Hyellows! Pre-thanks for considering me for your tattoo; there’s definitely no shortage of good tattoo artists on the planet!
After many years of repeating myself I have created this
Frequently Asked Questions page. Here we go:
How much will my tattoo cost?
I don’t know! Placement on your body, the amount of detail, color or black and gray inks, the size of the tattoo, your skin type, the amount that you move during a procedure, styles of choice, etc.,
are different for every individual.
Well, how much do you charge?
My full-day rate is $900, starting at 1PM to 8PMish; we will get lunch!
My half-day rate is $500, starting at 1PM to 4PMish and again at
5PM to 8PMish; maybe you’ll get lunch.
Should I choose full-day or half-day?
Personally, when I get tattooed I don’t like sitting/laying for longer than three hours, but this means I’m setting up four or five appointments to finish something that could be done in two full-day sessions
(and save $200+ with additionally tipping each session)
but as a tattoo artist I prefer to work longer to get the tattoo finished faster. It’s your call, but most of the time I will let you know what I think is a better plan, for example: before/after getting your arm completely outlined for three hours I’d recommend calling it a day
and scheduling multiple sessions to fill those outlines.
How often should I set appointments for my multiple sessions tattoo?
I’d prefer to schedule you at minimum five weeks apart;
and preferably not a year apart.
Can I schedule a little tattoo?
Yes, but I charge an hour minimum of $200, so whether we tattoo for one second or 59 minutes and 59 seconds it’s $200.
What do you want to tattoo?
Projects that give me creative freedom to grow and challenge myself as an artist; including, but not limited to, custom drawn:
Anime/cartoon/comic characters
Automotive - related ideas
Black and gray realistic, or illustrative, portraits
Blackouts (with or without negative space designs)
Double exposures
Engraved (the pushed into sand look)
Fine/single line ideas
Flowers
Folklore
Food - related ideas
FUNNY ideas; this is my favorite theme!
Gradients
Glitches
Illustrative animals + bugs
Inverted designs
Lady - heads
Michigan - related ideas
Mashups
Movie/TV-show ideas
Oni masks
Pinstripes
Pixels
Sketchbook style
Space/cosmic
Skulls and bones
Videogame - related ideas
Woodcarvings
What do you not want to tattoo?
Color realism
Coverups
Finishing others’ work
Genitals
Mandalas
Hawaiian, Mayan, Maori, Polynesian, etc., tribal
Not-custom drawn lettering/names/quotes/words
Others’ tattoos/illustrations
Re-works
Religion - related ideas
Swirly doodles/Henna
Trees wrapping body parts
Trend - based work
Underboob chandeliers
UV ink
Watercolor and painterly style
Feel free to reach out for my recommended tattoo artists for these styles.
How do I inquire about a tattoo?
Introduce yourself (even if we’ve met before) and let me know what you’re thinking! It’d be awesome if your idea(s) is/are well thought out. Gather any references that may help me visualize the vision for your tattoo: architecture, drawings, illustrations, photographs, sketches, statues, and others’ tattoos can help me understand the look
and overall plan for your project;
try to leave looking at others’ tattoos as a last resort for inspiration.
It’s cool if you don’t have pictures and want me to "do my thing," but showing me one of my tattoos that you dig helps tremendously for my process. Please take photographs of the body area that you want to get the tattoo on (don’t take a selfie photograph) these will most likely need to be taken by another person to get the right angle, lighting, area of the body, and for me to see if you already have tattoos in that area;
take these in a well - lit room/outside in a relaxed/standing position.
How do I setup a consultation?
We may not need to schedule a consultations.
I’m usually able to prepare your tattoo from our digital conversation,
but I can discuss in - person if that’s what you’re into.
How do I set an appointment?
I book my tattoo appointments from a scheduling/wait list, scheduling everyone in order of initially being contacted. I start a new list after everyone is booked.
If I have a cancellation, returning clients
get contacted for filling those spot.
Currently I’m scheduling May through September 2024.
Do you need a deposit?
A deposit is your agreement to arrive to your tattoo appointment(s) and are required of new clients. Scheduling with me requires a non-refundable $100 drawing fee/deposit, which goes towards the final price of your tattoo, so on multi - session tattoos it applies to your last session.
I have multiple methods of welcoming deposits that I will
state after agreeing to set an appointment.
Can I lose my deposit?
If you don’t show up for your appointment it’s gone!
If you cancel/reschedule with less than 48 hours notice; gone!
Changing your tattoo idea from what we scheduled…gone!
Waiting a year (I get it pregnant women) to schedule your next session; it’s gone.
I’m understanding to a means, for example: if your dog ran away on the morning of your appointment, I’ll transfer your deposit to another date.
What’s your Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy?
No hurt feelings at all; if it’s less than 48 hours from the appointment time. You’ll be placed on the wait list for when I get a different cancellation to schedule you into that spot.
If you cancel three times though, you’re gone!
Can I see my drawing before my appointment date?
Nope; you know what to expect from our conversation.
Minor changes can be made on the day of!
How do I prepare for a tattoo session?
Get a great night of sleep, slam a 1/4 to 1/2 of your bodyweight in ounces of water, ingest something with a lot of sugar, eat a big meal, bring a filled 24oz+ water bottle, snacks of your choice, and come in clear-headed. Heads up, weed intensifies pain;
pills and numbing creams are for squares!
Will it hurt?
Yes. I’m putting metal into your skin millions of times…it sucks!
Will I need a touch - up?
You may need a follow - up appointment after your tattoo is healed;
or in a decade after the sun did its rudeness.
If we start a large project this will be our final (remember that deposit?) appointment.
If your tattoo was finished within the year of completing it I charge $20 for supplies; or include it free - of - charge with a new tattoo.
If your tattoo is over a year healed you may be looking at my minimum $200 rate.
Can I bring someone to my appointment?
Of course! I may sound mean up to this point, but I’m just trying to be straightforward. The two goals of tattooing are to make an awesome forever - lasting tattoo and to HAVE FUN during the process!
What happens during the tattoo session?
Besides the obvious tattooing, I will zone into your tattoo, thus zoning out from conversation at some/multiple points. I encourage you to bring a book/Kindle, a tablet or phone for movies/music, a Nintendo Switch, your work/homework on your laptop, etc., and I usually have the TV in my room going with your choice of Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, and whatever you want to log into to watch.
I like cigarettes, so I "take five" every hour to hour - and - a - half;
you can join me in my rookie yoga or practice for yourself in my room.
What happens when the tattoo is finished?
PHOTOSHOOT! You may get Saniderm (leave that on for three nights) or you may get a cover, which you should take off in an hour; to at most three hours.
With either route the aftercare is identical: I’ll advise you to buy a $1 bar of hypoallergenic soap from me. Wash your hands with the soap, use your soapy index and middle fingers to draw some small circles on your tattoo, wash the soap away and let it air - dry.
Before you got to this point I have given you one, or two, free After Inked tattoo aftercare packets (I’ll advise you to buy the big bottle for $10, which is 12 packets for large tattoos) that you apply to your tattoo after the air - dry; a dot/rice-sized piece may cover your whole piece…
do both of these steps three times per day, for at a minimum of two weeks.
Your tattoo is now lava: don’t let the sun touch it, don’t let chlorine or fish debris touch it, don’t let your pet touch it, when it starts to peel just don’t touch it!
OH, you’ll ooze some plasma during your first night’s sleep, which won’t damage your bedding, but you can lay a towel down if you want an easier cleanup.
Where are you located?
I’m at Wonderland Tattoo on Tuesdays through Saturdays from
1PM to 8PM (close at 6PM on Thursdays) at
23531 Little Mack Ave. St. Clair Shores, MI 48080.