F.A.Q.
~*~._.~*~._.~*~
Q: how do i book an appointment?
A: you MUST submit an application. I ONLY TAKE APPLICATIONS DURING OPEN BOOKING PERIODS! when books are open there will be a link to an appointment request form in my instagram bio. Emailing or DMing me asking for an appointment when my books are closed will NOT get you a spot in advance. I’m only one very slow person and i don’t have an assistant please be patient i love you (also please i am begging you PLEASE never text me about tattoos. please, even if were friends: allow me work/life separation. email all ya want tho!)
Q: when are you opening books?
A: if booking dates aren’t in my bio then i dunno yet, but open booking periods happen every month or two. I’ll post about opening dates at least a week before they are determined. Submissions will be open for a while so that you won’t miss the window. i don’t have a solid schedule everything depends on everything cuz im a disorganized artist not a robot yanno
Q: where is your studio?
A: West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!
Q: do you take walk ins?
A: NO! I tattoo in a private space with no visible store front. this means you can only enter if you have an appointment. Maintaining a private studio helps provide a peaceful and safe experience for every client.
Q: is there anything i need to do before i come in for a tattoo?
A: bring a form of ID and be well rested, fed, and clean. Do not show up intoxicated. try to wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access the spot you want tattooed and won’t rub on the tattoo after. bring easily removable layers in case you get cold, especially if you are getting a torso tattoo. things that zip or button up are ideal so your arms can stay covered while the layers are open. have a way to tie your beautiful hair back. ink leaves permanent stains, don’t wear anything too precious. Hair and smells are a natural part of the human body- you do not need to apologize for them, but cleanliness is appreciated. Its not a good idea to soak or steam your new tattoo so take a shower before the appointment. You do not need to shave- all prep will be done by me during your appointment.
Q: how do I take care of my new tattoo?
A: Check out my very extensive AFTERCARE GUIDE. The idea is to keep it clean, moisturized, and protected. For two weeks, wash and moisturize about twice a day. Avoid swimming, soaking, sun, scratching, intense physical activity, and abrasive garments.
Q: are you gonna travel to my city/country?
A: i’d love to! but damn everything is expensive and i don’t know if i have a client base outside of the east coast because ive havent travel tattooed much. so maybe? all travel plans (if they exist) will be posted in my instagram bio and website. If you can provide me with free housing and you live near a cool shop ill probably go anywhere tho :) knowing i can get steady work will make me way more likely to plan trips. you can request i visit your city/country here!
Q: I want a tattoo but live far away and need to arrange travel plans in advance. How can I make an appointment with you?
A: Email me! This is always very flattering but I usually don’t book more than 1-2 months in advance. ill try to accommodate you if possible.
Q: is your ink vegan? are your supplies eco friendly?
A: my ink is vegan! I make an effort to stock cruelty free and eco friendly materials whenever possible. unfortunately tattooing necessitates a lot of waste as it is unsanitary to reuse certain materials. there are only a few eco conscious tattoo suppliers and most of them are halfway across the world, so shipping them would create a huge carbon footprint. that said I hope this changes soon and I am always on the lookout for ethical materials and distributors. With the exception of Aquaphor (which contains lanolin) all my supplies are vegan. You can request a vegan alternative.
Q: do you use numbing cream?
A: i do not provide numbing cream. you are welcome to use your own numbing cream, but time for application and setting will be added to the appointment’s hourly rate. To save time and money I recommend applying the cream an hour (or whatever is recommended by brand) before the appointment, cover the area with saran wrap, and wear the wrap to the studio. ill remove the saran wrap when you arrive and we begin prep. If you decide to use a numbing cream and it compromises some aspect of the tattoo procedure or healing I am not responsible! Historically i have had good experiences with Zensa numb cream but i don’t have a lot of other brand knowledge and experience.
Q: what if i want a touch up?
A: email me! i want you to love your tattoo so i provide free touch ups within 6 months of the day you got your tattoo. I recommend waiting at least a month before deciding to get a touch ups so you can see exactly how the tattoo changes as it heals.
Q: i want my tattoo done in this size/technique/shape because i know that will be easier for you and cheaper for me.
A: this makes no sense and people say it all the time! just tell me how you want it to look and dont tell me how to do it. if you have a budget let me know. you probably dont understand what makes something more or less difficult and contrary to popular belief it is NOT easier to make things really really small
Q: are these handpoked/stickandpoked?
A: no!! 99% of my insta is machine work! i’ve done handpokes before but i dont want to anymore. my style is just a little informal and people associate that with hand poking. yes, i can do fine lines and dots with the machine. again please tell me how you want it to look but dont tell me what to do mom god
Q: my skin is dark can i still get tattooed?
A: YES EVERYONE CAN GET A TATTOO. darker tones may not show ink in the same bright contrast that lighter tones do (especially in color tattoos) but that doesnt mean you “can't “ get one. If you are concerned about how ink will heal on your skin tone you can ask for a color swatch test! Swatch testing entails tattooing small dots or lines in a variety of colored inks and allowing them to heal. When the test heals you’ll be able to see which colors work best for your tone, and plan a color palette that you’ll love. I don’t personally do color work and i recommend getting a swatch test from an artist you will actually get a color tattoo from, but i still offer free color swatch tattoos to anyone who books with me.
Q: will you tattoo on my scars?
A: YES! :) you may need to adjust expectations because sometimes tattoos on scarred skin don’t heal the same way tattoos on unscarred skin do. I love doing freehand scar coverups because we can work along the specific shape of your scars to really camouflage them instead of simply tattooing over them. the scars should be at least a year old. Ive also had good luck tattooing on psoriasis and eczema prone skin (not while youre having a flare up tho!) as well as areas with Keratosis Pilaris and other common skin anomalies. tattoos are for every body.
Q: I have a blood transmissible infection/disease, can I get a tattoo?
A: YES! IT IS ILLEGAL DISCRIMINATION TO REFUSE TO TATTOO SOMEONE BASED ON THIS STATUS. Individuals living with HIV are protected from this type of discrimination by US law under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) According to the law you DO NOT have to disclose your status to your tattoo artist. if you want to disclose to me that’s great! but I exercise medically safe tattoo procedures for every single client so it doesnt really matter. everyone can get a tattoo :) and check it out HepC is curable!
Q: can i get a tattoo i’m 15 my mom says it’s cool
A: okay i lied about everyone being able to get a tattoo. that’s illegal in New York. no one under 18 no
Q: im pregnant, can i get a tattoo?
A: hmm ive heard a lot of differing opinions on this. I personally do not tattoo pregnant people. Come back after the baby comes out!
Q: what is flash/do you have flash?
A: flash is a drawing i’ve already made and want to tattoo. all my available drawings are in the “flash” highlighted story on instagram. if there’s no story up, i don’t have flash. flash designs will be repeated on anyone who wants them. if you like a flash piece but want it to be unique we may be able to change it a bit, it’s easy to subtly change the shape, curve or length of some of the flash to custom fit a part of your body and make it feel more special. usually it’s no problem to enlarge a design but I CANT MAKE SOME THINGS SMALLER. check on the size before you book.
Q: can I see my custom drawing before the day of my appointment?
A: NOPE. I draw all my custom designs on the spot with the client present. Theres a million reasons i enforce that rule. Also, freehand tattoos are made by drawing directly on your skin with a marker so there’s no way to show a design before.
Q: why didn’t you choose my application for an appointment request?
A: I can’t say yes to every request! dont take it personally if yours gets rejected. i have strengths and weaknesses and dont want to do anything that i think i’m bad at. Sometimes i have to deny requests that i do want to do just because i can’t accommodate the volume of requests. if i say no in one round of applications you can always try again next time. If you’ve applied multiple times and you want to know why i did not choose your design, take a look at the lists below. If you don’t find an answer there you can email me!
HERES WHAT I WANT TO DO
-organic/rustic forms that look hand drawn. v into freehand florals!
-necessarily ugly fantasy beasts
-BIG STUFF SPRAWLING COMPOSITIONS (generally not into anything under 3” x 3”)
-arms, legs, neck, shoulder, back, upper and lower belly and crotch placements
-thick(er) lines
-realistic animals but like, ones that are shiny/more ornamental than emotive if that makes sense? like bugs and fish and reptiles. is that offensive idk i know snakes have feelings too
-stuff based on old art sometimes (like sculptures and paintings but usually NOT other drawings)
HERES WHAT I DONT WANT TO DO
-geometry (fuck circles and straight lines)
-really small, super fine line (don’t usually go under 3”x3”)
-HUMAN FORMS/FACES. i dont love things that suddenly look demented if one line is out of place. i’m not confident with figures and faces and i have nightmares about accidentally giving someone a googley eye or a weirdly long arm or something like that.
-furry mammals. ESPECIALLY solid black ones. i dont really wanna do a portrait of your cat but i might because i know you love her so so much
-anything based on someone else’s drawing
-side ribs/side boob zone placement
-cars and skylines
-there are religious/cultural themes that i’m not comfortable tattooing if they feel appropriated or not relevant to you
-anything i deem to be hateful or offensive
Q: how much do your tattoos cost?
A: i price all pieces individually. estimates will be provided after you submit an application (which you can only do when my books are open.) size, placement, level of detail, and subject matter all determine prices. i have an estimated rate of $200 per hour for custom pieces. The hourly rate is applied to the whole appointment time (not just the needle on skin time) which allows me to be compensated while you take as long as you want to consider design details and placement options. on average, most pieces shown on my instagram take between 2-5 hours. I keep a $100 minimum and have a $100 non refundable deposit fee. All prices are subject to change.
Q: why does it cost that much and am i supposed to tip on top of that?
A: traditionally it is customary to tip your tattoo artist! generally a tip might be 10-20% of the overall cost of a tattoo, the lower end being used for more expensive pieces. Everyone has their own take but it is my personal practice to provide complete pricing at what the tattoo is worth, meaning you do not have to tip if it is not achievable. i offer a tip waive in the hopes that people who can afford to tip will, while people who can’t will have more access to getting tattooed. I do not share a set percentage of my profits with my shop, however i do pay shop rent, supplies, web/digital needs, taxes, etc etc etc. (rent and supplies alone are upwards of 12k a year.) I don’t receive any benefits nor do i have any help. sometimes people tip me with things besides money. nothing is necessary but everything has been nice!
Q: I love your work but money is an issue :( do i have options?
A: maybe! Money is weird. I encourage all my clients to be upfront about their budget restrictions. I’m likely to offer sliding scale to all marginalized folks, trauma recovery work, fat bodies that may need greater coverage to fill certain areas, my own personal experiments or work that will build my portfolio- especially if its big!! I will not offer sliding scale to people who are momentarily broke because of recreational travel, lavish self care, education, or otherwise privileged expenses. I will be very likely to offer an interest free anti capitalist payment plan to clients i’ve tattooed previously, or new clients who get a good recommendation. If you would like to receive a discount or sliding scale pricing, this must be discussed BEFORE i book you, NOT after our appointment is over. feel free to ask for more details in the appointment application form.
Q: do you do trades?
A: yea! I don’t say yes to every trade but feel free to ask :) Things I have been interested in previously are: body work, food & beverages related experiences, facial/skin care stuff, tickets to music things, plants, furniture & housewares, idk the list goes on but im a taurus so think sensual comfort and luxury. I hate having my photo taken tho so unfortunately a portrait session isn’t desirable and this gets offered a lot.
Q: i need to cancel can i have my deposit back?
A: the deposit is non refundable. it exists because i’ve set aside time for you and i’ve been doing work well before the day of your appointment. if you cancel an appointment, i loose an opportunity to make money that i may have been counting on. PLEASE don’t drag out a cancellation if you get cold feet/run out of money/etc. You DO NOT need to give me a reason for cancelling. don’t feel bad but DO COMMUNICATE.
Q: can you tattoo my/someone else’s drawing?
A: soft nah. maybe if i really love it/you but i probably don’t want to. i might cave for some weird medieval shit or nostalgic anime but i strongly prefer to work from my own drawings. if you want to propose someone else’s drawing you need to make sure to have permission from that artist BEFORE ASKING ME.
Q: can you tattoo another tattoo artist’s design on me? they live far away/i can’t afford them/etc etc
A: no never dont even bother asking that will send me straight to tattoo hell
Q: i live too far away to get a tattoo from you! can you make a drawing so i can have another tattoo artist do it?
A: no thank you
Q: can you add a bunch of junk to a tattoo i got by someone else?
A: i really dont want to do this
Q: do you do cover ups?
A: uhhhh yea kinda but not really maybe it depends on what you want to cover but personally i dont think my work is well suited for that since it’s not very bold. i can usually disguise a little linework piece easily and im cool with blastovers
Q: do you do color?
A: no.
Q: why
A: dont wanna
Q: how do i start tattooing?
A: draw A LOT. If you don’t have a strong drawing portfolio no one will take you seriously. Apprenticeships are meant to teach you how to tattoo, NOT how to draw. TAKE THIS FRICKING CLASS SO YOU DON’T HURT YOURSELF OR ANYONE ELSE! I used YouTube and willing friends to learn, and instagram to promote my work. It was all free and that was my only option but to this day I STILL wish i had an apprenticeship. Try to get an apprenticeship with an artist you admire by approaching them respectfully with a very very strong portfolio of drawing work.
Q: can i be your apprentice?
A: im beyonored but no. i am not taking apprentices now and i am not planning to.
Q: i think tattoos are so cool but i’m not sure if i want one omg i’m scared what should i get will it hurt is it gonna get jacked up when im old is it okay if i message you a lot with my fears thoughts dreams and feelings lol?
A: you’re probably great but i’m really busy! it’s my job to give you a tattoo, not to convince you to get one. talk to your friends that already have tattoos or check out the video I made with Allure!