How to Brief a Tattoo Artist: 5 Things for Your First DM

The little ghost in the picture above, umbrella in one hand and sword in the other, started life as a DM of a few sentences. By the time we sat down to draw the three numbered options beside it, we already knew where it would go, how big it would be and which pictures the client loved. That is the whole secret of a good first message: it lets us start drawing instead of asking questions.

If you are about to message a tattoo studio for the first time, maybe while planning a trip to Bangkok, maybe for your first tattoo, this one is for you. Here is exactly what to send a tattoo artist: five things, no fancy language required. 👻

How to ask for a tattoo design: the five things that matter

You do not need to write an essay. A good first message has only five things, sent as one long message or five short ones, in any order.

• The idea, in one or two sentences. "A small ghost standing in the rain with an umbrella" is plenty. Feelings count too: "something calm, to remember a garden I grew up with" tells us more than you think.
• Placement, plus a photo of that spot. Inner forearm, ankle, behind the shoulder. A quick phone photo of the area shows us the shape of the space, so we can draw a design that sits well there.
• Approximate size in centimetres. Hold a ruler, a coin or your thumb against the spot and tell us "about 6 cm tall". Numbers beat words like small or medium, which mean something different to everyone.
• Colour or black only. Our naive style loves bright colour, but the ghost above is pure black fine line, and both are lovely. Not sure? Say so, and we will suggest what suits the design.
• Two or three reference pictures, and what you like in each. "The thin lines in this one, the pose in this one, the colours in this one." Three pictures with notes tell us far more than twenty without.

That is genuinely it. With those five things, we can reply with real answers instead of more questions, and start drawing.

Things you do not need to worry about

Your English does not have to be perfect. DM chat is relaxed, short sentences are fine, and pictures do half of the talking. In the studio it works the same way: simple English, a sketch on paper, a bit of pointing and plenty of smiles. Grammar has never decided a tattoo.

You also do not need a finished design. Half an idea is enough to start, and so is a feeling you want to keep. Designing is our job; the ghost with the umbrella shows how we turn a few sentences into a custom tattoo design.

Flash or custom: what changes in your message

If you fell for one of our flash designs, your message is even shorter. Send the design's name or a screenshot from the flash catalogue, plus where on your body you want it, and we will check it is still available. Every design in our catalogue is tattooed exactly once in the world and then retired, so it is worth asking early. The full story is in what is a flash tattoo.

If you want something drawn just for you, the five things above are your whole brief. You do not have to choose between the two either: plenty of people start from a flash design and ask to swap the character, the colours or a detail, and that adapted version becomes theirs alone.

What happens after you press send

We read your message and usually come back with a question or two, most often about size or the exact spot. Then we draw. For the ghost, we drew three numbered versions and sent the sheet over: a different tilt of the umbrella here, a different grip on the sword there. The client pointed at number three. Small adjustments after that are completely normal, and once the design feels right, we book a day. If you are visiting Bangkok, mention your travel dates early so we can find a day that works.

This is what a few sentences, one photo of an arm and three references turned into. On the day, the studio is yours: one artist, one client at a time, single-use needles and a fresh set-up opened in front of you.

Common mistakes, and the easy fix for each

None of these are disasters, but they are what slows a first conversation down the most.

• Sending someone else's tattoo and asking for an exact copy. That tattoo belongs to the person wearing it and to the artist who drew it. Send it as a reference, tell us what you like about it, the line weight, the pose, the palette, and we will draw something in that spirit that is yours.
• A tiny tattoo with a lot of detail. A cat, a bouquet and a name inside 3 cm will soften into each other over the years. Either go a little bigger or let us simplify. We will tell you honestly what will still look good in ten years.
• Not saying where it goes. Placement changes the size, the shape of the design and how it wraps around the body. It is the question we ask back most often, so answer it before we ask.

Bring these five things and say hi

When you are ready: DM @naive.flora.tattoo on Instagram with your idea, a photo of the spot, a size in centimetres, colour or black, and two or three references with a note on each. Rough is fine. Pictures are welcome. We take it from there.

Naive Flora Tattoo is a small private studio on Phahonyothin 32/1 in Sena Nikhom, Chatuchak, Bangkok, open daily 10:00 to 20:00, tattoos from ฿1,500. Booking is through Instagram DM only. See you in the inbox. ☔