How To Get Clients To Want Your Tattoos | 3 Minutes to Better Tattooing

Look, I get it—you're tired of doing the same basic tattoos that walk through your door, and you're wondering how the hell you convince clients to let you do the work that actually gets you fired up. This is probably the most common question I hear from newer artists who are still figuring out their voice and what kind of tattooing they want to be known for. 

The truth is, you're approaching this whole thing backwards if you think it's about convincing clients to get what you want to do. Instead, you need to develop a solid method for problem-solving that keeps you engaged no matter what walks through that door, and that's exactly what we're going to break down today.

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Interview by By Jake Meeks —

Writing By Daniel Pushcarich —

Topics: Convincing Clients, Tattoo Design, Fireside Method, Tattoo Artists, Creative Problems, Shape, Value, Edges, Color, Line Work, Tattoo Consultation, Artistic Style, Watercolor Tattoos, Cicada Tattoo, Reference Pictures, Tattooing Process, Newer Tattooers, Design Principles, Creative Fulfillment, Balance And Contrast

Why the Fireside Method Changes Everything

Here's the thing most tattoo artists get wrong about client consultations—you're not there to be a human copy machine reproducing exactly what they bring you. When that client walked in with their cicada references and watercolor ideas, they came prepared with solid inspiration, but as an artist you need to see those references as a starting point rather than the final destination. The moment you start thinking your job is just to recreate what's already been done, you've lost the plot entirely and you're setting yourself up for a career of creative burnout.

The Fireside Method gives you a framework to tackle any design challenge using four core principles that actually matter in tattooing. Shape comes first because if your overall composition sucks, all the fancy details in the world won't save it—you need to think about balance and contrast before you worry about anything else. Then you layer in value to create depth, play with edges to add dimension and translucency, and finally balance your color palette to tie the whole piece together in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental.

This episode was made possible thanks to:

Get 10% off your Tattoo Trunk order with the code FIRESIDE at checkout

This episode was ALSO made possible thanks to:

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The Fireside Tattoo podcast is hosted by veteran tattooer Jake Meeks, check out our episodes where we discuss, argue and wax philosophical, from tips for all levels of artists to trends in the tattoo world. Many guest artists have sat down for interviews and in-depth conversations and many more are planned…check back often!

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