Frequently Asked Questions

  • Guest spots are booked to capacity, so no reschedules can be accomodated.

    Reschedule policy

    Please give me at least 5 days notice if you’d like to reschedule your appointment. If you want to reschedule with less than 5 days notice, a new deposit will be required. Reschedules require me to potentially have to fill the spot I reserved for you and can disrupt my schedule.

    Life happens, up to one reschedule is allowed. If you need to reschedule again, you’ll need to put down another deposit.

    Deposit Policy -this policy is in place to respect and protect my time as an independent artist.

    Deposits are non-refundable and are applied to the cost of your tattoo at the end of the final session.

    No deposits will be refunded in the event of a cancellation, unless the cancellation is initiated due to a circumstance on my end.

    If the design has been drawn and you decide not to proceed with the tattoo or majorly change the tattoo idea (and it now requires drawing a new design), your deposit will be kept as a drawing fee for the time spent designing. A new deposit will be required to start a new project.

  • I offer both flash and custom tattoo services.

    I also take on projects of all sizes. While my shadow style tattoos are on the smaller end (usually around 2-3”), I also enjoy and want to take on more larger projects.

  • If you’d like to set up a free 5-minute consultation, you can leave a message on this page.

    If you have your tattoo idea and are ready to book an appointment, you can submit a booking request here.

  • If you’re booking for a custom shadow pet, the following are helpful:

    • images of your pet in different positions and angles.

    • your favorite photo of them and why it’s your favorite

    • any aspects of their personality or features you want to capture

    • tattoos that I’ve done that visually align with what you want

    If you have existing tattoos in the area, please send a photo from further away of the area you’re considering for the tattoo.

    If you have any specific requests (color, additional elements, or specific details) it really helps me to have those details written-out. I offer free design consultations if you would like to chat about it (See the “About Toki” Page)!

  • Due to my busy working schedule, I will not be able to draw multiple variations or designs for your appointment.

    In rare cases, I might accommodate this but there will be a drawing fee per additional design (fee varies based on complexity of the designs) to respect the time it takes me to create additional drawings.

    If you’re feeling anxious about seeing the design beforehand, there’s no rush to get the tattoo until you feel comfortable with it. If you’re booking with me, I hope it was because you trust me to use my artistic vision and experience to create the tattoo you want.

  • I offer straight-forward pricing based on project type and complexity. After I receive your idea, a price approximation will be provided. This price range may change if the size or complexity of the initial idea changes.

    Tattoos are priced by project, and the price accounts for time spent drawing the design.

    The pricing reflects the responsibility I take on as your artist for the final result (not just when it’s fresh, but for years to come), as well as the time and effort I put in to develop this style and refine my technical application to be able to execute my drawings.

  • I offer free touch ups, no time limit. I appreciate your trust in me and want to make sure you feel good about your ink :-) To schedule, please email me with a healed photo.

    I’ve really focused on improving my healing result for the past year and have seen excellent heals, usually if a touch up is needed, a single touch up is sufficient to lock in any details that need support.

    If you get a tattoo against my professional recommendation (hand or foot placement, etc), there will be a $50-100 touch up fee. I will communicate this to you at the appointment if it applies.

    For guest spots, if you reach out to me and send me a healed photo (and you need a touch up), I can keep that in mind for when I’m back in your city!

  • I do not promise to send designs beforehand. There is no rushing a tattoo, so there will be plenty of time for you to slowly review the design alone and for us to make adjustments at the start of the appointment!

    That being said, I usually send the design out when I finish drawing it. At latest, this is the night before, but usually it’s a few days in advance.

  • For my signature shadow style, they usually take 1-2 hours to draw each (depending on the subject).

    Although they’re on the smaller end, it’s an involved process. Shadow tattoos usually take anywhere from 1.5-4 hours each, depending on size and complexity. Color and additional elements add additional time.

    Tattoos cannot be rushed, your ink is permanent! Please do not schedule anything for after the appointment as some parts of the process may take longer.

  • Stay hydrated, eat a meal before our appointment, and please exfoliate/moisturize the area to be tattooed in the week leading up to your appointment!

    Feel free to bring entertainment and snacks.

  • Yes, you can bring up to one guest. Please ask to confirm for guest spots, as different shops have different policies and capacity.

    Please be mindful that they are a guest and it is your tattoo appointment. I try to create a space where you are making the decisions on the art that goes on your body. If your guest affects this in any way, they will be asked to wait in the waiting area or to leave.

  • In order of preference:

    Cash, Zelle, Apple Cash, Venmo, Credit Card (tap to pay, has 3% processing fee).

  • I get asked this a lot! It’s an aesthetic and concept that I had to encounter and come back to many times before it became “Shadow Style”.

    One of the first tattoos I did on myself was a “Shadow bunny” in honor of my dad. I just didn’t call it that then and didn’t touch the aesthetic again for 2 years. I knew that I liked softer tattoos and at this point, I thought I wanted to pursue asian ink painting style, inspired by favorite tattoo artist https://www.instagram.com/chenjie.newtattoo/. I didn’t realize then that the aspect I loved of their work so much was how soft the gradients were.

    I made a Halloween “black cat” flash design in 2024 and it was claimed 14 times that day! I was amazed. One of my clients coined the term “shadow cat” and I’ve been calling them that every since.

    The style has evolved SO MUCH since then, as I experimented with adding more detail, negative space, and color! I’m so excited for where this will go.

  • Please don’t get my style tattooed by another artist. I’m appreciative that my art resonates with you! For me, it’s not just a style or aesthetic, it’s the art that I’m excited to explore and expand on a daily basis.

    At the moment, I am not taking design commissions.

  • I enjoy tattooing my signature “shadow style” tattoos, realism, and illustrative large scale pieces that are centered around flow.

    Regardless of style, my tattoos generally don’t have background (they’re non-enclosed), have areas of high detail, and feel soft.

    My “want to do” list:

    • Larger scale shadow pieces (scenery, characters, mythology, etc)

    • Larger scale color pieces. My larger scale pieces draw from realism with soft, more abstract illustrative elements.

      • Subjects I’m interested in:

        • female portraits

        • floral / botanical

        • asian folk mythology

  • You can reach me through email.

    hi@tokitattoos.com