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Your first tattoo: the complete start-here guide
Getting a first tattoo is less one decision and more a short list of decisions, in a particular order. Here's that order, and what actually matters at each stage.
The order that actually works
Idea and style first. Then an artist who specialises in that style, not just any artist. Then a consultation to sort size and placement. Then the booking, deposit and the session itself. Then aftercare, which starts the moment you leave the chair, not when you remember a few days later.
Start with the idea, not the artist
It's tempting to find an artist you like first and figure out the idea later. Do it the other way around. Once you have a genuine sense of what you want, even loosely, style, subject, rough size, you're in a much better position to find the right person for it, rather than trying to fit your idea to whoever you found first.
A tattoo is permanent, or at least expensive to change. Give the idea itself real thought before you get to the practical steps. Would you still want this in ten years? Does it need to mean something, or is it purely visual, and is that okay with you? There's no wrong answer, just be honest with yourself about which one it is.
Pick a style before you pick an artist
This is the step people skip, and it's the one that causes the most regret. Every tattoo style, traditional, fine line, realism, blackwork and the rest, has its own rules, its own strengths, and its own artists who specialise in it. An artist who's brilliant at bold traditional work isn't necessarily the right choice for delicate fine line, even if their overall skill is obvious.
If you already know the look you want, great. If you don't, our find your style quiz is a genuinely useful starting point, a few questions and it points you toward the style worth researching first. Our full styles guide covers every major style in detail if you want to dig deeper from there.
Finding the right artist
Once you know the style, look specifically for artists who work in it. Their portfolio should show consistent, confident examples of that exact style, not one or two pieces buried among everything else they've done.
A few things worth checking before you reach out:
- Consistency. Look through a good chunk of their recent work in your style, not just their best three posts.
- Healed work, not just fresh. Fresh tattoos always look sharp. Healed photos tell you how their work actually holds up.
- How they communicate. A good artist asks questions and pushes back when something won't work well as a tattoo. That's a good sign, not a red flag.
- Hygiene and setup. A studio that takes this seriously will be obvious, and one that doesn't is worth avoiding regardless of how good the portfolio looks.
Our studio directory is a good place to start browsing studios across Australia if you're not sure where to look yet.
Booking and the consultation
For anything beyond a simple, off-the-shelf flash piece, expect a consultation, either in person or over message, before the actual appointment. This is where size, placement and design details get worked out, and it's a much better time to change your mind than once the machine is running.
A deposit is standard practice and protects the artist's time, expect to pay one to lock in a booking, and expect it to come off the final price. Ask upfront what happens if you need to reschedule, most studios have a clear policy and it's worth knowing before you need it.
What it costs
Pricing varies a lot by studio, artist experience, size and complexity. Some charge an hourly rate, others price by the piece, particularly for smaller or flash-style work. Neither is inherently better, but it's worth asking upfront which model a studio uses so you're not surprised at the end.
A cheap tattoo from an inexperienced artist can end up costing more in the long run if it needs fixing or covering later. This isn't an argument for always paying top dollar, it's an argument for weighting the decision on the artist's actual work in your style, not just the number on the quote.
What actually happens in the chair
You'll usually go over the design, size and placement one more time before anything starts. Once you're both happy, the artist preps the skin, applies a stencil for you to check placement and sizing against your actual body, and only starts once you've confirmed it.
Pain varies a lot by placement, some spots are genuinely more sensitive than others, thin skin over bone tends to hurt more than fleshier areas. It's manageable for the overwhelming majority of people, and most sessions include breaks if you need one. Tell your artist if something feels off, rather than pushing through silently.
Being a good client
- Sleep and eat properly beforehand. A long session on an empty stomach or no sleep is a rough combination.
- Skip the alcohol, the night before included. It thins your blood and most artists will refuse to work on you if you turn up drunk.
- Wear something that gives easy access to the area, and that you don't mind getting a bit of ink on.
- Bring snacks and water for anything longer than an hour or two.
- Sit still and communicate, rather than powering through discomfort without saying anything.
The moment you leave the studio
This is where most first-timers underestimate how much still matters. What you do in the next few weeks has a real, lasting effect on how the finished tattoo actually looks. Our complete aftercare guide covers the whole routine, washing, moisturising, what to avoid, and the rough timeline of what to expect at each stage. It's worth reading before your appointment, not after, so you're not figuring it out for the first time with an open wound.
Tattoo Standard is published by Penguin Tattoo Co, an Australian tattoo aftercare brand. This guide is general information. Always follow the specific instructions your artist gives you.