It’s never a good idea to jump right into the tattoo game without thinking your decision through. The sad fact is that as tattoos grow more popular, tattoo removal services get more popular as well, which should tell you that there’s a lot of people unhappy with their decision.

Coming up with a tattoo you want to have with you for the rest of your life is a very complicated and difficult process that should never be rushed. Getting rid of a tattoo is difficult, expensive and more painful that getting the work done in the first place, so you should really make sure you’re going to get something you’re happy with before gun starts buzzing. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing your tattoo artist carefully.

There are several misconceptions about tattoo artists out there, especially when it comes to understanding what their job actually is. Tattoo artists aren’t just illustrators, they’re part of the creative process that makes the tattoo work. A tattoo artist is really as much of a graphic designer as he or she is an illustrator and a good artist can make your design or idea a reality by helping to flesh out your concept. This is their job, after all, and you’re as much an advertisement for their abilities as you are a customer, so they want to make sure your tattoo looks cool. Considering how important it is to the final product, it makes a lot of sense for you to stop and really consider who you want inking you up.

The first and most important piece of advice for anyone considering a tattoo is patience. This applies to all levels of your tattoo, from coming up with the idea to picking an artist. You can have your idea kicking around in your head for a long time; taking a few extra days to consider which artist you want working on you is a small price to pay for getting a good final result. You should take the extra time so you can shop around and check out several different studios. Price isn’t the only thing that’s important here- you’re looking for an artist with a portfolio that shows off an art style that matches what you want as much as you’re trying to save some money.

While you’re shopping around you should really pour over the different portfolios at each studio. A given studio will often have a related set of styles for their artists, or a shared history and background. This isn’t always the case though; you can only tell by looking at what each of the artists have done. This isn’t impolite or anything, a good artist will want to you to check out their work. It makes it easier for them to gauge what you want in a tat and can give both of you a place to start from when coming up with a design.

Word of mouth is probably one of the best ways to determine who you want working on you. Listen to your friends or other customers from the studio to figure out what kind of experience they had with the place. This can include a lot more than just the quality of the art. Everything from how the artist interacts during the tattooing process to the aftercare necessary is part of the tattoo experience. Don’t be afraid to ask people with tattoos where they got theirs. Most people really enjoy talking about their tattoos and are happy to advertise for their favorite artists.

Picking the right tattoo artist is a process that is difficult and time consuming but totally worth the extra effort, especially if you’re considering getting multiple tattoos. Many people establish lasting relationships with their particular artists and go back again and again for touch ups or additional work. Picking the right artist can be the difference between getting a tattoo you regret and a piece of art that you’ll love forever.