Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book?
WHEN BOOKS ARE OPEN, all tattoo bookings are made through the website booking form.
CUSTOM BOOKING FORM will appear here.
FLASH BOOKING FORM will appear here.
Announcements for dates and time are made on Instagram stories or posts, and website.
Currently booking 1-2 months at a time.
When will your custom books open?
The date is always TBD (to be determined). I am focused on my current customs, wannados and flash tattoos. I do not make announcements on when my custom books open.
They appear on and off my website with submission limits (like flash).
SEE CUSTOM INFO here.
Note: I do not take on every custom tattoo inquiry. I will be choosing projects that suit my artistic capacity at the moment. If you do not hear back by the next custom opening, I cannot tattoo you for this open booking round. You can try again next round, I do appreciate the support and interest in my work!
What is your rate? How much will my tattoo cost?
CUSTOM TATTOOS:
Custom tattoos are priced per piece (flat price) or $300 per hour.
3 hour sessions for multi-session tattoos are priced at $900.
The minimum is $600.
Deposits are $200 are non-refundable and applies to most tattoos.
For hourly rated tattoos with drawings that require more than 3 subjects the deposit is a drawing fee and will not apply to tattoo cost.
I consider the location, accurate size measurements, level of detail, and projected drawing time.
I give quotes with a consultation (email or in person for large pieces).
For larger/multiple session tattoos, as the tattoo progresses, I am able to give more accurate estimation of how many more sessions are left to complete the tattoo. This is because I am able to get to know your skin. The skin integrity (how well the skin takes the ink) can dictate how long sessions may take.
Some locations are more difficult to tattoo (i.e: ribs, lower back, chest, waist, stomach, sternum, neck).
Some smaller tattoos that are more finely detailed can actually take more time than a medium/larger tattoo.
Drawing time is factored into cost. Some compositions are more challenging than other tattoos based on the subject matter.
How do I book a flash tattoo appointment?
SEE FLASH INFO here.
Flash openings are announced on instagram stories and on website. Each opening has a submission limit, only allowing a certain number of entries.
If you are unable to make a submission, I sometimes post random availabilities on my instagram stories when a reschedule occurs on my calendar.
How should I prepare for my tattoo appointment?
Please see Studio.
Do you do cover ups?
I do not work on most coverups. I can refer you to an artist that specializes in this kind of work. I do, however, do small coverups that are very faded already with laser removal (1x1" or smaller tattoos to be covered). Photo of the existing tattoo wanting to be covered up must be sent with your inquiry.
I do cover up old scars that are not too fresh/deep.
What kind of tattoos don’t you do?
I do not tattoo white only tattoos.
I do not tattoo on face, feet or hands unless I see the actual skin beforehand.
I do not tattoo high realism portraits. I do, however, do line portrait style.
I do not tattoo other artist works.
I do not tattoo genitals.
I do not touch up old tattoos that I did not do.
I do not tattoo quotes unless it is family related.
I do not do miniature tattoos or hand poke.
If you need an explanation for any of the above, feel free to ask!
How do I take care of my tattoo?
Please see Aftercare Instructions
Do you send artwork before the scheduled tattoo appointment?
Yes, I send the bare bones artwork. I am open to small changes to the design, but mostly a clear idea should be discussed during consultation. Also, please understand that the design on my iPad is a simple line drawing without shading. During consultation we should have discussed the level of shading detail you want.
Deposits are non-refundable. Changing your tattoo idea after consultation will result in losing your deposit. And may require a rescheduled tattoo appointment date, following another deposit to be made for the new idea.
Will it hurt?
Yes, definitely. But when your adrenaline kicks in, the experience becomes less painful. For some people, the pain is not as bad as they thought. For some people, it is very intense in the moment. Also, physical pain is generally forgotten pretty easily (which is why most people may say it isn’t that bad). Remember that the pain does go away and once it heals, the pain will feel like a distant memory, but now you have a beautiful tattoo to look at.
Certain locations of the body may hurt more than others. This is more obvious when the tattoo expands to many locations on the body in one session. Generally, tattoos that are located near joints/tendons/bones, can feel more spicy!
How long will my tattoo session be?
I will give you an estimate of the session time during consultation. At this point in my career of tattoo, I am able to tattoo as efficiently as possible.
Timing can depend on a lot of variables. You can check my tattoo posts on Instagram, many of them have the actual needle time and session time noted in the comments. I price my tattoos based on session time.
Tattoos that require full color saturation take the longest, as well as tattoos located in stretchy areas of the body, or wrap around.
Small and simple lined without shading tattoos take the least amount of time.
However, tattoos smaller in size do not necessarily mean it will take less time. Some tattoos that take up more surface area and are larger tattoos may actually take less time than smaller detailed tattoos; it all depends on the level of detail and often times skin health and location of the tattoo.
Location matters. Some locations on the body are easier than others. Some locations require bending forward (chest, ribs and back), or lots of turning and movement (wrapping tattoos). Areas like the ribs, lower back, and neck, require the skin to be stretched while getting tattooed; it is the only way to apply the ink into the skin with better consistency. Some locations are not so complicated and take less time if they are located in one place (calves, inner forearm), staying within a few inches in measurement with no wrapping.
Why should I eat right before my tattoo appointment?
Most people do better when they are not depleted of nutrients. Throughout the day your body undergoes stresses, and uptakes nutrients and burns calories. Getting a tattoo is not easy. People build tolerance to the experience of pain. Those who are experiencing their first tattoo, and even those who are seasoned in getting tattoos, must realize that when the needle hits the skin, your body goes through a natural physiological response.
Your brain will respond to the pain receptors, sending signals of a threat to your body that results in the adrenaline response. Your heart rate may increase, you might sweat more, breathe more heavily, etc. In order for your body to be resilient against pain, your body uses up carbohydrates. The food that you ate before your tattoo appointment is metabolized as carbs(sugars), pushes the sugars into your blood, so you can have energy.
If you come to your appointment depleted, your chances of passing out during the first ten minutes of the tattoo session increases. The first ten minutes is when your body undergoes the adrenaline response, and during this time is when people are most vulnerable to passing out. This is easily remedied by eating a complex meal (carbs + protein) 30 minutes before your appointment time. Eating 1-2 hours away from your appointment time is not recommended (this depends on your metabolism).
Do you do touch ups?
I do not touch up other artist's work. But yes, I do do touch ups on my tattoo work. Cost for touch up: $25-50 for a small touch up to cover set up fees and time. Small touch up means very minimal work usually less than 10 min.
If you are a returning client coming in for a new tattoo, it is likely that I will touch up your tattoo (that I did) if it needs one at no additional cost at the end of your new tattoo session..
For some tattoos, I may apply a portion of your deposit for a "finishing touch up session" after the tattoo is completely healed (3 months later). Most of the time, this includes larger tattoos, color tattoos, or areas that are difficult to take ink, like the hands, feet, neck, elbows, or ditches of the elbow.
When do I wear sunscreen?
Wear sunscreen under prolonged sun exposure (over 30 minutes). When your tattoo is on a location that is not as exposed like under your clothes, sunscreen is not usually necessary. Check the UV index under the weather app, it changes depending on the time of day. Colored tattoos can be more vulnerable than black ink. If it is under your inner upper arm, sunscreen application is also not as important either. It is extremely important to wear sunscreen on the outer forearms/shoulders (think driver side arm/shoulder).
I just got a tattoo, how come it’s not posted on Instagram?
Sometimes camera photos are just not great. I am not a photographer. I use my iPhone for photos. Sometimes it doesn’t capture the tattoo very well (because of bad lighting, skin pore inflammation, extreme shine, extreme swelling/redness, etc.), which is why some tattoo artists completely de-saturate all their photos to remove the appearance of redness/irritation from the tattoo. I adjust my photos to a degree so that you can still see the design clearly. The level of skin irritation that some tattoo locations & types of skin can create (inflammation can expand the pores causing light to reflect adversely in photographs), this may result in not posting certain tattoos.
I prefer to post healed photos of tattoos. I always appreciate receiving healed photos!