Many people make the mistake of rushing into getting a tattoo before they have fully researched what getting a tattoo means. Like most of life’s important decisions, getting a tattoo should not be done on a whim, as it will certainly have lasting effects.

These are some questions that you should ask before you commit to a tattoo:

* Years in business: you want to find a parlour that has been in business for a while, and you definitely want to check them out through the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had any complaints.

* Qualifications: certainly you wouldn’t put your body in the hands of someone who is not qualified or experienced, yet many people do this with disastrous results.

* Guarantees: what happens if you are not impressed with the tattoo, will they fix it at no charge, or offer a refund?

* Samples / References: of course the tattoo artist could very well tell you that they are fantastic and have all happy customers, but the proof is in the pudding. Check out pictures of their work, and ask if they have a few references they can provide.

* Infection: any decent tattoo artist should be able to tell you about the risk of infection and how you can prevent it, as well as what you should do if you think that your tattoo is infected.

* Placement: the tattoo artist should be able to help you decide where the best placement is for your tattoo.

* Whether a tattoo is right for you: there are certain medical conditions that should preclude a person from getting a tattoo, such as blood disorders or infectious diseases. A good tattoo artist should know whether you are a candidate for a tattoo.

* Needle fear: there are many people who have a fear of needles, and if this is you then you will need an extra-experienced tattoo artist who can help you through the process.

* Length: you will want to make sure that you have enough time to get your tattoo completed, or if it is a large tattoo perhaps break up your tattoo session into a few components.

Following some suggestion in the article, hopefully you will be more comfortable going into get your tattoo, or you will head yourself off from going to a tattoo parlour with a less than stellar reputation.

A caricature is a portrait of a person that captures the essence of a person in an identifiable form, and yet exaggerates those features that suggest the essential essence. It has a certain cartoon look to it and the essence that is being exaggerated can be positive or negative. Caricature began in years ago as a form of flattery for the rich. It was done more to show the positive side and to flatter the subject.

In order to draw a caricature, the first step is to study faces. You need to study as many faces as you possibly can. You need to study them in photographs and you need to study them in real life. You should try to visualize those features that make the face unique. In other words, since you are going to capture the essence by exaggerating certain feature, you need to understand just what the essence is. The basic rule of this stage is that you are going to maximize the features of the face that are maximized in the subject, and minimize the features of the face that are minimized in the in subject. If the subject has small eyes, for instance, and you draw the eyes very large, you may make a cartoon looking image, but you will not have captured the essence. It will also be unidentifiable.

Proper equipment is important, and the next step is to make sure you have what you need. A good place to start when learning is with pencil. Avoid #2 pencils and look for 4B or 5B pencils instead. The 5B pencil makes a thick and black line. The caricature is going to have a certain cartoony look to it, and the thick black lines will help accomplish this. Then draw the subject much as you would a regular portrait, but using bold and exaggerated lines and a minimum of shadowing.

You are going to be maximizing the dominant feature that captures the essence of the subject. You should be able to determine what that is from your study of the face. It could be a large nose, large forehead, or a big smile. It could also be a small ears or a weak chin. Your caricature drawing should reflect this dominant feature. If you are seeking more of a cartoon caricature, merely do a bit more exaggerating of that essential feature. Like any art form, caricature takes practice, and when you feel you have practiced as much as you can, the next step is to practice a little bit more.