Pricing

When we talk about tattoos and cost, what you need to understand first, is that it is not possible to provide any exact amount of time or money. There are simply too many variables. Every person’s skin is a little different. Body shapes and sizes are different. The same exact tattoo design in roughly the same place, and stenciled at the same size, using the same needle configurations and ink, will take different amounts of time. It might be relatively close, but not exact. This is relative to a very small design.

I work in mostly medium to larger scale designs, which means, exponentially more variables to the amount of time a piece will take. I’m going to break down some details about what might be considered while I am working up a time estimate for you. Always keep in mind, that it is only an estimate, and that sometimes it will take more, or less, time than I originally anticipated. I do my best to keep people updated throughout the process, but those estimations do become more accurate later in the process. For example, right after completing your linework, my original estimation might still seem relatively accurate, but once we have completed linework, black shading, and foliage in a large tattoo, I might be able to provide a more exact number of appointments left in your series. At that point, I know how well you heal, what kind of pain tolerance you have in that specific area, and how much color saturation is required for the desired look. I can’t guess any of those factors before I have tattooed you.

These are some of the biggest factors I am weighing when considering your project, and the amount of time we might need to complete it:

How much content are we trying to fit in a specified area?

Is the piece color or black and grey? Color will always be more time consuming due to cleaning between colors and layering. Neutral, bright, or a combo color palette are all considered a color tattoo.

What size is the body part that we are trying to cover? Both top to bottom, and circumference. Larger bodies have more surface area that will require more time to fill.

How many tiny detailed elements are being requested? Imagine a classic red rose and baby's breath bouquet. This has larger more simple elements with the roses and foliage, and then tiny detailed elements in the baby's breath. Including larger, simpler flowers amidst smaller detailed flowers is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and provides balance and contrast within the piece.

What is quality of the person’s skin relative to their lifestyle habits? Alcoholic? Smoker? Sunbather? Live in a dry climate? Stays hydrated? Regularly exfoliates? Uses moisturizer? Over the age of 50? All of these factors contribute to the overall elasticity and health of your skin. There are always exceptions, but typically these factors play a role in your tolerance and healing processes.

Throughout this page you will find details below each photo regarding the amount of time different pieces required to complete.

This leg sleeve is fully saturated, with very little natural skin visible. We worked on it for close to 2 years over the course of 19 appointments and completing the piece at 60 hours, including final touch-ups.

This piece was completed in 3 sessions, for a total of about 6 hours.

Budgeting

My hourly rate of $220 might seem a bit daunting at first.
I assure you that it is manageable, many people with varied levels of income have figured out how to get tattooed without putting themselves into financial distress.

If you are feeling unsure about the financial commitment of the large scale piece that you are wanting, it could be better to break down what you can afford monthly combined with the security of your job. If you have a well established career and know that you can afford $900 a month for your tattoo, then we will book it accordingly. We will do one 4-hour session per month. If your car breaks down and you need to spend that money on repairs, we can skip your appointment that month and add another later on. If your budget only allows $500 per month, then we will book you every other month, so you have time to save up. If you have $2,000 a month to spend on your tattoo, then we can do a full day session once a month, until completion.

If you know that you want a full sleeve, but you are worried about the cost, and decide to do a half sleeve instead, that is something we can do. Please, tell me if this is what you are trying to do. I always try to envision the full body part as a whole, and I will design your tattoo intentionally if you know that you would like it to eventually be a full sleeve. I prefer to design the piece to fit the entire body part rather than doing it in small sections. This is made most difficult if the person chooses to do very small increments, transitioning from 1\4 sleeve to half, and then half to 3\4, and 3\4 to full sleeve- this will be a very disjointed tattoo inherently. It would be better to piece it together with smaller pieces. For example: Tattoo on the back of the upper arm, and then a piece on the inner forearm, and then a piece on the shoulder, and finally tying them all together. Communication is key, if you want a full sleeve but aren’t ready to commit, say that up front and we can come up with a plan that will have the flow you are seeking.

Descriptions Found in the Submission Form

In the Submission Form I ask a few questions regarding your stylistic preferences. The answers you provide help me determine the amount of time we will need to finish your project.

My work can vary from piece to piece because the designs are tailored to the individual. I don't always know which piece caught your attention, so this helps me determine what characteristics appeal to you specifically. I also include the options "Unsure" or "Artist's Choice" if you prefer to leave these details up to me to decide for you.

Background

The background of your tattoo can provide an atmospheric density, without creating a more busy look.

As you can see, the 3/4 sleeve with no background has a somewhat lace-like look, with negative space in between the content. A piece like this should have a nice flow while still allowing the natural skin to show as a part of the design.

A color, or grey background, as you can see in the third photo, still allows some visible skin. This type of background can provide contrast for lighter foreground content to "pop". Notice how vibrant the pink peonies look with the color depth in the background.

The black background, shown in the last photo, gives the ambiance of a night time scene, with very high contrast. This can make colors like bright pink, red, or yellow almost jump out at the viewer. These present in a similar fashion to some of the floral artists of the 1600-1700s, like Rachel Ruysch and Ambrosius Bosschaert.

If lighter color is desired, background can add contrast to any skin type or level of natural melanin. In this photo you can see both healed and fresh pigment. The hand is new, while the mid-forearm is completely healed.

No background, 3/4 sleeve

Color background, outer hip and butt.

Black background, lower leg sleeve.

Density

Next we will look at density. This is referring to the foreground content only, since we've already covered background.
In the second photo, similar to the "no background" example from above, the content density is somewhat loose. This client wanted there to be space between the different elements, letting each piece stand on it's own, without feeling disjointed. This piece also has a balance of very small plants and herbs, mixed with larger flowers and leaves.

The first photo is an example of a medium density, where some skin is visible, but there are quite a few visible blooms as well. This piece also has a very soft grey background

The third photo is an example of a very dense content, where the different elements are layered so closely that there is very little room for background. This kind of density would be commonly seen in bouquet portraits like one might want with a wedding bouquet. I do recommend some background when people request specific bouquet portraits to give good depth behind the foreground flowers. Frequently, adding more leaves might be a way that I would add density without clustering our primary content too much.

Half sleeve, over the shoulder, with a medium density.
This half sleeve started with the shoulder cap and then later was extended to a half sleeve. It was completed in 5 sessions for a total of about 12 hours.

Balanced, but not symmetrical, 3/4 sleeves, with loose content.

Half sleeve, with very dense content.

Palettes

Choosing a color palette might be the most important decision you'll make about your new tattoo, outside of the content itself.
In the Submission Form you may select more than one option. For example, many of the pieces in my portfolio have a combination of a neutral palette for the foliage, and a bright palette for the floral content. This contrast is aesthetically pleasing and can make bright colors look even brighter than if they were paired with a very bright green.

The first photo is a black and grey tattoo. We refer to this as a black and grey tattoo, because there are no opaques, or white pigment used. Therefore, it is not a black and white tattoo, but a black and grey tattoo.

The second photo is a neutral color palette. With a neutral palette, we are using color pigment, but without bright primary colors. These pieces will become significantly more neutral over time as the color fades. Pinks and oranges, especially neutral tones, will fade the most.

The bright color palette, as seen in the third photo, has a bold look to it. The color of a bright tattoo will also fade and soften over time, particularly the warm tones, like red, yellow, and orange. While the blue, purple, and green should withstand the test of time. It should be noted that the cool tones are also the most difficult to breakdown with laser removal.

I do not typically recommend doing a black and grey tattoo with a "pop" of neutral color. If we are going to do a black and grey sleeve with a "pop" of color, then I would strongly recommend a bold color, like bright yellow or red, that can be woven throughout the entire piece.

Black and grey palette, with dense content.

Neutral palette, with a loose varied edge.