Choosing your first tattoo
A first tattoo carries more weight than the ones that follow. Not because it matters more, but because you have nothing to compare it to. Most of the regret we hear about comes from a decision made quickly, not from a design that was badly drawn.
Start with the why, not the what
People usually arrive with a picture. That is a fine place to begin, but a picture found online was designed for someone else's body and someone else's reason. In a consultation we work backwards: what is this marking, and what should it feel like to see it in ten years? The image tends to resolve itself once that is clear.
Placement changes everything
The same design reads completely differently on a forearm and a ribcage. Skin moves, stretches and creases in ways that flat paper does not. Areas with more friction and sun exposure, the hands and feet especially, will soften faster and need touching up sooner. None of this is a reason to avoid a placement you want, but it should be a deliberate choice rather than a surprise.
Size honestly
Fine detail needs room. A design packed with linework that looks crisp at hand size will blur as the ink settles and spreads over the years. If you love the detail, give it the space it needs. If you want it small, we will simplify the design so the parts that matter stay readable.
Take the time
We would rather redraw a design three times than tattoo something you are unsure about. There is no cost to sitting with a drawing for a week. Come in, talk it through, and leave with a plan rather than a booking.