Sonja Bow

FAQ

TATTOO PRICING

Pricing varies depending on the project, some take alot longer then others depending on detail. Some styles can be executed quickly with high attention to detail.

Rates are
230 per hour
1300 for a full day of 6 hours

Some smaller or simplistic pieces are by quote.

Tattoos take as long as it needs to take, please do not expect to have it done within a particular pricing or time frame.

I do not rush my art to suit financial needs, it is on your body for the rest of your life so the focus is on design and quality.

DEPOSITS & DRAWING FEES

DEPOSITS

Deposits are required to schedule appointments for your tattoo, the deposit come off of price upon completion of the tattoo.

The deposit will be forfeited if you do not show up to your appointment and may be forfeited if you give less then 24 hours notice to reschedule your appointment.

The deposit may be forfeited if you cancel your appointment(s) as I would have spent time to organise your booking, design and consult.

deposits are $50-500 depending.

DRAWING FEES

A drawing fee is required to book in your tattoo, this covers some of the design process.

The drawing fee is only refunded if I have not put any effort into creating your design yet.

The price varies depending on how much work I think is needed to create the art piece.

CONSULTS

Consults are free, but if you do not show up or reschedule/cancel without 24 hour notice there may be a $50 fee to book in another consult.

RESCHEDULING OR CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS

Please give as much notification to reschedule your appointment, I am very understanding but if you notify me too late then your deposit may be forfeited.

If the appointment is rescheduled more than three times, the deposit might also be forfeited depending on the situation, please choose your dates carefully and make sure you have saved enough for your tattoo.

I may need to reschedule appointments last minute due to my disability, health issues or if I am not happy with the design.

I always put in maximum effort, a design may not be perfect right away, sometimes I need extra time to work on it, especially if it’s very large or very tricky.

With this type of work, I must feel well enough to do the best that I can, as it is on your body for the rest of your life.

I may cancel an appointment if i am made to feel uncomfortable or I feel as though I am treated poorly. Respect goes both ways!

HOW TO BOOK IN

My books generally open a couple of times a year for a short period. When known, I post the time and date they will open on Facebook, Instagram and my website. They will only be open for a short period, depending on how many requests I receive and I go through enquiries from first to last.

After reading my entire FAQ you can then submit your enquiry form on this website, please be as organised and specific as you can.

I have set consult days throughout the year, some projects will require in person consults, some do not.

To schedule a large project, the client must be able to book multiple appointments until the piece is completed, please save beforehand. Every 3-4 weeks is recommend.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Due to the amount of requests and projects I have to be selective, therefore not every request can be booked.

Generally I prefer to take on requests with less restrictions and ideas that I enjoy. Whimsical and fauna pieces are preferential amongst lots of other things, I also very much enjoy doing pet portraits and creating wholesome memorial pieces.

I am looking for dedicated clients to put the time and financial investment that is necessary for the project to ensure consistency and the best possible outcome.

CONSULTS

Consults maybe be 5 minutes to an hour depending on how complex and large the concept is. When in person I will likely be photographing the area so that I can design the piece to be suitable.
Sometimes I may draw on the skin as a guide and may even trace out the area on tracing paper.

We will talk about the ideas and expand on anything, potential cost, likely look at references. Chat about how the design will look best including size, colour palette, style etc. Some of these things can happen via messages if I do not think an in person consult is necessary.

 

HOW TO REDUCE TATTOO PAIN

I highly suggest bringing in a pillow, treats, healthy snacks, fruits and lunch if you have a full day sitting.

Meditation is the best way to deal with the pain of a tattoo, I would suggest practicing meditation at home so that you can use it to your advantage during your tattoo process.

It is important to learn to stay calm during a painful experience, if you are calm, the pain does not bother you nearly as much or at all. Yoga can also help by strengthening the body and mind.

Numbing cream is not recommended, it is at the clients liability if they are to use numbing cream, using numbing cream might void a free touch up, it is unknown to me if it affects the consistency of the skin.
Numbing cream may only work for a couple of hours and sometimes not at all.

 

DO I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF MY BODY PRIOR TO A TATTOO SESSION

Yes! Make sure to get enough sleep, stay hydrated, eat well & no alcohol within a week before your tattoo.

Take care of your skin, try not to damage it and please be aware of sunburn. Please exfoliate before your tattoo and do not apply moisturiser afterwards.

You must NOT take fish oils within a month of your tattoo or get tattooed while you are on antibiotics as your tattoo would likely need to be completely redone.

Do NOT come to your tattoo session if you are sick, you must let me know ASAP if you are unwell so you can be rescheduled.

If you show up sick, I will send you home and your deposit will be forfeited, please take care of your body and mind.

KNOWN RISKS OF GETTING A TATTOO

ALLERGIES

Will include allergic reactions to ink or adhesive bandage which can be short lived or for a long time.

Testing for reactions to adhesive bandage is available upon cost.

Testing for ink allergic reaction is not available as it need to be deposited into the skin.

It may be best to get a smaller tattoo first, all colours are different and often people may have a reaction to one colour and not the others.

Allergic reactions can be very minor, to raised and incredibly itchy in which a cream will be provided by a doctor which generally helps but can take time.

INFECTIONS

While I take as much effort and care to not overwork the skin and to keep a clean and sterile environment, the client must also do their best. Though rare in my experience, infections are most commonly from home, from items like shoes, pets hair or accidentally damaging the tattoo during healing.

After 3-4 days, if you experience extra redness and pain and/or the tattoo is looking very angry, please contact me with photos so I can consuly further.

TATTOO AFTERCARE

A fresh tattoo is an open wound, only touch with cleaning hands if necessary for cleaning & do not let anyone else touch! PLEASE contact me if you have any worries or difficulties with your tattoo.

CLEAR ADHESIVE BANDAGE

I. If you have second skin, you can keep it on for 7 days but no longer, peel off gently.

II. There’s no need to clean your wound when it is covered with adhesive bandage, you may see liquid build up underneath, this is normal and may even dry up in the bandage.

III. Please remove if your tattoo ooze leaks out, or if you break the bandage. Remove immediately if you have an allergic reaction to the adhesive.

CLING WRAP

I. Please remove cling film after 2-3 hours and wash well with a PH neutral or antibacterial soap.

II. Wash the tattoo gently but well 3 times a day until healed, let the tattoo dry before applying aftercare cream, do not use towels to dry your tattoo as they usually harbour some bacteria even when clean.

III. Apply a small amount of aftercare cream gently onto the skin, enough to cover but not too much to make it overly soggy.

IV. For 3-7 days I do recommend covering the tattoo with cling film for bed, keeping a tattoo moist enough can assist with the healing process, this also protects your tattoo from bacteria in the bed and from sticking to materials. Also Make sure that your bedding is fresh and clean.

V. You can cover your tattoo during the day if it works for you, it works very well for some clients and others not so much. If you are not wearing cling film, please keep your tattoo moisturised with your aftercare whenever it becomes too dry.

VI. The sun is your tattoos worst enemy! Keep your healing tattoo covered and out of the sun, otherwise I can fade very quickly! Once your tattoo is healed, it is recommended to cover or use sunscreen to protect your ink from the sun.

VII. No saunas, baths, spray tans or soaking your tattoo while it’s healing. And please keep pets away from your gorgeous new tattoo!

IX. Your tattoo may get very itchy in the later healing stages! Unfortunately this is normal, you may pat or caress your tattoo but do not scratch it or pick! Let it do its own thing and give it lots of love and care :).

 

HAPPY HEALING!

Thankyou for spending the time to thoroughly read my important information.