I always thought that getting a tattoo was an important decision to those who are actually going to get it, mainly because is something that you are gonna live with the rest of your life. So, finding a good studio and a good tattoo artist as well... wasn't easy at all.
First of all, you have to know the type of tattoo that you want (old school, realistic, etc). Afterwards, look for the best tattoo artists in that type of drawing. Finally, make sure that the tattoo artist is gonna use good quality material and ink and he/she is a professional with an impeccable sense of hygiene.
In my case, I drew my idea of the tattoo that I wanted to get. After I finished my drawings, being completely sure that I really wanted to get a tattoo in my entire back... I started my research of tattoo studios both in Madrid and Barcelona because I wanted to get it on winter holidays before I get back to Beijing. After a very long research, I finally chose Siha Tattoo because Jota (one of the tattoo artists at that studio), draw a sketch from a text that my best friend gave to him. It's pretty difficult to interpret words from a text that you haven't written and draw a drawing that really represents the meaning of those words!
I had to contact Siha Tattoo by Facebook and e-mail because I live in Beijing right now so I needed to have everything well-planned and agreed before I arrived to Barcelona. I couldn't do more than one trip to Barcelona in order to have everything agreed with the studio. The studio was pretty understanding from the very beginning. I sent to them my drawings and I explained what I wanted for my tattoo (Jota had to adjust those drawings and the way I wanted for my back).
This is a very important tattoo for me because, other than being the first one, I wanted my tattoo to represent both my life and myself. I wanted a tattoo which, as soon as you see it, the first thing that will come to your mind will be my name.
The treatment was exceptional all the time. They didn't treat me as if I were an object with the sign "€" drawn on my face (I'm pretty sure that, at least once, you've got into an establishment and the staff didn't give you a personal treatment, but a treatment as if you were just an object with the word "MONEY" written on your face). In my opinion, both products and treatment should be pretty good. Actually, I only come back to those establishments where I felt comfortable before.
The day that I was getting the tattoo, I was pretty nervous but not scared. I wasn't scared because I didn't really think that "tattoos" come with "pain". I didn't want to think about it because I really didn't want to back down so... I just "jumped in with both feet". I wanted to experience what was getting a tattoo with all the consequences (big mistake. Even though I didn't complain aloud... I really thought that taking a knife and cutting my hand into pieces was less painful than what I was feeling in my back! lol). But you have to keep in mind that not everybody feel the same. I'm pretty sure that it was so painful to me because it was the first tattoo that I ever had, it was in my entire back, I'm skinny and I do have a lot of bones there, I wasn't mentally prepared for feeling pain... Although the negative side, I didn't want to give up and I wanted to have the tattoo done. After 3 or 4 hours (I don't remember how much time I was lying there) and some breaks (when Jota was tattooing my spine, I REALLY needed to have a break of feeling pain)... I finally had a beautiful tattoo on my back =).
I can't wait for the next sessions and finally see my tattoo finished with beautiful colors! read more
