Good reference images can serve as a crucial aid in designing. Here are some things to pay attention to when you are searching

• Line work of the pieces you see. Are you drawn to bold thick lines, petite lines, or no obvious lines at all?

• Artistic style of the pieces. Is your preference more realism, illustrative, traditional, or maybe even a combination of multiple styles?

• Coloring of pieces. Is black and grey your preference? Do you prefer full bold color? Is there a certain color pallet you are drawn to?

Look for images of real life things that you want translated into your tattoo

• We prefer to also work off of real life images rather than just an artist's interpretation of that subject matter. We can stylize the subject matter if needed but working off of real images gives us a lot more detail to work with.

Images of your body where you want to get tattooed (optional)

• Especially if we are adding on to any existing work or are designing a very large piece such as a sleeve or back.

Small/Simple Pieces

• Simple designs can be created in person before when your tattooing appointment is scheduled.

Large/Intricate Pieces

• Scheduling a consultation is recommended. During the consultation we may decide to draw on you with permanent markers to aid in figuring out size and placement.

• Come prepared with any Inspiration photos you have collected (you do not need to print them. Having them on your phone is just fine)

• A deposit will be required for working on your design. Our artists require a deposit before mocking up or drawing any design. If the client does decides to not get the tattoo, the deposit will not be refunded.

• Anticipate Multiple tattooing sessions for large pieces.

If you are wanting exactly a design you saw online, think of ways we can modify it to make your own unique piece

In most cases bigger is better. Especially for text. Please keep in mind that tattoo ink spreads out in the skin over time and this can drastically affect the legibility of your tattoo in the future.

Try not to include too many subject matters or elements into one tattoo. More simple designs have a more visually impactful effect.

Plan ahead. If you are somebody who plans on getting more tattoos over time think about things like placement and style and how easy or difficult it might be to cohesively make additions to your collection of ink.

Consider getting images instead of names for loved ones. Memorial and tribute tattoos have so much potential to contain more meaning and artistic expression then just written text.

For people with medium to deep skin tones certain colors may not be good options. Especially bright colors and pastel colors can be difficult to make stand out and work for some. Discuss any concerns with your artists, there are always options and ways of working color into any skin tone.