I only take bookings through the booking form on this website- this is for ease of gathering all the necessary information in one go (making the booking process quick and easy for both of us), and to avoid confusion from scammers that have been targeting people through instgaram DM and email.
Please note that I will never approach you via Instagram DM, email, or initiate bookings in any way- if you receive communications from an account that looks like mine initiating a booking, it is certainly a scammer! Please protect yourself.
Occasionally I will post on instagram stories with last-minute availabilities and information to include in an email- this is the odd occasion in which I will take bookings through email.
I do my best to respond to questions, guest spot or business enquries, and travel- related emails, but please be aware that I cannot prioritize or respond to booking enquiries received outside of open booking times- designated booking windows are to maintain a fair and clear enquiry system. Thank you for your interest and patience ·
I am visiting NYC, Miami, and LA in late November/December 2023 into early January 2024. Then, after a short break I will visit Tamaki/Auckland, Poneke/Wellington, and Kirikiriroa/Hamilton in Aotearoa/New Zealand through February. Early March will be in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia - Exact dates and updates will be shared on my instagram as life goes on- I recommend switching on story notifications to keep up with availability for your location(s) and any last minute availability!
Summer 2024 I except to spend back in London, with some potential short visits to other cities in Europe: if you'd like me to visit your country/ city, please let me know where that is via the Travel Waitlist link above.
Please keep in mind that there are some tattoo placements or styles that may avoid while travelling, as they can require touch-ups or multiple sessions that I'm not able to accomodate while on the move: this includes finger tattoos, palm tattoos, face, ears, feet, or other delicate areas; single-needle, white ink, or pale colours. If you're unsure, feel free to ask on the last box of the booking form.
What is freehand?
Most of the tattoos I create are freehand designs, meaning they are drawn onto the body directly (as opposed to using a stencil transfer of a predrawn design). This allows the artwork to be exclusively fit to each individuals body, and will not be replicated.
I occasionally pre draw sections of the design digitally, if there is a repeating motif, specific symbol or geometric element we want to keep precise. These are printed into a stencil, and integrated into the freehand design.
How are the designs created?
I invite you to share any ideas, preferences, dislikes, and any visual references (this can be artwork, natural materials, textures, previous tattoos by me or other artists) to guide the designing process. Please don't hesitate to offer an idea out of the norm, I am always excited to experiment and collaborate, but please keep in mind that I have specific stylistic tendencies.
Equally, I am honoured to create a new piece from scratch if you are unsure of what you want and prefer to hand over creative direction.
Placement is an important part of my design process, as I like to work architecturally with the body, using the natural forms to guide the flow of the art. If you have a specific placement in mind we will work with that; if you don't, I love finding dynamic placements and even spreading a design out across the body, which we can explore as the design finds its shape.
I usually start by asking you to move and stretch, finding the contours of bone and muscle in the area, sketching them out with a light colour marker, then working together to identify what shapes to bring forward. A darker colour, or several if we are layering textures or colour, is used to outline the majority of the design. The very fine details are intuitively improvised during the tattooing process: we will discuss what texture quality speaks to you beforehand.
Sigils
Occasionally I like to incorporate a sigil writing practice into the tattoo design: this means we go develop unique symbols infused with specific value. This is a very personal excersice that involves a level of emotional vulnerability and trust, and I've found that it is important to be careful about when and how to include this into tattooing. If you feel a highly specific intention for your tattoo, are at a time where you need to mark something privately, and feel comfortable sharing this with me, you can include a mention of that in your booking enquiry and we can have a private conversation about it before designing at the session.
I am open to working around, between, with and through other tattoos. If the lines are fine or faint, they can be incorporated or covered in order to flow into the design we create, but please understand they may still be visible.
Heavy blackwork, large areas of ink, or blowouts are not possible for me to cover up: my style leans toward delicate textures and lines, and would be ineffective in a coverup attempt.
Scars, birthmarks, stretch marks, moles, and freckles are always welcome. Do remember that they are part of the body and will likely still be visible even after we tattoo over/around them. I would be very glad to integrate them into the design.
Please include an image of your existing tattoos if you have a specific placement idea in mind! This helps me prepare for the best way to work with your collection.
Pricing
Pricing depends on the project style, placement, time spent developing, the country/city (its currency and standards) and studio's requirements.
Ideally, when you inform me of your budget in advance (in the booking enquiry), I will create a design suitable for it and we can let go of the the clock. I will not charge more than we agreed on, even if I take longer than anticipated to complete the piece. This allows us both the freedom to relax into the session and focus on the quality of the piece,
In London, I generally operate at a rate of approximately £150 per hour: the approximation means I do not calculate down to the minute, nor include snack/water/stretching breaks and breathers: please do not sacrifice comfort in an attempt to shorten a session! We should both be healthy and as much at ease as possible. I tattoo because I am honoured to have the opportunity to share my art with you: I have to charge because it is my every day job; please trust I am not setting up appointments to charge as much as possible.
This being said, freehand tattooing is very high-intensity and energetically taxing for the artist, including the designing process. The time, analysis, and creativity required for designing onto each unique body is essential work in the session and included in the hours charged. Please take into account that designing, depending on the scale, specificity, and complexity of a piece, may require about a third of the session to draw on and finalize.
It is very difficult to estimate how long a freehand piece will take based only on the idea/placement of it: the amount of coverage, detail, and scale are important factors that unfold during the tattooing process.
Deposits
In order to confirm an appointment, I will ask for a deposit to be paid in advance through Monzo or Paypal: the price of this deposit will depends on total price estimate.
Deposits are non-refundable under most circumstances: this helps ensure that both of us are reliably commited to the appointment, and covers some of my time in the case of a sudden no-show or cancellation.
If you need to change the appointment day, please let me know at least 72 hours (3 days) in advance: in this case, we can move the appointment without needing a new deposit, and I have the opprtunity to fill my work day.
Payment modes
Cash is preffered while travelling, as I am unable to take international transfers online with ease. Within the UK cash or bank transfer/Monzo is both great!
In the 24 hours before the tattoo appointment, please try to avoid alocohol, caffeine, and painkillers: these can alter the sensitivity of your skin and consistency of your blood, making the tattooing process more diccult.
In the 12 hours before the appointment, make sure to stay hydrated and eat enough healthy meals to sustain yourself: this is essential to a good session, keeping your blood sugar levels high to maintain stamina and tolerance. If you are prone to lightheadedness or fainting (please tell me!), bring your favourite snack, ideally something with sugar or iron in it. Do remember to have a shower the morning of or anytime right before the appointment, but please do not apply oil/ moisturizer/ perfume after, as this might affect the products I'll use on your skin during the session.
At the appointment, remember to wear something comfortable to sit/lie in for several hours, taking into account the placement of the piece. Baggier clothes wil be more comfortable to wear after the tattoo, items with zippers/buttons are great for adjusting around the area we're working on, black is safest in terms of possible stains.
Ideally we should have plenty of time: taking extra precautions to accomodate possible redesigns, delays, and unexpected factors is important to not rush the session.
If you are on a specific schedule on the day, or have travelled in with a return trip to catch, please be sure to let me know in advance. Even if it seems like a large time frame, it's most comfortable for us both to know the circumstances in case of any changes.
Remember that you are my priority during the appointment: feel free to voice any thought, prefrences, or needs. Anytime is okay to take a break, stretch, or snack.
If you prefer to chat, sit in silence, meditate, just scroll on your phone, listen to music on your headphones, or switch between these things, it's all okay.
After the appointment, we will take some photos, and I will wrap your tattoo either in cling film or second skin (a self-adhesive protective layer). Depending on this, and depending on what we have tattooed, I will send you a paragraph of aftercare information directly. Please read and follow these instructions carefully to ensure your tattoo heals as best it can!
If you have any questions about the tattoo as its healing, you can reach out to me directly.
If you are not comfortable with me posting the picture of your tattoo online, just let me know and I will not share it.
I will provide you with an aftercare email including all the information you'll need to look after your new tattoo. If you have any questions at all, email me back in response to the aftercare email and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Tattoos become part of our skin: skin ages. Fine line and texture will not remain as crisp as the day you leave the studio, blacks will often age into a grey or blueish tone over time, white will warm closer to your skin colour. Time, sun (!), and the growing body inevitably will alter the appearance of a tattoo: if you are resistant to this, I recommend reconsidering the decision of a permanent piece. I will always send aftercare information when you leave the studio after a session: once the tattoo is healed, I strongly suggest wearing SPF and minimising exposure to sun to preserve the tattoos appearance. Personally I love the way skin integrates tattoos organically over time, and prefer elaborating and layering them as a piece of art evolving along with the body.
My work leans torward relatively thin, delicate lines and details: these will settle into the skin, and as new skin grows with age the sharpness will soften, edges blur and colour lighten. If you want to maintain the look of a tattoo as close as possible to the new piece, I will always accomodate touch ups for free. If you want to build on an older piece we created together, extend or develop them, I will always offer a touch up on the older piece.