Here's a list of my most frequently asked questions. Please make sure to read thoroughly before booking and check to make sure your question isn't already covered here before emailing.

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LOGISTICS​​

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I WANT TO WORK TOGETHER, WHERE DO I START?

You can head to my contact page where I have a booking form for you to fill out. This form asks you every question I need to know to determine whether or not I'm a good fit for your project. Please be as specific as you can so I can try to visualize what you want as much as possible! Once you submit your form if I am in an active booking period give my assistant Kelly up to a week to respond.

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I am not always actively booking. I tend to book in 3 month increments to keep my workload manageable. You are always able to submit a booking form but if I am not in an active booking period you will be put on a waitlist for responses for when I am ready to begin booking new projects.

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You can see my booking status at the top of my booking form.​

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I do not accept booking through Instagram DM, only my form or direct emails to dentaldamagetattoo@gmail.com.

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DO YOU DO CONSULTATIONS?

If I think I am a good artist to take on your project we will schedule a Zoom consultation to chat about all design specifics and any questions you need clarification on. If the project is more complex in certain ways such as requiring a cover-up or is large scale we may schedule an in person consultation to do body tracings. At this time I am only doing consultations with people who have specific tattoo ideas that I feel are in alignment with my style of tattooing.

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WHAT IS YOUR RATE?

Please contact me directly or via booking form for a pricing list and/or estimate. Please note that exact quotes are difficult to calculate especially for large scale tattoos.

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I JUST NEED A TOUCH-UP, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Touch-ups can be booked regardless of booking status, just shoot an email and I'll try and get you in as soon as I can. Touch-ups are complimentary for one year, after that they are subject to fees. Touch ups can be booked 1.5 months after your tattoo was completed. As a general rule if your piece has a lot of solid black in it, it is best to get in for a touch up as soon as the tattoo is fully healed as the black will settle in your skin and begin to age. We want to be able to match the tones of black as well as possible, so rather than waiting the full year, you'll probably want to get in much sooner or you may see some variation in the black.

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WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?

I work out of Thorns Tattoo located in Oakland, California. The shop is an appointment only workspace, therefore you will receive the exact address upon booking an appointment. The shop is a 9 minute walk from Macarthur Bart Station and easily accessible by public transportation. There is lots of street parking but please not that on weekdays it is 2 hour parking so be prepared to move your car throughout your appointment (good stretch and snack break opportunities!)

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ARE YOU TRAVELING TO MY CITY?

When I travel and do guest spots I always post about my travel dates on my Instagram. For most up to date information please follow me @dentaldamage.

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WHAT FORM OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?

I currently accept Cash, Card, and Paypal payments. A 3% fee will be applied to card and Paypal transactions so if you don't want to pay this fee please bring cash for the entirety of your payment. I do not accept Venmo as a payment method.

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DO YOU ACCEPT TIPS?

While tipping is never expected, it is always a nice way to let your artist know that you appreciate the work that has gone into different elements of the project. If there have been special accommodations made for you, if you run late, if you're just happy with the overall experience please consider leaving a tip. Tips also don't have to be monetary! Clients have tipped me in plants, books, trinkets and it's always a sweet gesture.

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TATTOO QUESTIONS

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DO YOU EVER TATTOO FLASH?

At the beginning of my booking periods I usually release a handful of pre-drawn concepts that are up for grabs on my Instagram page. These designs are first come first serve but usually have suggested placements that aren't negotiable unless noted. Sometimes I do repeatable flash but much more rarely. Any available concepts that haven't been claimed live on a highlight reel on my Instagram. If there is nothing there, there is nothing available.

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WHAT TYPE OF WORK ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TATTOOING?

My artwork is ornamental and geometric, the tattoos that I take on usually have some component of this integrated. I like blending organic elements along with these elements to create a compelling complimentary pairing. My pieces are usually high contrast with lots of use of solid black to push elements forward. I enjoy helping people connect with their heritage as well as sharing elements from my own heritage. 

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WHAT DON'T YOU TATTOO?

• Fingers (placement)

• Mandalas

• Henna inspired tattoos

• Dotwork (I have a repetitive stress injury)

• Human or human adjacent imagery

• Flower bundles

• Script

• Trees

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DO YOU DO COVER-UPS/BLASTOVERS?

I do and there are many examples of each in my portfolio. However, I get a LOT of requests for cover-ups due to my frequent use of solid black and I am very selective about which pieces to take on as these designs usually take much longer to draw than a regular tattoo. I will only take on a cover-up or blastover project if I feel like I can do it justice. 

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CAN YOU DO MY TATTOO IN BLUE/PURPLE/ORANGE/ETC..?

My style of tattooing is blackwork. 99% of the time I use exclusively black ink or greywash (watered down black) as that is what I am interested in tattooing with. I have on occasion been known to use a little red ink here and there but for the most part those have been flash designs and not custom work. I won't make exceptions for this, I literally own no other pigments.

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I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR OUR APPOINTMENT! CAN I SEE MY DESIGN AHEAD OF TIME?

Unfortunately I do not show designs ahead of our scheduled appointment. There are a few reasons for this, one being that I have actually had people take my designs to be tattooed elsewhere (super bummer), and the other being that I may not have even drawn it yet. I have multiple designs that I have to do weekly and I try to get ahead when I can but it isn't always possible. Showing designs before the appointment compounds the amount of drawing I have to do rather than at a manageable pace. I will always make time for edits and changes after you see the design and we won't put anything on your body until we both think it's awesome. If this work flow makes you uncomfortable, I may not be the artist for you.