “tweaks” that you can implement into your daily life that’ll make it a lot easier to get lean.
…and secrets like “The top 15 fat-blasting workouts” and what fast food that is ok to eat and what will make you FAT.
So, download your free copy and get the secrets to carving out those six pack abs or if you’re a girl - that flat sexy stomach!
To be totally honest with you, these aren’t really secrets, but still I’m surprised to see how most people completely overlook them. I guess that must be why tattoo removal is such a profitable business these days?
This is a great step-by-step plan to follow if you’re thinking about getting a tattoo and want it to turn out as good as it possibly can.
Here’s we go…
Secret #1. Find a purpose or a meaning
Nothing wrong with getting a tattoo “just because it looks good”. But if you want a tattoo that you’ll be sure to feel proud of and love for the rest of your life, you’ll want it to have some kind of “deeper meaning”.
Ever seen Miami Ink? Have you noticed that every single person that walks in their door and is being showcased on the show has some kind of purpose or story behind their tattoo?
Why is this important?
Well, first off it makes the odds that you’re still going to be happy about that tattoo a few years down the line that much greater.
It has a cool little side-benefit too (especially if you’re single): When you have a deeper meaning behind your tattoo and you share that with other people they often instantly tend to look at you as a more interesting person.
You’ll probably also find that people walk up to you more frequently at the street, at parties etc. wanting to compliment you on or ask questions about your tattoo. If you’re a naturally shy person, this is a great way to have girls/guys approach YOU, instead of the other way around
Ok, enough of the “dating stuff”…
So how do you find that “special meaning” for your tattoo?
Here are some ideas…
Have you experienced a tragic/happy event or moment that you’ll never forget?
What are your values and beliefs?
Is there a person in your life that has a special place in your heart? (be careful here…you know what I’m talking about!)
What are your aspirations/goals?
Secret #2. Come up with a *killer* idea
This is often the hardest part…But a lot of people often make it a lot harder than it has to be.
Once you know what you want your tattoo to represent, all you have to do is figure out what it is that is going to symbolize that memory, value, event or whatever it is.
One mistake I’m seeing a lot is people looking around forever for that PERFECT tattoo design, but there’s always something wrong with the designs they come across. Be it the colors, that something is missing, the size, or that it’s just not the right “style”. As a result, they end up frustrated and never get that tattoo they wanted.
It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to find a tattoo design that’s a 100% spot on no matter how long or how hard you look for it.
Yes, we do have thousands of designs in our gallery, and it’s growing every month. Does that mean you’re going to find that perfect dream tattoo among them? Not very likely.
BUT, it’s very possible that you’re going to find a great design that can be slightly modified, added to, combined with another design, or something that’ll just spark an idea.
The real secret lies in realizing that most tattoo artists are willing to make any changes you’re asking for.
Here are a few tips on what you can do that will hopefully get your ideas flowing:
Ask your artist to modify or add something to a design
Find a photo of what you’re looking for and tell your artist to turn it into a tattoo
Beautiful photos that can easily be turned into tattoos are actually something people have been asking me for, and we will most probably include a gallery of such photos in the new version of TattooMeNow that will be launching in the near future.
I can’t promise that it’ll be there on the launch day, but it’s definitely something we’re planning on includin pretty early on.
If you simply can’t find ANY design, photo or whatever that you can bring to your artist, you’re pretty much left with one option and that is to try to communicate to the artist exactly what it is that you want and have him/her draw a custom design for you. This MAY work well if you’re good at communicating and the artist “gets it”.
Oh, I almost forgot…there’s of course the option of drawing it up yourself, if you have a talent for that.
Secret #3: Find a world-class, super-duper fantastic artist
This is obviously a crucial step to making sure you end up with a great tattoo.
Here’s a step-by-step approach that I recommend you follow…
Step 1. What type of tattoo are you getting? Is it going to be black & grey or colored? Are you willing to travel or are you going to be limited to the artists in your local area? These are all important questions you should ask yourself before you start looking for an artist.
Most artists specialize in or are better at certain styles or types of tattoos. Others only work with color etc. The answers to these questions will determine the size of your list of potential artists that will compete for the honor of doing your super-awesome tattoo
Step 2. When looking for a shop and an artist, look at their previous work. Most shops have websites where you can view the tattoos the artists have done. Type in “Tattoo shop” + “your city” into Google and you’ll most probably find the majority of the artists in your area. If you have friends with tattoos you like, ask them who the artist was.
Other ideas for finding artists are browsing tattoo magazines, visiting conventions and talking to people online. Don’t forget to create a list of all the artists you find most interesting.
Step 3. If you’re really serious about finding the very best, you’ll want to pick the 2-4 artists from your list you’re most interested in and do some more research on them. Check if they’re a member of the Better Business Bureau and if they have any records there. Search for their name and studio online and see if you can find any further info on them, maybe even comments from previous customers.
Then, go visit all the shops and ask a few questions such as how long they’ve been in business, if they have any references, how many tattoos they’ve done, if they guarantee their work and if you can have a look at their portfolio. Based on the impression you get when visiting the artists, pick the one you like best and make an appointment.
Step 4. When showing up in the studio, make sure the artist’s work area and needles are clean and that he/she has all the proper certifications. Then pray a silent prayer and hope for the best
This may look like a lot of things to go through just to get a tattoo. But if you look at your tattoo as a lifetime commitment that you’re going to be looking at every day I’m sure you’ll realize it’s worth it.
Mark
PS. Do you have any other tips, tricks or secrets you’d like to share? Post a comment below!
