+ Is every piece custom designed?
Yes – every piece is tailor made. Each artwork is created especially for each client and will never be used again. And we will not tattoo any other design or artwork that has already been tattooed.
+ Do I have to pay for the design?
No. The one-on-one artist consultation, unique design and preparation stages are not billed. The artist’s individual per session hour charge is the only cost for the entire process.
+ What happens after the consultation?
Once you and the artist have decided on the details of your artwork your artist then needs some time to prepare your piece. The length of time needed will depend on the complexity of your artwork as well as your artist’s waiting list. Once the design is ready we will call you back in to the studio for a design check. At the design check, if there are no requested alterations, we can book you in for the actual tattoo appointment. If your piece is completely freehand – we can simply book in the actual tattoo appointment after the initial consultation. We are typically not in touch during the design period. After you have commissioned the artwork the next time we would be in touch is when we are confirming your design check and or tattoo session times. We are always available to discuss the artwork, review the information or answer any questions you might have.
+ Why do I need to wait for the design?
Artists put in many hours or days preparing each piece. Preparation typically takes longer than the actual tattoo. You are not billed for the time it takes the artist to design your piece. It is a custom service we are proud to offer to every client. Your artist will also have a waiting list of clients that have already booked in and are waiting for their designs. In order to be fair to all clients we have to work sequentially according to the date that the artwork was commissioned.
+ What are the average waiting times?
The waiting times depend quite heavily on the style, size and complexity of the artwork. For example a freehand piece or portrait tattoo could be booked in comparatively quickly as the artwork is already prepared or would be applied at the session itself. For designed pieces each artist is typically booked out for a set period in advance. Joey is currently around 19 to 24 months, Wang ranges between three and six months and Jamie ranges from one to three months. The waiting time does not mean that your artwork will take this long to prepare, simply that the artist has appointments scheduled and would not be able to create your design until after this time.
+ Do I need to pay a deposit?
When you would like to commission the creation of your artwork then we will hold onto a small deposit. We will take a one to four hour deposit after the initial consultation should you wish to proceed at this time. The deposit will then be credited to your last hours of tattoo work. The deposit is completely refunded at the last sitting of your tattoo appointment. The only billed time is when the actual session begins. For example: If you pay a two hour deposit after the artist consultation and the tattoo application only takes two hours to complete – there would be no additional costs.
+ Can I buy the design from Tattoo Temple?
No. All work we do is custom designed and single use. Meaning each clients’ design is created only for them and never repeated. Additionally the artwork is specifically tailored according to its placement on your body using your artists’ particular styles and techniques. As such even if we were to create and sell the design to you we cannot guarantee the quality of the tattoo if it was applied outside of Tattoo Temple. Each artist should tattoo their own design or artwork. The question we always pose is: ‘If an artist could not draw the piece to begin with – how could they be expected to tattoo it?’. True artists will always have specific areas of expertise. It would be false to presume any artist could re-create any other artists’ work.
+ Can you email me the design?
No. We do not email out designs. Artists are available to discuss your piece here at the studio. Alternatively, if you are overseas, we can schedule a Skype video call and review the design ‘in person’. In cases where paintings have been prepared for your artwork – these paintings will be made available only to you should you wish to have them after your tattoo.
+ Why can’t you send out the design?
Firstly, because you do not own it. Secondly, we do not charge you for the design so you have not bought it. The designs usually take many hours to prepare and this work is put in without cost to yourself with the understanding that the piece will be completed at Tattoo Temple. If we were to e-mail out the designs then they could easily be taken and used by multiple parties. We do not send out artwork in order to protect your custom design.
+ What should I expect to see at the design check?
A draft of your artwork. This will not be the finished piece as we need to confirm the layout and details with you prior to proceeding. Typically there will be hand drawn sketches or general layouts of the artwork ready for your review.
+ What styles can you do?
As every piece is tailor made our artists have to be somewhat versatile when it comes to designs and techniques. However, there are a range of styles we will not do. If we do not specialize in your requested style we will decline the project. This is done in order to protect the quality of the artwork.
+ Will you do cover up tattoos?
No. If the requested design is large enough (i.e. full back, full sleeve, full leg, etc.) we will occasionally work in any existing tattoos into the design. Yet this would be considered to be special circumstances.
+ I want a specific style but don’t want to wait for the artist who is the specialist in that style.
You will have to wait for the artist who is the specialist in your chosen style. The most important principle of the process is that your artwork is completed to the highest standards possible. This means we need to control the projects an artist takes. Quality is the primary concern. As the saying goes – ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’.
+ Can you provide English translations to the Chinese calligraphy?
No. These pieces belong to other clients. Please kindly note that we are able to help with all English to Chinese translations for your own artwork though.
+ What is the best payment method?
If you are based overseas and would like to place a deposit we can easily send through a PayPal deposit request. Here at the studio we take all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard and American Express. We also accept EPS and cash.
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+ How long will the consultation form take?
The form should only take around three to five minutes to complete. Please also feel free to send us links to photos or artwork you think would be useful in the design process. For reference materials from a more classic source please also kindly note that we have a 150,000+ image reference library available online. Please remember that you do not have to visualize your final design yet, what we need are your preferences and ideas.
+ How do I send through reference photos?
If you have already downloaded the photos please feel free to e-mail them directly to info@tattootemple.hk – If you have found online references please feel free to include hyperlinks in your Online Consultation Form. If you have any questions or need any design references please just let us know. Tattoo Temple has a large collection of design books, calligraphy dictionaries, paintings, tribal specific artworks (like Maori, Polynesian, ect.) as well as other design materials at the studio. We are always more than happy to prepare these for your consultation.
+ How do I choose an artist?
Please go the ‘Artists’ section of the website. A brief introduction and portfolio will appear as soon as you click on an artists name. Each artist has their own particular styles, techniques and areas of specialty. As the design waiting time between artists can vary quite significantly please also kindly note that in order to even be listed all Tattoo Temple artists have already reached an extremely high standard of quality. Any Tattoo Temple artist is more than capable to complete lettering, black work as well as many other standard styles.
+ What if I don’t know what kind of tattoo I like?
As each piece is custom designed you are of course not expected to have the final picture in mind when making the consultation appointment! However you will need to have a general idea or preference towards a specific style. If you have a general idea then your artist can walk you through the various possibilities as well as review potential references. Try to think about what really speaks to or inspires you. Also consider where you would like the artwork. The fundamental question throughout is: ‘What will I be proud to carry for the rest of my life?’
+ Why do you hold a deposit?
Artists will spend a significant amount of time researching, designing, preparing and fine-tuning your custom artwork. It will take an artist longer to prepare the design than to complete the tattoo application itself. The deposit is a way for the artist to proceed with all the work in good faith. The deposit is fully refunded as it is credited to your last hour(s) of tattooing. You are not billed for the design work or the preparation stages. The only billed time is when the session starts.
+ What if I want my tattoo right away?
We will always do everything possible to accommodate your schedule requests. As a general rule – the clearer the design direction the faster the artist will be able to prepare your piece. Each artwork is tailor made, single use and at any given time the artists themselves can be booked out for 1 to 19 months in advance. This means clients have made their appointments and have potentially waited for nearly two years to complete their piece. If we were to allow anyone to ‘jump the queue’ it would not be fair to those that have booked in advance. We will arrange the soonest possible application time but we cannot cancel another client’s booking to make room on short notice.
