Artist Faces Dilemma After Client Refuses To Compromise On Her Overpriced Memorial Tattoo
Just some 20 years ago, tattoos were a thing mostly for subcultures. Nowadays, it’s rare to meet a young person who doesn’t have a tattoo. The reasons for getting a tattoo can be many: self-expression, love of body art, emotional healing. But one of the most popular reasons people say they get a tattoo is for commemoration.
The woman in this story wished to tattoo something her recently passed sister was planning to get. And because the tattoo had such sentimental value, she was looking to get a discount. Unfortunately, the tattoo artist refused, saying that he, too, had bills to pay. Wondering if that was a jerk move, he decided to consult the Internet.
Getting a tattoo can be pretty expensive nowadays
Image credits:Antoni Shkraba (not the actual photo)
One artist wondered whether sticking to his guns and lowering his prices was a jerk move
Image credits:Pavel Danilyuk (not the actual photo)
Image credits:That_Squid_Dude
Whether or not a tattoo artist gives their client a discount depends on a few different factors
When people ask for discounts and lower service prices, they often forget to consider the person at the other end of the deal. In this case, it’s tattoo artists. While asking or negotiating for a price might be uncomfortable and generally tricky, it can get even more complex.
Many different factors impact the price of a tattoo: the placement, how intricate the design is, the size. Artists take all of that into consideration when they negotiate their prices.
Generally, tattoo artists don’t offer discounts for their work per se. But there are some exceptions. Some offer discounts for certain events or promotions. I just recently saw a local artist offering 30% off for moms this Mother’s Day. Others accept lower prices for recurring clients.
Many tattoo artists say clients should respect them and their work. According to Dan Hunter of Authority Tattoo, “It’s important to keep in mind that tattoo artists rely on their work as their primary source of income, so they may be hesitant to offer discounts that could potentially devalue their time and effort.”
If you are asking for a discount, be sure to do so tactfully. Many artists may interpret requests for a discount as a client saying, “Your work is not worth what you’re asking.” This is especially true when tattooing an artist’s original design.
That’s not to say that you can’t try and talk to your artist about a possibly lower price. Hunter notes that having a good rapport might help in getting a discount. “By building a positive relationship with your artist, they may be more inclined to work with you on pricing,” he writes.
Image credits:cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Tattoos are becoming more and more expensive
According to data from Gitnux, 36% of Americans aged 25-39 have at least one tattoo. In the UK, it’s 30%. Tattoos are not just for leather-clad bikers and sailors anymore – they have successfully broken out into the mainstream.
But with that popularity comes its own problems. Many people are starting to think of tattoos as luxury items. Services are cropping up that offer payment plans for people who might not be able to afford a tattoo in one go.
In 2023, the app Tattoodo ran a festival in London where artists offered people free tattoos. One artist told the BBC that people are becoming more mindful that not everyone can afford them.
“The cost of supplies has increased massively, for professional tattooists,” she said. “That has impacted the cost of tattoos but I would say even if the price of the tattoo hadn’t increased, just having the spare money to spend on a tattoo would have been affected by the cost of living anyway. Because the tattoo is a luxury, it’s not a necessity.”
Image credits:Gabriel Lara (not the actual photo)
Many people defended the artist: it’s his time and his art, so the client should pay the appropriate amount
I don't understand why so many people think it's okay to try to get discounted work from artists, as though the work they do is somehow less legitimate than anything else. You want to own art, PAY what the artist is asking! And yes, tattoos are absolutely, 100% a luxury.
Why not? People still haggle with builders or plumbers or used car sales men, you said it's yourself it's no different - work is work. It's up to the person providing the service to decide whether they're willing to haggle and if so what their lowest price is. It's also worth being clear on budget (from both sides) even without haggling. I got a large, quite expensive tattoo done that I couldn't afford. How? The tattoist did the outline one session, I came back a few weeks later and got it half coloured, then came back a third time and completed it. It never hurts to discuss what options are available, or whether there is a way to get it done cheaper (maybe the same tat but shrunk to half the size, or in monochrome not full colour). As long as you're not rude about it.
Load More Replies...
NTA. If you can't afford the luxury of a tattoo, you don't get one. It's not the artist's problem. Getting a tattoo is not a human right.
This hand made car costs $200. But you only have $100? Let me make it simpler. No I don't want it simpler but I only have $100. Well then you can't afford it. I can make something different for $100 but that will be all I can do. Ok that works. Never sell your time or talent short. Compromise is one thing for someone who regularly brings your business new clients or frequents it so a small discount is a nice gesture. But if you sell yourself short and realize now it might because their habit they will not stop.
I have a small memorial piece on my wrist for my mum. When I went to my tattoo artist with the design I had (and a sample of her handwriting I wanted), I asked him the price, he told me, I said "okay". I didn't argue the price, I'd provided the artwork, but he was the skilled artist and I am paying him for his time, skill, and ability. He has bills to pay & a business to run, he sets his prices, it shouldn't be up for haggling. He did a beautiful job (as he always does), I was so grateful, & when I paid he slashed the bill & charged me just for the cost of ink. I almost burst into tears when he said it, he was so so kind. I never expected it, nor ever would, but there's a reason I recommend him to anyone in our area. I've never told anyone he didn't charge me full price, because I didn't want others using/abusing his kindness. Everytime I look at my wrist I remember my mum & that there are some beautiful people in this world
Lots of tattoos are gotten for deeply personal reasons, that doesn't entitle those customers to discounts. Now, if the person's budget was within ~10% of the standard rate, it would've been a nice gesture if the artist cut them a break, but by NO means is the artist the AH for sticking to their standard rates.
I went with my daughter when she got her 1st tat. I was impressed by the cleanliness and professionalism of the place and the artist. I was raised to believe that tats were only ever obtained by jailbirds and drunken sailors. How the culture has changed. Now I enjoy admiring peoples' tats. Hold firm, OP. You are selling skill and time. Don't sell it short for anyone.
I get where the artist felt conflicted, monetizing someone's grief feels hideous, but as someone else commented memorial tattoos are an enormous part of the industry.
Spoiler Alert: LOTS of tattoos are done as memorial pieces. It's pretty much as common as a butterfly on the lower back.
I don't understand why so many people think it's okay to try to get discounted work from artists, as though the work they do is somehow less legitimate than anything else. You want to own art, PAY what the artist is asking! And yes, tattoos are absolutely, 100% a luxury.
Why not? People still haggle with builders or plumbers or used car sales men, you said it's yourself it's no different - work is work. It's up to the person providing the service to decide whether they're willing to haggle and if so what their lowest price is. It's also worth being clear on budget (from both sides) even without haggling. I got a large, quite expensive tattoo done that I couldn't afford. How? The tattoist did the outline one session, I came back a few weeks later and got it half coloured, then came back a third time and completed it. It never hurts to discuss what options are available, or whether there is a way to get it done cheaper (maybe the same tat but shrunk to half the size, or in monochrome not full colour). As long as you're not rude about it.
Load More Replies... NTA. If you can't afford the luxury of a tattoo, you don't get one. It's not the artist's problem. Getting a tattoo is not a human right.
This hand made car costs $200. But you only have $100? Let me make it simpler. No I don't want it simpler but I only have $100. Well then you can't afford it. I can make something different for $100 but that will be all I can do. Ok that works. Never sell your time or talent short. Compromise is one thing for someone who regularly brings your business new clients or frequents it so a small discount is a nice gesture. But if you sell yourself short and realize now it might because their habit they will not stop.
I have a small memorial piece on my wrist for my mum. When I went to my tattoo artist with the design I had (and a sample of her handwriting I wanted), I asked him the price, he told me, I said "okay". I didn't argue the price, I'd provided the artwork, but he was the skilled artist and I am paying him for his time, skill, and ability. He has bills to pay & a business to run, he sets his prices, it shouldn't be up for haggling. He did a beautiful job (as he always does), I was so grateful, & when I paid he slashed the bill & charged me just for the cost of ink. I almost burst into tears when he said it, he was so so kind. I never expected it, nor ever would, but there's a reason I recommend him to anyone in our area. I've never told anyone he didn't charge me full price, because I didn't want others using/abusing his kindness. Everytime I look at my wrist I remember my mum & that there are some beautiful people in this world
Lots of tattoos are gotten for deeply personal reasons, that doesn't entitle those customers to discounts. Now, if the person's budget was within ~10% of the standard rate, it would've been a nice gesture if the artist cut them a break, but by NO means is the artist the AH for sticking to their standard rates.
I went with my daughter when she got her 1st tat. I was impressed by the cleanliness and professionalism of the place and the artist. I was raised to believe that tats were only ever obtained by jailbirds and drunken sailors. How the culture has changed. Now I enjoy admiring peoples' tats. Hold firm, OP. You are selling skill and time. Don't sell it short for anyone.
I get where the artist felt conflicted, monetizing someone's grief feels hideous, but as someone else commented memorial tattoos are an enormous part of the industry.
Spoiler Alert: LOTS of tattoos are done as memorial pieces. It's pretty much as common as a butterfly on the lower back.
23
12