You often see tattoo artists talking about their books being open or closed, but what really goes on behind-the-scenes for your tattooer once you've reached out about your next tattoo? Here, I share all about my 100%-human process of booking, as well as an in-depth look into my creative process as I craft your design from sketch to skin.
All About Booking With Me
I insist on a fully-human booking process. To me, tattooing is an exchange of energy as much as information, and I need to be able to talk directly to my clients about what they want out of their tattoo design and experience. I also want my clients to know they are in good hands, that I respect the gravity of this craft, and that I am deserving of the trust they will be putting in me! I treat the emails about your inquiry like a personal letter, a space for us to get to know each other first, and it's a crucial part of my process that I will not automate or outsource.
I am currently booking on a seasonal cycle (in part for the witchiness of it all), meaning my books open for the next season at the start of the current one. This December 1st, my Spring 2027 books will open (March, April, and May) with my available dates and times. To keep everything organized, I have all requests go through a central tattoo request form. This form provides space for clients to describe their idea, provide reference photos (no AI-generated), and give any details I'll need about placement, budget, and preferred days and times. I then go through the requests and email back to ask any follow-up questions, give a time/cost estimate, and offer an appointment if I feel that the project is a good fit. I do provide a response to everyone who takes the time to fill out my form, regardless of whether I am able to offer them an appointment at this time or not. I offer free consultations if either my client or myself feels like an in-person conversation would be beneficial as we explore the design, but often it is not needed and we can communicate just fine via email. Once we've found a date for an appointment, a non-refundable deposit paid securely through my invoice system confirms the spot (and always comes off the final cost of the tattoo!). Clients then receive an email with location details and all the need-to-know information about the appointment.
After Booking: My Creative Process
This is another area of my work that I do completely 100% myself, with no digital assistants. It is important to me to be actively engaged in every aspect of the creative process to design tattoos that my clients can connect with and love. I typically draw out my tattoos a week in advance or so, and create the week's designs in stages. This allows me to stay ahead of my upcoming appointments, as well as giving me time to make adjustments to the designs as I work on them. I also find that if I start working before the week of the appointment, the creative flow gets lost or forgotten. The design process for each tattoo follows the same general workflow:
Research --> Canvas collage --> Sketch --> Line --> Color/shading plan
Research
I am a huge nerd, and I genuinely love diving deep into the lore behind the tattoo, no matter the subject- but especially so if it's a subject area that I'm already passionate about (mythology, botany, fantasy). My client wants a tattoo of a plant? I'll learn its scientific classifications, its edibility, its native range, and at least one human use. Someone requested a niche fandom reference? I'll watch the whole franchise while I'm drawing it. I love learning the background behind the design, what makes it special to the client, and I use everything I've researched to inform the rest of the design process.
Canvas Collage
Using Procreate (my primary drawing and design tool), I start each tattoo design with a page of collage. This includes keywords and important details from the tattoo request, any reference photos sent by the client, anatomy photos of the area to be tattooed, and any other copyright-free images I find for reference.
Sketch
My hard and fast rule is that I draw every design- no copy/pasting from Pinterest here. The only time I ever trace in designing is when I'm working off a photo taken by me, my client, or with creative commons licensing. Usually, this only happens when I am asked to design for a specific element with unique traits that need to be visually present, distinct, and accurate. I have a strong and ever-present style in my artwork, and drawing everything myself allows me to create unique designs that look like I made them. The sketching process usually has two steps; first, I go in with a wide brush and just map out elements, deciding on composition and flow. The second step is where I begin to refine the details of the subject, usually layering three or more possible final lines to create a messy sketch of possibilities. This is my favorite and often the hardest part of the process, as it requires a lot of focus and the balance of many creative forces.
Lining
The goal of this stage is to finalize where the outlines of the tattoo are. I am usually thinking most about the negative space between the lines, making sure each line has room to breathe in the skin as the ink expands over time, and also that it is aesthetically designed with intention. Depending on the brief, linework can be thicker and bold or thinner and more delicate. My linework generally gravitates toward a pattern of "thicker outline, thinner detail line," with variations on this theme depending on the style requested by my client.
Color/Shading Plan
This is the step of my creative process that varies the most depending on the tattoo and how many sessions we'll be dedicating to it. On bigger projects, sometimes I save this step until later sessions so I don't get too boxed in with design decisions at the start of a project. This stage is one I love to collaborate on with my clients in person, where we can look at my inks together and see what fits the vision the best. I have a wide variety of ink colors available, and I love to work in bright, high-chroma inks especially. My color and shading work usually features ombres and high contrast between areas of soft shading and bold blackwork. I love working in black and grey, linework, or color, but full-color projects definitely are my favorite types of tattoos to design for.
On Witchcraft
The "witch" in Queer Witch Tattoo is not just for show, and my spiritual and energetic practice does influence my creative one as well. There is an undeniable element of magic in every tattoo I make. I practice "tapping-in" to the creative realm, and, depending on how tapped in my client is, I often get an instinctual message of what the piece needs. I frequently have clients see their design on their appointment day and say "omg!! I was thinking about wanting to include XYZ but didn't know how to tell you!" When they ask "how did you know," "I got the message!" is the best way I can describe it to them! This element is still quite mysterious to me, and I enjoy any time I get to experience it.
On Appointment Day
I send an email the week of to check in with my clients and confirm their upcoming booked spot. This is also a great chance to make sure they are feeling well and that nothing has changed in their world since the booking time (usually, several months prior). Due to how far out I am booking and to protect my designs, I do not show my work before an appointment. I build in time to each appointment for the client to look over the design first thing, and welcome any feedback or notes that they might have. As someone with anxiety myself, I completely understand the anxiety that comes for many clients when they don't get to see the design beforehand. Everyone comes to the moment of their tattoo differently, and I am well-versed in creating a comfortable place where you can advocate for yourself and what you need during every step of the tattoo process. For some clients, I leave the space for 15 minutes or so to allow them to be alone with the design, gather their thoughts, and visualize it on their skin without the pressure of the artist in the room. For others, I show them the design and they know within a 15-second glance that it's what they want or not! There is room for all of it, and I am never frustrated with any edits. I feel the tattoo process is done best when we collaborate on the design and take our time making sure it's what the client wants.
Of course, my virtual door is always open for clients to email at any times with any questions or concerns they may have before and after their appointment.
On the day of an appointment, the time booked is my client's! I balance my schedule to make sure that each appointment has plenty of time and we are not rushed. I always encourage clients to be slightly early if possible, though I am understanding the realities of city traffic and parking. I tell clients to bring comfortable clothing, snacks and water, entertainment, one additional guest for moral support, and any fidget toys that might help them. My studio provides snacks, drinks, and fidgets as well for anyone who needs them. I try to keep the vibes comfortable, calm, and maintain a private and respectful atmosphere for all my clients. My practice is unapolegetically queer, body-positive, neurodivergent-friendly and trauma-informed, so my clients can feel safe and comfortable being their authentic selves while getting such a vulnerable service done. I provide recommended aftercare instructions in the form of a minizine and on my website, so no tattoo-brain remembering required. I hope every client enjoys their tattoo and has a positive experience in my space!
Thanks for reading about my creative process and how I book my tattoos! Make sure to sign up for my email newsletter if you haven't already, to hear first about my books opening (12/1/26 next) and availability!
