The consultation is where the design actually gets decided — before anyone is committed to it under the needle.
A consultation is a working session, not a formality before the real appointment. It is where an idea turns into an actual design decision.
Words describe a concept; images communicate a look far more precisely. Reference photos, even rough ones pulled from anywhere, give an artist something concrete to work from rather than guessing at what you have in mind.
A design that looks balanced on paper does not always sit the same way on a curved shoulder, a narrow forearm, or skin that moves and stretches. Placement and size are usually worked out together, not decided separately.
If you are matched with an artist based on their portfolio, the consultation is the point to confirm the style translates to your specific idea — not every version of a style looks the same in practice.
Once a design direction is settled, a deposit is standard practice. It reserves the artist's time spent drawing and refining the design ahead of your actual appointment — that is real work, done before you sit in the chair.
This is also a reasonable point to ask about cleanliness, single-use equipment and health department compliance if you have not already. A shop confident in its practices will answer plainly.
Tell us the style, size and placement, and we will match you with an artist whose portfolio backs it up.
Get Matched With an ArtistA rough idea is enough to start — style and placement help us match the right artist.