Getting tattooed by Joaquin Hernandez
The following is a guideline and info on the process and details of beginning a project with Quin
Getting an Appointment
Getting an appointment with Quin is not guaranteed when filling out a request form or speaking to him. Because of the disparity between amount of requests/clients wishing to get tattooed, and the actual time Quin has available to tattoo, booking everyone that wants a tattoo is not possible. Requests are reviewed periodically and based on the subject matter and details of the requests, very few requests will be accepted. This also means that because of the amount of requests, ONLY the requests accepted will be the ones answered. Unfortunately that’s the only way it can be manageable. There’s no timeline to an answer to a request, since it is based on current availability it could be within days or up to a few weeks. Clients that do not receive an answer are encouraged to try again in the future, or to browse our other Resident Artists as well as Guest Artists that will be visiting the studio frequently.
Timelines of Projects
The wait time to get your first session will always vary. Depending on Quin’s schedule and current projects, the wait time for a session could be 2 to 4 months, we try to not go much longer than that. Once you have a first session, booking follow up sessions is much easier and quicker.
Knowing how many sessions you need for a project is not something we can answer or guarantee, every project is different based on many factors, on this info page we will provide some examples of how long it takes to do certain pieces. This is up to Quin and not the client, he will tattoo based on what size and what image reference looks best on the body.
Pricing
Pricing is based on a flat full day rate of $3000. A full day of tattooing consists of meeting either at 11 am, or 12pm as requested by Quin that day. Depending on design and the plan for the day, stenciling and set up may take 1-2 hours. Once you get started with the session, you will be getting tattooed 7-9 hours. Full amount is due at the end of the session, and can be made in the form of cash or credit/debit card.
These are examples of work done in one session. If the tattoo idea and design is bigger than in these examples, the whole design is still put together from the beginning. (for example; the baseball tattoo will have a flower underneath it. It was completely planned and designed, but only the baseball was done in the first session.) The flower, or other half of the design for the inner forearm will then be continued on the second session.
These are examples of work done in two sessions. These could be done in separate single sessions, or it’s possible to do two days in a row. This allows for more work to be done in one sitting. On these tattoos, half of the tattoo was done the first day, and the other half was done on the second day. If you were to do separate single days, Quin would then plan on what half or what section would be completed the first day. If you choose to do two days in a row, full amount of two day rates would be due at the end of the second day.
Big projects such as full sleeves or back pieces are not possible to estimate the number of sessions it takes to finish. In different scenarios, big projects such as these could take 1-2 years. The most requested project is a full sleeve. The size of the arm, the level of detail, the reference used, among other factors, all play a part in how long a sleeve takes to finish. Typically sleeves like the two pictured above could take 7-9 sessions, on a male, you could add 1-2 sessions because of size difference. The best thing to do is take it a session at a time.
It’s important to keep in mind that Realism Black and Gray work is a time consuming style. Tattoos such as portraits or a single flower/animal may be tattoos that take one session to finish. A half sleeve could take approximately 3-5 sessions. However, getting big projects such as sleeves or back pieces is a big mental, physical and financial commitment. The best thing to do is to know if you are prepared to start a long tattoo journey, and be patient once it begins.
We hope this page helps understand the process and what it entails a little better. If you feel this process is correct for you feel free to fill out the appointment request form, thank you.