PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING AN INQUIRY FORM!
~How do I book with you?~
Thank you so much for considering me as your tattoo artist, I appreciate you! 🥳 Take a look at my Instagram Bio to see when my books are open next, then click here to–> “Book Now” and fill out the form. I will respond to these inquiries as they come in. Flash pieces always take priority, when filling out the form say you want to claim the specific flash piece. For custom inquiries, reference photos are always helpful! I do not have the opportunity to accept every custom project and I will only accept projects that I think I can do a good job at. My goal is for you to get the best tattoo you can and this means I will refer you out if I can to an artist I know can do better at that project than I can. I will usually select tattoo inquiries that are related to my “wanna-do” list on my IG highlights first, so if your idea fits with those then it has a higher chance of getting picked. I will send you some dates and times once you have been selected and we have had a consultation, appointments are not booked until I have confirmed it with you and I receive the deposit. I Tattoo most Monday-Thursdays starting in the early morning at Gilded ink Tattoos. I do not take weekend appointments.
How long will my design take? Most designs that are around 4 inches take 1-2 hours, 6 inches 3-5 hours, 8+ inches 6-9 hours as a very rough estimate. I will go over this, and your questions, and give an estimate if you would like during the consultation.
My style is typically whimsical influenced by neo-traditional, fantasy, creatures, pinups, Disney, Pixar, anime, and video games. I do love color and black and grey, pops of color and watercolor!
I do mainly virtual Google Meet online consultations for all custom designs, but can schedule in person if needed.
As a reminder, your tattoo is a lifelong investment. This is one of the things in life you do not want to rush, each artist works differently so please do not compare us. I always recommend to save more funds for your tattoo than needed so you are not constrained by time or size. Most clients wish they would have gone bigger with some of their tattoo’s and typically want a larger size than they thought when they come in and see the stencil. Depending on the placement on the body it will take longer due to the skin type and stretching.
~Where can I find Flash, and do you repeat designs?~
Find my flash here–> “Click Me!”
Unless flash has been labeled as repeatable, it will never be available again, but I can do something similar. Flash is on a first come first serve basis as I try to keep it fair, you need to book the appointment and leave a deposit to claim the flash. I will usually post in my stories when new flash is being added. There is no consultation necessary for flash. Manga Panels count as pre-drawn designs.
~What’s the custom design process like?~
If you already have an idea of what you want, include reference photos to your inquiry form and I will draw it stylized. I will not directly copy another artists work but can get inspiration from them, it will always be unique to my style. We will then have around a ~30 minute consultation through google meet to draw together and take notes about the design. I will then send you an email with some rough sketches of your design a few days ahead of your appointment, it is very important you respond to the email to give me plenty of time to finish the design. The email I send with your sketch is your chance to make changes, if you want multiple changes after the sketch has been confirmed, that is okay, but the additional drawing time will be added to the cost of your tattoo. If on the day of your appointment you want design changes, again this is no problem, but the additional drawing time will be added to tattoo time. If large changes are made within 24 hours of your appointment, you will be rescheduled and you will have to leave a new deposit, but ultimately I want you to get what you want and love it!
~Consultations, Deposits, Payment information, Tips?~
I charge hourly, you get a discounted rate for Flash and pre-drawn designs like Manga Panels/screenshots. For custom projects it is my standard hourly rate. You are charged for the time from when we start the tattoo, until we either finish the tattoo, or stop the session for the day. I pause the timer for a fast food break if its a long session. All stenciling and freehand drawing over an hour will be added to the total time for the day. This is not typical, but symmetrical tattoos or anything freehand can take over an hour since every persons body is different, and even placements on the same body can be not symmetrical making the placement/drawing process longer. More information available when you book.
-There is always a 1 hour minimum for all tattoos.
-A $50 consultation Is required for all new projects for every client, this is where we will pull up your references together, chat about the design and I will do a rough sketch with you! If you would then like to book an appointment for the tattoo project, a $150 deposit will be required to secure a date and time. The $150 deposit will go towards your total cost of the tattoo project. Consultation fee does not go towards the cost of the tattoo and is non-refundable even if you change your mind about the tattoo. Each new tattoo project requires a consultation the $50 fee. This covers our time together designing your tattoo and booking the project, I’ve done this service free of charge in the past but need to be mindful of my work hours.
-A Deposit must be left in order to book your tattoo appointment and must be paid during the consultation. The deposit is $150 NON-REFUNDABLE, including in the unfortunate circumstance that I am no longer able to tattoo due to unforeseen situations or injuries. I will always do my best to be fair and accommodating.
-If you need to reschedule I will move your deposit over one time if you tell me no later than 7 days before your appointment. If you reschedule within the 7 days before your appointment you will lose your deposit and need to leave a new one. If you have an emergency within those 7 days prior to your appointment and can verify via a doctors note or equivalent I will allow you to move your deposit over one time.
–Tipping is always greatly appreciated! It’s a service and typically follows the same as any service industry around 15-20% or whatever you feel is right if you enjoyed the experience. A good chunk of Tattoo Artist’s rate goes towards drawing time, revisions, admin work, supplies like tattoo equipment, cartridges, needles, shop rent, premium products and other fees as an independent contractor like licensing, permits, advertising and more. The tip you give goes directly towards the tattoo artist and is a wonderful way to support us. Some clients tip at the end of each session, some tip at the completion of the tattoo project, it’s up to you!
~How far in advance are you booked, what if I need to cancel or reschedule?~
Currently I am book about two-four months in advanced, but have a short list in case of a reschedule, so please reach out for current availability! Again flash always is priority.
If you need to cancel an appointment or change your mind about a project, you will lose your deposit as it is non-refundable and not transferrable to new projects. Multiple reschedules or missed appointments may result in me declining your inquiries for more appointments, my time is valuable as is yours. If you are going to be more than 15 minutes late, please send me an email or call/text the shop, if you will be more than 45 minutes late you will lose your deposit and will need to reschedule with me.
~What if I need a touch up, what do I do?~
Please reach out to me! As long as the tattoo was not improperly taken care of during the aftercare, the first touchup is free on tattoo’s I have done and are usually early morning Mon-Thursday before my scheduled client for the day. Please reach out to me around 2-3 months after your tattoo is healed for a touchup. This does not include finger/hand/foot tattoos as those are known to fall out despite skill level of the tattoo artist. A reminder that white will never stay super white, but will take on the tone of your skin, so a touchup will not make it stay more white. Colors take on whatever your natural skin tone is always. I would be happy to revisit your tattoo as a new appointment if you have waited more than 3 months to reach out, or want it refreshed.
~Do you allow numbing cream?~
Please talk to me if you plan on applying numbing products previous to your appointment. I use Bactine with pretty much all tattoos, it has lidocaine in it to help with pain management. Most clients manage to get through long sessions with this alone. I also use a premium tattoo ointment that has lidocaine as well, but it can affect the healing process and adds in an unknown variable on how your skin will react. There is another stronger spray I have, and available on the market is a more intense numbing cream that has other ingredients which do a great job, but both can change the texture of the skin, which can make it a bit more difficult to tattoo and extend the total time of the tattoo session. I do have it though as a tool in our toolbox if you need it to get through a session or if you have a medical issue that can affect tattooing like restless leg syndrome, MS etc. I recommend Painless Tattoo Numbing cream if you want to purchase and use it before your appointment.
There is no additional fee for Bactine or the lidocaine ointment I use to tattoo with.
~Portfolio reviews~
I have received many messages from people who are looking to get into tattooing. I appreciate the interest and want to help how I can! I am not taking on any apprentices in the foreseeable future, but I am able to work with you to improve your portfolio aimed towards tattooing.
This includes a video meeting together where we go over questions you have regarding creating designs for tattoos, custom or flash, and general questions about the tattoo industry. I will go over the artwork you have, help you with idea’s you’d like to create and can also draw over your work. This is not a service for me to teach you HOW to tattoo.
You can choose between 30 min for $50 or 60 min for $100.
If you are interested in this service please send me an email at inkbyfaye@gmail.com
~Tattoo Pigments, Risks, Side Affects~
Please be aware that the FDA does not regulate tattoo pigments at this time or anything within the tattoo industry. I use Eternal Ink, Fusion Ink and Dynamic ink as they are very high quality ink companies that pride themselves on safety and publicly list their safety sheets, ingredients and testing. I purchase them directly through the companies or their licensed distributers (as should be done). Not all pigment is made the same or with the same ingredients, and counterfeit ink has been sold online by third party websites which can cause infections, allergies and not be sterile.
I do not tattoo over moles/large freckles. If a tattoo covers or surrounds a mole you might not see changes that could indicate skin cancer, and the tattoo pigments in your skin may make it difficult for a doctor to accurately detect cancer, delaying diagnosis of melanoma or skin cancer.
The risks of tattoos short term are: Allergic reactions to pigment, skin infections, keloid scarring, Bloodborne diseases (if the shop is unsanitary) but are typically uncommon. Most of this is preventable and/treatable.
The long term risks of tattoos are still unknown since tattooing is not currently regulated in the US. There is no defined evidence that it can increase your risk for cancer as there haven’t been enough defined studies. Through testing, some pigments such as black contain Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals which are known carcinogens. Over time, macrophages take up pigment and may transport it into the lymphatic system and lymph nodes, which can also stain lymph nodes. This means other tissue in the body can be exposed to potentially carcinogenic materials in the tattoo ink. More studies are needed to see what the actual long term affect is on people. The good news is modern Pigments have improved their ingredients over time to make tattooing safer. In the EU this year there are new regulations put onto pigment companies testing the safety and amount of potential carcinogens allowed in tattoo and PMU pigments. It is good to be knowledgable about this information so you can make an informed decision!