Our Tattoo Process
Discover our tattoo process and understand how we bring your vision to life through our artwork.
Initial Consultation and Design Development.
For a custom tattoo design, the artistic process begins with an initial email consultation where Katy takes the time to understand your vision, preferences, and the specific subject matter you want included in your tattoo design. Make sure to send us your email request on or after Katy’s tattoo booking *open* date. Her next open date is: April the 1st, 2025 for the months of August through to December 2025.
The information we require from you when you first reach out is as follows: 1- Your full name and number. 2- A basic description of the subject matter you want included in your tattoo design. 3- A general idea of the size and placement you imagine your new tattoo to be. 4- Any reference photos you want to include that you think will help get your ideas across, please feel free to label the photo and write a small description about what you like about the photo. E.g in photo1 I like the placement and size of this tattoo. In photo2 I like the shape of this bumblebee etc. It is important to be as informative as you can be in your first email to avoid lots of back and forth questions. We will strive to capture your idea accurately and visualise it in a cohesive & beautiful layout. If we don’t think your idea will work with our art style we will do our best to recommend a different artist for you or suggest changes that can work for both the artist and the client.
Planning and Preparation.
Once the idea is approved, we will move on to giving you an approximate idea of the cost. Katy does not offer quotes but she can roughly guess whether a design will take more than 1 day session. Katy charges $290 per hour. She also has a day rate option of $1500, this consists of being tattooed from 10.30am to 5.30pm(ish). If your tattoo takes less time then the day rate option then you would be charged via her hourly rate. Once you have accepted the cost, Katy will send you a list of her available dates to choose from- these will be subject to change so it is important to try and reply as quickly as possible with your preferred date option.
To confirm your appointment we will require a $290 deposit via internet banking, this comes off the price of the tattoo on the day. You will not see Katy’s design until the day of the appointment, however Katy is more than happy to make any changes to your tattoo design on the day & will go out of her way to make sure you don’t feel any pressure about the design from her.
The tattoo day is here!
The final stage of our tattoo process is the execution and application of the design. Once you have arrived and settled yourself into the studio space (you will have been shown the kitchen including hot chocolate, tea and coffee, our mini fridge, microwave & of course our toilet!), you will be presented with your custom drawn tattoo design and given a little space to take it in. Once you have said yes to the design, Katy will go over the placement and size with you again, holding the design up to your body in the mirror and making sure you are happy. The design will then go through our thermal copier / stencil machine, to create a purple stencil to transfer onto your skin (this will give you a basic idea of how the finished tattoo will look). The stencil can be placed as many times as you like- there is absolutely no rushing this part. After we have confirmed the placement of the stencil, Katy will get you to hop up onto the tattoo bed and help you get nice and comfortable before we start the tattoo, e.g wrapping up assorted pillows if need be. We highly suggest bringing some ‘in ear’ distractions such as an audiobook, podcasts, or potentially watching a movie / tv series (on your phone, iPad or laptop) you have been really wanting to see but just haven’t found the time to up until now ;) Once the tattoo begins, Katy will make sure you feel comfortable with letting her know if you need a toilet break or simply a stretch/ snack break at any point during the beginning and end of your tattoo procedure. Throughout the tattoo application, Katy will let you know how it is progressing and whether or not it may take less time or longer to finish the design. When she believes the tattoo is complete, she will give it a clean using ‘hustle helper’ foaming soap, and conduct a thorough review checking to see if she needs to add any final touches before committing to saying ‘it’s finished!’ (happy dance following this announcement), to ensure the artwork is complete to her highest standard. Before you leave the studio will go through the aftercare instructions with you once again and answer any questions you may have about the coming days after your tattoo appointment. Katy will also ask you if she is allowed to take a photo of your completed tattoo for her records and make sure you have given her consent to post anything on her social media pages too.