Question of the Week - Planning Out Your Tattoo Design

Question: "I've got a tattoo question for you and this might sound really dumb but I'll ask it anyway. Lets say I have an idea to get a tattoo of some sexy woman holding a guitar. How exactly do I convey my idea to the tattoo artist? I'm REALLY terrible at drawing so I'd be really afraid of an artist going off of my drawing. So how do you get you ideas into reality when it comes to tattoos?" - Brian Tew

Answer: "First of all, there really are no dumb questions. This stuff is not 'common sense' which is why I do what I do - I love it when people ask this kind of stuff because it means they're thinking instead of just jumping into it.

So, to answer your question simply - a true artist is exactly that; an artist. You should not need to draw anything. Sketches and references definitely help though, because someone you've never met before can't be expected to be inside your head and understand exactly what you're looking for, even if you describe it. That doesn't mean you have to find an actual drawing of a sexy woman holding a guitar - you can find one sexy woman because you like her hair and then find another one because you like the particular pose. Then you can find one guitar because you like the shape of the body but another because you prefer the neck style or pickups - whatever. Bring them all to your artist and they can combine those elements into one workable design for you.

You can bring your references in from anywhere whether it be internet, gif files or photographs from playboy magazine or a flier for a guitar shop - doesn't matter. They will draw what they think your vision is and you have the opportunity to change or approve it before you get anything permanent. Some artists charge a small fee for this, just so they don't go to the trouble to draw it all up for nothing, because some people back out. An artist's fee usually ranges from $20-$50, depending on the size and complexity of the design.

Keep in mind that with the particular design you're wanting, it's not going to be small. To get a decent amount of detail in the woman's face and the guitar itself, you're looking at (guessing here) at least 6 inches tall and 4-6 inches wide. (I'm including the width of the guitar, assuming it's in a horizontal or semi-horizontal position) 8 inches tall and 6-8 inches wide would probably be even better. It takes a competent artist to get correct facial proportions in a small design, and yes - even if the whole tattoo is 8x6, the face is still rather small.