FAQ

I will be opening my diary on the 1st of every other month for bookings in the next month to ensure that my ongoing projects can keep coming back frequently. You will then be able to use the booking form on this website to request an appointment. Keep an eye on my social medias for updates!

I have recently changed the way I book people in. As of 2021, I will be opening my books every 2-3 months and booking for a couple of months in advance, via the booking form on my website. This is so I can avoid booking up too far and prioritise larger and ongoing pieces. Keeping my books open all year around means spending about an hour every night going through messages, eating into time that I could be spending perfecting the next days design, so this new process will help me focus on the most important part of the job; designing and tattooing!

My priority when opening my books will always go to ongoing and unfinished pieces and then larger projects and pre-drawn designs. I know that there are some small yet very important tattoos that people will always want so I will always do my best to fit these in too! As I do a wide range of styles, please enquire for any tattoo you have in mind and I will do my best to book you in.

The booking form will ask for your credentials (Name, birthdate, email etc), please feel free to also add your preferred pronouns if necessary. It'll then ask for a description of the tattoo you would like. Please include the following:

| Description of tattoo,

| Rough Size,

| Preferred placement,

| Style,

You will have a chance to send reference photos, sketches, existing tattoos for cover ups etc once the form is submitted.

You will also be asked about your availability for the tattoo appointment. Please make a note of when the current form is booking for and the days I work.

I tattoo in a range of styles and enjoy them all! I particularly love working with chunky lines especially with ornamental work, dark blackwork mainly with dotwork, and some neo-traditional colour. I won't take on anything that I am not comfortable with tattooing so you know that I put all of my effort into creating the best design for your tattoo!

Tattoos can get messy so try not to wear your favourite clothes! Black or darker clothing is always the best option - tattoo ink can be tricky to get out of light colours. Also think about the placement of your tattoo and make sure it is easy to access, you can always bring a change of clothes.

For example, if you are getting a sternum tattoo it would be best to wear a shirt or bring a hoodie with you. Wearing nipple covers or 'pasties' would make it a lot easier too.

Every so often I do get cancellations pop up which I will announce on my stories on social media (Mainly Instagram). This is the only time I will take bookings through my social media pages. Please follow my account to keep up to date; turning on post notifications for my page will ensure you don't miss anything!

I price my pieces hourly or by day session. I am currently £90 an hour or £450 a day. There are many factors that go into the price of a tattoo; size, intricacy, style, placement, colour or black and grey, if it's a cover up, how the skin reacts to the tattoo etc, so I have found the fairest way to price a tattoo for the both of us is to charge hourly. I cannot give you an exact price for a tattoo but I can try and give you a rough estimate.

Occasionally I will upload a 'flash sheet' for a specific days (Halloween, Friday 13th etc) that will be a set price at a set size.

Make sure you have a good night sleep the day before your tattoo and do not consume any alcohol as this thins the blood and can cause problems whilst tattooing. Do not apply any creams or fake tan to the area we are going to tattoo for at least a week before. Make sure you have a good meal before your tattoo and bring some sugary drinks and snacks with you. It's totally normal to be nervous or anxious before your tattoo but don't worry, we don't bite and shall try and make the process as easy as possible for you.

I have a full section about tattoo aftercare which you can find by clicking here.

That is absolutely fine, we have both latex and nitrile gloves available. I usually use latex but please remind me before your tattoo (on the booking form and in person on the day) and I can switch to nitrile!

I do try and take on cover ups if I feel I can do so successfully. With most cover ups I will recommend some laser sessions beforehand. Lightening the tattoo will make it easier to cover up and less likely to be seen through the new tattoo. Laser has become more successful and reasonably priced over the years and therefore has become a very viable option.

Using colour is the most successful way of covering an old tattoo as of the opaque pigments. Black and grey uses transparent pigments which will not cover well in most cases, unless it is a very small and light cover up.

Please note that cover up tattoos need to be a lot larger than the existing tattoo to hide the original successfully; an absolute minimum of atleast 40% bigger. They also require a good amount of comprising to find a design or idea that will successfully work. The best subjects for such is natural objects (flowers and animals).

This is all on a case-by-case basis so please message me with photos of your tattoo, to discus further.

I always recommend going back to your original artist for touch ups or to add to an existing tattoo. If this is not an option then I will try and help you out.

Ideally I need a rough idea on the placement and size to book you in for the correct amount of time and give you an accurate quote. Sometimes I need to design tattoos for the specific placement you have asked for, and moving it to a different spot on your body on the day may result in the design not being as successful. Obviously we can make alterations to the design on the day but so we have more time for tattooing on the day, it's great to already have a placement and rough size in mind.

I cannot tattoo you unless you are 18 or over. I am more than happy to book you in whilst you are 17, as long as you are over 18 for the date of your tattoo. You will need to let me know beforehand and bring a form of ID with you on the day to prove your age.

I will not copy another artists design or something I have already tattooed. Tattoos are supposed to be individual and original to you and therefore it is inappropriate to make an exact copy. I am however happy to take the same concept and change it up to suit you and the placement you have in mind.

I usually do the design the week of or night before your appointment. I don't tend to send the design beforehand but I am more than happy to make minor alterations on the day; I always ensure that my customer is 100% happy with the design before we start tattooing. I don't send the design over before the appointment due to problems with plagerism in the past.

I do touch up my own work yes. Your first touch up is free if I was the original artist and this is booked in within the first year. This covers small sections of linework, shading, colour etc if the problem lies with the application. If the touch up is needed due to disregarding the aftercare instructions then this will need to be paid for; my minimum charge is £60. This includes (but isn't limited to): picking at the tattoo whilst healing, using the wrong or too much aftercare cream, fading from sun exposure, fading from soaking in water etc.

All touch ups are usually free at the end of a separate longer session as the set up is already paid for. This is the preferred way of doing a touch up and is more cost effective for both parties.

I can take cash or bank transfer for deposits and for the final payment on the day of your tattoo. If you have a voucher it can be used as a deposit or with the final payment but it needs to be handed over straight away. I cannot accept a voucher if you have left it at home!

All of my inks are vegan and almost everything I use is vegan friendly. The only non-vegan products that I am aware of is the latex gloves and sometimes the gel strips on the razors, where these contain a minuscule amount of animal product. Please let me know when booking in and on the day if you would prefer me to use nitrile gloves and come with your own razor or come pre-shaved.

I do sell vouchers for any amount but only if they are being bought for my existing customers. This is to avoid disappointment for if I cannot do the tattoo the voucher receiver wants. I don't like taking money from people if I'm not 100% certain it's something I can do: I always want to produce my best work on and for everyone!

The vouchers can be used towards tattoos, prints or merch (My own merch only; cannot be used for any Hobo Jack clothing). These all have a 1 year use-by date on them. These can be paid for by bank transfer, PayPal or by cash. These can only be picked up in person as I cannot be held accountable for loss in post etc. These vouchers are also non-refundable.

When booking in for a tattoo using a voucher I will require a separate cash deposit if you are booking online. Vouchers can be accepted as a deposit if the voucher is given to me in person before booking in.

My day sessions usually start at 11am and I aim to finish around 6pm. I usually take about 20 minutes for a lunch break and we have at least a couple of extra 5 minute tea breaks throughout the day. Obviously we can take more if you need them just let me know as and when!

I usually work Tuesday to Saturday so will rarely be able to book anyone on a Sunday or Monday (the exception being conventions). Saturdays naturally book up fast so please bare that in mind when trying to book in!

Please make sure you are as clear as possible with your details; changing your mind completely on a design may result in us having to move your date and your deposit being forfeited.The drawing for your tattoo is usually done the night before your appointment (Apart from pre-drawn designs!) and will be available to you on the day. Naturally we can adjust small details during your appointment so that your tattoo is perfectly suited to you. Unfortunately I do not send the design before the appointment to avoid plagiarism. If you've chosen to book in with me for my style and you've given me enough details in your booking form I'm sure you'll love the design!

I only recommend numbing cream in certain situations as it only lasts a small amount of time, therefore it is not suitable for anything over a half day session. Please let me know beforehand if you are considering using it for your tattoo. It is always necessary to do a patch test a few days before your appointment away from the area you want tattooing.

I cannot administer numbing cream myself onto your skin and you do so at your own risk. I cannot be held accountable for how the tattoo heals when using the cream. Numbing cream does change the skin and can effect the appearance and healing of the skin which again I cannot be held accountable for.

The application ritual needs to be followed very closely for the cream to have any effect. It needs to be applied an hour and a half to two hours before your appointment, in a very thick layer. Do not rub it into the skin, it needs to lay on top of the skin in an icing like manner. The area then needs to be double or triple wrapped in cling film and sealed with tape so that it is completely air tight. Do not take off the cling film before your appointment as this shall be done for you.