The commission
How we work with you
The steps, what drives the scope of a piece, and how the deposit and the calendar work.
From conversation to session
Five steps, in this order
How the piece is made is on tattoos. This is what happens around it. The atelier works by appointment only.
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1Over WhatsApp or the form
The first message
Idea, placement and a rough size: with that we already know whether it's one session or several. If you have references, send them.
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2At the atelier
One-to-one consultation
We look at the skin and talk the piece through unhurriedly. It's also where "no" gets said, if the piece isn't right for this hand or for that area.
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3After the consultation
Design proposal
Melody presents the line with its scope: how many sessions, how long each one runs, what's left for touch-up. It's adjusted until the piece is the one you want.
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4To set a date
Deposit
The date is held with a deposit, which comes off the session.
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5On the agreed day
Session
One person on the calendar for that block. Impeccable hygiene and an unhurried pace. The care guide is handed over in writing before you leave.
The question everyone arrives with
What drives the scope
There is no published rate here, and there won't be.
Two pieces of the same size can demand very different amounts of time. Putting a number on skin we haven't seen would be inventing it. This is what moves the scope.
Size
The obvious one, and the least decisive. A large piece in clean line work can take less time than a small one loaded with detail.
Placement
Ribs, neck, hands and feet hurt more and force slower work. They don't scope like a forearm even at the same dimensions.
Detail density
Shading, texture and micro-detail multiply the real working time. It's what most separates two pieces that look alike in a photo.
Number of sessions
Past a certain point a piece doesn't fit in one day. Skin has a limit before the result suffers. That's why it's split across sessions.
Whether it's a cover-up
The density and tone of what's already there limit what can go on top. It can't be estimated over a message.
Deposit, calendar and changes
Before you set a date
What is the deposit for?
It holds your day. That block stops being offered to anyone else, and it covers the design time before it. It comes off the session total.
Can I change my date?
Yes, with notice. The deposit travels to your new date. A same-day cancellation isn't possible: with a single artist, an empty block isn't recovered.
Who does my tattoo?
Melody talks through, draws and executes. That's why there's a ceiling on commissions per month.
Can I change the design?
Adjustments, yes. That's what the proposal is for. Swapping the piece for a different one goes back to step 3: its own design time and a new date.
Next comes aftercare. Worth reading before the session.
Start with the conversation.
Tell us what you have in mind and we'll say whether it fits one session or several.