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Flash Designs
Flash designs are designs that are pre-drawn, and are usually tattooed as is. This makes it easier pricing wise, because since the project parameters are set, you can just see the prices for each piece on my Venue.ink flash page with specifics for recommended size ranges!
Custom Designs
Custom designs are any design that needs to be drawn from scratch, or arranged/edited before they're ready to be tattooed.
Custom pricing is a bit harder to predict, as different styles, sizes and placements can influence how long a tattoo can take. However, below, I will do my best to explain what kind of pricing ranges you can expect for different projects! Starting with some general concepts, and then specific examples.
Pricing per Project
There are two main ways in which tattoo artists tend to charge - charging an hourly rate (X amount for every hour of tattooing), and charging per project. Personally, as I am still completing my apprenticeship and am not doing any extra large projects where the amount of time needed is a bit less predictable, I prefer to charge by project for small and medium projects.
What this means is that we'll chat about your project in a quick 15 minute consultation, in person or online. Based on the parameters for your project (namely the complexity, style, size, placement, and subject matter), I'll give you a quote for the final piece. I will honor this quote even if I go over time - being an apprentice on the end of my 2nd year, I pride myself in being thorough, even if I'm not the fastest artist just yet. And I would never punish a client financially if I go over a predicted amount of time.
Shop Minimum
A vast majority of tattoo shops have what is called a shop minimum. Our shop minimum is 100 USD.
Why would this price be applicable even for a small 1" tattoo, or even just a single line or dot? This is because this price covers materials, overhead, and setup and breakdown time.
Even for a single dot, an artist would have to set up single-use needles (and boxes for high quality brands are not cheap), ink caps, a razor, a tongue depressor, glide, fill an ink cap (as trying to use a mostly empty ink cap would result in the needle potentially hitting the ink cap and bending, which is not safe), gloves, barriers for all items that are touched (the machine, greep soap bottle, bactine bottle, the station), and paper towels that would all be thrown away at the end of your session. An artist would spend 15-25 minutes setting up, and then another 15-25 minutes breaking down the station after your session, taking time to apply our hospital grade disinfectant over all surfaces (and give it appropriate time to disinfect). That time setting up and breaking down and tattooing would all be done at a station that artists pay rent for, in an establishment that needs to be up to date with licensing and health care codes, with an artist that also requires a license, yearly bloodborne pathogens training, and up-to-date vaccination records. That artist would also be driving to and from this location, eating, covering their own health care coverage, etc.
At the end of the day, 100 USD really isn't a lot in California when distributed amongst the shop percentage, material costs, and artists' needs. But a minimum allows for artists to be able to sustainably include smaller projects in theirr routine without significant financial loss!
Pricing Flexibility
I unfortunately cannot guarantee any specific discounts or a specific sliding scale system. That being said, if your project aligns with what I want to fill my portfolio with more (neotraditional and color realism) and especially if we've worked well together many times in the past, please don't hesitate to tell to me your budget limitations during a consultation! Sometimes I do have room in my month for a discounted project or two without taking too much of a hit financially.
If I can't give you the project you want within your exact budget, I can still discuss ways to potentially downscale the project or maintain the general idea of it in a slightly simpler way!
Deposits
Most tattoo artists require a deposit to hold your place in their schedule. This is usually non-refundable, as it also partially covers drawing time in case of cancelations (as the drawing time is not paid for until the artist has finished the tattoo).
My deposits are 50 USD, and they go towards the price of your final tattoo! This means that you can take whatever price you were quoted with, subtract 50, and get the remaining balance that you would pay on the day of your tattoo.
Variables That Influence Pricing
Sometimes, you might receive a quote that doesn't 100% align with prices you might have seen for similar tattoos from someone else. A non-exhaustive list of some of the factors that can account for such changes from someone's project to another includes:
location (as I am on the West Coast, cost of living is generally higher than it is in most of the US)
placement (more difficult placements can require more time to complete a tattoo, as some placements don't saturate as easily as others - e.g.: ribs and sternums will always be more difficult than forearms or thighs)
artist experience (as someone finishing the 2nd year of their apprenticeship, my prices are generally lower for now!)
time period (someone sharing a price they paid 10-15 years ago will definitely not align with the prices you'll see today, due to the difference in COL and the artist's experience)
complexity (sometimes similar styles can have a range in terms of how detailed they are, and how much is packed into a small space)
If you ever want to understand why a price is the way it is, please feel free to ask! I reward curiosity, and the more you understand the tattoo process, the better it is for all parties involved. :)
Pricing Guide: Neotraditional Tattoos
This is the main style that I focus on! In order to help you assess whether a project is within your budget, below are some examples of prices, their estimated size, and how much they would cost with my prices today.
Because neotraditional styles tend to be somewhat similar in terms of level of detail, I would say most projects can be estimated to be similar in pricing if they are similar in size.
Small tattoos: ≈1.5-3 inches
Neotraditional tattoos are designed to last relatively very well compared to other styles. And one of the factors that influences that is having sufficient size. Its smallest sizes are often a bit larger than what you would expect from, say, the smallest possible sizes for fineline tattoos.
My most popular flash sheet of small tattoos is by far these repeatable bugs, although I have so many that I am yet to repeat one!
For this kind of size and complexity in this style, you can expect prices between 150-300 USD.
Medium tattoos: ≈4-7 inches
This size for neotraditional pieces is ideal for covering a good amount of visible space on arms, for doing patchwork style arrangements on legs (basically, multiple separate tattoos instead of a sleeve where everything is connected), and more.
For this kind of size and complexity in this style, you can expect prices between 350-600 USD.
Large tattoos: 8+ inches
Neotraditional tattoos are a great style to really work with the flow of the body, and perfectly fill an area.
That being said, many areas of the body are quite large in the sense that they can require multiple sessions to fill. Areas like the chest, full stomach, a full sleeve that covers all parts of the arm or leg, or a full back, are all examples of larger projects that would span multiple sessions.
In these cases, I prefer to charge a day rate instead of a project rate, or half day for people who tend to handle smaller sessions better (which I totally relate to) or have less time in the day available. During our consultation, we can create estimates for how many sessions a project might require depending on the project size.
When working with multiple sessions, my day rate (which covers 6-8 hours, sometimes more if the client can handle it) is 600-900 USD.
Pricing Guide: Color Realism and Painterly Tattoos
This is a complex style that requires more time than black and grey realism due to the various tones we're placing, and the need to fully pack in colors for longevity. In order to help you assess whether a project is within your budget, below are some examples of prices, their estimated size, and how much they would cost with my prices today.
Because paintings can vary in complexity, these pricing ranges are not a guarantee for every project. Things like the number of faces, complex accessories like armor or embroidered clothing, jewelry, and more can affect how long it takes to complete a piece. Regardless, this hopefully they can give you some idea on what to expect and save up for!
There are also certain parameters that I like to follow in order to ensure that these styles can age well. For more information on what those parameters are, please visit the Painterly Tattoos 101 page to ensure that the reference you're using makes sense for the chosen size!
Small tattoos: ≈1-3 inches
This is a size that works well for extreme close ups of details on paintings, or incredible small objects. E.g.: Victorian lovers' eyes paintings, or beetles.
It is important to keep in mind that size and contrast are some of the most important factors in how well a tattoo heals. Please know that, if I encourage a piece to be sized up from the smallest range or if I have flash that isn't available at this size range, it is because I truly believe that decision will contribute to the best aging process for your piece!
For this kind of size and complexity in this style, you can expect prices between 200-300 USD.
Medium tattoos: ≈4-7 inches
This is a size that works well for pieces with one main focus, and perhaps one or two other side elements that aren't as detailed.
For example, this could work well for a closeup of a face on a painting, although as per the Painterly Tattoos 101 guide, I would recommend at least 2" for faces. For color realism, this could work very well for a bloom (like a rose or peony) + leaves. For more blooms to be legible and flow well with the body, like 3+ flowers, I recommend sizing up.
It is important to keep in mind that size and contrast are some of the most important factors in how well a tattoo heals. Please know that, if I encourage a piece to be sized up from the smallest range or if I have flash that isn't available at this size range, it is because I truly believe that decision will contribute to the best aging process for your piece!
For this kind of size and complexity in this style, you can expect prices between 300-800 USD.
Large tattoos: 8+ inches
This is a size that works well for pieces with more than one focal point, or many details. E.g.: multiple faces from a painting, a half body of a painting, or multiple flower blooms.
It is important to remember that, as per the Painterly Tattoos 101 guide, I would recommend at least 2" for faces.
For this kind of size and complexity in this style, you can expect prices of 800+ USD.
I am still building this page, and will definitely be adding more styles with specific examples!
Thank you for your patience as I build a hopefully convenient knowledge "headquarters" for clients. :)
Feeling ready to schedule a consultation?
I'd love to chat about your project with you, and I'm looking forward to all of the awesome ideas that we can hopefully bring to life together!
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