The Couture Tattoo Approach

Does this sound like you?

• I want a tattoo from a tattooist whose work I know well and admire. I’d like them to guide me in an in-depth and collaborative design process or I might just be willing to turn my skin over to their artistic vision.
• Although I may see a few sketches of what the tattooist has planned, it’s okay if I don’t see the complete and final design until after it’s already inked to my skin.
• I realize getting a couture tattoo can take some time and a high level of skill, so I’m willing to pay top dollar for such a specialized service.

Couture tattoos aren’t for the faint of heart or for those with a very specific vision of their tattoo design in mind, but they often result in some of the most inspired work from talented and artistically minded tattooists. Like the name implies, Couture tattoos are highly specialized and often very expensive, with the tattooist inking the image “freehand” onto your body with either no stencil at all or from a freehand sketch they made onto your skin. The design reference can be, depending on the Couture tattooist, almost entirely based on their vision and artistic skill. It might also mean deciding to “hand over” your skin as a permanent canvas, like a museum collecting the best and most groundbreaking examples of art.

While some tattooists see this approach as an opportunity for ultimate artistic freedom, others see it as a method for a very in-depth creative process with their clients that involve multiple consultation sessions and an opportunity for you to really connect with your tattooist in a true collaboration. The goal is for them to know and understand you, find your tattoo vision and translate it to your skin through their own artistic styles. Some Couture tattoo artists who work in this way may also provide some additional pampering — offering limo services to take you to their private studio from the airport or bringing in massage therapists to soothe your body before those needles hit skin.

If you’re thinking about a Couture tattoo, then it’s important for you to have a very good idea of what a particular tattooist is capable of, what their past Couture work looks like and the kinds of genres that they work in. A good way to do this is to become familiar with the artist’s sketches, flash art (some that can be found on TattooFinder.com) and the tattooist’s portfolio.

Potential benefits to the Couture approach:

• MASTERPIECE: You’ll likely end up with an amazing piece of skin art that, depending on the individual approach of the Couture tattooist, will represent either your tattooist’s artistic vision or your own.
• CREATION OF A BOND: While great bonds can be created through any tattoo experience, the Couture approach is generally a very involved process that allows a tattooist and client to really get to know each other well. Great friendships have come out of the Couture process.
• ROCK STAR STATUS: You may just have a limo take you to your tattoo appointment! Despite the fluff, Couture tattooists are generally pretty well known and respected in the industry. Getting inked by one of them can add an entirely new level of uniqueness to your tattoo experience.