If you're a current client of Russ Abbott or would like to collect a tattoo from Russ in the near future, please take a moment to review these changes to his policies and pricing.
First of all, I'd like to thank all of you for your support and patronage. In 1999, I began tattooing in the Atlanta area at the age of 19 and since that time, many of you have supported me and collected my work along the way. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your friendship and support. Over the years, I have tried my best to become better at this whole tattooing thing. I've reached some personal and professional goals. Together, we've been fortunate enough to win a ton of awards for our work, and I've received more than my fair share of recognition from the media. In that time, I've also managed to follow my dream of owning my own studio as well as getting married and raising 3 amazing children.
Somewhere around 2005, I got booked up for a few months. Things were getting really busy for me and showed no sign of letting up. I asked a few friends in the business who had been through this surge in popularity before and they suggested a few ways of dealing with it. The first thing I tried was a waiting list. If you wanted to get tattooed, your name went on the list and you were tattooed as soon as it was your turn. The problem there was that people who are determined to collect from an artist are willing to wait as long as it takes. The waiting list grew and grew.
In 2006, I started experimenting with saying “no” to potential clients. That is not an easy thing to do. The first couple of times I tried it went terribly wrong. I sounded like an asshole, and they never wanted to talk to another tattoo artist again. It was then that I learned that in order to say no in a respectful way, I was going to have to polish my routine a bit. I started telling everyone that I wasn't taking any new clients. Of course, I would eventually take new clients but when I did, it would not be because they had waited the longest, it would be because they had come up with an idea that catered to my strengths as an artist and struck a chord with me as a human being. There is no precise formula that I can share with you to explain how to come up with such an idea. I know it when I hear it and I definitely know it when it's wrong.
The main thing to keep in mind when thinking about your tattoo idea is "authenticity". Does the idea really reflect your personality and your culture or are you borrowing too heavily from someone else's? We all remember the Japanese Kanji tattoo craze of the 90's. A lot of us are still trying to figure out how to cover or hide those things. Why were they so popular? Because they meant something, right? They meant deep stuff like "hope" or "beauty". In the end, they became so popular with just about everybody that they bit the proverbial dust. Today, no one would dare request one of those symbols.
Personally, I really dig history; especially American history. Sorry, I'm an American, so I love to do tattoos that portray people, objects, and stories from the world as I know it. That's not the only thing I like. I'm also into portraits, animals, flowers, the circus, magic, folklore, and ornamental design. I’m not a very spiritual person and I have strong personal opinions about religion in general, so you may want to avoid approaching me with religious themes. Whoever you choose to do your tattoo, please try to match your idea with the personality and style of the artist.
Fortunately, enough of you share these interests with me to keep me busy and artistically fulfilled most of the time. Because my time is generally filled trying to start and finish my own work, I cannot make time to complete work that another artist has started. That doesn't mean I won't turn a half sleeve into a full sleeve, or simply add a piece to your collection. Just don't ask me to color in a piece that you had started by someone else. If you pitch an idea that I've already done every way I can imagine, I might turn you down. If your idea is too complicated and stresses me out, I might turn you down. If you're trying to get a portrait from a blurry photo, I might turn you down. If you’re trying to run the show and you make me feel like I'm just your tool, I might turn you down.
With that said, I'm excited to get some new projects started and I'd love to hear from you. Please read below for updated pricing information and appointment polices. If you'd like to run an idea by me in person, feel free to stop by the shop and see me. To get the ball rolling on your tattoo, please visit www.InkAndDagger.com and click the button that says "Book an Appointment". Choose my name and fill out the form. Then, be patient. Answering emails is not my top priority.
Sincerely,
Russ Abbott
Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour
1036 West College Avenue
Decatur, GA. 30030
(404)373-6655
www.InkAndDagger.com
2012 Appointment Policies (effective immediately for all new projects)
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All payments and deposits for services are non-refundable.
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I have a 3 Hour Minimum ($600). If you want a tiny tattoo from me, it still costs $600. So just get a bigger one.
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Deposit for single-session tattoo $600. This will be collected at the time of the initial consultation or sometime in advance of your first appointment.
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Clients wanting multi-session projects must pay a retainer equal to half of the estimated cost of the project at the time of the consultation. In this case, hourly time will be billed in a split manner; half from the retainer and half paid at the time of service until the tattoo is complete.
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A cancellation fee will be charged at a rate of $100 per hour booked for that day. Clients wishing to cancel or reschedule an appointment must give at least 48 hours notice to avoid cancellation fees.
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Clients with work in-progress will have priority scheduling and access to my time.
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Anyone who allows the time between appointments to lapse beyond one year is subject to lose priority scheduling. Special considerations apply in the case of extended illness or pregnancy
Discounts and special offers:
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Anyone who is able to pre-pay in cash for the majority of a large multi-session project may jump to the front of the waiting list.
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Long-term clients who have collected a substantial amount of work from me will receive discounts on a case-by-case basis.
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Tattoo artists and their spouses will receive special consideration.
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In-progress work will continue to be billed at the rate under which it was started.
