06/10/2026
This post was inspired by another tattoo artist’s post. I don’t know him personally, but I really enjoyed what he wrote. It got me thinking, and more importantly, it made me curious about my clients’ perspectives on this topic.
I’ve heard a lot of arguments from tattoo artists on both sides of the A.I. debate, but honestly, I haven’t heard much from the people whose opinions matter most—you, my clients.
At the end of the day, you’re the men and women I tattoo. You’re the ones who will wear this artwork for the rest of your lives, and my goal has always been the same: I don’t want you to just like your tattoo, I want you to love it.
So I’m curious…
How do you feel about designs that are heavily influenced by, inspired by, or partially created using A.I.-generated imagery during the tattoo design process?
Personally, I love it, and I use multiple A.I. programs regularly as tools to help bring ideas to life. They allow me to create concepts much more efficiently and help generate custom imagery that would otherwise be difficult—or sometimes nearly impossible—to find online.
It also helps us avoid using the same reference photos that have been recycled on Pinterest, Google, and social media thousands of times over.
Now, to be clear, this doesn’t mean I simply ask an A.I. program for an image and tattoo whatever it gives me. A.I. is just a tool, nothing more.
The real work still falls on the artist. We still have to design the tattoo, make adjustments, solve problems, fit it to your body, and ensure it reflects your vision and goals. We still have to use our experience, creativity, and technical knowledge to make the design tattoo-ready.
For me, A.I. is simply another tool that helps bridge the gap between an idea in your head and a visual concept we can build from.
But that’s just my opinion.
What about yours?
Does it bother you if your tattoo artist uses A.I. as part of the design process, or do you see it as just another tool to help create better artwork?
