Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you work?
I have a private appointment only studio called Lightkeeper Tattoo. Located at 38 East Street in Plainville Connecticut.
do you do small tattoos? I only see large pieces in your portfolio.
Of course! I do tattoos of all shapes and sizes from the teeny tiny little ones to large scale work as well.
What’s the best way to contact you?
Emailing me at sickofjim@gmail.com is the best way to reach out to me. I ask everyone to please not message me through social media (instagram, facebook etc) for tattoo inquiries. Ive found when my ways of contact are spread across multiple platforms, messages can easily be overlooked or lost and when it’s all in one easily searchable directory I can better conduct correspondence! Also please keep in mind it may take a day or few for me to get back to you, so please be patient.
What’s the best way to make an appointment?
A face to face consultation is always best, that way we can talk about specifics and throw ideas back and forth to get a good sense of what we’ll be doing. You can always email me at sickofjim@gmail.com with your ideas to see if a sit down consultation is needed or if you are traveling from out of state and it’s not feasible to come down in person ahead of time.
Do you tattoo minors?
No. If you are of 18 years or older with a ID, I’d be more than happy to work with you!
How far out are you booked out?
I’m typically about 4 to 6 months booked out for tattoo appointments. I do my booking in blocks of time to make it more accommodating for my personal schedule as well as trying to diminish an extended wait time for clients as well. Once those blocks are booked up I start a wait list for the the next booking blocks. Typically Saturdays book out extremely fast and clients with ongoing pieces will take precedent over new clients. If you are unable to take time off of work to get tattooed during the week, there is a chance we won’t be able to coordinate a realistic timeframe to work on your piece.
How do you do your pricing?
I charge a flat hourly rate for tattooing time. I typically don’t do appointments longer than 4-6 hours for a multitude of reasons. The foremost being is the healing process begins to suffer drastically if longer sessions are being done since there is a larger amount of trauma to the skin.
Can I see my drawings ahead of time?
I do this on a case by case basis depending on the complexity of the design. If we decide a drawing a check is necessary it will typically be done 2 days before your appointment and will be done in person. I can’t send out drawings. There is usually a lot of design elements that can really only be explained in person and typically will get lost in translation through email so its best for both you and me to have it be in person. I have also had drawings stolen from me when they have been sent out or copies that have been given to clients during drawing checks.
Do you take a deposit for a tattoo appointment?
Yes. The deposit will lock you as well as me in for the appointment and will save your spot in my schedule. The amount will depend on the complexity of the design and amount of time being booked. The deposit is non-refundable. If your idea was changed drastically from what was discussed at the consultation after the drawing was completed a new deposit maybe required and the old one forfeited.
If you need to reschedule, a 48 hour notice is required to be able to keep your deposit. Of course, I understand life has a way of throwing you curve balls, extenuating circumstances like emergencies will be taken into consideration for rescheduling. I also ask for the same forgiveness for my end as well if on the extremely rare occurrence that I have to do the same. At the end of the day we’re all human and life happens.
Can I use numbing creme?
No. In my years of experience I do not recommend using a numbing creme that is applied before the tattoo is done because it causes too many changes to the skin and it will negatively affect how the skin receives the tattoo. If you show up to the appointment with a pre-tattoo numbing creme applied, I will reschedule the appointment.
Can I use healing products like saniderm, tegaderm, tatuderm, etc?
You are more than welcome to use these products for healing. I have seen some amazing results with it. I do not carry these products so you will have to purchase them yourselves (most if not all can be purchased through sites like Amazon). If you choose to use these products, I ask that you do a 24 hour test patch on your skin prior to the tattoo appointment. Although extremely rare, people can be allergic to the medical adhesive used in these products and I have seen first hand the havoc it can do to a healing tattoo when an allergy is present.
Is there anywhere you won’t tattoo?
Yes. I strongly don’t recommend the sides of fingers, palms, sides of feet, ears and inner lips. The skin on those areas are much more delicate and are high friction/movement so the outcome of a successfully healed tattoo is extremely low and the chance of the tattoo completely falling out or blowing out is very high.
I’m pregnant or nursing, can I still get tattooed?
No. A tattoo, although very safe for adults, could potentially be catastrophic to a a developing fetus or nursing infant.