The Process
How Your Tattoo Is Made
CREATIVE PROCESS
“No Tattoo is More Important than its wearer.”
–Jun Matsui,
Over the years, I have developed three different ways to approach a tattoo depending on the clients needs. Some tattoos are image-prepped and just need to be scaled and stenciled. Others are elaborate customs, where the client wants to sit in as we design and have maximum input. Others still, want minimum input and to allow the artist the creative freedom to express themselves, while some clients still just want to pick one- for these I have developed a catalog of highly unique custom designs. The choice is yours 🙂
CUSTOM DESIGN
EACH TATTOO begins with a new client consultation, where we will meet, sit down together, review your request, and begin to CREATE.
We will discuss the details, go over your references and my own, and start sketching, drawing, patterning, and whatever steps are necessary to begin composing and designing your tattoo.
I will charge a $100.00 design fee for your first session, which will begin cover the time we spend developing it.
The reason that I charge for this time is to protect my self and my intellectual property from the deal seekers and barterers that somehow, still find their way into tattoo shops, and to ensure that I can spend as much time as necessary on creating the design that is right for you.
If we do not need the entire time we will prorate your $100 and apply it towards your next session, and if we need extra time we will schedule more design time at my normal hourly rate.
At the close of this process, when we have completed the design to your satisfaction, we will schedule your first tattoo session!! We will prep and finalize your design, make any final adjustments, and start tattooing!!
THE FINE ART APPROACH
Once in a lucky while, I receive a request from someone who desires to simply allow their body to be the ultimate canvas for an artist’s expression.
This option, is much closer to a fine art commission-based method for which Fine Art For Bodies began, where you tell your artist what you want to see in your painting, what you like in their work and past pieces of theirs that you love, and then they create an expressive, inspired piece of art for you based on your discussion.
THE FINE ART FOR BODIES COLLECTIONS
For these clients, I have begun developing a series of drawings which illustrate the images that I would love to put on clients if given free reign. These will be available as extremely limited, exclusive, prepared compositions, ready to be customized to your body or request, with a flat rate purchase or installment financing. It is my ambition to have these prepared by early 2016 for public announcement. If you are interested please subscribe to my website at the link to your right and stay tuned!
THE SIMPLER TATTOOS
(Yes I still do them 🙂 I thought it important to take a moment aside to say that I still do, and thoroughly enjoy smaller, simpler, and “funner” tattoos. Many of the smallest simplest tattoos can be the most meaningful.
Most of the work that I do is so exacting, and serious, high brow, and momentous… This is my way of reminding myself that I am still a person, still an artist, and still very much engaged with the spirit and culture of tattooing within our society.
I can not necessarily make concessions to make simpler tattoos “cheaper” than my normal working rates, but they remain very sought after, because I DO actually put the same amount of care, detail, and craftsmanship into them as I do into my major pieces.
If you can bring me a tattoo-ready image, I will usually sit down and get right to it 🙂
These tattoos are billed hourly, from start to finish, similar to the custom design approach; So if they require must customization the cost may be prohibitive, but I have no problem doing them. Alternatively, and purely at the artists discretion, these may be done at a flat rate, (which may be lower or higher than the time required, if the artist does not feel that it fits within fair pricing for the piece.)
These I usually do not schedule, I simply put them in at the beginning or end of a given day if time is available.
THE IN-BETWEENS
Naturally, there are many steps between these points.
There are many ways to tattoo as there are tattoo artists out there, and the tattoo is ultimately up to the wearer.
In the case that there is something that you would like to do which does not fit within these terms, please make sure to ask and DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR ARTIST to exhaustion before you embarking. As they say in Portuguese: “Tudo se resolve na conversa-” Everything is resolved in conversation 🙂
I am sure we can arrive at a happy medium.
COST & TERMS
One hour Consultation/Design session: $100
Hourly rate: $150/hour
Deposits: %50 deposit due at scheduling, remainder due at time of service.
Cancellation: 48 hour advance notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
Because your deposit represents earnest money paid in advance for time on the artists schedule that can never be recovered, if the artist receives less than 48 hours notice of rescheduling, your deposit may be forfeit.
There are NO refunds, for ANY reason, EVER.