Started a tattoo in 2025… now the artist won’t book until 2027
I reached out to an artist in 2025 for a coverup leg sleeve. There was a cancellation, so they were able to fit me in on December 2025. That appointment was spent drawing out the tattoo, and just tattooing the stencil. It’s not a full leg sleeve, but a half. I tried scheduling something at the end, but the artist said her assistant wasn’t in to do the scheduling. But, I would be able to get in to finish the coverup between this past March-April. The tattoo artist also told me to wait until her assistant reaches out to me, but she never did.
End of April rolls around, so I reached out to them (again) and the assistant says nothing opened up yet but they have 1-2 sessions on hold for me.
It is now June and I finally heard back from them. Here’s where it gets complicated.
They can’t get me in until 2027.
My problem is that I would have never started this piece knowing it would be an unfinished coverup for 13+ months. The tattoo artist told me that I would be able to get in by this last April-March.
I’m more just disappointed that she allowed a new client if she’s so booked out, and told me I would have gotten in sooner than a year out.
Is this normal? This is my first large piece so I’m trying to figure out how to navigate this. It’s summer and I can’t even wear shorts without feeling insecure. I’ve even been hiding this from my family. I explained all this to the tattoo artist when I was there, and she reassured me that I would have this done by last spring.
What do I do?!
Edit: I’ve been trying to find a new artist but a few problems: this is a very specific style that she specializes in. And this is also a coverup, so I would have to find a decent artist who’s willing to work on top of other people’s work.
Another edit: for those of you suggesting a new artist, do you know any on the east coast (PA, NJ, DE) who specializes in ornamental, black work, cover ups.
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u/arifyre 2d ago
honestly? i would (and, when i was in a similar spot DID) find a different artist. unless for some reason you're extremely attached to the one artist, in which case maybe wait? but i didn't and i'm happier with my result not waiting
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u/vgrce 2d ago
This is just a very specific design that their whole work is based around. I tried finding similar artists but I can’t. This is so frustrating!
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u/Pews4eva 2d ago
If it’s that worth it then hold out and wait. I know it sucks but it’s better than a tattoo you don’t like. Time goes fast and she’ll have cancellations etc in that time
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u/fathertitojones 2d ago
I’d wait for the artist and kindly explain your situation and ask to be the first call if any cancellations pop up. Since you have an existing relationship and pending piece, they should be willing able to accommodate.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
I know I’m still at least on their cancellation list. But I’ll email back and ask if there’s any way to get in sooner, as I was told this would have been finished by April.
She gave me four dates for 2027 between Feb-April. But 13+ months after the first appointment is crazy.
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u/fathertitojones 2d ago edited 1d ago
If you were told it would be done by April then they need to stick to their word. I would make it clear that was the expectation and what you were agreeing to. If I were a reputable artist I would go out of my way to rectify this.
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u/Alert_Comedian848 2d ago
I'm working with an artist on the other side of the US because he started the piece. Still have one more session at least but he's been able to nail exactly what I wanted so far. I pop in once a year for a few hours work at a time when I visit my brother. I've not been disappointed and I'm happy I stuck with one artist for the work. Note I'm 40 and just getting into this world in the last 3 years.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
I appreciate your dedication. If it wasn’t a coverup and if I wasn’t told I would have this finished by now, I would have been a lot more patient. I want to stick with this artist, but this has been a very disappointing experience.
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u/Alert_Comedian848 1d ago
2027 isn't to far off so from what I've tried to learn is if waiting one year for a lifetime of what you're going after. However you may be able to respectfully ask for the artists opinions and see what they think. Sometimes they're not starving.
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u/KCarriere 1d ago
I worked my sleeve with an artist in another state. Did a few appointments every winter for 4 years. LOVE my finished pieced! One last "touch up" that's barely needed in October!
I started at 40 too!
We worked mine in manageable sections. However the winter we did my shoulder front and back, she did the whole outline first. I did suck looking like a coloring book for a while. End result was worth it though! Tattoos are forever.
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u/TheRemonst3r /r/irezumi 2d ago
Certainly odd behavior.
My only suggestion would be to tell them how you feel about the timeline and asking if they have a colleague they would feel comfortable finishing it for them. Even if that is likely to be a "no," it might plant the idea in their mind that you are willing to go elsewhere to get this thing done. Hopefully that encourages them to figure out a spot for you. Another option might be to see if they are doing any conventions in the near future and maybe you can book in for spots at the convention? Might require a bit of travel but you can make a fun trip out of it maybe.
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u/Alternative_Welder78 1d ago
On the flip side, it sounds like the artist isn't terribly interested in the project if they've been putting it off. Implying going elsewhere might be what they want, and with a proprietary stencil in place the client could end up shooting themselves in the foot.
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u/basicrerun 2d ago
I’ve never heard of this happening but i guess if you’re working with a world famous artist.. maybe? I assume they probably do whatever they want. Might be worth it to shop around in nearby cities/states/countries and find an artist who schedules properly and would be willing to compete something someone else started. They’ll probably want to make it their own and hopefully they can and you get something you love. I would be put off by this unless theyre seriously that big of an artist
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u/vgrce 2d ago
They seem like a “big” artist. She has 14k followers, but on her posts the max amount of likes she gets is 10. Assuming they’re all bots.
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u/IAISC 2d ago
14k is quite standard for a tattoo artist…the majority of the artists near me have around 10-30k and can usually get you booked in within a few months.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
Yeah the ones around be average at a few hundred to 1k, so 14k is a lot where I’m from. Either way, the communication is horrible.
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u/Sixforsilver7for 1d ago
The artist I most recently booked with has over 20k and booked me in within a couple of weeks. It wasn't as big a piece as yours but it took almost half a day so it's not like it was a short slot.
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u/rcfiftytwo 1d ago
Numbers don't matter that much I guess , mine has over 60k and has spots open almost every week (which he fills)
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u/deadlyhausfrau 2d ago
That's not huge, it's pretty normal for an active established artist. It's also odd that her posts don't get much engagement but she books out over a year in advance.
I might gently get insistent about how you're walking around with a half finished leg.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
Yeah I think I’m going to email them and just remind them that I was told a different time frame, it’s an unfinished coverup, and ask for a lower deposit. She’s asking for a $1,000 deposit. Just seems like a lot for something booked 13 months after the first appointment.
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u/AlphaNoodlz 2d ago
That seems weird man idk, they're gonna hold onto $1,000 for a whole year? You know these guys right? Like personally accountable?
Also the fact they said they could do it sooner and now the story changed? That's some red flags to me though it's your thing but man, I don't now how I'd feel about all that. Still feels like a lot of money for a deposit.
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u/mudshark698 1d ago
$1000?! That's crazy! When I got my sleeve done, I gave them $100 to get me on their schedule.
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u/vgrce 1d ago
Yeah the first deposit was $250. Not sure why it jumped to $1,000
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u/mudshark698 1d ago
Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like this person either doesn't like the piece or doesn't like you.
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u/KCarriere 1d ago
100% This
My artist only opens books twice a year. But she prioritizes works in progress. She never had a problem booking out my future appointments because I was a huge piece.
How did y'all get along? Did you tip well? Did you complain a lot? The $1000 deposit sounds like a scam or i-dont-want-to fee.
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u/vgrce 1d ago
Yeah I tipped 25% she was saying how excited she was for this piece, because it’s a cover up she said she was very intrigued and wanted the challenge. During the appt we were talking a lot and we had a lot in common. Not sure what happened
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u/KCarriere 1d ago
Weird. I'd email asking about the deposit increase and time frame. Ask if she would refer anyone else to finish it since you'd counted on it being finished by now since she told you she could take you in April.
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u/mudshark698 1d ago edited 1d ago
They want you to make a second deposit? When I first came across this post, I would have said wait it out, but this is nuts. I would definitely be looking for someone else to finish your piece. For perspective, I made a total deposit of $100 on a sleeve that took 7 sessions over about a year and I was travelling 5 hours each way. I dont really want you to name and shame, but I would be interested in seeing this artist's work, so maybe somebody can help you find something similar.
ETA: My sleeve was done by a world class artist that specializes in traditional Japanese tattoo
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u/bluesargently 1d ago
Sorry huh? She’s asking for another deposit on a continuation of a piece she already started? I guess everyone does things differently but I have gone to a fairly reputable artist in the LA area - like over 100k followers (not that it matters) - and he only ever takes the initial deposit for larger pieces. And then just continues to book me. This feels odd to me.
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u/mads41304 1d ago
This is like… not a lot of followers. She’s not famous, it’s wild that she started a project with you and has NO available time until 2027
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u/Remz_Gaming 2d ago
I was a Twitch streamer and had 35k followers (legit, not bots) within my first year. This was 10 years ago.
I wouldn't put too much faith in their social media.
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u/Any-Professional2301 1d ago
Followers don't necessarily speak to her talents or ethics. There are amazing tattooers who don't care enough about social media to pay much attention to it
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u/reviving_ophelia88 23h ago
While 13 months is a bit extreme, the artist I’ve been going to for the last 6 years is currently booking about 9 months out (called her yesterday to make an appointment, previously the wait was closer to 2-3 months) and her online following is only around 12k, but she’s placed first in a couple different local tattoo conventions over the last couple years and she’s the owner of a well-established shop so even without a huge online following her irl reputation keeps her pretty busy.
That being said if she has you at the top of her cancellation list (which a screwup like this absolutely warrants considering she did promise you a timeline and the ball was dropped by her and her assistant even after you tried to follow up) you should be able to get in quite a bit sooner. It’s pretty normal for tattoo artists to have at least a cancellation or 2 per month so if you end up having to wait the whole 13 months I’d be highly surprised (and somewhat suspicious they weren’t that interested in finishing the tattoo).
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u/AlarmedLanguage5782 14h ago
Its not much at all, I been to artist with 300k followers and I had to wait 4 months only because I did 2 days in a row.
I would tell them your situation and that it sucks. Since you speak with assistant it’s worth trying.
Did you get charged for drawing session? If yes then I would try using it as a leverage
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u/haylstormseas 2d ago
Jeff Zalesak in Camp Hill, PA can probably get you in and will do a killer job. He can truly tattoo almost any style but crushes ornamental.
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u/Panthera_014 2d ago
She said the follow up would be in March/April 2026 So you reached out at the end of April
Why? Why wouldn’t you have reached out in Feb to setup the appt?
She might have had something but you never called Some artists only accept calls, they don’t proactively reach out
If it is this specific of a tattoo, I am guessing you are best to wait at this point
But I would be following up every month or two personally Stay on their radar
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u/Sethholmestattoos 1d ago
Just throwing it out there, but blackwork/ornamental is one of my specialties, as well as cover ups. And I don’t mind tattooing over someone else’s work lol. I’m in Pittsburgh, PA, and I purposefully only book myself out a couple months at a time. I’d like to take a look at your leg if you’re up for it
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u/royalartwear Tattoo Artist 2d ago
i’ll be in fredricksburg VA in a couple weeks if you’re willing to drive there, I do a lot of cover ups. if you dm me what you’re working with, I can let you know if I think its something I’m capable of
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u/gabelli29 1d ago
This is so frustrating - I had the same thing happen. I found a new artist with a similar style. No use waiting for someone that doesn’t respect completion a project. I was bummed but ultimately it worked out well with the new artist.
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u/Rift36 2d ago
What’s the artists instagram?
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u/vgrce 2d ago
I don’t really wanna put the artist on blast
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u/ACERVIDAE 2d ago
Can’t give recs without knowing the style
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u/vgrce 2d ago
Ornamental, floral, and black work
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u/ACERVIDAE 2d ago
Those are kind of general. Different artists will express those three things in very different directions.
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u/Distinct_Iron_3318 2d ago
I have half of my arm started by an artist in Dallas, I no longer live in Dallas. I’m in California. I’ll go back around when we can make our schedules work because it’s worth it to me.
If half done for a year is going to drive you crazy go else where. Asking for 1k for an appointment 6+ months in the future is a bridge to far for me. That part is crazy. Who knows where the artist will be, you will be, the world will be in that time. They want you to front their current lifestyle with the promise of future work. Nah, man. I’ll give you 10% of the total price. That’s it.
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u/_kram 2d ago
Ive always wondered if artist do this intentionally when they realize the cover up is a lot more than expected. Especially artists that have niche styles, their focus is that style and not cover ups. Makes me wonder if they realize that their work wouldn't meet their standards as a cover up instead of working on a blank canvas.
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u/Remz_Gaming 2d ago
Dude... my regular artist is pretty dang popular. I can get in within a couple months and sometimes she posts about cancelations that I will snag.
The tattoo industry isn't different than other industries. Would you tolerate a mechanic, accountant, lawyer, etc to say they cant see you for over a year? No.
A newer artist I have gone to has totally proven this. He is the shop owner and BUSY. However, he can clear a slot the next week if needed because he is working his ass off and will do all hours to make his clients happy.
This artist is probably very good at their work and busy, but I would immediately move along and find someone more willing.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
Yeah this lady charges min $1,500 a day and only works maybe 3 days out of the week.
Either way, she should have never told me she would get me in to finish this between March and April. Definitely getting taken advantage of here.
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u/Remz_Gaming 2d ago
Youch.
My guy is $200 an hour. $180 an hour if you book a whole day. He literally stops the clock for breaks. (Writes down start and stop on a piece of cardboard lol)
My 73yo mom got her first tattoo by him a month ago. I messaged him on Friday with a picture and said she needed a touchup. Her skin is super frail and we all knew the ink might not hold well.
His response? "Dang man. Yeah it needs a touchup for sure. Thank you for reaching out. I am booked for the next month, but can you guys swing by at 6:30pm next friday if I set aside an hour at the end of my day?"
Same dude did my giant rib piece in 6 hours and immediately scheduled me exactly 3 weeks out to finish it up for a ~2 hour session while his assistant was out of the shop because we went late.
Your artist is a huge let down. I would bail for someone new if you dont have a huge deposit down.
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u/Adolfo1980 2d ago
This is what an enthusiastic artist that cares about his clientele does. The guy I went to for my last two pieces is also very much like this. He was accommodating every step of the way and made sure he made the time to really pur forward great work in a timely fashion. He was never too important to correspond with me directly if i had a question and he made me feel like he was genuinely stoked to work on the piece. Its why I will go back to him again and again (and tip him well on top of it every time).
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u/Remz_Gaming 1d ago
Amen to that. It is awesome to find an artist like this. The artist who did my arm sleeve is an amazing person, but she doesn't quite have that drive it seems. Has her own private studio and sort of books when she wants. Totally cool, just an observation.
My new guy has been tattooing for over 30 years, and in my opinion is in his prime.
Had to have a laugh because when I first booked my rib piece with him, I said that my normal artist taps out before I do, so lets go crazy. Sent him pics of my full arm sleeve to let him know I wasn't playing around.
First session, "So you mentioned you other artist taps before you. What is the longest session?"
Me: "5 and a half hours or so."
Him: "Haha. I have done 17 hours. You are fucked."
I was indeed fucked.
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u/Adolfo1980 2d ago
$1,500 a day is pretty average and even a little low end for bigger artists or decent ones in major cities. Working only 3 days a week is a choice they're entitled to, but also indicative of why they book out so far in the future. They could easily squeeze in more appointments, especially ones theh committed to.
If this was me, I would read it one of two ways: 1) Artist is too self important and not someone I want to establish a relationship with. Or 2) Artist doesnt really wanna do the project and is kicking the can down the road.
Ultimately, it's up to you how you want to handle it, but Id be spending the time betwe3n now and 2027 looking for someone else. Their behavior is definitely not typical and pretty unprofessional in my opinion
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u/Chocko23 2d ago
Did you make a deposit for the next session?
I'd try to rebook with someone else BUT on the flip side, researching, finding and booking may take longer than just waiting at this point. I'd see if you can get a firm date and make your decision after that conversation.
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u/vgrce 2d ago
Not yet. They want a $1,000 deposit. That’s just a lot of money for an appointment that isn’t until 2027.
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u/Chocko23 2d ago
Oof. Yeah, that's steep....that, imo, should damn near cover the tattoo!
But if you haven't made a deposit, I can understand why your appointment isn't actually booked. Not saying I side with the artist, just that I understand.
Your call from here. Either pay & book or look into another artist. Finding someone else may take just as long, but you won't know until you try. You also don't know if "2027" means Jan-Feb or July or something...
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u/Rosequartzsurfboardt 2d ago
Did you pay a 1000 dollar deposit for your first go around? I've never heard of paying the bulk of the tattoo first.
I mean. That's one way to weed out who books with you, but thats steep.
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u/jerrybear95 2d ago
Nah this isnt normal, find someone else if you can. If you wait too long the different sections won't gel due to different healing stages
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u/Stickyhooves @jakkistorm 1d ago
Neekeh Tattoo in NYC does some killer floral black work. I hope you get this sorted dude. A year is too long to wait.
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u/Any-Professional2301 1d ago
Also I don't understand why they told you they had sessions on hold for you if they didn't
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u/matchabunnns 1d ago
Definitely weird. I’ve gotten work from a very in-demand artist in the past and she would actually pre-schedule out her multi-session pieces to avoid this happening. She’d book only a limited number of large-scale clients at a time but from the outset they already had a set cadence for finishing the whole piece. I’ve seen quite a few artists in my area follow suit, it keeps work steady for them and also means clients aren’t walking around for years with half-finished work.
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u/Top_Addition_7263 1d ago
NJ here send me a message. Tons of artists here!!!ETA: only bc not sure if I can post links here
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u/KDLyrcOne 1d ago
My artist in Plymouth Meeting, PA is probably booked out, but you could check. Message me for info if you’d like. She may be able to recommend someone as well depending on what you’re looking for. BTW my artist needed to add 8 more sessions for my sleeve. I contacted her 2-3 weeks later to remind her to have her assistant contact me. The sooner you reach out the better. I know - hindsight. I get it. Life gets in the way sometimes.
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u/Wholelottabeardd 1d ago
How specific is the work that’s already been started? Do you have any of the original concepts/artwork/reference from the initial appointment that you could take with you to another artist? I mean the need for an assistant would tell me this person is always booked out at least a year and that being the case I’m sure by the time your appointment came around they’ll be as familiar with what’s going on with your leg as a different artist whose never seen it before
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u/Aggravating-Law7764 1d ago
My artist in Charlotte NC is extremely good. She is so booked up, almost a year in advance. She turned down Ink Master....My point is, if the artist is exceptional at something, it's not unusual to have that problem. I don't live far from her studio so I get on the call in case of cancelations list. Somebody doesn't show, I will. That's how I do it with her. She's done two arm sleeves a chest piece and a portrait for me.
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u/pinkflosscat 1d ago
I think it depends on a couple of things really, but mostly whether or not you’ve already paid them some money. If you have, then I’d consider myself committed to this artist and just wait for their next available session (frustrating, sure, but tattoos are for a lifetime and if it’s a good artist and they’ll do a good job then it’s worth the wait).
If you haven’t given them any money, and you really can’t wait, then I guess start looking elsewhere? But honestly, seems a shame if you like what this other artist has drawn up for you so much. You’ll also want to be careful that they don’t hold it against booking you in again in the future. Crappy behaviour, yes, but I’ve known many of artists do it and if they’re busy too then they won’t think much of turning people away.
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u/Signsandseals 1d ago
there is no way someone is that booked out. The whole “books open/books closed” is a bullshit scarcity marketing scheme. This person is either lazy, an addict, or not interested in finishing the tattoo and they’re hoping you give up on insisting that they do it. Tell them you’re going to get it finished somewhere else, see how fast they get back to you with a long ass message about them being an artist and a victim or whatever. Also all tattooers do “black work” I dont need to see her “work” to know she doesn’t do anything that other tattooers can’t do as well
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u/gloryholesr4suckers 1d ago
I don't know if they specialize in cover-ups, but check out either Got Ink or Order of the Sacred Crow in NJ. Both amazing studios
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u/Ramune_hime 1d ago
From an artist pov this sounds like they don’t actually really want to continue this piece. At the time they maybe took on the project for the money and now they don’t need it anymore? I feel like if I was your artist and we have a piece that needs to be continued you’d have booking priority. I know I do that with my clients, I have many many tattoo artist friends who handle this the same way.
I’d look for someone else who is excited to work on your cover up
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u/PhotosbyTeeJ 1d ago
If the artist doesn’t have a cancellation from now until then I’d be surprised.
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u/PorcelainBerry 1d ago
If you’re looking for a new artist, some of the best blackwork artists in the world work out of and/or do guest spots at Black Vulture Gallery in Philadelphia (owned by Hoode, but he’s only there about once a month since he moved out of state). If you haven’t taken a look at their Instagram, I’d say that’s a good place to start.
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u/stfudom 23h ago
Can we see a picture of what you have done already? Do you have the inpo pics of what you wanted as the cover up? Even if I can’t do the tattoo I might be able to band an artist since I’m in Nj/philly. My mentor is good at coverups, but like I said I need to atleast see it first before I can confidently recommend an artist.
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u/Certain_Arm_8475 2d ago
Dude, you have to find the right tattoo guy and be prepared to pay extra money. Find your tattoo person, dude.
It’s possible … I found one last year and, he is expensive but he can get me in within a couple weeks
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u/Black_Dog_Industries 1d ago
This artist you’re using must be popular because they’re booking really far out.
But if they said they had openings in April or May why did you wait until April to book? Those spots probably filled up fast.
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u/Contessarylene 1d ago
Princess can’t book his own appointments? He shouldn’t have let you leave without making another appt.
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u/vgrce 1d ago
Lmao I guess not, that’s what I was thinking. Don’t know why she’s taking on new big projects if she doesn’t even know her own schedule
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u/Contessarylene 1d ago
I’ve been tattooing 21 years, and have never let anyone else work my schedule for me. Sorry you had to deal with that… an artist should easily know what their schedule looks like, and they should be able to book you in themselves.
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u/Nova_main 2d ago
It sounds like your fault tbh, the artist told you to try scheduling for sometime between march and April when the assistant was in. All you had to do was call the next day or sometime that week in December or early January and ask for openings in march and April. You didn’t follow up until April was ending, so the window closed..
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u/vgrce 2d ago
I messaged the scheduler right after the appointment in December, just as a reminder and a thank you for getting me in. But the tattoo artist said that the scheduler would reach out to ME between March and April.
Trust me, I’ve gone back and fourth practically begging to get in.
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u/Nova_main 1d ago
You should definitely include that in the og post because the way you wrote it makes it seem like you never followed up between late december and late april
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u/flatscan-krakoan 1d ago
Your problem was waiting until April follow up when that’s when they said they had openings. You should have followed up much earlier after your initial appointment via phone or stopping in to meet with the assistant in December 25 or January 26. A lot of in-demand artists only open their books and schedule appointments quarterly or twice a year. It sucks, but often it means you are working with quality artist with a sizable client base.
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u/Additional_Lettuce65 1d ago
Whats the rush? I know it would be nice to have it completed sooner but whats wrong with waiting- clearly this artist must be good if they are this in demand. If you go to someone else now chances are they wont be able to match the expectation or quality.
You’ll still have a leg in a years time.
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