Besting the Barriers

Once a tattoo design is decided, the logistical obstacles follow. First, there’s the price.

Carlson paid $700 for her fine line, hand-poked tattoo. The cost included the $150 downpayment Carlson paid before the Zoom consultations started. Luckily for Carlson, a few months earlier in December 2021, a couple left her a $1,000 tip at her server job at Found Kitchen in Evanston. With this boost in income, as well as her other tips from working 25 to 30 hours a week and cutting back on eating out, Carlson was able to meet living costs and set aside enough money for the tattoo. Considering the level of care and thought her artist put into the design, Carlson felt the price was reasonable.

At Pink Rhino Tattoo, where Roe has been tattooed twice, owner and tattoo artist David Herrera sums up the pricing as “it depends.” The size, placement and complexity of the design all factor into the cost, so a client won’t know the definite price until they talk to the artist.