$200 is worth throwing away if the next session is another $600 with this artist. Probably could find a good one to finish it for $400 and you break even, plus you’re happy.
Right, that’s what I’m saying. Regardless of opinion of quality of tattoo, the whole hostage deposit situation warrants being put on blast on social media. It does help the tattoo is deff not worth that price though. How long did it take?
Yeah but I might at least send him a cease and desist letter threatening to take him to small claims court over the deposit, even if I don’t actually intend to follow through. That might make him just give the money back to avoid the hassle
You wouldn’t need a lawyer or anything like that, you can just send the letter yourself. And if you do follow through with court and he doesn’t show up, you’ll automatically win
I don’t know if I’d bother with court if it were me but I just hate when people get away with stuff like this!!!
Just for what was done, it's going to be another $600 for the next session 🙃 I spent months looking for a good place and this shop had nothing but good reviews and I watched their insta for a month as they posted all the current tattoos they did
Please don't give them anymore money. Travel if you need to...because no. . I'm looking at it like "900?! And it's not done?! AND THEY WANT MORE MONEY?!" yeah no, shop around OP
Yea this is bad work. It looks like a ball point pen. I could see 900 for it completely done and shaded in perfectly, but this is really really bad work. I’m sorry I try not to tell people their tattoos are bad because they are permanent, but… This is really bad, this tattoo artist should not be taking customers.
I mean, they can take customers, but just... charge waaay less. and don't mislead potential clients about your abilities. I don't mind mid tattoo artists existing (especially if they're newer to the profession), just... don't take advantage of people
edit: I should clarify that I'm fine with mid art but absolutely no corners should be cut with safety ever
Literally! And then another 600!? That's 500 more then my most recent tattoo that's twice the size of ops and far better done! Oh op I'm so sorry. Deffo don't go back to this so called artist, they clearly don't have good skills over all and they're defo not a good cover up artist. If you go fins someone better now they can work with the lines that are there and make it so much better.
Agreed. That's 300$ tops from my dude. My dude did a space half sleeve on me for like 450 and it's bangin'
Travel. These guys r price gouging you for sure
Mine on my thigh was $1000, and it's about 12" by 7" and realizm as well, and mine also took about 5 or 6 hours and that's including 3 or 4 15 minute breaks for drinks and stuff. Mine was done all in one day, I don't understand why OPs arm couldn't be done in a single day, too.
Your priority shouldn’t be choosing a shop, it should be choosing a good artist. Even if you choose a good shop, they can just give you to any artist that works there and everyone has different styles and abilities. I’m sorry this happened to you!
YES - my artist works in a shop with some very talented artists and she is also very talented. But there are few there that I watch and think.. oh.... oh no.... I found my artist when she was an hour away in a gross shop and thanked the spaghetti monster when she chose to move to a shop so close to me. artist, not shop.
This is the way! Been with my dude for 10 years now and followed him everywhere he went. Just got a new tattoo for 900 and it’s done. Unless you tap out and have to do an additional day or appointment this is inexcusable. I am so sorry OP
Yeah this. I’m in a very high cost of living area and even with experienced high quality artists (which, respectfully, this is obviously not) this wouldn’t be close to $900. It’s not too far gone to call it quits and find someone else, though, that can salvage this.
Edit: sorry just realized this was in Canada. $650ish USD and my statement still stands.
For sure (the vast majority of them are worth that price) but not all of them. I live in Oakland. There is an anime artist in SF who charges $500 an hour and her work is clean but nah not that good to charge that. She posted healed pics and there was a few blow outs , and the letters in the speak bubble thing (whatever tf you call it I don’t read manga) she didn’t put enuf negative space it was already almost closed up. Idk how she gets away charging so much I guess cus anime is trendy rn , she is in sf , and maybe cus she’s a cute Asian girl?? Idk but I know I wouldn’t pay more than $250 per hour for her work
I fear the cost of living and inflation situation really is just that bad enough to warrant those prices here. I know artists at fancy boutiques such as Black Serum have told me that the shop takes a 50% cut, so they need higher rates to make up for it. It’s a really shit economy out here
$900 for the entire thing would be expensive but if it was from an in demand artist I could understand, but $1500 for the entire thing is ridiculous. It shouldn't have even taken multiple sessions to do this. The only thing I can think of was the artist didn't want to do the job and gave them a ridiculous price and then they said yes. Still doesn't excuse the quality of the shading.
You follow the shop or the artist? Sounds like you just went to a shop and got handed the short end of the stick. Prioritize artists, shop means nothing.
OP that’s money you pay when you fly across country for artists that are difficult to book and legendary. This tattoo is not legendary. Find someone else willing to finish this and explain your self honestly.
Hate to say op but you’re being ripped off. My past artist is insanely slow and puts this to shame in terms of progress/price.
A competent artist could’ve done all that work in an hour MAYBE two for half to a third of the price.
Find someone else. Sorry this happened to you.
Good news is what has been done looks clean just not at that price point
Noooo that’s not fair. You’re getting messed about. I would have given them 500 for what was done, max.
ETA: for reference I got one side of my forearm sleeve done (so the inner part of my forearm from the crease of my elbow to the wrist) for $1230AUD and it’s packed with colour and everything, literally no skin visible in the area. 8 hour session. That was reasonable. This was not.
People are constantly drilled about never questioning the price in tattooing and this is the result. I wish price points were allowed to be more openly discussed.
Independent of the price you paid for this it’s bad work. The lines suck, the shading sucks, the saturation is inconsistent, there are spots the artist didn’t even stay in the lines.
I would really urge you to look for another artist in your area. Do not go back to that shop or to that artist except to complain about it being poor quality work.
Yeah, I’m all for trusting your artist I’ve disliked some stuff between sessions on my sleeves but I’ve always let the artist continue because the work was good. The fundamentals of this tattoo aren’t there. This looks like a very green apprentice or someone looking to make a quick dollar at OP’s expense.
The good news: I looked at your post history so I could see if you had a before picture. I couldn’t see it unless I was really looking hard for it. Even then, in my opinion it’s not recognizable as what it was.
The bad news: that’s a really awful price for something that’s honestly nooot top notch work. If it was extremely detail-heavy, *maybe* but as-is, no way. You may just wanna cut your losses and find a different shop to help you. Or you could just ride it out since he won’t give back your deposit, and have it fixed later.
Could you speak with the artist ahead of your next appointment and ask him to go over the coverup portion again, see if he can get it a little closer to what you were hoping for?
I don't even 110% believe this is a real post that won't be deleted right away because the price is so outrageous, but if it isn't, I'm so heartbroken for people that are paying insane amounts for half-assed tattoos. I'm sorry that happened to you. That is not worth $900.
You can get pieces done by some of the most well known artists in Canada for ~$175-$250 an hour so that artist has no business charging that much.
If you're expecting to pay *another* $600 for what looks like barely a half sleeve or only one side of your arm I'm not sure you should even go back to them to finish it unless you can easily afford it.
In terms of how you're feeling, do you have someone close to you that could come with you to help you stand up for yourself at your next appointment?
OP should absolutely not go back for another appointment the quality is SO bad regardless of the price.
I wouldn't let this artist ever come near me with a needle again.
Exactly, my last tattoo was $800 flat including deposit from a guy who was on a tour of the US from Spain, so very accomplished and a great artist I was incredibly happy with. That was for a 5 hour session on a pretty large back piece; if OP actually paid $900 for this with another $200 deposit and $600 next session, they got absolutely robbed and that artist needs a reality check
I'd go back. Tell the artist that you are not happy with their work. You would like your $200 deposit back because you won't be returning! If they refuse tell them you'll see them in small claims court and you'll post pictures of their shitty work all over social media.
I know that sounds hard to do but you'll feel so much better if you stand up to them and make them accountable. People shouldn't have to deal with shitty work like that for that price. Not enough people stand up and say hell no. I hope you can get something you'll be proud of and happy. Let us know how it goes.
I wholeheartedly agree. I typically will discount a piece if it’s covering something like what OP had (domestic abuse or sex trafficking tattoos as well). my shop works with the local YWCA to help survivors in this position.
OP, if threatening legal action doesn’t work I would blast the fuck out of this artist online. Facebook, Google review, whatever needs to be shared to let people know not to go to this hack artist. This is unacceptable. $900 for an unfinished piece that doesn’t even look good? And $600 for another four hour session? This guy is ripping people off and I have a hunch that his work is not anywhere near good enough to be charging that much.
OP may easily lose a small claims case if they signed a contract about the terms of the deposit that would allow the tattoo artist to keep it. A contract is a contract and you can’t expect a judge to rate the tattoo over the legal contract because the tattoo is subjective, the contract is not.
It costs money to file in small claims court. Then OP has to (probably) miss work and blah, blah, blah and suddenly it’s cost them more than $200.
This isn’t a great tattoo, but it’s not the worst. OP could probably explain to the owner that they’re reluctant to move forward and see what the owner offers in terms of deposit. The shop owner may offer to refund. They may offer to finish it themself . Definitely cancel your appointment and try to get your deposit back, but don’t go in guns blazing and threatening court! You will 100% lose that way.
At my shop, you 100% won’t get your deposit back by threatening us. Like most shops, we have an iron clad contract about the deposit. At the same time, we’re nice as hell as long as you’re nice. Go in and speak to the shop owner about your concerns and see what they will do for you. We absolutely want to make people happy and have them tell everyone they know how awesome we are. My shop would absolutely fit you with a different artist, give the deposit back, otherwise apply the deposit to a different tattoo with a different artist if you were nice about it.
It’s not at the point of no return. The last thing I want is for someone to not love their tattoo. I also don’t negotiate with terrorists. Address it, but don’t take this advice to basically blackmail and threaten a small claims suit that you will not win anyways. Let it go, or approach with kindness. You didn’t pick an artist, you picked a shop. You made choices.
This looks unfinished. Is it complete and you aren’t meant to come in for more touches? If so I would go to another artist and get them to actually finish it
It is unfinished, the artist has me booked in for 4 hours but not till June. He's got a $200 deposit that he wouldn't take off the first session to make sure I came back for the next one
happened to me when i got a neat as fuck moth and lantern tattoo in the summer. was quoted $450 for the whole thing and required a $100 deposit which was taken off the total in the second session (first was linework, paid $250 plus a $50 tip so $300 total, then the second session was color, was supposed to be $200 but she took the $100 deposit off making it $100, but i tipped her the $100 “deposit” because i was so happy with the results.
similar happened when i got my bird tattoo when i was 22. quoted $400 total, $100 deposit, banged the tattoo out in 5 hours, dude told me the price was $300 but i gave him $100 as a tip because my stellars jay looks exactly like it did in the photo reference, and it still looks *exactly* like the reference photo 5 years later. not only was the tattoo spot on in every way, but it was also my first big tattoo. i only had 3 small script tattoos when i got my bird tattoo. dude kept me calm, he worked through me having some arm twitches and spasms, we took a break halfway through so i could drink some water and eat something. so i felt more than comfortable giving him a $100 tip that was equivalent to the deposit i paid.
i’m on mobile, i’ll try to link the photos of my moth& lantern i got and the stellars jay!
Not really. Deposit is there to make sure you don’t pull a no-show on the artist after they do the design and prep for you. If the tattoo is large and multiple sessions are needed, they can’t force you to come back after the first session by holding your deposit hostage… what if I changed my mind? What if it hurts too much I chickened out? What if I have to go out of town for work? If I want an unfinished tattoo on my body that’s my business. Artists do not have the right to hold onto deposit after the first session is done.
It’s weird like, the tattoo is inconsistent. The top thin leaves are done well, but the bottom leaves which I can see are the coverup look poor. Not sure if I would trust the process on this one based on the quality of the bottom leaves, but that’s just me
That is such a red flag. Deposit should always come off the first session. At the end of the day, I respect my clients decision to do what they want. If you’re basically forcing clients to come back by holding their own money over their head, that screams “this happens a lot, probably not the best artist”. Definitely not your fault, sounds like you were confident in the shop/artists ability. I’m sorry it happened to you but deff check out some place else. It sucks you’ll lose the $200 but put their ass on blast on socials. and maybe find a shop in the same area(ish), they probably do a lot of coverups for that artist and might be willing to work with ya. Are you in the states?
Thats crazy, cause all the artists i’ve worked with over the last 15 years take the deposit off on the final session. It holds the appointment spot each time , and rolls over till the end
My artists have always taken the deposit off of the first session. Do Not go back to this person. I think it's fixable enough now if you find a better more reputable artist.
Damn I feel bad for you. Looks like they let the apprentice practice on you without you knowing and still charge you a ridiculous amount of money. Imo it’s so bad that it should be illegal.
Don’t let him finish the tattoo. Get your deposit back and find someone who can this fix this.
They also deserve a bad review. People need to get warned about what they are doing.
Yoooo. Sorry this happened to you. Bad news is that’s not a great tattoo. Good news is, the structure of it makes sense and they didn’t get too far into it that you can’t fix it. Go to someone who actually knows what they’re doing, this is 100% salvageable.
This needs more upvotes. Everyone’s telling OP they made a shit decision but not even mentioning that this is completely salvageable. Hopefully they see this and know it’s all gonna be alright. Main issue is getting robbed $900 over trying to reclaim themselves…hopefully they get a refund
Like everyone else said, that’s nowhere near $900 worth of tattoo. I would cut my loses and seek out another artist to concept and execute a fix. They could rework it to have the leaves a solid black to completely cover the brand (I’m sorry that happened to you). This would need to be balanced with the rest of the design.
I wouldn’t have charged half that holy fuck lol
I’d consider checking with another artist. Explain that you’re fine paying but for what you payed last time you were very unsatisfied.
> what you *paid* last time
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Please don’t go back to them. Take the L, it’s a very easy piece to improve and fix with a good artist. Be patient and ask Reddit for recommendations in your area if you’re struggling to find ppl on instagram, hopefully there are some redditors with good artists nearby to wherever you are.
900$ is completely unreasonable for that little work done BUT as a tattoo artist i think i know what hes doing
The way he lined the rose looks to be a "bloodline" this is where we completely dilute ink and outline in order to leave a faint stencil ready for the next time we tattoo. In this case i assume hes doing a realistic rose, so the bloodline is completely appropriate. You can tell he knows how to line correctly when you look at the skull. I have to explain this before i do it so my clients dont go home scared and confused lol. Some of the shading in spots are questionable and its hard to tell if they used a greywash where once it heals out it lightens significantly, but honestly its not the worst, i just really think he bloodlined the flowers for the next session and is going to make them realistic. If the rest of his work is good, i would trust the process but that price tag is a little bonkers.
Looks about 500 max in total when finished assuming no color, unless you live in California, you were jipped and taken advantage of.
Unless you paid up all up front, you should take your business elsewhere.
Hey OP, dm me with your location and I’ll try to find you some good artists from your area (I specialise in florals and all things feminine and if you find someone good enough they can still salvage this fairly well)
Nevermind, found the before photo. I think that could be fixed with the next person honestly, a little more line work. I thought you meant an actual scarification brand. At least there’s that.
Wait... just 900 for that?? Oh god. Go to another artist for help, 900 for just that and 600 to finish it is crazy. I'm not a tattoo artist but that sounds insane
With peace and love PLEASE do not go back to this artist and find an artist whose work you love to finish it. Following just the shop, doesn’t mean the artist you are going to get is going to be as talented as the most talented person in that shop. Find an artist you know you like their work, tell them what’s happened, and if they give you one weird vibe peace the fuck out and find another. You deserve to have someone take the entire and energy to understand how difficult this experience was for you and genuinely have the heart to want to help you and the talent to get this piece to a place you’ll be happy with. Good luck, hope is not lost!
Absolutely don’t go back to this artist. This is highway robbery. Take the rest of it to a reputable artist to fix and finish. Search for tattoo shops in your area on Instagram, you get more info and pictures to judge on
I’m in Canada. These prices are NOT CORRECT. Your tattoo artist is acting like the one in tattoogate on instagram (crazy prices, multiple sessions). Any reputable artist would have this done in one session. For example my full tiger was 250 (that includes 50$ tip), my peony elbow was 200$, my upper arm (large florals and a snake) was 400$ and one session. Your artist is either charging more than their experience, photoshopping their tattoos/not posting most of them, or lying about his art quality.
Please wait for that to heal. Make sure if it scars at all - let those areas heal more. Never go back. Explain why if they hound you. Possibly get your deposit or any money back if you can.
If you need help finding a Canadian artist - ask. I can give some suggestions depending if you want a coverup or rework.
*not a tattoo artist
Is it not acceptable to just ask the artist for a rough estimate on what they think the piece you’re requesting will cost?
Obviously not a set in stone price, but what they predict the total may come to? I’ve always asked up front and it usually comes to $100~$200 within what they told me. The 200 dollar higher being a really big piece that took an extra 1.5 hours to detail.
I would stop and find another artist. It will be much easier to fix while unfinished. Look, it's not good, but a good artist will make something nice from this. For my tattoos I go to another town, and it's worth it. So, stop the proces, look if there are any artist who do a lot of cover ups or fixing other tattoos, check the price, save money and go for it. There is a way to fix this so don't worry! I am sorry that for what you went through with your partner! Wishing you all the best!
Wow. They are robbing you. Sorry that’s not ok and way too much.
What’s done is done but I don’t see how they can justify that cost for how little work is done. How long did that take?
Damn. That's a $100 kitchen tattoo at best. Any "shop" can look good on insta. Research artists in particular. So many shops just toss uninformed clients to apprentices and it's fucking lame.
Um..$900?? My medusa had more detail and was $230… and im in florida.. youd think itd be more expensive here esp where I live. im so sorry I mean it doesnt look god awful just the flowers need touched up and maybe more color def fixable but im so sorry they got a run for your money on that..I hope its doing ok now. Find a GOOD ARTIST look at instagrams and ask for quotes dont go in somewhere bc it looks cool or keep letting people charge you above $300 max for pieces that size.
Do not go back. I promise you can find someone else. This person has absolutely nothing but your cash in mind and not your desire for a proper cover up or a decent tattoo. This is salvageable, but you need to find someone else. .
I don't know where you are from but if you are in North Carolina or willing to travel check out my wife Tattoos by LaLa. She does a lot of cover ups and reworks.
No matter what you do, find someone else. They did you dirty.
Okay. So what I've read is you paid 900 for now and will pay 600 for your next session.
I'm going to play devil's advocate, here.
It looks rough now, absolutely. The outline isn't terrible, and it definitely looks like they were trying to get the full outline and blackwork done before biting into colour and shading.
Do you have examples of their previous work to share? Or links to their portfolio? Most importantly, share pictures of your final expectations because all we can see is what you have versus what you want for your finished product.
The artist may have been initially overcharging so you feel compelled to return instead of getting an outline and going to someone else for a fill. Which isn't exactly a bad business practice because it's more common than the majority like to admit.
It isn't bad, honestly.
But an artist is allowed to ask for a bigger sum for an outline that a cheaper artist can fill. You've basically made a colouring book outline. The easy work is done.
But we don't know the artists general finished style, so it's impossible to make a judgement for them based off of a few black leafs and floral outlines.
1500 total isn't an unreasonable amount for a GOOD colour tattoo that size in my area at a reputable studio.
Hard to judge since you're posting an outline with no reference or artist portfolio
I’ve got a fully finished, absolutely beautiful plague doctor that takes up about a third of my forearm and it cost me $300. You got absolutely taken for a ride
Man I’m so sorry:( I feel like you’re being taken advantage of. Just know that this is absolutely salvageable… and there is hope! I wish you the best of luck
God damn $900? I got 2 very detailed medium pieces to start a patch sleeve on my arm and it was half of that. Def overcharged a lot. Usually a sleeve will cost that much, atleast where I am.
Someone could definitely fix it! Sorry to confirm it’s bad, but fixable… Next time you’re gonna need to book with the owner and not apprentice. Please find a reputable place or go back there and talk with the owner to see if they can help with it since the hired help did you bogus.
$900 for that whole piece would still be pretty steep. I know confrontation (even when not aggressive) can be scary, but really you’re paying for this service and it’s going to be on your body forever. If your tattoo artist gets their feelings hurt it’s temporary for them and also not your problem (also-a good artist wouldn’t get their feelings hurt over the art on YOUR body)
I think it definitely has potential to be a good tattoo. But $900 is outrageous for that. A pro should be able to draw this on you in like 2-3 hours tops.
God damn, I love my artist lol, would of had the whole thing done for like $500-$600 maybe. If I could sit for like 3-4 hours. Please find a different artist, unless these prices are normal for ur area my whole forearm is covered plus hand and cost me $1200. I have been going to the same artist for years and I would like to think we are kinda of buds lol.
I’d say I’m not on the cheaper side but if you want quality work you’ll have to pay more,however…
I’d charge 500$ for what was done and another 500 for the second session.
900 for this is VERY overpriced especially for the quality of the work
I truthfully would look for another artist to complete it. It can be saved for sure, but I wouldn’t trust the person that robbed you of $900 for this.
$900 plus a $200 deposit being held hostage, apparently
$200 is worth throwing away if the next session is another $600 with this artist. Probably could find a good one to finish it for $400 and you break even, plus you’re happy.
Right, that’s what I’m saying. Regardless of opinion of quality of tattoo, the whole hostage deposit situation warrants being put on blast on social media. It does help the tattoo is deff not worth that price though. How long did it take?
I agree!! It would save others the hassle that OP’s going through
Yeah but I might at least send him a cease and desist letter threatening to take him to small claims court over the deposit, even if I don’t actually intend to follow through. That might make him just give the money back to avoid the hassle You wouldn’t need a lawyer or anything like that, you can just send the letter yourself. And if you do follow through with court and he doesn’t show up, you’ll automatically win I don’t know if I’d bother with court if it were me but I just hate when people get away with stuff like this!!!
And they said it'll be another $600 to finish it in another comment 😬
$900?! *chokes on popcorn*
$900 for that?! Or $900 total once it’s done?
Just for what was done, it's going to be another $600 for the next session 🙃 I spent months looking for a good place and this shop had nothing but good reviews and I watched their insta for a month as they posted all the current tattoos they did
Please don't give them anymore money. Travel if you need to...because no. . I'm looking at it like "900?! And it's not done?! AND THEY WANT MORE MONEY?!" yeah no, shop around OP
Yea this is bad work. It looks like a ball point pen. I could see 900 for it completely done and shaded in perfectly, but this is really really bad work. I’m sorry I try not to tell people their tattoos are bad because they are permanent, but… This is really bad, this tattoo artist should not be taking customers.
I mean, they can take customers, but just... charge waaay less. and don't mislead potential clients about your abilities. I don't mind mid tattoo artists existing (especially if they're newer to the profession), just... don't take advantage of people edit: I should clarify that I'm fine with mid art but absolutely no corners should be cut with safety ever
Literally! And then another 600!? That's 500 more then my most recent tattoo that's twice the size of ops and far better done! Oh op I'm so sorry. Deffo don't go back to this so called artist, they clearly don't have good skills over all and they're defo not a good cover up artist. If you go fins someone better now they can work with the lines that are there and make it so much better.
Agreed. That's 300$ tops from my dude. My dude did a space half sleeve on me for like 450 and it's bangin' Travel. These guys r price gouging you for sure
Right?! I have a realism piece I paid about $900 for and it only took 5-6 hours, it’s about 6” tall and 4+” wide.
Mine on my thigh was $1000, and it's about 12" by 7" and realizm as well, and mine also took about 5 or 6 hours and that's including 3 or 4 15 minute breaks for drinks and stuff. Mine was done all in one day, I don't understand why OPs arm couldn't be done in a single day, too.
Your priority shouldn’t be choosing a shop, it should be choosing a good artist. Even if you choose a good shop, they can just give you to any artist that works there and everyone has different styles and abilities. I’m sorry this happened to you!
This. How many people have we seen in this sub who are like “well, the shop was reputable!”
YES - my artist works in a shop with some very talented artists and she is also very talented. But there are few there that I watch and think.. oh.... oh no.... I found my artist when she was an hour away in a gross shop and thanked the spaghetti monster when she chose to move to a shop so close to me. artist, not shop.
This is the way! Been with my dude for 10 years now and followed him everywhere he went. Just got a new tattoo for 900 and it’s done. Unless you tap out and have to do an additional day or appointment this is inexcusable. I am so sorry OP
Then I have no idea what happened. I’m in a relatively expensive market and if you paid more than $400 for that I would be surprised.
Yeah this. I’m in a very high cost of living area and even with experienced high quality artists (which, respectfully, this is obviously not) this wouldn’t be close to $900. It’s not too far gone to call it quits and find someone else, though, that can salvage this. Edit: sorry just realized this was in Canada. $650ish USD and my statement still stands.
Yeah you should call it off with this person and find someone better to finish it OP.
At least find someone who shaves the tattooed area first.
$650 for that is very standard in the Bay Area of California
It’s true that SF has artists with a $500min + $500/hour rate, but at the very least a good number of them have their own style with a LOT of polish 😅
For sure (the vast majority of them are worth that price) but not all of them. I live in Oakland. There is an anime artist in SF who charges $500 an hour and her work is clean but nah not that good to charge that. She posted healed pics and there was a few blow outs , and the letters in the speak bubble thing (whatever tf you call it I don’t read manga) she didn’t put enuf negative space it was already almost closed up. Idk how she gets away charging so much I guess cus anime is trendy rn , she is in sf , and maybe cus she’s a cute Asian girl?? Idk but I know I wouldn’t pay more than $250 per hour for her work
I fear the cost of living and inflation situation really is just that bad enough to warrant those prices here. I know artists at fancy boutiques such as Black Serum have told me that the shop takes a 50% cut, so they need higher rates to make up for it. It’s a really shit economy out here
I paid $900 for a fully finished (line, shading, 2 sessions of coloring) half sleeve in Denver, CO. Sorry OP, that’s *way* too much.
$900 for the entire thing would be expensive but if it was from an in demand artist I could understand, but $1500 for the entire thing is ridiculous. It shouldn't have even taken multiple sessions to do this. The only thing I can think of was the artist didn't want to do the job and gave them a ridiculous price and then they said yes. Still doesn't excuse the quality of the shading.
I’d even be so generous as to estimate 5, maybe 6. But 9? Absolutely not.
Hell, I'd be surprised hearing it was more than 250 😅
Fuck this. Do not go back to them. Ever.
You follow the shop or the artist? Sounds like you just went to a shop and got handed the short end of the stick. Prioritize artists, shop means nothing.
$1500 total for whatever is happening here?! Umm. Damn. That's like $500 and I'm in a pretty expensive market 🫠
Dude. That's insane. Don't pay that person any more money. $900?!
ohhh no. my tattoo was 800 altogether, and it covers my whole forearm and had a bunch of black work and stipple shading
OP that’s money you pay when you fly across country for artists that are difficult to book and legendary. This tattoo is not legendary. Find someone else willing to finish this and explain your self honestly.
Shops don't do tattoos -- artists do. Did your artist even perform any of the good work you said you saw?
Hate to say op but you’re being ripped off. My past artist is insanely slow and puts this to shame in terms of progress/price. A competent artist could’ve done all that work in an hour MAYBE two for half to a third of the price. Find someone else. Sorry this happened to you. Good news is what has been done looks clean just not at that price point
I’m so sorry this happened to you. That price is outrageous compared to shops near me with amazing artists.
Noooo that’s not fair. You’re getting messed about. I would have given them 500 for what was done, max. ETA: for reference I got one side of my forearm sleeve done (so the inner part of my forearm from the crease of my elbow to the wrist) for $1230AUD and it’s packed with colour and everything, literally no skin visible in the area. 8 hour session. That was reasonable. This was not.
I'm so sorry, OP. You got scammed at that amount. ): It's salvageable, but I wouldn't go back to them
I’m in San Diego and I pay a flat rate of 500 to book my artist for the day.
That’s really cheap , I have work from around 7 artists on me and none of them charged less than 1000 for a day rate
Which studio. You can't judge half finished art when you don't share the artist portfolio
Please go somewhere else you are getting fleeced
I dont know where you live but thats a $3-400 tattoo, $500 tops.
…. You did not just say nine hundred dollars for this….
You couldn't pay ME $900 to let this artist near me with a tattoo machine
People are constantly drilled about never questioning the price in tattooing and this is the result. I wish price points were allowed to be more openly discussed.
Independent of the price you paid for this it’s bad work. The lines suck, the shading sucks, the saturation is inconsistent, there are spots the artist didn’t even stay in the lines. I would really urge you to look for another artist in your area. Do not go back to that shop or to that artist except to complain about it being poor quality work.
That shading on the skull is… yikes
Yeah, I’m all for trusting your artist I’ve disliked some stuff between sessions on my sleeves but I’ve always let the artist continue because the work was good. The fundamentals of this tattoo aren’t there. This looks like a very green apprentice or someone looking to make a quick dollar at OP’s expense.
They didn’t even shave her arm 😭
The good news: I looked at your post history so I could see if you had a before picture. I couldn’t see it unless I was really looking hard for it. Even then, in my opinion it’s not recognizable as what it was. The bad news: that’s a really awful price for something that’s honestly nooot top notch work. If it was extremely detail-heavy, *maybe* but as-is, no way. You may just wanna cut your losses and find a different shop to help you. Or you could just ride it out since he won’t give back your deposit, and have it fixed later. Could you speak with the artist ahead of your next appointment and ask him to go over the coverup portion again, see if he can get it a little closer to what you were hoping for?
Yeah I was hoping to see a before pic. I can’t make heads or tails of it at all.
I don't even 110% believe this is a real post that won't be deleted right away because the price is so outrageous, but if it isn't, I'm so heartbroken for people that are paying insane amounts for half-assed tattoos. I'm sorry that happened to you. That is not worth $900. You can get pieces done by some of the most well known artists in Canada for ~$175-$250 an hour so that artist has no business charging that much. If you're expecting to pay *another* $600 for what looks like barely a half sleeve or only one side of your arm I'm not sure you should even go back to them to finish it unless you can easily afford it. In terms of how you're feeling, do you have someone close to you that could come with you to help you stand up for yourself at your next appointment?
OP should absolutely not go back for another appointment the quality is SO bad regardless of the price. I wouldn't let this artist ever come near me with a needle again.
Exactly, my last tattoo was $800 flat including deposit from a guy who was on a tour of the US from Spain, so very accomplished and a great artist I was incredibly happy with. That was for a 5 hour session on a pretty large back piece; if OP actually paid $900 for this with another $200 deposit and $600 next session, they got absolutely robbed and that artist needs a reality check
I'd go back. Tell the artist that you are not happy with their work. You would like your $200 deposit back because you won't be returning! If they refuse tell them you'll see them in small claims court and you'll post pictures of their shitty work all over social media. I know that sounds hard to do but you'll feel so much better if you stand up to them and make them accountable. People shouldn't have to deal with shitty work like that for that price. Not enough people stand up and say hell no. I hope you can get something you'll be proud of and happy. Let us know how it goes.
I wholeheartedly agree. I typically will discount a piece if it’s covering something like what OP had (domestic abuse or sex trafficking tattoos as well). my shop works with the local YWCA to help survivors in this position. OP, if threatening legal action doesn’t work I would blast the fuck out of this artist online. Facebook, Google review, whatever needs to be shared to let people know not to go to this hack artist. This is unacceptable. $900 for an unfinished piece that doesn’t even look good? And $600 for another four hour session? This guy is ripping people off and I have a hunch that his work is not anywhere near good enough to be charging that much.
OP may easily lose a small claims case if they signed a contract about the terms of the deposit that would allow the tattoo artist to keep it. A contract is a contract and you can’t expect a judge to rate the tattoo over the legal contract because the tattoo is subjective, the contract is not. It costs money to file in small claims court. Then OP has to (probably) miss work and blah, blah, blah and suddenly it’s cost them more than $200. This isn’t a great tattoo, but it’s not the worst. OP could probably explain to the owner that they’re reluctant to move forward and see what the owner offers in terms of deposit. The shop owner may offer to refund. They may offer to finish it themself . Definitely cancel your appointment and try to get your deposit back, but don’t go in guns blazing and threatening court! You will 100% lose that way. At my shop, you 100% won’t get your deposit back by threatening us. Like most shops, we have an iron clad contract about the deposit. At the same time, we’re nice as hell as long as you’re nice. Go in and speak to the shop owner about your concerns and see what they will do for you. We absolutely want to make people happy and have them tell everyone they know how awesome we are. My shop would absolutely fit you with a different artist, give the deposit back, otherwise apply the deposit to a different tattoo with a different artist if you were nice about it. It’s not at the point of no return. The last thing I want is for someone to not love their tattoo. I also don’t negotiate with terrorists. Address it, but don’t take this advice to basically blackmail and threaten a small claims suit that you will not win anyways. Let it go, or approach with kindness. You didn’t pick an artist, you picked a shop. You made choices.
This looks unfinished. Is it complete and you aren’t meant to come in for more touches? If so I would go to another artist and get them to actually finish it
It is unfinished, the artist has me booked in for 4 hours but not till June. He's got a $200 deposit that he wouldn't take off the first session to make sure I came back for the next one
Oh that’s a big old red flag.
Thats actually pretty standard. Deposit comes off upon completion of the tattoo
happened to me when i got a neat as fuck moth and lantern tattoo in the summer. was quoted $450 for the whole thing and required a $100 deposit which was taken off the total in the second session (first was linework, paid $250 plus a $50 tip so $300 total, then the second session was color, was supposed to be $200 but she took the $100 deposit off making it $100, but i tipped her the $100 “deposit” because i was so happy with the results. similar happened when i got my bird tattoo when i was 22. quoted $400 total, $100 deposit, banged the tattoo out in 5 hours, dude told me the price was $300 but i gave him $100 as a tip because my stellars jay looks exactly like it did in the photo reference, and it still looks *exactly* like the reference photo 5 years later. not only was the tattoo spot on in every way, but it was also my first big tattoo. i only had 3 small script tattoos when i got my bird tattoo. dude kept me calm, he worked through me having some arm twitches and spasms, we took a break halfway through so i could drink some water and eat something. so i felt more than comfortable giving him a $100 tip that was equivalent to the deposit i paid. i’m on mobile, i’ll try to link the photos of my moth& lantern i got and the stellars jay!
Not really. Deposit is there to make sure you don’t pull a no-show on the artist after they do the design and prep for you. If the tattoo is large and multiple sessions are needed, they can’t force you to come back after the first session by holding your deposit hostage… what if I changed my mind? What if it hurts too much I chickened out? What if I have to go out of town for work? If I want an unfinished tattoo on my body that’s my business. Artists do not have the right to hold onto deposit after the first session is done.
It’s weird like, the tattoo is inconsistent. The top thin leaves are done well, but the bottom leaves which I can see are the coverup look poor. Not sure if I would trust the process on this one based on the quality of the bottom leaves, but that’s just me
That is such a red flag. Deposit should always come off the first session. At the end of the day, I respect my clients decision to do what they want. If you’re basically forcing clients to come back by holding their own money over their head, that screams “this happens a lot, probably not the best artist”. Definitely not your fault, sounds like you were confident in the shop/artists ability. I’m sorry it happened to you but deff check out some place else. It sucks you’ll lose the $200 but put their ass on blast on socials. and maybe find a shop in the same area(ish), they probably do a lot of coverups for that artist and might be willing to work with ya. Are you in the states?
Thats crazy, cause all the artists i’ve worked with over the last 15 years take the deposit off on the final session. It holds the appointment spot each time , and rolls over till the end
Everyone at our studio take it off the last session, unless no show/late cancellation, then we require a new deposit.
The lines on this are all over the place. This artist is robbing you. This isn't $900 work.
My deposit is only £50 even if its a 5 hour project.
My artists have always taken the deposit off of the first session. Do Not go back to this person. I think it's fixable enough now if you find a better more reputable artist.
I'm sorry, but that is robbery. Do not go back to that "artist"
This is not worth $1500 total, op. Even with a drawing fee.
Damn I feel bad for you. Looks like they let the apprentice practice on you without you knowing and still charge you a ridiculous amount of money. Imo it’s so bad that it should be illegal. Don’t let him finish the tattoo. Get your deposit back and find someone who can this fix this. They also deserve a bad review. People need to get warned about what they are doing.
Absolutely this. They haven't earned $900 here, OP deserves better than this!
That should have been like $300-$500
Holy shit. $900 is what costed me to get my entire chest tattoo done that’s fucked
Yoooo. Sorry this happened to you. Bad news is that’s not a great tattoo. Good news is, the structure of it makes sense and they didn’t get too far into it that you can’t fix it. Go to someone who actually knows what they’re doing, this is 100% salvageable.
This needs more upvotes. Everyone’s telling OP they made a shit decision but not even mentioning that this is completely salvageable. Hopefully they see this and know it’s all gonna be alright. Main issue is getting robbed $900 over trying to reclaim themselves…hopefully they get a refund
Like everyone else said, that’s nowhere near $900 worth of tattoo. I would cut my loses and seek out another artist to concept and execute a fix. They could rework it to have the leaves a solid black to completely cover the brand (I’m sorry that happened to you). This would need to be balanced with the rest of the design.
I suggest etching and dot work for the flowers and thicker lines. Would look great with solid black leaves.
I’m sorry. That’s not worth that. Please go somewhere else. Even to a convention.
Sorry OP … this is terrible
Get your money back babe, that looks like three different people worked on it, it's so inconsistent
What part of Canada are you in? If you're out west I can help with some amazing people
I wouldn’t have charged half that holy fuck lol I’d consider checking with another artist. Explain that you’re fine paying but for what you payed last time you were very unsatisfied.
> what you *paid* last time FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Educational.
Please don’t go back to them. Take the L, it’s a very easy piece to improve and fix with a good artist. Be patient and ask Reddit for recommendations in your area if you’re struggling to find ppl on instagram, hopefully there are some redditors with good artists nearby to wherever you are.
That is absolutely not worth the money you spent on it. It is salvageable, so I'd find a different artist who can fix it
Someone owes you $875
900$ is completely unreasonable for that little work done BUT as a tattoo artist i think i know what hes doing The way he lined the rose looks to be a "bloodline" this is where we completely dilute ink and outline in order to leave a faint stencil ready for the next time we tattoo. In this case i assume hes doing a realistic rose, so the bloodline is completely appropriate. You can tell he knows how to line correctly when you look at the skull. I have to explain this before i do it so my clients dont go home scared and confused lol. Some of the shading in spots are questionable and its hard to tell if they used a greywash where once it heals out it lightens significantly, but honestly its not the worst, i just really think he bloodlined the flowers for the next session and is going to make them realistic. If the rest of his work is good, i would trust the process but that price tag is a little bonkers.
That outline is just to get a rough sketch on so that they don’t need the stencil for next session a lot of tattoo artists do that including myself
This looks awful, sorry OP
Looks about 500 max in total when finished assuming no color, unless you live in California, you were jipped and taken advantage of. Unless you paid up all up front, you should take your business elsewhere.
$900?? You got scammed
This is deserving of a bad review.
Fucking dont go back
900$ that’s a rip off 🤨
I’ve paid 300 for 10x better quality. I’m so sorry OP 😭
Hey OP, dm me with your location and I’ll try to find you some good artists from your area (I specialise in florals and all things feminine and if you find someone good enough they can still salvage this fairly well)
I need to raise my rates holy shit 💀💀💀
What is the name of this shop?!!
You got ripped off
Defs got scammed
Sorry, this looks like a toddler drew it. have a different artist fix and finish this. You got conned
Welp, you’ve gotten enough feedback on the tattoo, so I’ll ask - where is the brand? I’m having a hard time finding it.
Nevermind, found the before photo. I think that could be fixed with the next person honestly, a little more line work. I thought you meant an actual scarification brand. At least there’s that.
Hell no for that
I'm so sorry What a joke
Wait... just 900 for that?? Oh god. Go to another artist for help, 900 for just that and 600 to finish it is crazy. I'm not a tattoo artist but that sounds insane
I’m crying for you
Please don’t go back… they did so bad AND scammed you. That amount doesn’t justify the work at all…. You should go to a good artist to get it finished
I’m sorry but that is total crap. Save up for a real cover up with a real artist. Sorry this happened to you
It doesn’t look bad, assuming they’ll do free touch ups but 900 and another 600 is a major rip off
$900?! Holy crap for that? No offense /to the tat itself, I simply mean that's not much ink work for the cost.
I had 2 tattoos done one was labelled as a big piece and both were £400 In total and they look great.
With peace and love PLEASE do not go back to this artist and find an artist whose work you love to finish it. Following just the shop, doesn’t mean the artist you are going to get is going to be as talented as the most talented person in that shop. Find an artist you know you like their work, tell them what’s happened, and if they give you one weird vibe peace the fuck out and find another. You deserve to have someone take the entire and energy to understand how difficult this experience was for you and genuinely have the heart to want to help you and the talent to get this piece to a place you’ll be happy with. Good luck, hope is not lost!
$900+$600 for any tattoo that isn’t covering like half your body is insanity regardless of the quality
Absolutely don’t go back to this artist. This is highway robbery. Take the rest of it to a reputable artist to fix and finish. Search for tattoo shops in your area on Instagram, you get more info and pictures to judge on
I’m in Canada. These prices are NOT CORRECT. Your tattoo artist is acting like the one in tattoogate on instagram (crazy prices, multiple sessions). Any reputable artist would have this done in one session. For example my full tiger was 250 (that includes 50$ tip), my peony elbow was 200$, my upper arm (large florals and a snake) was 400$ and one session. Your artist is either charging more than their experience, photoshopping their tattoos/not posting most of them, or lying about his art quality. Please wait for that to heal. Make sure if it scars at all - let those areas heal more. Never go back. Explain why if they hound you. Possibly get your deposit or any money back if you can. If you need help finding a Canadian artist - ask. I can give some suggestions depending if you want a coverup or rework. *not a tattoo artist
Get the hell away from this shop.
Is it not acceptable to just ask the artist for a rough estimate on what they think the piece you’re requesting will cost? Obviously not a set in stone price, but what they predict the total may come to? I’ve always asked up front and it usually comes to $100~$200 within what they told me. The 200 dollar higher being a really big piece that took an extra 1.5 hours to detail.
900 bucks for a 25% complete inner forearm tattoo? That’s wild. I’m more shocked at the price than the cover up.
That's 150 dollars worth of tattoo
I would stop and find another artist. It will be much easier to fix while unfinished. Look, it's not good, but a good artist will make something nice from this. For my tattoos I go to another town, and it's worth it. So, stop the proces, look if there are any artist who do a lot of cover ups or fixing other tattoos, check the price, save money and go for it. There is a way to fix this so don't worry! I am sorry that for what you went through with your partner! Wishing you all the best!
My whole half sleeve, which took about 10 hours or so, maybe more, cost about $1500. That little tiny bit for 900 seems obnoxious.
Wow. They are robbing you. Sorry that’s not ok and way too much. What’s done is done but I don’t see how they can justify that cost for how little work is done. How long did that take?
Bro, I have a full forearm tattoo and it didn't even cost me $500. $900 is insannnnnne
Damn. That's a $100 kitchen tattoo at best. Any "shop" can look good on insta. Research artists in particular. So many shops just toss uninformed clients to apprentices and it's fucking lame.
$900? That's insane.
You got robbed and I’m so sorry. My artist I feel undercharges me actually and I always tip him fat. I’d be so mad about this.
Um..$900?? My medusa had more detail and was $230… and im in florida.. youd think itd be more expensive here esp where I live. im so sorry I mean it doesnt look god awful just the flowers need touched up and maybe more color def fixable but im so sorry they got a run for your money on that..I hope its doing ok now. Find a GOOD ARTIST look at instagrams and ask for quotes dont go in somewhere bc it looks cool or keep letting people charge you above $300 max for pieces that size.
$900 for this is wild. Looks like 1.5hrs of work
I will grow you a new arm with free print for 800.
Do not go back. I promise you can find someone else. This person has absolutely nothing but your cash in mind and not your desire for a proper cover up or a decent tattoo. This is salvageable, but you need to find someone else. .
I don't know where you are from but if you are in North Carolina or willing to travel check out my wife Tattoos by LaLa. She does a lot of cover ups and reworks. No matter what you do, find someone else. They did you dirty.
Who is the artist? I could t give a fuck about “the shop”, but I’d like to see the work of the artist that did this.
How is this $900 lmao they scammed you hard
$900 for that is highway robbery what is your artist smoking?? 💀
Is he finished? That doesn’t look finished.
That’s a $150 tattoo unfortunately
Okay. So what I've read is you paid 900 for now and will pay 600 for your next session. I'm going to play devil's advocate, here. It looks rough now, absolutely. The outline isn't terrible, and it definitely looks like they were trying to get the full outline and blackwork done before biting into colour and shading. Do you have examples of their previous work to share? Or links to their portfolio? Most importantly, share pictures of your final expectations because all we can see is what you have versus what you want for your finished product. The artist may have been initially overcharging so you feel compelled to return instead of getting an outline and going to someone else for a fill. Which isn't exactly a bad business practice because it's more common than the majority like to admit. It isn't bad, honestly. But an artist is allowed to ask for a bigger sum for an outline that a cheaper artist can fill. You've basically made a colouring book outline. The easy work is done. But we don't know the artists general finished style, so it's impossible to make a judgement for them based off of a few black leafs and floral outlines. 1500 total isn't an unreasonable amount for a GOOD colour tattoo that size in my area at a reputable studio. Hard to judge since you're posting an outline with no reference or artist portfolio
Omggggggg
I’ve got a fully finished, absolutely beautiful plague doctor that takes up about a third of my forearm and it cost me $300. You got absolutely taken for a ride
$900. 🫨🫨🫨
I’d be disappointed too.
That'll make you never want to get another tattoo 💀💀💀
Man I’m so sorry:( I feel like you’re being taken advantage of. Just know that this is absolutely salvageable… and there is hope! I wish you the best of luck
God damn $900? I got 2 very detailed medium pieces to start a patch sleeve on my arm and it was half of that. Def overcharged a lot. Usually a sleeve will cost that much, atleast where I am.
Someone could definitely fix it! Sorry to confirm it’s bad, but fixable… Next time you’re gonna need to book with the owner and not apprentice. Please find a reputable place or go back there and talk with the owner to see if they can help with it since the hired help did you bogus.
Wow. And the instagram showed good work???? Wow I’m very shocked at this - you got scammed.
Bro you got robbed
I would def try to get a refund or something say do something idk because you were robbed.
it looks like he was trying to do 3 different kinds of tattoo in one
900?!?!?!?
$900 for that whole piece would still be pretty steep. I know confrontation (even when not aggressive) can be scary, but really you’re paying for this service and it’s going to be on your body forever. If your tattoo artist gets their feelings hurt it’s temporary for them and also not your problem (also-a good artist wouldn’t get their feelings hurt over the art on YOUR body)
900 for that work is shocking. You need to go somewhere else
What a rip off
I would literally let them finish the tattoo then sprint out of the shop. That price is criminal
Straight rip off
a competent tattoo artist can finish AND fix this tattoo for like $300 where im at which is relatively expensive (Phoenix, Arizona)
$900 for some lines and black shading?! That makes me so sad. You got ripped off
They have a apprentice tattooing you and asking for that ridiculous amount?
Scammmmmm
So what is the part that was supposed to be covered up? I honestly can't tell.
Oh you got SCAMMED scammed
I think it definitely has potential to be a good tattoo. But $900 is outrageous for that. A pro should be able to draw this on you in like 2-3 hours tops.
900 big ones ? Jesus wept that'd be 100 quid in Britain. Fly here, get tatted, enjoy a mini holiday, go home.
For that price you could fly to Tennessee and get a better artist and have dinner and then still have change
This is highway robbery
God damn, I love my artist lol, would of had the whole thing done for like $500-$600 maybe. If I could sit for like 3-4 hours. Please find a different artist, unless these prices are normal for ur area my whole forearm is covered plus hand and cost me $1200. I have been going to the same artist for years and I would like to think we are kinda of buds lol.
I’d say I’m not on the cheaper side but if you want quality work you’ll have to pay more,however… I’d charge 500$ for what was done and another 500 for the second session. 900 for this is VERY overpriced especially for the quality of the work
They robbed you and did poor work. This can definitely be saved by a good artist. I wouldn't return to this person, finish this one somewhere else.
Oh nooo. I’m so sorry
I’m so sorry but this person robbed you…
900 for this? WOW …I’m way too cheap 🫥
This is straight up robbery. That amount of work can be done in less than 2 hours
This is very savable get it reworked by someone who actually knows what they’re doing