Get inked at the Southern Ink Xposure 2012

Ten tips to get the most out of this annual tattoo convention

We chatted to Jon Monsoon from Southern Ink Xposure (SIX) 2012 to find out his top five dos and don'ts to help you get the most out of this exciting convention.

Top five things to do
1. Get there early; the top artists book up quickly (doors open at 5pm on Friday 27th and at 9am on the Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th).
2. Make sure you take enough money, there will be food stalls, well-stocked bars and awesome products like imported books and T-shirts to spend your hard-earned cash on.
3. Take time to check out the artist stalls which will be on all levels of the V&A Pavilion.
4. Clear your entire weekend for this event - you don't want to miss out on any of the official after-parties!
5. Buy a weekend ticket (R250 per adult), which gives you unlimited access to the convention over the weekend and free entrance to the official after-parties. (SIX is a family event with no age restriction, except at the after-parties where normal no under-age rules apply.)

Top five things not to do
1. Don’t take photos of the tattoo artists while they're working. Some find it distracting (also ask permission of the person getting tattooed, they might not want to be photographed).
2. Don’t ask a person busy getting tattooed if it hurts (It does!).
3. Don’t ask tattoo artists if they can do temporary tattoos. All the tattoos done at SIX are permanent and professional.
4. Don’t arrive drunk or expect to get tattooed when you are drunk (or on any other kind of mind-altering substance.). You won't be inked and will most likely be asked to leave.
5. Don’t haggle over the price of a tattoo you want quoted by the artist. Appreciate that the work you’ll be getting is being done by one of the world's best artists, who are here to work and make a living.

So there you have it, a quick guide to this year’s SIX which will showcase even more top international talent than last year, including artists from Taiwan and China. The art exhibition will also be larger than last year and there will be more concerts, stalls, competitions and an extended entertainment programme on the convention floor.

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