Blackwork
Since 2010
Dana Whitlock
Owner. Custom blackwork, neo-traditional and cover-ups
- Blackwork
- Neo-traditional
- Cover-ups
$200 an hour Booking from mid-November
Drawn for you, from scratch
Custom tattoos
Bring the idea, the photos and the story. Your artist draws it to fit your body, and you see the drawing before anything touches skin.
Book a free consult
From $120
What it is, plainly.
Most of our work is custom. That means your artist draws something new for you, sized and shaped for the spot you picked, in the style they do best.
We start with a free consult, so you know the price range and the plan before you pay a cent. Then your deposit holds the date and pays for the drawing time.
Good for
- A first tattoo you want to get right
- A piece that means something: a name, a pet, a place, a date
- Bigger work over several sessions, like a half or full sleeve
- Adding to, or connecting, tattoos you already have
How it works
Four steps, no surprises.
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Consult
Talk through the idea, size and placement. Your artist may suggest changes so it ages well.
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Deposit
$100 or $200 holds your date. It comes off your last session.
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Drawing day
You see the drawing at the start of your session. Small changes happen right then.
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Stencil and session
The violet stencil goes on, you approve it in the mirror, and the work begins.
From your notes to the violet line.
1. Your references
- Peony, my grandmother's garden
- Outer shoulder, about 5 inches
- Soft pink, deep red center
- No outline-heavy look
2. The drawing
3. The stencil
Sample drawings made for this demo, not a client's tattoo.
What it costs
Example prices.
Ranges for this demo, the way a real studio should print them. Your artist gives you a range for your piece at the consult.
- Small piece, under an hour
- $120
- The shop minimum
- Palm-size piece
- $340 to $600
- About 2 to 3 hours
- Forearm or calf piece
- $850 to $1,600
- About 5 to 8 hours, often 2 sessions
- Half sleeve
- $2,000 to $4,000
- 12 to 20 hours over several sessions
- Day session
- $1,000 to $1,150
- About 6 hours of tattooing
Read this before you book
The honest part.
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We don't copy tattoos
Bring another artist's tattoo as inspiration and we will draw something of yours. Copying someone's custom piece isn't fair to them, or to you.
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Detail needs room
Ink spreads a little under skin over the years. A busy design squeezed small will blur, so we may suggest going bigger or simpler.
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Drawings are shown on the day
We share the drawing at your session, not by email weeks ahead. It protects the artist's work and lets us fit it to your body in person.
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We may say not yet
Hands, neck and face as a first tattoo are a big step. We may ask you to start somewhere else, and we will explain why.
Who does it
Your artists.
Ask for someone by name in the consult form, or choose best fit and the front desk will match you by style and availability.
- Color realism Since 2015
Imani Rhodes
Color realism, color botanicals and pet portraits
- Color realism
- Color botanical
- Black and grey realism
$190 an hour Waitlist for sleeves, small pieces from December
- American traditional Since 2017
Rafa Quintero
American traditional, bold color and walk-in flash
- American traditional
- Bold color
- Flash
$170 an hour Walk-ins Thursdays, custom from November
- Fine line Since 2019
Teo Marchetti
Fine line, single needle and small script
- Fine line
- Single needle
- Script
$170 an hour Openings most weeks
Can I see the drawing before my appointment?
You see it at the start of your session, with time built in for changes. If the idea changes a lot, we may move the date so your artist can redraw it properly.
How long until my drawing is ready?
Usually by your session date, which is often 2 to 6 weeks after the consult depending on the artist's book.
What if I don't like the drawing?
Tell us. Most changes take a few minutes on the day. If it needs a full redraw, we move the date once and the deposit moves with it.
Bring the idea. We'll draw the line.
Free 20-minute consults, in person or on video. You leave with a plan, a price range and a date, and nothing is tattooed until you approve the stencil.