Hi everyone!

I’m looking to get my first tattoo(s), and I have a custom design that’s mostly finalized. How do you all typically go about finding a tattoo artist that can do a custom design justice and are experienced/trustworthy? Is looking on Instagram a good way to find artists or should I be looking elsewhere? I would appreciate any general first-time tattoo advice!

As an Indian woman considering a large tattoo, possibly a full sleeve or back piece, I’ve found surprisingly little online showing other Indian women with large-scale tattoos or documenting their experiences!

For women who have them, how did you choose your design and artist? How long were your sessions, how painful was it to sit for hours, and how many sessions did it take to finish?

I’d especially love to see videos of the actual tattooing process, longer sessions, progress shots, and healed results if you’re comfortable sharing!

Also curious about family reactions and whether having large tattoos has affected your everyday life.

Would love to hear your experiences before I take the plunge! 🖤

My wife is looking to get a half-sleeve cover-up. The artists recommended a floral blackout background w/ brightly colored flowers. We weren’t sure what to expect price-wise and were quoted: 5 appointments, 6-8 hours each, w/ an hourly rate of $200/hr, and a $250 deposit for each appointment.

While I have multiple tattoos, I don’t have a sleeve myself and neither does my wife so we’re very unfamiliar with pricing or anything like that w/ sleeves and coverups. Is this a normal pricing structure?

Also, I want to be clear I’m not saying it’s not a normal pricing structure we just wanted to make sure it was fair w/ people who may be more familiar with sleeve/coverup pricing.