1 - Word of mouth. do you have any friends with tattoos? Who'd they go to? I found my favorite artist this way.
2 - Social Media. Most artists maintain Instagram pages showcasing their work. Do a web search for shops in your area and then look at the artists previous work. This will help you start to find someone who fits the style your looking for.
3 - Go to some local shops and talk to the people there. More often than not you can find an artist that specializes in the type of work your looking for pretty easily this way. A good shop will either have someone who can do what you're looking for or give you some recommendations for others in the area that do.
These aren't hard, fast rules as different artists / shops have different cultures, but generally speaking they should be cool with helping you out. If you get a bad vibe or the people your talking to seem shitty or judgemental, move on. Most folks in the body mod community are pretty easy going. Don't put up with bullshit. That's not the norm. Don't be afraid to walk away and go somewhere else.
Thank you! I do know people with tattoos but none have work I could compare to these so I was uncertain if they could help but I think I will try. Been wanting a fractal for a few years now but haven't had the funds
Glad to know these aren't too difficult. Idk how tattoos work so I worried
There's been some pretty amazing strides in how the artwork is transfered to your skin in the last few decades. Definitely better methods than when I was just starting out in the 90's.
Most of my work is traditional but a modern leaning artist should be able to knock those out for ya!
Also, as the other commenter below stated, diligent application of lotion after bathing and sunscreen whenever there's a chance of UV exposure will help immensely in maintaining a good looking tattoo after it's healed.
On the subject of healing, I believe most artists use Second Skin after they finish the work. It makes healing so much easier than it used to be. Ask about that as well before you start getting the ink done and grab some if it's not part of your chosen artists process. I still heal with traditional methods but can't recommend that enough for people new to getting work done.
Are you okay with some of the fine details getting blurred or faded in the long term? Depending on where the tattoo is it can fade before too many years, and it will inevitably have some fading no matter how well you take care of it. The biggest things that will fade a tattoo after it heals are UV exposure and friction.