There's no one simple way to pick a tattoo artist. It's one of the leading questions I get asked in e-mail and the one I most often don't have a good answer for. I can't pick a tattoo artist for you, but I can make some suggestions for how you can find one yourself.

Picking a tattooist can be a lot like finding a hair dresser, a doctor, a dentist or a therapist. Most people will read that sentence and think "wow, none of those are really easy to find" and you're right if that's what you're thinking. As with all those occupations, what makes someone good is a balance of technical skills, personal manner and communication between professional and client. Using a combination of the below is a pretty good technique.

Word of Mouth - This is probably the number one way that most people find their tattoo artists. Asking someone who has a tattoo that you really find attractive or asking tattooed friends is the most common method. Note that one person's idea of a good artist is not always another persons, so try to talk with your friends to find out why they like their tattoo artist.

Art Style - Some tattoo artists make a certain style a mainstay of their work or are known for doing a certain style really well. If there's something specific you are looking for like tribal-style, graffiti, pastel shading, working by hand in the Japanese technique, etc., you might want to take the time and effort to go to a tattoo artist known for specializing in what you are seeking.

"Celebrity" artists - I use this phrase to refer both to tattooists who are widely known in the tattoo community or artists who are known for having tattooed a celebrity. Some people are drawn to seek out a certain tattooist who has gone to the effort to get their work widely published in magazine, or who have won tattoo convention contests. Other people want to get a tattoo from an artist because they work at a certain shop, or are known for having tattooed a celebrity that the prospective client admires.

Here Now - This is the favorite method of sailors, impulsive college students and drunks. Some people purely go to a certain artist as that is the only person tattooing in the local area. It's hit or miss, either the local tattooist is good, or they aren't. Some people also think it's a great idea to get a tattoo for free from a friend who is learning just because it's free.

I always find my tattooists well ahead of getting the actual tattoo. I look at the art drawn by the tattooist, checking out their flash and their book of pictures. I've had male and female artists but some folks have a preference, so think about that too. Doing a little bit of homework is worth it to have happy ink for life.