Where do you tattoo at?

I tattoo at Unkindness Art, in Richmond, Virginia. You can find the shop’s frequently asked questions on our website regarding parking, shop rates, payment, etc., and will be required to fill out a waiver with general tattoo information before I am able to tattoo you. I also travel to conventions and guest spots for tattoos, mostly within the US, though I will be booking the majority of my tattoos in Richmond.

How much does it cost to get a tattoo?

I am currently booking at $175/hr with a $300 minimum for Unkindness Art. Generally, a palm-sized colour tattoo (about 10x10cm) or hand-sized black and grey tattoo (about 18x18cm) takes me about 1.5 to 2 hours. You only pay for the time you are getting tattooed, so don’t worry about taking too long during the tattoo preparation, or snack/bathroom breaks— they don’t count!

For travel dates at conventions and guest spots I will be charging slightly more (generally $200/hr) to account for the cost of flights, gas, hotels, etc., as travel can be expensive.

How can I get tattooed by you?

When my books are open, I have a tattoo consultation form you can fill out here! Please note that filling out the form does not guarantee that I can tattoo you; I have limited availability and am currently trying to prioritise subjects that I feel are a good fit for me as far as challenge, subject, and my tattooing goals go.

Do you do cover ups or reworks of older tattoos? What about tattooing over scars?

There are many factors involved with cover ups, so the best answer is to reach out to me via my consultation form with a few images of the piece you were looking to cover or rework. In some cases I may ask you to come in person to the shop so I can assess the situation better. I do not specialise in cover ups but feel moderately comfortable in my ability of covering up tattoos.

I do, however, have a pretty good understanding of tattooing over scars in both colour and black and grey. It is something I am very passionate about! I do ask that surgical scars be at least 1-2 years healed and that more surface-level scars be healed fully (typically 6 months to a year) before tattooing over them, as it can be more painful and lead to a poor result if there is still healing on the lower levels of skin.

How can I improve my chances of getting tattooed?

The biggest reasons I will not tattoo someone are usually down to expectations on either end; I have only been tattooing on skin since January 2021, so I am not ready for some types of projects.

I do not generally do mostly text based tattoos, geometric designs, copies of existing art (such as anime or manga screenshots) or portraits and lean towards illustrative work with natural elements, such as bones, birds, bugs, flowers, fish, etc., so those sorts of projects tend to get a priority.

I also prioritise tattoo appointments that are generally more flexible with subject, placement, budget, and time. I do not start tattoo projects after 5PM, nor do I typically tattoo on the weekends. Things like Friday afternoon fill up the fastest for me, so if you are only available one day a week during a very short period of time, it is much harder to find an open appointment time for you.

I filled out the form, but haven’t heard a response yet. When can I expect to hear from you?

I generally try to respond to all booking inquiries within a month of my forms closing. If it has been longer than that, please check your spam filter and get in touch with me via direct email (alekivztattoo@gmail.com) if you cannot find a response. Note that my emails may take a week or more to respond to during busy times of my schedule.

Will I get to see a drawing before the appointment? What if I don’t like it?

I do not send out drawings ahead of time, even if you ask nicely. If you have specific parameters you’d like in your tattoo (for example, “I want a red fox tattoo“ vs. “I want a fox tattoo,” or “I like the style you did in this piece,”) please let me know during the initial consultation, booking form or emails. There is enough time to allow for small changes for things like colour or background elements in most appointment times.

If the drawing does not meet your desires & you would like an overhaul on a design, we may have to reschedule depending on the subject matter, and you will have to pay a new deposit… which is much cheaper than getting a tattoo you hate! Tattooing is something of a trust exercise, and I hope that by choosing to get a tattoo by me you are familiar with my work; however, I do not want you to get a bad tattoo, so please feel free to let me know if it is not matching up with your concepts/ideas!

I cannot travel to Richmond currently. Can I have someone else tattoo your art on me?

The short answer to this is no! If you would like my art tattooed on you, please either make your way to Richmond or keep an eye out for guest spots/conventions that I may be at near you. You can sign up for my newsletter for the best information on my travel schedule, including when/where I will be tattooing next!

What mediums do you use to draw/tattoo with?

I use a variety of media for drawing, and am constantly exploring new options. I have a document I update on occasion listing my most commonly used supplies and paper. I am like, addicted to trying out new sketchbooks and seeing if they’re better for pencil sketching or if they can handle the beating of using markers/pens frequently.

Do you take commissions?

Unfortunately I just do not have time to take commissions at this time; doing tattoos full time as well as running an online shop full time makes my work-life balance difficult as-is. It took me two years to have enough spare time to make a website!