A good consultation is mostly the artist asking questions. But there are specific things you should volunteer up front — and others you should hold back.
Tell them upfront
- Your full budget range — not a fake floor, your actual ceiling
- Any medical conditions affecting healing (diabetes, autoimmune, blood thinners, recent surgery)
- Allergies, including latex, lidocaine, or specific pigments
- If you tend to faint at needles or have low pain tolerance — they can adjust the session pace
- Time constraints — if you have to leave at 4pm, say so at booking, not on the day
- Your full reference set, including what you do NOT want from each reference
- Placement flexibility — are you open to adjustment, or fixed on a specific spot
Reference handling
Send references in the consultation, not the day-of. Format:
- 3–6 visual references max — more is noise
- What you like about each (the color palette, the composition, the linework, the energy)
- A clear "do not want" list — "no realism faces", "no script"
- Body measurements or photos of the placement area
Take a clear photo of the area you want tattooed, in good light, against a blank background. It helps the artist scale and place the design before you arrive.
What to skip
- Stories about pain tolerance ("I have a high pain tolerance" or "I'm a wimp") — neither helps; pain is pain
- Your friend's tattoo opinions or your partner's objections — your artist did not sign up for that
- Negotiating attempts after they've quoted
- Comparing them to other artists you considered
- Asking them to copy another artist's work — they will decline and lose respect
- Showing them their own competitor's portfolio
- Mid-session "can you also do this small one over here"
During the session
Keep the conversation light or quiet. Most artists do not mind chatting but cannot do their best work mid-sentence. Read the room — if they are deep in detail work, let them focus. If they are doing easy lines or color packing, conversation is welcome.
After
When the piece is done, thank them, ask the aftercare questions, then leave. The longest part of the relationship is over but the social part is too — staying around chatting after delays the next client and signals you do not respect their time.