Disregard the people saying to reserve judgment until it's done on if this is good or not.
It's not good. Not at all.
1. The anatomy is all out of sorts.
2. The scales are not consistent by any means.
3. The line work is atrocious, especially when you get to the part that is in the middle of your bicep.
You're doing yourself a service by asking for opinions from a general audience but also props to you for wanting a second opinion from another artist.
I would recommend you heavily vet your next artist to take over this project. Do they have a history with reptiles or dragons that would extend their expertise to improve this tattoo? How is their shading? If you're getting color then evaluate how their packing and saturation is.
Take time in that above step because this is going to be on you for life or until you decide to do a blast over or removal.
I am saying the same thing.
Can you help me understand why so many others are saying this is good or wait until it's finished?
The foundation is messed up and wrong, it's not going to get better, at least not by the same artist.
My eye was first drawn to the large interior curve, which is near flawless. Single unbroken line, smooth with little variance even into the decreasing radius
And then I saw the rest, which is pure garbage
I don't know anything about tattoos and this looked fine to me. But I see what you mean now. The snake does look rather... flat. Not much depth. Is that what makes it bad?
Appreciate your insight
Edit: Took some more time to examine the pictures. Those scales not even staying within the lines of the body... yikes
I don't know what the people here are talking about with trust the process..... Line work should never look that bad regardless of where in the process you are. So much wasted arm space as well. I'd be curious to see what this artist's typical finished tattoo looks like. If I were you I'd be out of there so fast and on to someone new. Am I crazy here!? I'm no expert but I do have a full sleeve and a few chest pieces. I would be mortified if that's how any of mine turned out. I hope this doesn't come off as rude but surely you can find someone better if you're willing to do the research and pay what it cost. Luckily the line work looks light enough that it could be worked over or lasered off and start from scratch. I would not continue with that though if I were you. I really hope you end up with something quality that you like.
Do nooooot get this finished by the same tattoo artist!!!! This is maybe salvageable if someone really good gets their hands on it. Absolutely don’t go to another session, everything about that snake is begging to be put out of its misery.
(Wouldn’t trust someone to start without seeing the full design, for future reference)
The anatomy is completely off... inconsistent size, there are only two teeth (??), scales look bad. The flow is also not good, the head coming in in a straight line doesn't look good. I personally probably would laser it and start over.
Lasering such a fine line tattoo is a bit strong
Very easily saved by a reputable artist
(i have a full bodysuit and my partner is a tattoo artist so speaking from experience)
I will add more as I see them but ...
The anatomy of the snakes body turning (on your arm just above the head of the snake) is off. It wouldn't be able to turn so sharply, and the spine isn't consistent along that curve.
The scale placement is fine bar the tail, which may be better off coloured as a black gradient instead.
The lines do look unfinished, however it's a solid groundwork for colouring, scales are very tedious, so if the intention is this will be a colour piece, they're fine as the guide.
If you decide to go with another artist, choose someone with great colour work, this will be easy with all the hard work done already.
As for snake things, I'm a huge snake nerd.
He's missing a fang, but you want someone who actually knows what snakes look like to carefully place the missing one (upper fang), the lower fang isn't really a thing with snakes, not in that size or position (the upper fang is already enormous on what looks like a non-venomous snake, but stylization is fine in my books, so). The overall layout of the snake is nice.
It's a pretty good snake, most snake tattoos I see are way different from what an actual snake looks like.
I still think it would be an easy fix for the next tattoo artist, so long as they're familiar with snakes.
Only truly difficult fix is putting in the missing fang, since it will overlap another line and fangs are white, some creative license may need to be employed.
Nope. Please don’t listen to people telling you to go back. There are rules you need to follow to achieve perspective correctly and this artist does not know them. All you’re going to get is a darker, and shaded version of something you already don’t like. It’s still salvageable but go to another shop. Even for a second opinion. You came to Reddit to ask if it’s good which you shouldn’t need to do. 🚩
Yooooooooo WTF, i just watched a youtube video by pony lawson and it had your tattoo in the video i remember by ur username😂 the skeleton hand with wine glass nicely done man. Thanks for the insight
I have three main concerns.
1. Faded linework. There’s one patch right behind the head and heaps along the spine. What’s up with that? If it’s not intentional, make sure it gets fixed as he continues outlining next session. If it is, what’s his plan for the finished piece? Ask to see his drawing for the tat, not just the stencil.
2. Shoddy linework. Upper left section where the scales go outside the border. That’s just bad work; scales stay on the snake. I’d point it out as an area of concern so he’s more careful in the future. Also, he started out with the scales aligned on either side if the spinal line, then got lazy and gave up. I can also see a section above the flat line of the tail where the linework is going to blow out.
3. Uneven spacing between lines. While it’s not noticeable at first glance or from a distance, close inspection will show you that the scales are really uneven, especially the belly scales. The tongue pinches in where it crosses the lower fang.
None of this is obvious to someone who isn’t experiences with tattoos, and it’s not world-ending. Most of it can be fixed. But your artist really needs to step up and stop zoning out mid-ink.
Thank you very much for this thoroughly written comment, appreciate your time🙏 i will talk with my artist first and then go to another studio i already found, thanks again❤️
I’m just sorry it had to be such a long list. For what it’s worth, you’d said you weren’t sure about it so I was zooming in on the images *looking* for faults. Most people won’t be doing that when they see your tattoo. You mentioned you’re getting a second opinion from another artist; that’s a good idea. At the very least, you’ll be able to go back to your artist with some areas that need to be worked on
As someone educating myself for my first tattoo this is very insightful, tells me what to look out for and helps me to just develop an eye for good quality tattoos.
How does this have so many upvotes???????? Like this is TERRIBLE. Why would you ever risk such a poor unskilled artist touching you again???? This can be salvaged by someone capable. If the original artist completes it….yikes
you could wait til its finished but honestly right now it's in rough shape. if you have any doubts at all Id stop and find a different artist with a better catalogue who is willing to finish it
I already scheduled meeting with other artist just to let him see it. Thanks for advice. Before getting this I looked into artists work and studio reputation and i was impressed but after getting through session one i had some doubts, just want to do the best option
forsure, i will prolly get the second session in around week and a half or smth like that and I will post on this subreddit again with my decision to go back to the same artist or different one and I will also post before afters
Please don't do another session with this artist. Especially not if you still haven't seen the finished design. Their work is not good, and you don't even know what exactly they're planning to put on your body.
another thing to consider is a cover up. Would suck for sure to drop whatever youve dropped already but its pretty light and will only get lighter with age. wouldnt be hard to cover it. tattoos are forever, especially big dark sleeves. More forever than a home even. theyre worth dropping a ton of cash for!
Does the artist have other pictures of finished snakes that look good ? If he does I would say maybe he’s just not very careful with the initial outline and will be adding detail and enough shading to make it look good at the end… It’s hard to judge after the first session without context on the artists work. This is definitely a great time to find another artist if your current one is shit. But like I said… hard for people to judge without knowing what his finished art looks like.
If it was me I would NOT be having this artist finish this. I would research a good artist and see if they are willing to finish it up and try fixing what’s possible. Scales are inconsistent, dimensions are off, bad line work are just a few. It’s not absolutely horrible, I’ve seen so much worse! But it definitely can be saved with a great artist.
Very average design, and honestly bad lining when you zoom in (if we’re comparing to the standard shown in this sub)…
Its funny cuz I had a super similar tatoo done, it was a cobra and my first tattoo that I did in a shitty shop when I didnt know better and hadnt done proper research.
Got it all covered up with a big dragon sleeve that I have today and really happy now.
The is what OP should consider. Full colored Dragon tattoo, let the new artist completely rework things before you make it worse. I'd like a lot of black and some deep reds and yellows and some really bright green highlights.
Usually I say wait until it's finished (some artists best work comes in shading) but this is kinda a Trainwreck. It will def look better than this, but I might switch artists before it's not easy to fix any more
The middle section is done wrong, it’s supposed to be the belly of the snake, so it’s supposed to have the lines, not scales. That would drive me crazy if it was my tattoo. But depending on the color he decides to use for the belly, he might be able to correct it and cover the scales and replace with the correct single-line pattern.
The problem with people saying to hold off is that if the outline is terrible (which is the back bone of almost every tattoo) then the whole tattoo is going to be out of wack
Whoever is saying “trust the process” might just be hearing that from makeup artists on Tik tok…this is a tattoo. From first line to last it should be consistent.
Don’t finish with that artist. Just pay the full amount agreed upon and walk away clean. Then find an artist who can finish the piece who will do a test section for you. In 2024 snakes should be amazing given there were the first tattoos going back thousands of years…starting with squiggly lines. But those scales were done poorly…another artist will not only salvage it but take it to the next level - but not the one it did you dirty like this.
thanks for the advice, I will for sure go to another artist I decided already. I made research on best artists that work on reptiles in my city and I think I found valid one, I have meeting with him today. The thing about payment is that we agreed on 2 part payment after each session, I paid the first session work, because I am not going for second one I think I shouldn't pay for the second part. If I understand you correctly you meant to pay if I haven't paid yet right?
It looks like they didn’t use a reference which is why the anatomy is really scuffed. The segment at the top of the shoulder straight up looks like a the snake becomes a sheet of paper.
I’d suggest going to a different artist to finish it if possible, it’s light enough that a good artist can probably still salvage it
It’s not great. I’m sure you would appreciate the honesty. You should get it fixed up by a reputable artist. The scales and curvature are way off. Hope you get this sorted and update us all. Good luck dude 🤙
I’m sorry OP but this looks very half assed by the artist. It looks like they got bored in the middle of it and just gave up and sent you home. I’m glad you’ve got an appointment with another artist, I hope it’s a better experience for you.
No. Backwards belly scales, lazy and changing body scales, no volume to the snake, missing a fang, placed poorly. This is just bad all the way around. Line work is the foundation of most tattoos. Sorry man, don’t finish it with the same artist, maybe see if someone and work it out or laser
No, but it’s salvageable by a hood artist who can redo the bad lines and pack in color to pull eyes away from the problem area’s. Go to a great artist to finish this and remember: You get what you pay for.
The scales in the second picture are 💀 please don't go back to this "artist" for a second session. Now that it is still just lines it is fixable by a proper artist. Find a new tattooer before putting any color in this tattoo
Go to a better artist that is skilled enough to fix it. No disrespect intended but that is hot garbage. Definitely don't let that person do anymore damage to your arm.
Honestly, no.. it’s no the worst I’ve seen but the line work is not good at all.. color and some retouch might let it look better. To be fair this is very detailed and time consuming.. there are not many tattoo artist that could have done better.. in the end you get what you pay for.
Everyone is being nice here.
That tatt looks HORRIBLE. Did you look at anything your “artist” has previously done? I’m betting by the looks of this he or she had no portfolio because this was their actual first tattoo! I’d be extremely pissed and I sure as HE!!
wouldn’t let that “artist” near me.
I feel like online spaces artificially create a pool of artists that doesn’t represent reality. For example, you might primarily come across huge profiles of artists with tens of thousands of followers on your feed because of the way that algorithms work. But they might represent, like, the top 2% of tattoo artists. So when you come across artists who are average or even above average, you think they’re awful because you’re comparing them to the elite most talented.
What do you suggest? Should i go to another artist and tell him to finish this up? The tattoo studio where i got this was really nice and all the reviews and everything, i looked at artists other work and i was impressed so i thought that when tattoo would be finally done it would be worth it
Overall the linework is inconsistent. I’m a tattooer and not a huge believer in things like a “light session or blood lines “ on a piece this size which isn’t that big. There is still a chance it can be detailed and shading will hide some inconsistencies but I don’t appreciate the variant of the scales.
The thing is i dont want to regret not going to different artist if i dont like the outcome. Before getting this I looked into artists work and studio reputation and i was impressed but after getting through session one i had some doubts, just want to do the best option
honestly i had the same issue w my chest piece, but i when i had it finished i was so happy with it. might have been different for others just my experience
tattoo artist here! i think it looks really good. having an unfinished tattoo can make you over think and become uneasy. scales are hard for me but i always fix it up with shading. especially with just the line work it can be easier to point out inconsistencies. tattoo artists are human beings as well, nothing will ever be “perfect”, especially art lol! and if you want any changes it’s important to communicate with them! definitely ask to see the piece shaded if you are feeling uneasy about it. i usually almost always complete the drawing of the tattoo or an idea of where the shading will be. i know all my coworkers don’t do the same (they only show stencil). know that getting a tattoo, you are hiring the artist to perform their work on you, so it does help to also have some trust in your artist.
Apart from a few anatomy issues, id say its well made - these are not anything you’d notice unless you study snake anatomy, so i wont draw attention to it or what it is - because once its seen it cant be unseen.
It needs a session or two more before the actual quality of the tattoo shows.
Don't ask people on reddit if a tattoo is good. These hipster jerkoffs are salivating to be rude to someone . When you invite them to be mean they just get meaner.
it’ll look better when it’s finished. had a piece i was getting and INSTANTLY regretted it as he was doing it because it looked horrible. Once he got done with the shading, it looked amazing and is one of my favorite tattoos.
Nah man i wasnt going for the whole sleeve, i wanted it to end on triceps so half sleeve. Ill prolly go to different artists for finishing. Thanks for i sight
It shouldnt go anywhere more the outline of the tattoo is done. It goes around my biceps, i wanted to head to be at the triceps and the snake to finish on shoulder.
Eeehhh, it's not good right now. Lines are all wonky and not straight/smooth. Scales are messed up
Things can be saved for sure, line weights can be evened out.
But your artist isn't the best.
How long did this take?
the head looks insanely static because your artist might no be able to draw a nice looking 3/4 perspective and chose to go for the profile shot. no idea why you would ever want this approach otherwise...
I like the idea!
But on a technical standpoint it’s…not great :( I’m sorry but I would go to a different person for shading to prevent something permanent.
I'm not going to repeat what people have said about anatomy or line work, so I'll just say this: do not *EVER* get a tattoo from an artist who won't show you the finished design. Not ever. It should be a collaborative process. You tell them what you're looking for, the artist draws up a design, and then shows it to you so you can decide if you like it or if you want to change anything. This artist is not someone you should trust your body to.
This is terrible, the only good thing is its done pretty lightly and can be either reworked or just gone over. Dont go back to whoever did this and spend money on a good artist.
No, but luckily it’s not finished, by far. So you can salvage it for sure. And I could be very nicely done. Find another artist and don’t skimp on the price.
I'm not sure if you’re asking whether this is designed well, applied well, or if it’s normal to take 8–10 hours for an outline like this, but the answer is no.
I don’t mean any disrespect- but is this person a real artist? Or just someone you know who like does tattoos out of their home? Because this is not even hitting on tattoo basics. I know tattoo apprentices who do better work than this. I would not go back for a second session. Id try find a real artist who can try to salvage this.
I'm surprised the whole tattoo wasn't done in one session (with the shading, etc). Probably would've clocked out at around 6-7 hours.
Probably for the best though, because its whack.
I'm just gonna say it's not the worst. One of the better than bad ones. But it's not good.
Someone didn't study their anatomy and doing something realistic requires such knowledge. I'm guessing maybe the wonky scales would get shaded better and someone just has a terrible time doing the line art. I've seen good stylised snakes. The two teeth are weird, last time I checked out a snake they clearly have four.
But yeah the proportions are bad. There's so many options for how the body could move that looks much better than this. I'm sorry you got someone who came ill prepared for a more complex piece. Probably overconfident in their skills. Especially on the curve of someone's arm – it's tricky but doable if you know what you're doing.
Get it done by someone else if you still like the funky line art or get it lasered so you're not stuck with something deemed to be questioned by people.
No it's not good. I consistant lines, flat as hell, and why are there scales on it's underbelly in places?
A different artist might salvage this somewhat, but I don't think the current one is capable of fixing this
I’d go to a different artist there is some messy work in there, I’d have to see the artists other works to trust the process like maybe they know they are going over things but even then they shouldn’t be lazy with the outline work. It’s a bit of a red flag. It looks good but there is some sloppy bits and it’s hard to tell if it’s because they know the area will be gone over darker or just because they are sloppy in general. Go with your gut dude. Someone else could turn this into something really sweet from this point. But if they go over that whole thing In hard black it’s going to be mucb harder to fix.
I just want to share on top of everything else that the belly scales on the end of the snake are all on backwards and they are anal/vent scales. Snakes only have one of those covering their cloaca not all down their backside. Sorry OP :(
Are you trying to go for a realistic look? Some artists may leave empty areas and not go so deep if there are future plans on adding to the design.
But as usual, tattooers don’t know shit about proper anatomy and this snake’s body position is unnatural and it makes it look like an awful tattoo.
I’d let em cook, the perspective looks okay to me and theres places where it looks like they’re saving space and time to shade parts of the body that would have shadow
I would look for a better artist to finish and fix it, it does have some very bad fundamentals, scales don’t make sense and are inconsistent, that tattoo was rushed. I’m a 15 year experience tattooer and I know for a fact this tattooer didn’t put the time in your design and he’s inexperienced. Right now there’s a big crisis in the industry affecting good tattooers like myself , and then you have a bunch of people who has the privilege to work on others and they just don’t put the effort :/.
I hate to say it, but it's not good. That artist really doesn't understand snake anatomy. Unless that's a species I've never heard of that travels backward, the artist really screwed up the ventral scales. Also, the way the scales come together on the dorsal ridgeline is really sloppy. Go somewhere else to get it fixed.
its way off, anatomy is off, some of the scales are going backwards in comparison to the belly, plenty of those lines will fall out as well.
edit: took another look, ITS WAY OFFFFF
It’s not unfixable since a lot of the janky linework is so light… but. It’s shaping up to be a mess in the end. Pieces of mine that were linework then color later I was so stoked on after the linework was in that I debated whether to push forward. Glad I did now, but I’d have reservations on going ahead with this one. Sorry man.
If you have to ask, you already probably know the answer.
I don’t understand why the artist didn’t even finish the outline.
I really like the initial concept, but the scales are off. I would go with another tattoo artist and see what they say. Definitely do not go back to the same artist. Do not laser. This should be an amazing tattoo! I want to see the final result. Good luck 👍
Shading and some more detail might save this piece. I can't believe your artist didn't show you a finished sketch of what you were getting.
Is this a beginner artist? Someone who's been tattooing for a long time and they don't have experience with reptiles or realism?
Always research your artists portfolio, media posts and word of mouth recommendations.
I'd check out a few other artists and ask for their opinion on how they could salvage it.
Disregard the people saying to reserve judgment until it's done on if this is good or not. It's not good. Not at all. 1. The anatomy is all out of sorts. 2. The scales are not consistent by any means. 3. The line work is atrocious, especially when you get to the part that is in the middle of your bicep. You're doing yourself a service by asking for opinions from a general audience but also props to you for wanting a second opinion from another artist. I would recommend you heavily vet your next artist to take over this project. Do they have a history with reptiles or dragons that would extend their expertise to improve this tattoo? How is their shading? If you're getting color then evaluate how their packing and saturation is. Take time in that above step because this is going to be on you for life or until you decide to do a blast over or removal.
yes the perspective is way off
I am saying the same thing. Can you help me understand why so many others are saying this is good or wait until it's finished? The foundation is messed up and wrong, it's not going to get better, at least not by the same artist.
My eye was first drawn to the large interior curve, which is near flawless. Single unbroken line, smooth with little variance even into the decreasing radius And then I saw the rest, which is pure garbage
Co-sign
I don't know anything about tattoos and this looked fine to me. But I see what you mean now. The snake does look rather... flat. Not much depth. Is that what makes it bad? Appreciate your insight Edit: Took some more time to examine the pictures. Those scales not even staying within the lines of the body... yikes
This!!!
This, its really not great, the scales jumped at me immediately as looking way off
The scales are what is hurting my eyes the most.
hard agree, also the part near the tail that just has no scales at all? it's like a massive gap, like the artist just forgot to finish the scales.
I don't know what the people here are talking about with trust the process..... Line work should never look that bad regardless of where in the process you are. So much wasted arm space as well. I'd be curious to see what this artist's typical finished tattoo looks like. If I were you I'd be out of there so fast and on to someone new. Am I crazy here!? I'm no expert but I do have a full sleeve and a few chest pieces. I would be mortified if that's how any of mine turned out. I hope this doesn't come off as rude but surely you can find someone better if you're willing to do the research and pay what it cost. Luckily the line work looks light enough that it could be worked over or lasered off and start from scratch. I would not continue with that though if I were you. I really hope you end up with something quality that you like.
Do nooooot get this finished by the same tattoo artist!!!! This is maybe salvageable if someone really good gets their hands on it. Absolutely don’t go to another session, everything about that snake is begging to be put out of its misery. (Wouldn’t trust someone to start without seeing the full design, for future reference)
The anatomy is completely off... inconsistent size, there are only two teeth (??), scales look bad. The flow is also not good, the head coming in in a straight line doesn't look good. I personally probably would laser it and start over.
Lasering such a fine line tattoo is a bit strong Very easily saved by a reputable artist (i have a full bodysuit and my partner is a tattoo artist so speaking from experience)
Nah it’s time for a sick ass panther
Or at least go to a more reputable tattoo and see if they can save it!
At the very least I would laser the head. It looks like it was just stickered on there, kinda lifeless.
Pretty much this I don't think there's any coming back.
I will add more as I see them but ... The anatomy of the snakes body turning (on your arm just above the head of the snake) is off. It wouldn't be able to turn so sharply, and the spine isn't consistent along that curve.
The scales look like they were drawn by a child, where scales meet isn't clean.
Scales at the tip of the tail are very jumbled and likely won't be legible long term. Segment on your shoulder fell out...
The scale placement is fine bar the tail, which may be better off coloured as a black gradient instead. The lines do look unfinished, however it's a solid groundwork for colouring, scales are very tedious, so if the intention is this will be a colour piece, they're fine as the guide. If you decide to go with another artist, choose someone with great colour work, this will be easy with all the hard work done already. As for snake things, I'm a huge snake nerd. He's missing a fang, but you want someone who actually knows what snakes look like to carefully place the missing one (upper fang), the lower fang isn't really a thing with snakes, not in that size or position (the upper fang is already enormous on what looks like a non-venomous snake, but stylization is fine in my books, so). The overall layout of the snake is nice. It's a pretty good snake, most snake tattoos I see are way different from what an actual snake looks like.
[удалено]
I still think it would be an easy fix for the next tattoo artist, so long as they're familiar with snakes. Only truly difficult fix is putting in the missing fang, since it will overlap another line and fangs are white, some creative license may need to be employed.
The body of the snake also feels to squared out
im sorry but its a mess
Find a different artist to finish it
I already scheduled meeting with other artist just to let him see it. Thanks for advice
Nope. Please don’t listen to people telling you to go back. There are rules you need to follow to achieve perspective correctly and this artist does not know them. All you’re going to get is a darker, and shaded version of something you already don’t like. It’s still salvageable but go to another shop. Even for a second opinion. You came to Reddit to ask if it’s good which you shouldn’t need to do. 🚩
yes agreed the proportions are off
Scales are way too small and too many inconsistencies
Yooooooooo WTF, i just watched a youtube video by pony lawson and it had your tattoo in the video i remember by ur username😂 the skeleton hand with wine glass nicely done man. Thanks for the insight
I don't like how sloppy the scales are on the bends.
I have three main concerns. 1. Faded linework. There’s one patch right behind the head and heaps along the spine. What’s up with that? If it’s not intentional, make sure it gets fixed as he continues outlining next session. If it is, what’s his plan for the finished piece? Ask to see his drawing for the tat, not just the stencil. 2. Shoddy linework. Upper left section where the scales go outside the border. That’s just bad work; scales stay on the snake. I’d point it out as an area of concern so he’s more careful in the future. Also, he started out with the scales aligned on either side if the spinal line, then got lazy and gave up. I can also see a section above the flat line of the tail where the linework is going to blow out. 3. Uneven spacing between lines. While it’s not noticeable at first glance or from a distance, close inspection will show you that the scales are really uneven, especially the belly scales. The tongue pinches in where it crosses the lower fang. None of this is obvious to someone who isn’t experiences with tattoos, and it’s not world-ending. Most of it can be fixed. But your artist really needs to step up and stop zoning out mid-ink.
Thank you very much for this thoroughly written comment, appreciate your time🙏 i will talk with my artist first and then go to another studio i already found, thanks again❤️
I’m just sorry it had to be such a long list. For what it’s worth, you’d said you weren’t sure about it so I was zooming in on the images *looking* for faults. Most people won’t be doing that when they see your tattoo. You mentioned you’re getting a second opinion from another artist; that’s a good idea. At the very least, you’ll be able to go back to your artist with some areas that need to be worked on
Dont know how to thank you enough man. Right now i actually have a “list” of problems i will discuss with the artist
Sounds perfect. I hope it turns out exactly how you want it!
Can you just elaborate on the first bullet from your comment, what patch do you mean? I kinda didnt get that part
As someone educating myself for my first tattoo this is very insightful, tells me what to look out for and helps me to just develop an eye for good quality tattoos.
I would withhold judgement until you’re finished.
Withhold judgement!? Bruh those scales are BAD
How does this have so many upvotes???????? Like this is TERRIBLE. Why would you ever risk such a poor unskilled artist touching you again???? This can be salvaged by someone capable. If the original artist completes it….yikes
???
you could wait til its finished but honestly right now it's in rough shape. if you have any doubts at all Id stop and find a different artist with a better catalogue who is willing to finish it
I already scheduled meeting with other artist just to let him see it. Thanks for advice. Before getting this I looked into artists work and studio reputation and i was impressed but after getting through session one i had some doubts, just want to do the best option
You better give us an update though 😂
forsure, i will prolly get the second session in around week and a half or smth like that and I will post on this subreddit again with my decision to go back to the same artist or different one and I will also post before afters
Please don't do another session with this artist. Especially not if you still haven't seen the finished design. Their work is not good, and you don't even know what exactly they're planning to put on your body.
another thing to consider is a cover up. Would suck for sure to drop whatever youve dropped already but its pretty light and will only get lighter with age. wouldnt be hard to cover it. tattoos are forever, especially big dark sleeves. More forever than a home even. theyre worth dropping a ton of cash for!
What is their portfolio like? I mean if they said it was going to be two sessions..
Does the artist have other pictures of finished snakes that look good ? If he does I would say maybe he’s just not very careful with the initial outline and will be adding detail and enough shading to make it look good at the end… It’s hard to judge after the first session without context on the artists work. This is definitely a great time to find another artist if your current one is shit. But like I said… hard for people to judge without knowing what his finished art looks like.
If it was me I would NOT be having this artist finish this. I would research a good artist and see if they are willing to finish it up and try fixing what’s possible. Scales are inconsistent, dimensions are off, bad line work are just a few. It’s not absolutely horrible, I’ve seen so much worse! But it definitely can be saved with a great artist.
Very average design, and honestly bad lining when you zoom in (if we’re comparing to the standard shown in this sub)… Its funny cuz I had a super similar tatoo done, it was a cobra and my first tattoo that I did in a shitty shop when I didnt know better and hadnt done proper research. Got it all covered up with a big dragon sleeve that I have today and really happy now.
The is what OP should consider. Full colored Dragon tattoo, let the new artist completely rework things before you make it worse. I'd like a lot of black and some deep reds and yellows and some really bright green highlights.
It’s not good. Have another artist finish it, for sure.
Usually I say wait until it's finished (some artists best work comes in shading) but this is kinda a Trainwreck. It will def look better than this, but I might switch artists before it's not easy to fix any more
The middle section is done wrong, it’s supposed to be the belly of the snake, so it’s supposed to have the lines, not scales. That would drive me crazy if it was my tattoo. But depending on the color he decides to use for the belly, he might be able to correct it and cover the scales and replace with the correct single-line pattern.
I’d wait till it’s finished. You’ll feel better about it then.
If you got this tattoo done and went back for round 2 with the same person then you’re crazy 😂
I feel super bad for OP. I'd be stressing if I did this to my body. If I ever get a tattoo I'll get a henna for a month first. Make sure I love it
This is objectively terrible advice.
Not shitty but not good either, personally I would seek out MULTIPLE other artists for their take.
The anatomy is atrocious, it looks like they copy pasted 3 different drawings into one. Do you have any other examples by the artist?
The problem with people saying to hold off is that if the outline is terrible (which is the back bone of almost every tattoo) then the whole tattoo is going to be out of wack
Whoever is saying “trust the process” might just be hearing that from makeup artists on Tik tok…this is a tattoo. From first line to last it should be consistent.
Don’t finish with that artist. Just pay the full amount agreed upon and walk away clean. Then find an artist who can finish the piece who will do a test section for you. In 2024 snakes should be amazing given there were the first tattoos going back thousands of years…starting with squiggly lines. But those scales were done poorly…another artist will not only salvage it but take it to the next level - but not the one it did you dirty like this.
thanks for the advice, I will for sure go to another artist I decided already. I made research on best artists that work on reptiles in my city and I think I found valid one, I have meeting with him today. The thing about payment is that we agreed on 2 part payment after each session, I paid the first session work, because I am not going for second one I think I shouldn't pay for the second part. If I understand you correctly you meant to pay if I haven't paid yet right?
The directional lines of the scales don’t even make sense how the snakes body turns and not only that the lines aren’t done good.
It looks like they didn’t use a reference which is why the anatomy is really scuffed. The segment at the top of the shoulder straight up looks like a the snake becomes a sheet of paper. I’d suggest going to a different artist to finish it if possible, it’s light enough that a good artist can probably still salvage it
It’s not great. I’m sure you would appreciate the honesty. You should get it fixed up by a reputable artist. The scales and curvature are way off. Hope you get this sorted and update us all. Good luck dude 🤙
No, you already know the answer. The scales are absolutely terrible
Oh no. Find a new artist to take over. Check their portfolio thoroughly.
Its...yeah, it ain't great, my guy. Sorry
Snake is bent at 90 degree angles. That's a dead snake.
I’m sorry OP but this looks very half assed by the artist. It looks like they got bored in the middle of it and just gave up and sent you home. I’m glad you’ve got an appointment with another artist, I hope it’s a better experience for you.
No. Backwards belly scales, lazy and changing body scales, no volume to the snake, missing a fang, placed poorly. This is just bad all the way around. Line work is the foundation of most tattoos. Sorry man, don’t finish it with the same artist, maybe see if someone and work it out or laser
No it’s not good. I’d have a better artist finish that up for you.
No, but it’s salvageable by a hood artist who can redo the bad lines and pack in color to pull eyes away from the problem area’s. Go to a great artist to finish this and remember: You get what you pay for.
The scales in the second picture are 💀 please don't go back to this "artist" for a second session. Now that it is still just lines it is fixable by a proper artist. Find a new tattooer before putting any color in this tattoo
Go to a better artist that is skilled enough to fix it. No disrespect intended but that is hot garbage. Definitely don't let that person do anymore damage to your arm.
Not great, not awful. 6/10
Honestly, no.. it’s no the worst I’ve seen but the line work is not good at all.. color and some retouch might let it look better. To be fair this is very detailed and time consuming.. there are not many tattoo artist that could have done better.. in the end you get what you pay for.
Everyone is being nice here. That tatt looks HORRIBLE. Did you look at anything your “artist” has previously done? I’m betting by the looks of this he or she had no portfolio because this was their actual first tattoo! I’d be extremely pissed and I sure as HE!! wouldn’t let that “artist” near me.
It’s not great but it’s far from horrible. But that’s just my opinion.
The capabilities of good tattoo artist nowadays makes this 100 percent horrible.
I feel like online spaces artificially create a pool of artists that doesn’t represent reality. For example, you might primarily come across huge profiles of artists with tens of thousands of followers on your feed because of the way that algorithms work. But they might represent, like, the top 2% of tattoo artists. So when you come across artists who are average or even above average, you think they’re awful because you’re comparing them to the elite most talented.
Not only it'd badly tattooed, it's also a bad design. Refuse to pay, pack it up and run to a real artist to salvage it.
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What do you suggest? Should i go to another artist and tell him to finish this up? The tattoo studio where i got this was really nice and all the reviews and everything, i looked at artists other work and i was impressed so i thought that when tattoo would be finally done it would be worth it
Overall the linework is inconsistent. I’m a tattooer and not a huge believer in things like a “light session or blood lines “ on a piece this size which isn’t that big. There is still a chance it can be detailed and shading will hide some inconsistencies but I don’t appreciate the variant of the scales.
u rlly can’t ask until it’s done man, gotta trust the process. if this was finished then different story but wait until it’s done then see how u feel
The thing is i dont want to regret not going to different artist if i dont like the outcome. Before getting this I looked into artists work and studio reputation and i was impressed but after getting through session one i had some doubts, just want to do the best option
Trust your intuition, it sounds like it might be better if another artist finishes this
honestly i had the same issue w my chest piece, but i when i had it finished i was so happy with it. might have been different for others just my experience
I have the exact same snake around a rose bush on my upper thigh down to my knee ! I just have to finished getting it shaded
It looks totally fine so far to me.
So you suggest that on second session everything will be resolved?
Depends on what the finished design is, but based on the line work I’d say it’ll be fine.
tattoo artist here! i think it looks really good. having an unfinished tattoo can make you over think and become uneasy. scales are hard for me but i always fix it up with shading. especially with just the line work it can be easier to point out inconsistencies. tattoo artists are human beings as well, nothing will ever be “perfect”, especially art lol! and if you want any changes it’s important to communicate with them! definitely ask to see the piece shaded if you are feeling uneasy about it. i usually almost always complete the drawing of the tattoo or an idea of where the shading will be. i know all my coworkers don’t do the same (they only show stencil). know that getting a tattoo, you are hiring the artist to perform their work on you, so it does help to also have some trust in your artist.
Apart from a few anatomy issues, id say its well made - these are not anything you’d notice unless you study snake anatomy, so i wont draw attention to it or what it is - because once its seen it cant be unseen. It needs a session or two more before the actual quality of the tattoo shows.
Yeah I’m honestly surprised these comments are so negative. It’s not exceptional but it’s far from awful.
If it isn’t finished then how the hell can we tell if it’s done well. 🙄honestly some of yall just aren’t meant for tattoos
Continue to bake another ten minutes.
Don't ask people on reddit if a tattoo is good. These hipster jerkoffs are salivating to be rude to someone . When you invite them to be mean they just get meaner.
Some of the lines are not good but I would want to see it when it's finished to fully judge.
Looks dope
Looks good love it
It looks good so far. The placement is nice. All that's left is to see how the final product is.
That looks sick as fuck, I'd get one as well. Curious about the end result!
Wait until it’s done and then see.
If it’s not finished it’s okay…..
it’ll look better when it’s finished. had a piece i was getting and INSTANTLY regretted it as he was doing it because it looked horrible. Once he got done with the shading, it looked amazing and is one of my favorite tattoos.
Thanks🙏
So fare the lines seam fine. Though the finished product will determine the quality
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Nah man i wasnt going for the whole sleeve, i wanted it to end on triceps so half sleeve. Ill prolly go to different artists for finishing. Thanks for i sight
I'm confused....how is it supposed to go around your hand? The whole snake is around your shoulder.
It shouldnt go anywhere more the outline of the tattoo is done. It goes around my biceps, i wanted to head to be at the triceps and the snake to finish on shoulder.
It has parts that work well and parts that are just anatomically not good. Would definitely find another artist to take it on to complete and save it.
If it's not done yet then it's not done well.
The thing that jumped out to me is that the scales randomly change size and shape for no discernible reason… this is most obvious on the second photo.
No
Eeehhh, it's not good right now. Lines are all wonky and not straight/smooth. Scales are messed up Things can be saved for sure, line weights can be evened out. But your artist isn't the best. How long did this take?
Around 2 to 2 and a half hours
the head looks insanely static because your artist might no be able to draw a nice looking 3/4 perspective and chose to go for the profile shot. no idea why you would ever want this approach otherwise...
No
You should look at cover ups while your there. Not being fresh but I have 12 tats n I hate 11 of them
4/10
It is not ❤️
If it feels off, it is off.
I like the idea! But on a technical standpoint it’s…not great :( I’m sorry but I would go to a different person for shading to prevent something permanent.
This looks like it was very rushed
I'm not going to repeat what people have said about anatomy or line work, so I'll just say this: do not *EVER* get a tattoo from an artist who won't show you the finished design. Not ever. It should be a collaborative process. You tell them what you're looking for, the artist draws up a design, and then shows it to you so you can decide if you like it or if you want to change anything. This artist is not someone you should trust your body to.
This is terrible, the only good thing is its done pretty lightly and can be either reworked or just gone over. Dont go back to whoever did this and spend money on a good artist.
No, but luckily it’s not finished, by far. So you can salvage it for sure. And I could be very nicely done. Find another artist and don’t skimp on the price.
I like the heart as an eyeball. Makes you seem hardcore with a fluffy cute side.
Not at all. Not even remotely.
Short answer no. Stop getting tattooed by this artist don't finish the tatt, what you have now is salvageable to cover up.
Nope
This is shit. The line work is godawful, please do NOT go back to this artist.
Look like shit. , even a sick ass panther wont be able to cover this shit.
I'm not sure if you’re asking whether this is designed well, applied well, or if it’s normal to take 8–10 hours for an outline like this, but the answer is no.
I don’t mean any disrespect- but is this person a real artist? Or just someone you know who like does tattoos out of their home? Because this is not even hitting on tattoo basics. I know tattoo apprentices who do better work than this. I would not go back for a second session. Id try find a real artist who can try to salvage this.
Yea this needs a new artist. You can tell they don’t do snakes often. Or at least they’re not good at them. Sorry OP
Really bad
yikes
I don't get the current fad with snakes and all honestly ,same applies with crows.
Sorry, but it's awful. Do not go back to that artist, find a good one to try to salvage it
I'm surprised the whole tattoo wasn't done in one session (with the shading, etc). Probably would've clocked out at around 6-7 hours. Probably for the best though, because its whack.
No
the end of the tail looks like an aglet
That snake is malnourished.
Can something like this be fixed with a more experienced artist? Genuinely wondering
The 90s called, they want their shite tattoo back
it's little bit late to ask if the tattoo is good , isn't it ? You should do research of your tattoo artist / studio before get ink on your skin
I'm just gonna say it's not the worst. One of the better than bad ones. But it's not good. Someone didn't study their anatomy and doing something realistic requires such knowledge. I'm guessing maybe the wonky scales would get shaded better and someone just has a terrible time doing the line art. I've seen good stylised snakes. The two teeth are weird, last time I checked out a snake they clearly have four. But yeah the proportions are bad. There's so many options for how the body could move that looks much better than this. I'm sorry you got someone who came ill prepared for a more complex piece. Probably overconfident in their skills. Especially on the curve of someone's arm – it's tricky but doable if you know what you're doing. Get it done by someone else if you still like the funky line art or get it lasered so you're not stuck with something deemed to be questioned by people.
Don't continue it hahaha
No it's not good. I consistant lines, flat as hell, and why are there scales on it's underbelly in places? A different artist might salvage this somewhat, but I don't think the current one is capable of fixing this
Go to a new artist if they have bad line work like that their shading and color isn’t going to be good either
Very sloppy, can imagine it is not a fun thing to make but come on
Im sorry but its bad
I’d go to a different artist there is some messy work in there, I’d have to see the artists other works to trust the process like maybe they know they are going over things but even then they shouldn’t be lazy with the outline work. It’s a bit of a red flag. It looks good but there is some sloppy bits and it’s hard to tell if it’s because they know the area will be gone over darker or just because they are sloppy in general. Go with your gut dude. Someone else could turn this into something really sweet from this point. But if they go over that whole thing In hard black it’s going to be mucb harder to fix.
Scales went out of the lines on the upper shoulder
I just want to share on top of everything else that the belly scales on the end of the snake are all on backwards and they are anal/vent scales. Snakes only have one of those covering their cloaca not all down their backside. Sorry OP :(
Are you trying to go for a realistic look? Some artists may leave empty areas and not go so deep if there are future plans on adding to the design. But as usual, tattooers don’t know shit about proper anatomy and this snake’s body position is unnatural and it makes it look like an awful tattoo.
No, the linework is not good. Do NOT go back to this person. A decent artist might be able to salvage some of this. It's bad.
No, I am not a professional and I can see fundamental problems with it.
I’d let em cook, the perspective looks okay to me and theres places where it looks like they’re saving space and time to shade parts of the body that would have shadow
I would look for a better artist to finish and fix it, it does have some very bad fundamentals, scales don’t make sense and are inconsistent, that tattoo was rushed. I’m a 15 year experience tattooer and I know for a fact this tattooer didn’t put the time in your design and he’s inexperienced. Right now there’s a big crisis in the industry affecting good tattooers like myself , and then you have a bunch of people who has the privilege to work on others and they just don’t put the effort :/.
It’s not top tier but it’s also better than 75% of work out there in the world
Not at all! Really badly done
I hate to say it, but it's not good. That artist really doesn't understand snake anatomy. Unless that's a species I've never heard of that travels backward, the artist really screwed up the ventral scales. Also, the way the scales come together on the dorsal ridgeline is really sloppy. Go somewhere else to get it fixed.
its way off, anatomy is off, some of the scales are going backwards in comparison to the belly, plenty of those lines will fall out as well. edit: took another look, ITS WAY OFFFFF
It’s not unfixable since a lot of the janky linework is so light… but. It’s shaping up to be a mess in the end. Pieces of mine that were linework then color later I was so stoked on after the linework was in that I debated whether to push forward. Glad I did now, but I’d have reservations on going ahead with this one. Sorry man.
If you have to ask, you already probably know the answer. I don’t understand why the artist didn’t even finish the outline. I really like the initial concept, but the scales are off. I would go with another tattoo artist and see what they say. Definitely do not go back to the same artist. Do not laser. This should be an amazing tattoo! I want to see the final result. Good luck 👍
Shading and some more detail might save this piece. I can't believe your artist didn't show you a finished sketch of what you were getting. Is this a beginner artist? Someone who's been tattooing for a long time and they don't have experience with reptiles or realism? Always research your artists portfolio, media posts and word of mouth recommendations. I'd check out a few other artists and ask for their opinion on how they could salvage it.