‘Best Ink’ Contestant Guest Blog: Jessica Rotwein’s Tattoo Tips

Talk about a career transition! Before becoming a tattoo artist, Best Ink contestant Jessica Rotwein studied piano at Juilliard and performed as a classical pianist for 29 years! Getting her first tattoo at 26, the New Jersey native was a lot older than most tattoo first-timers. Her tattoo artist boyfriend at the time encouraged her to pursue the art of ink, teaching her the ways of tattooing – and since then she’s never looked back! Jessica joins Buzznet this week as a guest blogger, giving Buzznet some handy tattoo tips.

Here’s what Jessica had to say:

Getting tattooed is the experience of a lifetime. And it can be a very enjoyable one. If you listen to these mistakes that I have described for you and avoid making them when getting your tattoo, you will have a great experience and will also make your artist’s job a little easier.

Hopefully these tips will help you all! 1. First and foremost, the most common mistake I feel that people make is not putting enough thought into what you are getting. Getting a tattoo shouldn’t just be for the sake of just having a design on your body. Don’t come into the shop and tell an artist that you have no idea what you want and that you want them to recommend something to put on your body.

2. A more serious mistake that people too often make is not choosing the right shop or the right artist. I’ve seen some very scary results for this serious mistake. You really need to take the time to also research shops, read reviews, make sure the shop is clean and safe, and especially to check your artist’s portfolio. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You can get a serious infection, disease, or even have your skin scarred permanently if you are not careful.

3. Another mistake is haggling about the price of your tattoo. Just don’t do it. If you have found an artist you like to work with, complaining about the price is an insult to the time and dedication this artist is going to put into bringing your idea to life.

4. Not tipping after the work has been done for you is also a very common mistake. It’s like you going out to dinner and not tipping your waitress. We are in the hospitality category of services. We are doing a service for you to enjoy for the rest of your life. It is also a nice thing to do because most shops take half the money of the cost of your tattoo. Giving them a tip is your way of saying thanks for the time and effort the artist took to making sure your tattoo was done the right way.

– Jessica Rotwein