Rinat Tattarin Mingazdinov / Tattooartist in LA

How to Choose a Tattoo Design

2026-01-09 05:07 Styles
I am a tattoo artist in Los Angeles, and every day I hear the same question: how to choose a design so you will not regret it later. For me, choosing a tattoo design is not about picking a random image from Pinterest, but about making a conscious decision that you will live with for years.
Approximate Reading Time: 5–6 minutes

Where a design really starts

Any good tattoo design starts not with a picture, but with your intention.
First, honestly answer a few questions for yourself:

  • Where did the idea of getting a tattoo come from: a movie, an artist, a character, music, or an important life event.
  • What emotions you want to feel when you look at your tattoo: calm, strength, rebellion, tenderness.
  • Which part of your body you have already imagined this tattoo on while looking at yourself in the mirror.

Most often, people come to me with an idea that is already forming, even if it is still vague: an animal, a character, a symbol, a certain mood. It is important to have a direction, not a finished image copied one to one.

Does a Tattoo Need a “Deep Meaning”

A tattoo can have meaning, or it can have none at all, and both options are completely fine.

Some people like to dig deep and build a personal philosophy around every detail. Others are honest and say, “I just like how it looks.”

  • You can attach meaning to almost any image. A lion can symbolize courage, even though in real life lions also run away from gunshots.
  • And if there is no meaning at all, you are still making a valid choice. A tattoo can simply be body decoration, and that is more than enough.

The main thing is not to pressure yourself with the idea that every line must mean something. Beauty and aesthetics are often more important than forced symbolism.

Style Matters More Than the Subject

People often get stuck on the subject itself: “I want this exact dragon, this specific lion, this scene copied one to one.”

In practice, the style matters more than the subject.

  • You are not just choosing an image, you are choosing a visual language in which that image will be created.
  • The same idea looks completely different in realism, Japanese tattooing, neotraditional, organic styles, or Black and Grey.

Very often someone comes in focused on a specific scene, but during the process it turns out that what they really connect with is a Japanese composition or a neotraditional character, not the literal story of the tattoo itself.

How Style Affects Longevity

Style is not just about aesthetics, it also affects how a tattoo will age over time.

  • Realism, especially macro realism with lots of fine details, soft transitions, and skin textures, tends to lose some of its “micro effects” as years pass.
  • Traditional Japanese tattoos with solid fills and large shapes tend to stay stable and vibrant longer, even without perfect aftercare or SPF protection.

Large shapes, dense color, and well-planned contrasts almost always age better than tiny details made of fine lines.

How to Find Your Own Style

The path to discovering your own tattoo style is always the same - exposure.

  • Look at a lot of work from different artists on Instagram, studio websites, and portfolio pages.
  • Save the pieces that resonate with you, even if you don’t know the style name.

A common situation: you bring me a selection, and I see that 80 percent of it is, for example, NeoTrad or Japanese.

You might not have known the term, but your taste and direction are already there - my job is to identify it and adapt it to your request.

How to Properly Collect References

References are important, but it’s easy to overload the process.

  • The optimal approach is three references in one direction, not twenty images of “I want everything at once.”
  • One reference can show the character’s pose, another the mood and space, and a third the personality and emotion.

When someone brings twenty unrelated images and tries to fit everything into a single tattoo, it almost always results in a weak, overloaded design.

Custom Design and Working with a Tattoo Artist

A custom design is an individual piece that the artist creates specifically for your request.

The process usually looks like this:

  • You come in for a consultation, either online or in person, and explain your wishes in detail.
  • You show references and describe what exactly you like in them: pose, style, mood, details.
  • The artist creates a design tailored to your anatomy, placement, and scale, rather than simply copying someone else’s tattoo.

A good custom design takes into account the body’s shape, muscle movement, and perspective — things a random image from the internet cannot provide.

Pre-made Designs and Copying

Pre-made designs are not magically dangerous; their main real drawback is that you might encounter someone else with the same tattoo.

If that does not bother you, technically there is nothing wrong with using them.

  • However, if you want something truly unique, it makes sense to go for a custom design rather than a direct copy.
  • Artists have different attitudes toward copying their work.

If you post a design publicly, be prepared that someone somewhere might replicate it.

Personally, my approach is simple: if you want maximum uniqueness, do not copy and do not ask for “exactly like this photo.”

Where to Get Your First Tattoo

The first rule is: do not start with your face.

Arms, legs, and torso are normal starting zones if you understand the implications for work and lifestyle.

  • Often people already have an idea of where they want the tattoo but feel shy to admit it.
  • If you come with a design that does not fit the chosen area, for example, a complex piece on the hand, the artist can suggest a different location.

A good specialist will always explain where the design will “sit” best and where it might need to be adjusted or simplified.

Back, Large Areas, and First Tattoos

The back is an ideal area for large projects, and it is better to plan it as a whole rather than as a collection of small pieces.

  • The best approach is to design the back as a single composition, sometimes extending it to the buttocks and legs, turning the body into a cohesive tattoo “suit.”
  • If it’s a small first tattoo, it’s better to place it in an area that can later be covered or expanded, for example, the lower leg.

This does not mean that a first tattoo cannot cover the entire back. If you are ready and have found an artist you trust, that approach can also work.

Small Tattoos and Trends

Small tattoos are not a mistake on their own.

  • Nowadays many young people intentionally get small tattoos as a way of self-expression.
  • Trends change over time: there were periods of dense sleeves, then a wave of tiny “stamps,” and tomorrow full-body suits might come back into fashion.

The problem arises when someone tries to fit a complex design into a tiny area or overloads a mini piece with too many details.

Color or Black and Grey

The choice between color and Black and Grey is always a matter of personal taste.

If you feel that color is your thing, go for color.

  • If you look at color tattoos and think “not for me,” but your eye is drawn to black and grey, stick with Black and Grey.
  • Some styles work especially well in black and grey: realism, organic, and certain trash styles.

Other styles gain extra depth and expressiveness with color: NeoTrad, Japanese, and biomechanical.

Color and Tattoo Cost

A color tattoo is usually more expensive not because of the pigments, but because of the time involved.

  • In Black and Grey, many areas are built with shading, so you don’t need to fill every space completely.
  • With color, dense filling is often required, so the same thigh piece might take two sessions instead of one.

The more details and the denser the coverage, the higher the cost, especially for large projects.

How Design Affects Tattoo Price

The price of a tattoo always depends on two main factors: size and detail.

  • The larger the area, the more hours of work are required.
  • The more complex the design and the more small details it has, the higher the final cost.

In Los Angeles, you can find artists charging anywhere from 50–100 dollars up to several thousand for a project.

The range is huge, and ultimately it depends on your budget and how much you value the artist’s work.

Tattoo Mistakes That Age Quickly

Some decisions tend to cause regret the fastest.

  • Getting a partner’s name tattooed the day after meeting them.
  • Impulsive tattoos done “hungover” like a bachelor party in Vegas, especially on the face or highly visible areas.

Until a certain age, it can be hard to foresee long-term consequences.

It’s better to approach a tattoo sober, well-rested, and with minimal drama.

How Long to Prepare for Your First Tattoo

Prepare as long as you need to feel confident saying, "I definitely want this and I know where and to whom I’m going."

  • Look at works, gather references, study artists until a calm certainty forms inside.
  • Once you can clearly explain to the artist what you want and like their portfolio, you’re ready for a consultation.

There’s no need to delay for years just out of fear of making a mistake. It’s far more important to choose the right artist and not try to save money on someone who works on your body permanently.

Why All This Matters

People get tattoos to enjoy them aesthetically. The amount of enjoyment you get depends directly on the artistic value of the design.

  • The bigger and more thoughtfully planned a piece is, the more you can invest in composition, dynamics, details, light, and shadow.
  • A small area packed with a complex story almost always loses to a large, well-planned project.

When you dedicate a big area—like your back, a sleeve, or a thigh—and go to the right artist, you’re always at an advantage.

Trying to fit a complex story into a tiny space almost always results in a compromise.

My Main Advice

First, understand what you really want. Then find an artist whose work resonates with you. Only after that, work together to choose and refine the design.

Build your visual experience, bring a few thoughtful references, and be open to increasing the scale. This way, your first or next tattoo will bring enjoyment for many years.