So many questions, so little time. Its a Tattoo, you’re going to FEEL IT! Will it kill you… NO, will it make you writhe in agonizing pain till you pass out on our floor and flop around… the answer is still NO! Its uncomfortable, it feels like a bad sunburn, maybe an irritating cat scratch, some people it doesn’t hurt at all, different placements on the body feel different to each person . If your friend said her ankle hurt, yours may not. We all feel things differently. You’ve definitely been thru worse pain in your life than a tattoo.

How much is the red car? Well, depends on the car and all its options. I’m sure you have heard “Good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are not good”. A basic rule is a 50$ minimum in most all professional shops, we dispose of EVERYTHING we use, this basically equals around 38$ of material and 12$ in labor! yea 12 bux on a 50 dollar tattoo is all we actually make. Most work is based on time and placement on the body, your ribs and torso stretch up to 3x its length making a tattoo here take longer in time. Also we base things on detail , if you take a large “Tribal” all black american style design and cover your whole arm it can be less time but take up the same space as if you asked for the “Fall of the roman empire with all its detail” down your arm, hence the tribal will cost less. 100$ to 150$ an hour is base price for normal professional tattooing. Some artists can give you a straight price when we see the design because we know how long it will take us(every artist is different). Its always best to bring all your reference and homework to us and we can work out the right tattoo for your budget if needed. There are always options! Personally, if you goto a shop that doesn’t work WITH you, leave, there are great professional artists out there who will.

Of course, but be prepared for us to tell you what its going to look like in 10 years! Only for this reason, your body moves and grows and produces oil on and thru your skin over the years, you get bigger and smaller the tattoo is PART of your skin, it will stretch and shrink and blur if too much detail is packed to small and lines are too close together. Most of us have seen our grandparents tattoos, we design them now not to do THAT! We learn in time just like any other industry. That was 50 years ago, we don’t make cars like that anymore, we won’t do tattoos like that anymore. New brighter ink, new artists learning from the past.

…Ummm …NO, Why do you want to “touch” my tattoo? You can’t “feel” it? Its not a Scratch and Sniff? (although that would be cool)… oh wait thats a FAQ that we all get when we already HAVE tattoos. YES, when you get tattooed people you never met before will talk to you and touch you in line at the grocery store. This in many ways can do a lot for people in their personal lives. Tattooing opens the doors for a lot of things good and bad, It helps people open up when there may not be anything else to talk about, its a “common ground” for a lot of people, but that’s a different segment on my “Articles” page… next question.

The answer is NO. This question has MANY answers. It took Michelangelo over 4 years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and yes it can take that long for your tattoo! People work on their bodies for hours and months and even years. The preparation for a drawing will take time, the tattoo will take time, and the healing will take time. Its a real commitment to get large work, both for the client and the artist, with the final outcome becoming something you both will love and be proud to show. So choose your artist wisely and be comfortable with them from the beginning.

Smaller tattoos can be done in one session, from a 30 min to 2 hours time window, half sleeves and full sleeves and full backs will take time. We wont rush the drawing on YOU if YOU have to to live with it forever, no matter how big or small its worth the wait to get it done right and take some time to make changes and proper appointments.

Every artist is different on this one. Most times its much better in person for two main reasons. First, we need to see the actual design and where on your body its going so we can better judge our day and how long we need for you, how much needs to change in the drawing to fit the area, so we don’t over or under book another clients time. Secondly a deposit is usually required for any time that needs to be set for an artists day. We have made other arrangements for our “out of country and state” clients over the phone. New clients are always asked to come in and meet with us before their appointment date is set so we can get a better idea of who you are, and how we will work out the drawing and details for you.

Well, its not a kitten, its much easier to take care of. SIMPLE is BETTER ! We have been in this business for a while, and we all have personally used every product that’s been pushed down our throats. Personally they all suck (sorry that’s my opinion) YOUR BODY is the best product, its living and breathing and healing fine on its own, without all the craziness adding to many things to it. Rules are easy, First remove the bandage when you get home or about and hour or 2 after your done getting tattooed (not in a bar bathroom, their dirty). Gently wash the tattoo with clean hands mild soap and water, pat dry. Then Aquaphor or a similar product 2 or 3x a day for 3 days. MILD UNSCENTED hand lotion 3x a day for 2 weeks. Simple is best.

The ointments we recommend are good for many reasons mostly because of the vitamins in them promote healing.

THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM WIKIPEDIA, ZINC, vitamins A and D are what help the initial healing process best. But this only effective for the first few days to aid in the development of new skin cells, prolonged use will actually take the tattoo longer to heal, so 3 days max with the ointment. Then you’re just taking care of “Dry Skin” so Hand lotion works fine for the remaining 2 weeks. Remember we are trying to keep the INK IN your body, if you over treat the area it will push it out like dirt (fading), your body doesn’t know the difference yet, you have to teach it. YES it will peel and flake like dry skin, this is natural, your body is replacing the old layer with a brand new shiny one, this will look hazy for a few days, again all normal. DON’T pick at it (we can tell if you did), NO SOAKING i.e. baths, hot tubs, swimming (salt or fresh or pool water) for 2 weeks! NO WORKING OUT IN GYMS WITH FRESH TATTOOS! Its gross other people sweat in there, wait a week. TAKING A SHOWER IS FINE, just don’t drowned your tattoo. CALLING US WITH QUESTIONS IS ABSOLUTELY OK! Please call us first before the “friend” recommends his or her “proven method” of healing their tattoos! And YES, We will give this to you written down so you have it with you always. ALL professional shops will take care of their clients and inform them on proper healing.