Normal for artists to sell prints of your custom tattoo?
An artist of mine is apparently selling prints of the tattoo she just gave me. This was custom work, not flash; I told her what I wanted, she designed it, and then made modifications I asked for when I saw it day-of. I say this not to act like I deserve credit or anything. I don’t! She’s very talented and it’s a beautiful piece both on paper and on skin. At the same time, I paid a LOT for this thing, suffered through the most heavy handed tattooing I’ve experienced, and…I guess I do feel some sense of joint ownership over it. Display it as an ad for your work, sure! But seeing her selling prints of a massive unique piece I have covering a huge part of my body, designed for me, just gave me a gross feeling. Honestly, it felt weirdly violating. That’s my [insert body part here]! If it was a pre drawn design, even if it wasn’t flash, I think I would feel differently.
I am not planning to say anything to her about it either way, but I need to know: is this typical? I have many tattoos including other gorgeous, large custom pieces, and I’ve never experienced this. Interested in hearing from everyone, but especially artists.
Posted Apr 1, 2026, 5:45 AM UTC