For those among us who are fans of tattoos, we very much know that the cost is a major factor in choosing a design. But for those who may not be well seasoned in the world of tattoos and their costs, it can be hard to determine what you can get for the budget that you have, or how much you’ll need to save up in order to get your dream design. While a tattoo should be one of your last considerations if you are in a lot of debt and are in need of an emergency short term loan to help you on your way back to financial independence, knowing what to expect and planning far ahead for your tattoo can help you to make sure you’re looking in the right place. Here, we’re taking a look at some of the main things to consider when it comes to working out the price of a tattoo.
Artist
Which artist you go with will ultimately have an effect on how much they will charge you. An artist just starting out can’t charge nearly as much because they simply don’t have the experience to base a cost from. The skill of the artist will also make a difference. After all, a tattoo artist who can successfully do a true-to-life piece will likely be able to charge closer to £300 an hour for a portrait piece compared to someone whose strength may not lie in realistic depictions.
Colour
Single colour tattoos are, naturally, going to be cheaper than those that have multiple colours. More colour usually requires more detail and more use of materials, and so the cost will rise per hour. Charges per hour sometimes stay the same, but more colour can take more time than a simple black line tattoo, which will take more time simply because it requires more detail.
Size
Once again, the size can also ultimately come down to time. The larger the tattoo, the longer it will take to complete. The smaller a tattoo is, the less time it will take and the cheaper it will be, especially if it’s simple. Larger, more detailed designs can take longer to complete, but also more aftercare. A small tattoo won’t require more than a tube of aftercare cream, while a tattoo across your whole back may take more than one by the time that your tattoo has healed.
Design
The more time that your design takes to be drawn up and ultimately tattooed onto your body will affect the cost overall. Once again, per-hour rates will mean that a larger, more detailed tattoo will cost more, and can potentially even take more than one sitting. Custom designs will also affect the price as drawing up and tweaking a custom design will take far longer than simply using a design that the tattoo artist already has and can tweak to fit.
Placement
The placement of the tattoo can also affect how much the tattoo will cost. The human body has nerves more concentrated in different places, and so more sensitive parts are going to cost more simply because it may take longer to complete, or because it’s an uncommon spot to have a tattoo. Your feet, hands, neck, sternum and genitals are the most sensitive areas for a tattoo, so make sure you not only consider this in the costs, but in the pain and your tolerance too.