Info & FAQs
Before booking with me, please be sure to review the following page to get the most up-to-date information! You will find information regarding your appointment, artist recommendations, pricing, and the handpoked process.
Pre-Appointment FAQ
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No, I do not send designs beforehand, which is a common industry standard.
This is why submitting a complete and thorough form is essential. If you have any strong design preferences, please be sure to articulate that clearly in your form and send reference photos, as I cannot read your mind.
If a form is very broad and general, I will assume I have artistic freedom based on my portfolio of work.
On the day of your appointment, I will present your design to you. Because tattoos are a permanent body modification, PLEASE let me know if there are any adjustments you would like me to make. I do not take offense to this at all, as I want to ensure you feel 100% comfortable and confident with the tattoo.
If there are minor changes, I can quickly tweak them during your appointment. If there are major changes, we will have to reschedule for another time, which will require a new deposit. Despite this, I would much rather reschedule and rework a design after discussing it further than give a client a tattoo they are not happy with.
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I will not tattoo existing tattoos or designs (unless you have permission from the original artist).
Please keep in mind that when I ask for reference photos, it’s with the anticipation that I will use them solely as references. I will not tattoo the exact design so as to be respectful of my own artistry in addition to the works of others.
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I tattoo almost exclusively with grey wash and occasionally with black ink. The only exception to this is red.
Appointment FAQ
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I currently tattoo out of a private studio called Ritual Aesthetics located at 1724 N Western Ave.
The studio is off the Western blue line stop and the Western & St. Paul 49 bus stop. There is also ample free street parking out in front.
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Before Your Appointment:
-Do not consume alcohol 24 hours before your appointment.
-Eat before your appointment and make sure you are hydrated.
-Keep the skin moisturized. If your skin is too dry, I might be unable to tattoo you and will have to reschedule. Dry skin makes every step of the process harder, from placing a clean stencil, getting ink well-saturated in the skin, and even having a worse heal, as tattooing dry skin oftentimes results in more trauma on the surface of the skin.
During Your Appointment:
-Wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the tattooed area.
-Bring water and a snack in case you get thirsty or need a snack break during your appointment.
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The time it takes to complete a tattoo varies significantly and is contingent on many factors, including the design, sizing, placement, skin, and pain tolerance. To elaborate on a couple of these points:
Design: Certain designs will take longer than others. Despite what it might seem, linework-only tattoos take significantly longer than dotwork tattoos of a similar size. Along with that, designs that require perfect symmetry and/or alignment will take longer because placing the stencil accurately can be tricky. Stencil placement can take upwards of 30 minutes depending on the design.
Placement: The placement of a tattoo will greatly impact the timing. Harder-to-reach areas (e.g. neck, inner upper thigh, chest, etc.) will naturally take longer because it is much harder to get the correct angle to tattoo the area.
I will do my best to give a rough estimate on how long I believe a piece will take, but please keep in mind that this is merely an estimate.
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I want to ensure you are happy with your tattoo, so I offer one free touch-up with every tattoo within six months of your initial appointment. If you are requesting a touch-up outside of the 6-month timeframe, you will be charged a fee.
Touch-ups are a good idea when the integrity of the piece is compromised due to the way it healed (e.g. small gaps in between lines that need to be filled or if certain spots of shading look inconsistent compared to the rest of the piece). When it comes to shading, I will always use a lighter hand and see how the tones settle into the skin, as we can always add pigment, not take away.
If you would like to schedule a touch-up appointment, please email me a picture of the healed tattoo so I can get a better idea of how much work needs to be done.
Artist Recommendations
There are several reasons why I am unable to tattoo a specific design. Sometimes a design falls outside my tattooing style, preferred subject matter, my schedule is full, etc.
In these instances, I would recommend checking out the following artists:
Ritual Aesthetics Artists
Audrey App (@audtats): fineline, black
Jen A (@local_p0ke): fineline, color, black
Jillian Hade (@sharkattacked): fineline, black/grey
Chris Cendejas (@christattoosstuff): a little bit of everything, color, black/grey
Alternative Fineline Artists
Seulgee Lee (@seulgitart.ink): fineline, black, color
A (tat.it.too): microrealism
Kaylyn Rhoad (kleaninktattoo): fineline, black/grey
Olive (247_inkstudio): microrealism, fineline
Victoria (victoriagoite.tattoo): horror, surrealism, black/grey, color
Ash (kobe.tat): fineline, black/grey
Anna (@anna__inks): ornamental, black
Cory/Corinna (@stabcasket): fineline anime, black, color
Juliana Freschi (@julianatattoo): fineline, black
Jaxx (@yucky_soba): handpoked, black
Kayla Hang (@k_inx): fineline, black/grey, color, Milwaukee-based
Kho Lor (@kolorinks): fineline, black/grey, Milwaukee-based
Recommended SHOPS
Pricing
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Minimum: My minimum is $200, no matter the size or design.
Pricing Estimates: Please review my pricing guide here.
Budget: Please let me know in your booking form if you have a specific budget for your tattoo. I will try my best to accommodate by adjusting the size, complexity, and/or placement of the tattoo.
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Deposit Info: To secure an appointment with me, you must pay a non-refundable deposit of $100. Please note that your appointment is NOT guaranteed unless this deposit is paid.
Non-Refundable: This is a non-refundable fee that will go towards the overall cost of the tattoo.
Forfeiting Your Deposit: If you fail to show up to your appointment, or if you do not give at least 48 hours’ notice of your intent to reschedule, you will automatically forfeit your deposit. Being late by over 10 minutes (unless otherwise agreed upon by me) will constitute a no-show. If you want to book a new appointment, you will have to pay the deposit again.
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Payment Method: I can take payment via credit/debit card or cash.
Tipping: Tips are never expected, but they are always appreciated!
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Tattoos are an incredibly individualized and intimate art form that you are going to carry on your skin for the rest of your life. For that reason, a lot of time, attention, and effort goes into making tattoos—much of which occurs outside of your appointment.
Pricing determinations for tattoos typically include (but are not limited to) the following factors:
The time it takes to communicate and book an appointment. A lot of time goes into communicating with clients about scheduling, tattoo design ideas, tattoo placement planning, etc.
The time it takes to research and design a tattoo. This applies to both custom and flash tattoos. For custom tattoos, artists will often spend hours researching the subject matter and pulling reference photos. This is the case even if you send reference photos to your artist, as the photos might not have certain details or angles needed to execute your requested design. Tattoo artists typically have several rough drafts before finalizing a design, so there is a lot of care that goes into custom tattoos. And even if you are receiving a flash tattoo, your artist spent a great deal of time planning and creating their designs with the preferences of their client demographic in mind.
The cost of materials and an artist’s booth fee.
The time and effort expended during your in-person session.
Your artist’s experience and level of expertise. Tattoo artists are NOT made equal. Therefore, the pricing and quality for the same tattoo will vary dramatically depending on the selected artist. If you are seeking out a specific artist’s expertise, please be respectful of their pricing.