Booking

Kat fills her calendar one month at a time, and usually one month ahead of time, ie in April she will take submissions for projects to fill her May schedule, and in May she will take submissions for projects to fill her June schedule, and so forth.

The Booking Form

When Kat’s books are open, there will be a link in her IG bio - that link leads to her booking form. In order to submit a project, you must fill out this booking form. This is the ONLY way to book an appointment - it’s more fair to every prospective client, and it helps us keep things organized. (If you can’t find a link in her bio, it probably means that her books are closed and she isn’t currently taking new submissions.) 

The booking form will ask for the following:

1. description of the tattoo concept
2. reference photos of the area you are looking to get tattooed
3. reference images to help explain the concept
2. size 
3. placement 
4. budget 
5. availability: days of the week, time slots (ie, weekday and/or weekend, afternoon and/or evening.)

Custom Work and Reproductions

All work Kat makes is either custom/flash drawn by her and solely meant for her individual clients. She has a strict policy of not copying another tattooer’s work and does not give permission to copy hers. She will, however, render a version of another artist’s work of a different medium (ie. illustration or sculpture) with the artist’s permission given to both client and Kat in writing. If you are unsure if the piece you are proposing fits in this criteria, feel free to send over an image tbd.

Studio Hours

Tattoo appointments are typically scheduled Wednesday-Saturday between the hours of 12-7. Evening appointments begin no later than 5pm if they’re on the smaller side and 4pm if it’s a medium sized piece.

Location

Estuary Tattoo is a private studio located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The closest train stop is the Morgan L. After you have booked and about a week before your appointment, I will send a confirmation email including exact location and detailed directions.

Availability

When you fill out your booking form, please give us as many options as possible. People who offer weekday afternoon availability are much more likely to get an appointment than people can only do Saturdays.

Rates

Kat’s rate is $250 hourly, plus a one-time drawing fee of $50-$100. On average, a small/medium tattoo usually takes Kat around 3 hours to complete.

Occasionally a piece will be priced at a flat rate at Kat’s discretion, depending on detail, size, placement, coverup, etc.

Drawing Fee

A one-time drawing fee will be collected along with your deposit. The drawing fee is $50 for a small/medium tattoo, or $100 for a larger piece. This fee covers time spent on drawing, designing, gathering references, and a consultation if you need one. The drawing fee is refundable at the artist’s discretion.

Day rate

Kat’s full-day rate is $1200 for a larger piece (ie. back, chest, half sleeve) that takes over 5 hours. This usually applies to pieces that take multiple sessions. If a multiple session piece is completed early on a day rate appointment, Kat will charge hourly instead.

*Minimum* is $250

Sliding Scale

Kat offers a sliding scale rate adjustment to BIPOC, Trans, disabled folks upon request (ie: for a 1-hour tattoo, a client could choose to pay anything between $175-250, a 2-hour tattoo would be between $350-$500, and so forth.) In order to request this pricing option, select the “Opt In” check box on the submission form or send us an email. Kat offers this on an honor system and there are no follow up questions - eligibility and needs are self-determined.

Deposits

In order to book an appointment, you will be required to put down a non-refundable deposit of $100 via Paypal. This deposit amount is subtracted from the cost of the tattoo at time of payment. It is a safeguard against no-shows and last-minute cancellations.

I will email out instructions for making deposits after you’ve successfully found a date on the calendar. Please read the instructions carefully. Do not send a deposit until you are asked to do so.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please email us with at least one week advance notice. This gives us a reasonable chance to find someone else to fill the appointment. If you ask to cancel/reschedule with less than one week notice, the initial $100 will be forfeited and a new deposit will be required to hold a new appointment. (In the case of an emergency, exceptions may be made at the artist’s discretion.)

Preparing for your appointment

• Wear comfortable clothing that doesn't get in the way of the area to be tattooed.

• Don't skip breakfast/lunch! Eat a meal in the few hours before getting tattooed.

• HYDRATE the day before and get a good night's sleep - it matters!

• Exfoliate and MOISTURIZE the day before or day of the appointment to prep the skin for best results.

•  CASH is preferred for payment. There is an ATM across the street if you need it, but it's always best to arrive with cash on hand. If cash is not an option for whatever reason, we can do a PayPal transaction which will include a Goods and Services Paypal fee of 2.9%. Venmo and Credit Card are not accepted forms of payment.

•     As tattooing is considered a service industry, GRATUITY is welcome.  An average of 20% tip is standard in the tattoo industry but obviously it's at your discretion and any amount you feel like giving is appreciated. If you liked or even loved your experience, the best way to give thanks is giving that little extra as support for business to grow. 

Aftercare

You’ll need 3 products for aftercare:

  • Soap Dial antibacterial soap or equivalent antibacterial. A good natural replacement is the ‘unscented’ Dr. Bronners

  • Salve aquaphor or hustle butter

  • Lotion any unscented/gentle lotion of your choice (ie. lubriderm, aveeno, cetaphil) A good natural replacement is coconut oil.

After you get home from your appointment or within 2-3 hours of getting bandaged, remove your wrapping and wash gently with the soap* (see above for product recs) and lukewarm water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Let air dry and wear whatever clean black clothes necessary to protect the area and your sheets. 

Days 1-3

  • 2x/day repeat wash and dry. 

  • Apply a light layer of salve to protect the tattoo and keep it moisturized

Days 4-14 (or until fully healed) 

  • 2x/day repeat wash and dry

  • Apply lotion

DO:
- Moisturize
- Hydrate
- Take vitamins for immune support (vit c, zinc, etc)

DON’T:
- Saunas
- Soaking ie. Baths, rivers, beaches
- Tanning 
- Use sunscreen, if exposed for more than a few minutes.
- Scratching your tattoo
- Excessive exercise/sweating. Regular exercise is fine, but avoid friction on the area that was tattooed.