Thinking About Your First Tattoo? The Complete First Tattoo Guide
Getting your first tattoo is exciting — and a little daunting. This complete first tattoo guide walks you through everything worth knowing before you book: where to find real inspiration, the difference between custom and flash designs, how to use AI the smart way (and where it falls apart on skin), and exactly how to tell a good tattoo artist from a risky one.
Whether you’ve been planning your first piece for years or the idea only just landed, by the end you’ll know what to look for and what to ask. And if you’d rather talk it through in person, book a free consultation at our private Bermondsey studio, South East London — no pressure, no commitment.
* Where to find first tattoo inspirations ?
The best place to start is a collection of images you actually love, not a single fixed idea. Pinterest is ideal for this — make a board and save anything that catches your eye, from full designs to small details like linework, shading or a particular subject. Instagram is where you’ll find real artists and real healed work; follow tattooers whose style speaks to you and save posts to a folder. Don’t ignore the wider web either — style guides, studio galleries and even art, photography and nature outside of tattooing all make great reference.
As you gather images, patterns will emerge — you’ll notice you keep saving the same kind of thing. That’s your style taking shape. If you’re drawn to something delicate, our fine line tattoo work is a popular first-tattoo choice; browse the full tattoo styles page to see what pulls you in.
+ How many reference images should I bring?
Five to ten is plenty. You don’t need the exact final design — a handful of images that show the feel, the subject and the level of detail you like gives your artist everything they need to design something that’s truly yours.
* Custom vs flash: which is right for your first tattoo?
There are two ways to get tattooed, and both are perfect for a first piece. Flash designs are pre-drawn artwork ready to be tattooed as-is — you pick something the artist has already created. It’s quick, straightforward, and a lovely low-pressure way to start, especially if you want something small and simple. Several of our artists keep available flash designs you can book directly; you’ll find them on each artist’s page.
Custom work is drawn from scratch around your idea. You bring your references, and your artist designs a one-off piece that fits your body and your story. It takes a little longer and involves a consultation, but nothing else will ever look quite like it. For a first tattoo with real meaning behind it, custom is hard to beat. Meet the people who’d draw it on our artists page.
(Pricing note: whichever route you choose, your price is confirmed at your free consultation — guide rates are shown on each artist’s page.)
* Should you use AI to design your first tattoo?
AI tools are everywhere now, and it’s tempting to type in an idea and use whatever image comes out as your design. Here’s the honest advice: use AI for inspiration, never as your final design. As a way to explore ideas — a pose, a combination of elements, a mood — it can be genuinely useful. As a finished tattoo, it almost never works.
The problem is that AI doesn’t understand skin. It produces images, not tattoos, and there’s a big difference. AI designs are typically packed with detail that simply can’t hold on skin — lines too fine and too close together that will blur and merge as the tattoo ages. They ignore how a design has to wrap and flow around a real body, so proportions and placement look wrong the moment you move them off a flat image. And they’re often physically impossible to reproduce by hand at a realistic size: shrink that busy AI image down to fit your forearm and the fine detail turns to mush within a couple of years.
What that means in practice is that an AI “design” almost always has to be redrawn from scratch anyway — so you haven’t really saved any time. The far better path is to bring your AI image (or any reference) to a consultation and let an artist rework it into something that will actually look good on your skin now and in ten years.
+ Can a tattoo artist fix an AI design?
Yes — that’s exactly what a consultation is for. Bring the AI image along and treat it as a starting point. Your artist will keep what works, fix the proportions and detail so it holds on skin, and redraw it into a design built for your body. Book a free consultation and we’ll do exactly that.
* How to research a tattoo artist: 6 things to check
Your artist matters more than your design. A great tattooer makes a simple idea sing; the wrong one can turn a beautiful design into a piece you regret. Before you book anywhere, check these six things:
- Healed work, not just fresh photos. Anything looks sharp the day it’s done. Ask to see photos of tattoos healed for months or years — that’s the real test of quality.
- Consistency in a style. A good artist has a clear style they’ve refined, and their portfolio looks consistent — not a scattered mix of everything done to an average standard.
- Reviews and reputation. Read Google and Instagram comments. Look for repeat clients and word-of-mouth, and be wary of an artist with no reviewable history at all.
- A proper consultation process. Good artists want to talk your idea through before tattooing it. If somewhere will book a big custom piece with zero conversation, that’s a flag.
* What should you ask a tattoo artist before booking?
Most of what you need is on a good artist’s website or Instagram — but if it isn’t, or you just want reassurance, ask. Any professional will happily answer. Worth asking:
- Is my idea better as custom or flash, and roughly what size would you recommend?
- Have you tattooed this style / subject before — can I see a healed example?
- What’s your process — do we consult first, and how do deposits work?
- How should I prepare, and how long will the session take?
- What aftercare do you recommend for my skin and this placement?
If the answers are clear, patient and unhurried, you’ve found a good one. If getting a straight answer feels like hard work, keep looking.
Planning a bigger first piece? Our guide on how to prepare for an all-day session covers what to eat, wear and bring.
Take your time, gather what you love, and choose your artist carefully — do that, and your first tattoo will be the first of many good decisions. When you’re ready, we’re here to make the whole thing feel easy.