Your best bet would be to just walk into a shop and get a feel for the place. Listen to the talk going on. Show your design to a couple of folks and see what kind of reaction you get. If the place claims to have award winning artists ask to see some of their work. DO NOT accept flash as an example of work. Also ask to see photos of work they've done. Word of mouth is good too. Ask around to the folks you know that already have ink.

I won't try to dissuade you from getting your piece on your ankle but I will tell you to be sure to keep it VERY clean. Ink that close to your feet (and therefore your shoes and the ground) can get infected very easily.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing what you have done.

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Adventurer - Contraptionist - Scientist - Slightly Mad

Check out these Great Tutorials [link]

actually, the ankle isn't all that bad if you're getting something smallish.

i was a tattoo artist for 5 years, i think i may have mentioned this in the past, but to find a good artist, make sure they have a portfolio within good view of their customers that you are happy with their work.

ask if they have any pictures of healed work.

ask to see their supplies, make sure they have everything bagged and ask to see their autoclave.

most places will be more than happy to show you how clean they are, and if they're dodgy about it (beyond giving you a weird look, people dont usually ask to see those things) go someplace else. dont just ask questions like "are you guys clean" because they might find the need to lie about it.


definitely look at a few shops and a few different artists beforehand. look to see if their lines are clean, and the color is solid. if they show you healed tattoos, look to make sure the color isn't patchy at all, it should be smooth.

that should just about do it ^__^

--
if you asked me a question read this instead
[link]
or....link to full FAQ at the bottom.
if you're a dreamer night is the only time of day.

It is painful, but it isn't THAT painful. Find something to focus on, whether it's something on the walls, the artist, or talk about something.

Eat filling food high in vitamins. If you need to go to the bathroom, or throw up, warn the artist immediately, but don't move before he stops inking.

Do recon work on the shops. Most places have websites now, you can see the staff and shop.

Go in and check the shop out with a friend too, talk to an artist.

I've gotten 6 from 5 different people, they're all very different people, so find someone you get along with or at least can get along with long enough.

If you have more specifics, I'm happy to answer as best I can.


And Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

--
~FloonsUnited

I suggest asking some people in your area who have really nice work to refer you to an artist. Go to the artist and tell him/her what you want and they'll mos likely sketch it out for you. If the sketch comes out to your liking then it's a green light to get the tat from that person. And no matter where on your body you get it, it's going to hurt... it just feels like you're being burned by something very hot, over and over again in the same area. Good luck and I'm sure it'll look great!

--
We're gonna have a funky good time.

oh, and avoid just word of mouth, most people dont know what they're talking about, or they really dont know what a good tattoo looks like. you're an artist, follow your instincts.

--
if you asked me a question read this instead
[link]
or....link to full FAQ at the bottom.
if you're a dreamer night is the only time of day.

it is painful. though we all have different tolerances for pain, anyone who says it isn't is lying to look tough to make friends

anyplace over a bone or where the skin is really thin, like the ankle, will hurt more. make sure you eat a good meal first, something filling. i have been tattooed six times and being tattooed on an empty stomach sucks. make sure you haven't had anything that will thin the blood (alcohol or aspirin products), that will make it bleed more. the place where i got tattooed that hurt the most was under my bicep (i have a circumferential armband) and least was the back of my neck. my calf hurt, too. but i want #7 and will be getting it in the next year or so.

and, as for the pain goes, i wouldn't dare dissuade you from having it done. like i said, i have six tattooes, some took as little as 20 minutes, one took 2-1/2 hours. as long as it is a piece that is personal to you, i wouldn't tell anyone ever to not get a tattoo. i got my first piece at 18, then 19, 20, two at 22 and my last at 27. i am 34 and still love all of them. i don't give a damn what people say: "oh, when you're 40, you'll regret it and at 80 you'll look stupid with a saggy-ass tattoo." F all that. at least i have done something i wanted to do instead of being 40 or 80 and wishing i had been tattooed at 18 and 22.

don't forget to show us the result!

--
If you can't laugh at yourself, you don't have the right to laugh at anyone else.

I got mine on a whim. I don't regret it one bit. I was in a really small town when I got it done, and since it was a spur of the moment decision, I didn't get a chance to look at different parlors in the area (really, there was only one "good" one, and one other of questionable practices). I'd suggest going to several though and looking through their books of photos of previous tattoos. Talk to the artists. Talk to the locals who frequent the shops.

But do your research.

It wasn't around when I got mine, but I hear there's some sort of gel or creme that people sometimes use to numb the pain of the needle--kind of like Novocaine? Maybe you can check to see if they have that, too, if you're worried about the pain.

And really, it doesn't hurt all THAT much....its kindof like getting scratched by a cat over and over again (haha, that probably doesn't help much). I should also note that if you have a colored piece that you want, the outline parts/black ink parts will hurt a HELL of a lot more than the colored parts because the needle is longer and has to penetrate more layers of skin. When they get to the color parts, it will be a welcome relief, haha.

Most importantly, though, PLEASE check out how CLEAN each shop is. Most states have various laws, but I think it goes across the board that a new needle needs to be used each time, and everything needs to be sterile before each person's use. Most reputable shops, the ones you WANT to go to, will be more than happy to show you their cleanliness.

GOOD LUCK~!!! Happy early birthday, and please post pics when you get it. Yay.

Awe, crap, I forgot you live in Canada, so I'm not sure what the laws are about parlor cleanliness is; but its EXTREMELY important that you check, all the same.

SoYouWanna.com has a good article about getting a tattoo.

[link]

Ooh good luck with that! I'm thinking of getting one too...I know a good artist already >w< <3

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~Sweetwaterbucketcookie~