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I'm getting my first tattoo, what is the process
and where do I start?
A. First thing you'll want to do is get a visual
of what you are looking for (style, location,
size, etc). Once this is figured out, we can let
you know if it is possible.
Not all ideas for tattoos are ideal for just any
place or size. There's a minimum size for highly
detailed tattoos. The reason for this is because
we don't want to cram a bunch of detail in a
small area so over the years, it bleeds together
and doesn't look good anymore (our bodies are
made up of an average of 70% water). We try to
avoid these issues by being cautious of the size
in the beginning of the process.
The next move will be to contact us via email or
phone to set up an appointment for a
consultation. If a drawing is required, we will
sometimes require a small deposit (which secures
your appointment date and is put towards the
total cost of the tattoo). This deposit is
non-refundable.
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How much does a tattoo cost?
As vague as this question can possibly be, there
is sort of a right answer for it.
Cost depends on many factors; size, detail,
color/b&w, etc.
Unicorn Ink has a $100 minimum. This means, you
could get anything from a small dot, to a medium
sized letter, or word and it will most likely
fall into our minimum cost.
The time/cost difference between a cartoon
style, high contrast, black and grey lion and a
realistic portrait of a lion at the same size
could be hours. So always consider this when
planning and budgeting for your next tattoo.
Aside from this we charge roughly $150/hour for
larger pieces. So the longer the tattoo takes,
the more it's going to cost. One must consider;
the longer the tattoo takes, the better it's
going to look too (at least when this comes to
larger projects).
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Do you guys do white tattoos (white ink only)?
We will always recommend going to traditional
route with black. The reason for this is because
white ink fades over time, and should only be
considered as temporary. It mostly looks like a
scar, so if this is something you're going for,
contact us to set up a consultation.
*White Ink tattoos cannot be guaranteed
therefore will not fall in the shop standards of
receiving a free touch-up.
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How old do I have to be in order to get my
tattoo/piercing?
By Rhode Island law, any person must be at or
above the age of 18
in order to get a tattoo (yes, even with
parental consent).
For piercings, age is up to the piercer's
discretion. That said, anyone under the age of
18 is required to bring their parent, along with
the minor's birth certificate and parent's I.D.
Without these two things, we cannot service you.
Nipples piercings, genital piercings and tongue
piercings are not to be done on anyone under the
age of 18.
***IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TATTOO AGE LIMIT (RHODE
ISLAND LAW)***
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_status_of_tattooing_in_the_United_States
§ 11-9-15 "Tattooing of minors." – "Every person
who shall tattoo any minor under the age of
eighteen (18) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned not
exceeding one year or be fined not exceeding
three hundred dollars ($300). For the purposes
of this section, "tattooing" means the practice
of marking the skin with indelible patterns or
pictures by making punctures and inserting
pigments. Nothing in this section shall be
construed as prohibiting the removal of tattoo
markings from the body of any person of
whatsoever age."
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Do you guys use numbing cream before doing your
tattoo? What if I can't handle it?
We recommend you do not get a tattoo unless you
are mentally, physically and of course financially
ready for it. We do NOT use numbing cream before
tattooing. If you plan on getting your own and
putting it on before you get your tattoo, please
consult with your artist first so they can let you
know how to proceed with this correctly.
Do you guys tattoo the face?
This has sort of been the mutual agreement here at
the shop that we do NOT tattoo the face. Sorry!
Do you offer a free touchup on your tattoos?
Unicorn Ink does offer a free touchup on your
tattoo (once the tattoo is fully healed). The only
areas we do NOT guarantee touchups are on the
hands/fingers, wrists, feet and inner lip. This is
because these areas are notorious for fading
quicker than any other areas. We will always warn
you before getting your tattoos on these specific
spots. That said, if you are in getting another
tattoo in a different area, and we already have
our needles and inks out, we will most likely give
you a quick touchup on these spots as a courtesy
from us.
What's with the Unicorn? What's the story behind
the name?
Well it started one day when, artist and manager
Greg, had gone into the woods to search for
firewood and had come across a small purple
puddle on the ground. He had no idea what it
was, but was very intrigued by it. He broke a
small branch off the tree and poked at it. It
started to sparkle and he immediately knew there
was something different about this.
He then heard a faint bristling in the leaves
behind him and quickly shot around to find a
bright, yellow, glowing unicorn standing there
glaring at him with bright white eyes. Greg was
so shocked and stiff, he couldn't even move. He
sat there staring at the unicorn while the
unicorn glared down at him. He seemed to either
be angry or scared, but he couldn't tell. Greg
looked down and noticed the unicorn was wounded
on the leg. And out of it dripped, what seemed
to be purple blood. Greg then immediately knew
where the puddle came from.
He continued to stare at the unicorn and the
unicorn stood there, glaring, as if he was in
defensive mode. Greg noticed a large amount of
markings on him, but couldn't make out what they
were through its glowing, yellow presence. All
of a sudden, his phone rang. The unicorn yelled
out loud, with a chirping combination of sounds,
that almost sounded like random keys being hit
on a piano, then beamed forward and disappeared
into thin air.
Greg didn't know what to think or what to
believe! He was trying to wake himself up as if
he were dreaming. But he wasn't. He looked back
at the puddle, and immediately took out his
empty water bottle from his large carrying bag
to scoop away at the puddle. He noticed the
bottle was so hot, it was almost about to melt!
He burned himself slightly trying to get all the
blood inside the bottle. He managed to get as
much as could fit and started to walk back to
the house.
He tried to wash the blood off of his skin but
nothing worked. It was bright and permanent. He
was debating whether he should go to the doctors
or not but he knew they would have thought he
was just crazy...
It wasn't until later that night, as he laid in
bed that he thought of something crazy. I'm a
tattoo artist, he thought. Why not use this as
ink? How would it work? He knew it was a stupid
and dangerous idea, but he thought it would be
worth a try, considering he felt like he was
going crazy anyways. He shot out of bed and set
up his machine. He dipped the needle inside the
bottle of blood (which was still boiling hot),
and began to tattoo the top of his hand. He had
no idea what he was doing or why he was doing
it, but he kept going. He couldn't believe how
bright and vivid the tattoo was. It hurt him so
badly but he just couldn't stop! After he
finished, he cleaned up and sat back in bed. As
his hand burned he stared at his new tattoo in
the dim lit room but was still able to see it
bright as day! He was completely shocked and
excited at the same time. He knew that from this
point on, he would never stop using this for his
ink. But he had to come up with a name for it.
"Unicorn Ink", he said out loud. He knew then
and there, this was the beginning of a new
story. He knew nobody would understand what a
truly magical tattoo would feel like, unless it
was done by Unicorn Ink.
And so the story continues...
