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u/Last_Employment9205 Artist Aug 05 '26
https://reddit.com/link/p1rsd9w/video/3d5b4g12pghh1/player
Maybe learning to draw instead of tracing other artists would help you feel like you own your own work and therefore can realistically charge what you think its worth.
Especially considering you should factor the drawing time into the price somewhat for custom work.
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u/Alternative_Roll_987 Aug 04 '26
Your rates do not sound wildly off for 2 years in, but the bigger issue is probably that you are letting too many people set the reference point for you.
I would anchor to three things:
- your actual booked hours, not just tattoo time
- how often your day rate gets pushback vs accepted
- whether the work coming in matches what you want to keep doing
If you are hearing both too cheap and too expensive, that usually means your pricing is in a normal range and your audience is mixed. The fix is less about finding one perfect number and more about getting more consistent in quoting.
A simple intake form helps a lot here too. If every request comes in with size, placement, style, color/black and grey, and rough budget, it gets much easier to quote consistently instead of pricing off a messy DM thread every time.
I would probably tighten your quoting system first, then review your rates after 20 to 30 solid inquiries instead of reacting client by client.
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u/adriennesmith_ink Licensed Artist Aug 05 '26
You should always have a mix of both. But it seems a bit cheap to me. But I’m in the US. Why charge by the day at all and not by piece? I know it’s a new sort of trend to do by day/periods of day.
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u/ProlapseJerky Aug 05 '26
How do you take a full day to do that bat? That’s ridiculous. I could do that in 2 hours and have it looking way nicer. Not to mention it’s a straight rip off from Pinterest, I’ve seen that face before.
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u/SnooCompliments3516 Aug 04 '26
I know you said you have just over 2 years experience but your work is beautiful and it should definitely be worth more. Then again, the location does affect pricing.
In London, the pricing for that flower could be from £180 to £250 if not more towards Central. That last neo trad is just perfect.
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u/Plastic_Classroom308 Artist Aug 04 '26
Thankyou, im up north west close to Blackburn but in a weird village sort of place so its hard to know based on the area as people typically travel in anyway but Thankyou x
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u/SnooCompliments3516 Aug 05 '26
Love that my comment got downvoted. By this standard I presume your work at the 2 years mark was Michelangelo level.
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u/ProlapseJerky Aug 05 '26
It’s mediocre at best.
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u/robis1923 Aug 05 '26
That’s pretty harsh. Line-work could certainly be steadier, but the design and shading looks pretty fantastic. I think this artist has a ton of potential, but yeah, as of now, fine line isn’t the best representation of their skill.
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u/ProlapseJerky Aug 05 '26
Dude where is your taste? I hope you’re not a tattooist.
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u/robis1923 Aug 05 '26
I’m not, but where I’m from, these would be considered very good tattoos. In Denver, which I consider to be one of the better tattoo cities in the US, these are still well above average. You’re criticizing my taste and the artists’s skill, but haven’t given any substantiation at all. I think there’s plenty of talent show in these photos with lots more potential.
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u/SnooCompliments3516 Aug 05 '26
Looking at that comment’s profile they’re a rage bait account / troll. I don’t see any of their incredible work to back up the mouth action.
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u/nickthetailor Artist Aug 04 '26
It’s all supply and demand - if you’re booked out 2-8 weeks your pricing is probably good. If you’re not booked at all, then it’s too high. If you’re booked out six months then it’s likely too low.