I'm planning on my first tattoo - sternum?

pain tolerance varies from person to person, but from experience i'll admit that my chest tattoo was easily the most painful. i would not recommend it as your first tattoo because it is painful and considering such you want know the touch of your tattooist. my chest was done by an artist with a very heavy hand. i'm happy with the result, but definitely not the process. had i known then what i know now, i'd have gone to a much gentler artist. also keep in mind that unless you have a relationship with the shop and the artist, you run the risk of paying shop minimum (here the standard is around $85) regardless of the size of your art. another reason to consider saving this for another day...