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       GENERAL

 

• ANSWERS:  You can contact me both in French or in English. I usually reply to e-mails and DMs on Mondays. E-mails or DMs that can be answered by this FAQ will not receive any direct in-person feedback.  
   

• HOW I WORK: Each design is one of a kind, personalized with care and hand-drawn in advance. You can book a flash tattoo all year long (when the flashbook is available) however all custom tattoo requests have to be submitted only during one of my booking rounds using the designated form on my website. 

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• DON'T SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT THROUGH E-MAIL/SOCIAL MEDIA FOR REVIEW : I no longer provide personalized responses to requests submitted directly to my e-mail or social media. New project ideas have to be sent through the designated form on my website when available. Unfortunately, I can't pre-approve any tattoo ideas submitted through email/social media prior to my booking round. 

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• MAILING LIST: If you want to get the latest news regarding my booking round or early access to flash designs, make sure to sign up to my mailing list. 
  
  ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: If you are inquiring about a subject *NOT* included in this FAQ or on the homepage information board, please contact me through my e-mail tattoo@rali.info

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• BOOKING

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• HOW MY BOOKINGS WORK:
  I open sporadically my booking on an annual basis for custom designs. The date of the opening is announced on this website's homepage, my Instagram (profile description), via my mailing list and reminders are posted a few days/weeks before. If my booking is currently closed, it means that I don't have the possibility to take any more projects, small or big, except flash designs that you can find in my online flashbook (when available). Once my booking is open again, a consultation form will be available on the main page here and you could submit your ideas through it to be reviewed. The rest of the time, the booking form is closed (i.e. you will see a password protected page or it will be hidden)

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• CONSULTATIONS & OUT OF TOWN CLIENTS: Consultations and health check forms are mandatory. To book a consultation appointment, please fill up the booking form when available on my website.  Must be 18+ to book a tattoo. Out of town clients will be scheduled via an online consultation. 

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• RESCHEDULING: If you have to cancel / reschedule your tattoo appointment, you must let me know minimum 72 hours in advance before the beginning of your tattoo appointment (via e-mail ONLY)  in order to preserve your deposit. Otherwise, a second deposit will be required to book a new tattoo appointment and the first one will cover the cancellation and would no longer be included in the final price. 
   

• WAITING LIST: Last-minute calendar openings due to cancellations will be posted on INSTAGRAM and given out in first-come, first-served basis. There is no waiting list available. 

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• TRAVEL PLANS:  All guest spots  will be posted on my Facebook or Instagram. As I own a private studio in Montreal, Canada, I don't really travel and prefer tattooing in my familiar environment.
   

• LARGE PROJECTS PLANNING: I give out the first three dates for your tattoo appointments. A fourth date will be given on your first/second session and so on. Usually you have 2+ weeks/month between sessions as to let the tattoo heal. As to allow my style to evolve and change rapidly, I prefer working and completing large-scale projects in the less possible amount of time (so please be serious when booking such a project as we might have frequent appointments which require commitment and time from your end too). Ex: If you plan on getting a sleeve over many years instead of completing it within a year, please consider booking in a smaller project.

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• PROJECTS I LOVE WORKING ON:

• I absolutely adore everything nature-related (animals and vegetation), any kind of fan-art (I do a lot of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, video games, movies, books, etc), abstract designs, architecture, retro objects and silly tattoo ideas that make me laugh (birds with arms, cartoon characters, etc). 

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• PROJECTS I NO LONGER TAKE: I keep the right to refuse any projects that don't suit my current style (illustrative black and red style). I will also no longer accept: cover-ups (please read next section for exceptions), working/integrating existing tattoos into my design/continuing tattoos done by other artists.

• I don't do any visually explicit designs (NSFW), lettering or any religion-related subjects. If you feel that your idea falls into one of those categories, feel free to submit more than one request if you have another subject you would like to get tattooed. I will still review all requests individually. Black and red are both mandatory for custom designs, no other colors are available (except if you have an idea where the subject has a specific recognizable color that fits with red, such as a yellow Pikachu per example, I make exceptions when justified).

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• COVER-UP TATTOOS: Generally, I don't take in cover-up projects (especially large bold ones), as I'm not an artist that specialized in this technique. As my style uses a lot of skin gaps for color, it's difficult for me to cover up/integrate an already present tattoo. If your tattoo is a small and faded one or if you had laser treatment, I'll suggest you to submit your idea during my next booking round along with a picture of your tattoo so I could judge if I could help you out or not. Also, keep in mind that a cover up tattoos have to be significantly larger than the previous one (at least three times bigger and I require absolute creative freedom when it comes to the tattoo design).

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  DESIGNS / FLASH TATTOOS:
   

• DESIGNS POLICY:  Custom designs (sketched or final drawings) won't be send over the Internet and will be shown and altered only at the tattoo appointment itself. Each design (custom or flash tattoo) is unique and cannot be replicated (unless booked as a matching tattoo with another client).
   

• FLASH TATTOOS: For flash tattoos, a non-refundable deposit is required before the online consultation and it's booked on a first-come first-served basis. As soon as the deposit is received, the flash design is reserved to your name. The deposit can't be interchanged for another flash design and the tattoo has to be scheduled in the next sixt months. The flash designs are sold as is, no changes available. Please refer to the indicators beneath each flash design in the flashbook for more information about the minimum sizing and pricing.
   

• I LIVE ON ANOTHER CONTINENT CAN I STEAL YOUR DESING?: If you are living far away and cannot get a tattoo from me that doesn't mean that you can grab my designs and get them tattooed by your local artist. This is considered as stealing my art and totally disrespectful to my work and time I have spend working on those drawings. Feel free to be inspired, but don't copy. Your artist must be able to draw their own designs if they are true tattoo artists without copying and taking advantage of someone else's work. It takes a lot of time and energy to do original and personalized designs for my clients and I like showing my art on social media as this is how I advertize my work. I'll be really happy to book you a tattoo and create something that fits you and only you perfectly if you are willing to travel / if I visit your country in the future.
   

• STYLE PREFERENCES: My preferences lean towards larger custom designs (larger than 8 inches, preferably multiple-appointment projects). In the future I hope to work mostly from self-proposed projects and flashwork, meaning that there will be less space eventually for client-proposed projects. In order to keep my work fluid and evolving I tend to keep an open mind regarding tattoo subjects and I constantly try to evolve and refine my style. The more freedom of experimentation you give me, the more creative I'll be designing your project. I prefer when my clients provide me a direction regarding the subject and approximate size/placement and leave composition and visual to my discretion.

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• PURCHASING PRINTS: The purchase of a print or a drawing commission DOESN'T give you the right to get that design tattooed by another artist. All designs created by me must be tattooed by myself only.
   

• TATTOO MEANINGS: As tattoo artists, we often receive projects related to personal trauma, grief, etc. As we understand that getting a tattoo related to a lost loved one, a pet or an event per example could be beneficial and we highly appreciate helping out with healing and providing comfort, we kindly ask you to avoid describing the deep meaning/sequence of events related to your tattoo idea when contacting us and only keep to the visual part that you are requesting to be tattooed as much as possible. Please keep in mind that even if you follow our life on social media and think you know a lot about us personally, we are still very much strangers and don't know each other. Our personal lives are not always portrayed online and I personally often choose to keep my current mindset as private as possible as this is a professional setting. This means that reading/hearing about strangers' personal trauma without our consent is not okay and could affect us unnecessarily on an emotional level. It is not part of our job training how to safely deal with emotional distress on a regular basis, especially during early communications such as reading project requests or Dms. If you want to elaborate on your tattoo meaning, you could do so during your tattoo appointment as I often extend consent to talk about personal subjects in-person instead if I feel I am having the right headspace to do so. Thank you for taking care of us so we could take care of you!

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  RATES

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• HOW LONG WILL MY TATTOO TAKE / COST ? I cannot discern exactly how long a tattoo will take, if you have a concern regarding budget and timing please reach out to me via e-mail or make a note in your request form. The duration of the tattoo depends on many factors such as placement, details and how well you are handling getting tattooed. 
  
   

• BILLING: My current rate is 180/h CAD if you book now and it's a subject of change in the future. You will be billed according to the hourly rate of the time of your consultation. Drawing time is on me and it's already included in the cost of your tattoo. I tattoo for a maximum of 5-6 hours /day. Some exceptions can be made for out-of-town clients if my calendar allows longer sessions. There is a day minimum of 450$ CAD for any custom design that takes less than 2.5 hours
  
   

• ONLY CASH PAYMENTS: The only accepted method of payment is cash (CAD only) for tattoo appointments (except online transactions for booking fees/deposits). There is no ATM available at the shop, so please plan out accordingly.
  
   

• DO YOU LEAVE A TIP? Tips are appreciated but not expected. There is no set protocol for tipping tattoo artists: you can tip as much or as less as you want. If you want to thank me for my work, I also enjoy art, handmade stuff, everything that has sugar or tea in it or simply a small souvenir of your passage. :)
  
   

• DEPOSIT POLICY
   

• NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT POLICY: Each consultation requires a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of 180$, deducted from your last appointment (if multiple sittings) -  The deposit covers the time spent on the communication & creation of the design or reservation of flash tattoo and the booking of the tattoo day. No tattoo appointment will be given without a deposit.   
  
  The deposit will be forfeited if:             
  
   - You cancel your appointment less than 72 hours before the beginning of your tattoo. In this case, a second deposit will be requested (submitted in the following two weeks) to book another date. If you need to reschedule, please let me know ASAP via email. I understand that some events may occur in those 72 hours before your tattoo appointment forcing you to cancel, but since I want to treat everyone equally, no exceptions will be made whatever the motif is. 
  
  - You don't show up to your appointment without any notice. Your design will be discarded or put up as a flash tattoo.             
  
  - LATENESS: If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment and if you have not attempted to contact me (e-mail or instagram) about your tardiness before the beginning of your appointment, you will lose your tattoo day AND your deposit. I do not ensure my presence at the studio after that time period, since I only book one person per day.           
  
  - For each deposit, you can reschedule your appointment day once, as long as it`s during the current booking period. If you reschedule your appointment more than once, a second deposit will be needed to reserve a third appointment attempt day. Unfortunately, as I don't have many cancellations, there is a big chance that your new tattoo date will come in a few months or at the beginning of the next booking round. For any large-scale projects (that require more than one appointments) any cancellation of consecutive appointment days will result in the forfeit of the deposit (ex: you decide to reschedule or cancel all the appointments for your project or reschedule or cancel back-to-back days).              
  
  - If you decide to have a major change to your tattoo idea, please let me know at least three weeks before your tattoo appointment, so I could plan out a different design or reschedule your appointment (as I don't want to rush anyone's tattoo idea). Please keep in mind that I may not accommodate big/last-minute design changes if I have already started your drawing. If you change your idea and it's something I cannot accommodate, the appointment will be cancelled at your expense. So please be sure to be really clear in your ideas when booking.              
  
  - Major changes on the day of the tattoo: If you decide to change more than 50% of the design presented to you or the corrections take more than 45 minutes, the deposit will no longer be included in the final price and will serve as compensation for the additional time at the studio. Small design changes and placement adjustment are accepted. 

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  - Floating deposits on custom tattoos or ongoing projects (i.e. you have cancelled your appointment, but haven't requested to reschedule your tattoo for it's completion) will be valid up to six months after the first cancelled tattoo day.

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• - Canceled projects (If you cancel all upcoming appointments for a tattoo before we have started working on it, the deposit would be forfeited and can't be transferred to another project)

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  STUDIO

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• WHERE? I own a private tattoo studio in Montreal, Canada. The address is given only by appointment.

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• WHEN? Full-day appointments start at 9:30am. My work hours are Tuesday to Friday, 9:30 am to 4pm.
   

• UNEXPECTED VISITORS: Can I drop in and say hello? If you don't have an appointment booked with me, please refrain from stopping by the studio. The sentiment is appreciated, but I need to focus on my appointments and ensure the privacy and comfort of my clients.
   

• CAN I BRING A FRIEND?  As it's a small private studio, unfortunately our space isn't designed to receive many people at once. I also share my space with a colleague and to ensure the privacy, safety and comfort for both of our clients, only those getting tattooed will be admitted, no exceptions. Children and pets won't be granted access to our studio under any circumstances. 

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• TATTOO MATERIAL - Is it vegan?: I use vegan friendly ink (I can provide you the MSDS sheet with ingredients upon request if you are worried about any allergies) and a vegan-friendly vitamin based ointment as a replacement to stock-standard petroleum jelly along with green soap mixed with distilled water. In order to keep the studio and our equipment clean, we use hospital grade disinfectants, surfactants, germicides, etc, which I can't certify if they are vegan or not. We are first and foremost a medical profession and refuse to cut corners on cross contamination and infection control. This is for your protection and the clients who come after you. Thus said, I cannot guarantee that you are getting a 100% vegan friendly tattoo.

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• TATTOO DAY: Make sure to come to your appointment well rested and pack some snacks as well as a water bottle. Eat and hydrate prior to your tattoo. Please, do not drink alcohol the night before your appointment. Anyone who comes under the influence of recreational drugs or psychoactive substances as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women will be denied their tattoo appointment. Do not use/apply any kind of numbing cream or else on the area that I'm supposed to tattoo (I provide Lidocaine pain-relief spray during the tattoo procedure). 
   

• HEALTH & SAFETY: All of our artists are certified and had gone through bloodborne pathogens infection prevention training program.
   

• WORKING TOGETHER: Following what is mentioned above in "tattoo meanings" section:

• Talking about sensitive matters also extends to your presence in our studio. While I might consent discussing about more private subjects, etc. this might not be the case for other people present and in close proximity at that particular moment (ex: my colleague and her own clients). So please, keep in mind that some subjects might be perceived differently by others and could perhaps affect in a negative way their own experience while getting tattooed. I also encourage you to always let me know if you don't feel comfortable about something and I will do my best to fix it.
   

• AFTERCARE: At the end of your appointment, you will receive an aftercare sheet with everything you have to know about taking care of your new tattoo. If you have any allergies or concerns, please feel free to send me an email before booking a tattoo tattoo appointment.   
   

• PACK SOME SNACKS / LUNCH: There is a small fridge and a microwave at your disposition. Feel free to bring your food/snacks for the day. I usually take 10-15min breaks about every 1.5 hours through the day.  

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• TOUCH UPS: Touch ups are included in the price if requested in the six months following the last tattoo session. To book touch ups, please send me an e-mail with 1) a picture of your healed tattoo 2) what you think you need fixed 3) your general availability

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• APPRENTICESHIPS: Currently, we do not have any openings for additional artists or apprentices at our studio. All possible future positions will be announced officially on our social media if we ever decide to expand our team.

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• VISITING MONTREAL: I teamed up with my best friend to curate a selection of travel suggestions that seamlessly blend with the experience of getting tattooed. From engaging activities and exploring local art scenes to embarking on culinary adventures, we've crafted a list of suggestions to enhance your overall journey! Click here to access her blog post.