They are artists in their own right and are able to produce stunning designs of their own. By copying another tattoo, it's not only seen as rude, but it could be violating copyright laws. If you take someone else's work and get paid for it without crediting the original artist, you are breaking the copyright law.
Also, remember that good artists won't copy another artist's design so don't ask. Don't send them a picture of another artist's work and say “I want this tattoo”. Don't be surprised if the artist does not want to tattoo in a style that is not their own. Do share reference images for the subject matter you like.
It is rude to the artist you are asking, as well as the artist whose work is being plagiarized. If you must have a specific tattoo you've seen somewhere else, find a tattoo artist who did the original work and ask him or her to give you the same tattoo.
Can Tattoo Artists Copy a Drawing? While tattoo artists can technically copy a drawing and use it for a tattoo, it's not considered best practice legally, professionally, or creatively.
Tattoo Artist Refusal
“I want exactly this, the same as it is tattooed on this person, and this person, and those ten other people”. For artists like Timothy, a tattoo design is supposed to be unique to you as an individual, and copying someone else's negates that originality and uniqueness.
Some people think mimicking is the greatest form of flattery but putting it bluntly, it's disrespectful to the original tattoo owner, original tattoo artist and the artist you ask to copy it. In fact, it's one of the most despised requests tattoo artists get.
Seeing the original artist who created your tattoo is considered the best policy – some artists are not okay with touching up work done by someone else. However, there's always the chance that your original artist may not be available.
For these tattoos to be regarded as 'copying' would depend on the image. If it's an original image, then there is no problem. But if, for example, someone's hero is David Bowie, then their lookalike Ziggy Stardust tattoo may indeed be breaching copyright.
"Some will repeat designs and others won't. Some clients really don't want to share their tattoo with someone else." You can always drop a message to ask the tattoo artist – "and you're under no obligation to book after asking a few questions."
A tattoo artist may refuse to do a tattoo if the design is racist, sexist, homophobic, or promotes hate speech. In such cases, tattoo artists may refuse to do the tattoo as it goes against their personal beliefs, and they don't want to promote offensive or discriminatory designs.
If you don't like your tattoo, communicate that with your artist or the shop. As long as you're nice and respectful, any good shop should work with you to find a solution that'll make both parties happy.
From my experience most tattoo artists will not just copy a drawing of a tattoo . They use it as as reference but prefer to draw u up something similar. They don't copy another artists work .
Creating the tattoo stencil
Some shops have thermal copiers or printers with the capacity to copy and even resize images directly onto paper with the stencil fluid. Technology is a wonderful thing.
It is technically a violation of copyright to do that, but nobody is going to come after you for such a thing, I wouldn't think! Some tattoo artists prefer to do their own mock-up to add their ideas to tattoo drawings. As artists, they do not like spending their days simply copying other people's work.
We hate to break it to you, but many tattoo artists agree that getting matching tattoos with someone very special to you (aka your best friend) is considered back luck for the relationship, Tattoo Twist states. It's essentially like putting a bad omen on your friendship, even if the two of you are like sisters.
Handwriting tattoos: what you need to know
This tattoo style is becoming increasingly popular among individuals wanting a permanent reminder of someone important to them or a tribute to a loved one. Most tattoo artists will be able to scan handwritten text and replicate it exactly on the skin.
You can just show them on your phone. They will probably want to do their own take on the design you want unless it's something very common like Roman numerals or an infinity symbol.
"During the tattoo process, just stay still," said Cuda Vendetta, tattoo artist at Big Joe and Sons Tattoo. "Stop checking your phone and if you have a friend with you, don't talk with your hands."
If you're just looking to get an idea of how much a tattoo you're considering would cost, you can always research it online or walk in to a tattoo shop and just ask the shop manager for a quick estimate based on size and style. That will give you a good enough idea. Is it rude to ask how much a tattoo will cost? Nope!
Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks. Some white inks and pastel inks have trouble lasting longer than five years. Watercolor tattoos also tend to fade faster as the ink is lightly colored and very fine.
Tattoos are open wounds and vulnerable to infection during the healing process. Picking or scratching tattoos can interfere with the healing process and also transfer bacteria from your hands to your affected skin. Only touch the tattoo when cleaning it and after you have washed/sterilized your hands.
They may agree to offer you a refund or work on the tattoo to bring it up to your expectations at no extra cost. If they've made a clear error and it's not your fault (e.g. you supplied an incorrect spelling) then you can demand reimbursement and ask for 'reasonable' costs to get it fixed.
Artists are often busy people who work long hours. They may have multiple clients scheduled in a day, or they may be working on a large piece that requires their full attention. It's important to remember that just because your artist isn't responding immediately, it doesn't mean they are ignoring you.