Finding the right artist for your tattoo is the first step in getting your personal work of art. Not every artist works in the same way and since Lainey is certainly exceptional in the way that she works, it is important to us that you read and understand her methods and procedures before booking your appointment. Please read the full work method before filling out the 'book now' form to inquire with Lainey Bee. 

How Do You Book an Appointment with Lainey Bee?

It's easy! First you will fill out a form by clicking on the ‘book now’ button on this website. You will receive an automated confirmation email right after (if you don’t receive an email, please check your spam filter and add our email address to your safe list). After you have filled out this form Lainey Bee's managers will either contact you if they need additional information, or you will receive an email to schedule in a video call.

Your first contact with Lainey will be during the video call. During this consultation you will discuss your vision for your tattoo. Afterwards Lainey will advise you on the best course of action from her artistic point of view. If both you and Lainey feel that she is the right artist for you, she will discuss the planning of your tattoo and may possibly book your appointment right away. You will get an estimate of the costs associated with your tattoo and she will ask you to make a non-refundable down payment before your appointment is booked. The video call will take 20 minutes and will be conducted through Zoom. All other contact after this call will be through email. 

Tattoo Idea

You might already have an idea of what you want to get tattooed including what images you would like or thoughts on placement, color, the story behind the idea, etc. But it could also be that you are interested in letting Lainey do a piece where she has free reign, or that you have selected one of her “wannado” designs.

Lainey loves to create one-of-a-kind works of art! Her pieces often depict nature, animals, faces, or still-life scenes as the main subjects. She is known for her ‘color realism with a painterly twist’. Her work features unique brushstrokes and flow styles, and her tattoos are high contrast with bold color that “pops.”. This is what she does best! She uses symbolism to tell your story in your own personal work of art. Sometimes this is subtle, but it is always very meaningful, creating a story only you know and that is yours to tell (or not).

If you provide Lainey Bee with your ideas, she will create a design tailored to your story, your personality, and your body. Remember to have faith in the process and please don’t forget that Lainey can’t read your mind- her magical powers fall short in that respect. 😉 You have to trust Lainey Bee to do her best to realize your ideas and accept that her own influence will always be present in the final tattoo design. The tattoo will never be exactly what you envisioned, but that's also the reason why you have chosen to work with Lainey Bee to create your tattoo. 
You have selected Lainey as your artist (for which we are super grateful!) and she asks for open communication and trust as she brings your vision to life. It is best not to try to control every aspect of the tattoo. Leave the designing and tattooing up to Lainey Bee. She will make sure that you get a beautiful tattoo for the rest of your life and that the process is a pleasant and positive experience! 

Side note: If you want an old tattoo covered up with something new please add a photo of your old tattoo to the ‘book now’ form. Lainey does not add on or work in already existing tattoos that aren’t done by herself as there’s always a big difference in styles.

Lainey’s Design Process

Lainey’s design process is wholly unique. The amount of love and time that goes into her designs is something she asks clients to consider. After the down payment is settled and the date(s) are scheduled, Lainey will begin researching your tattoo subject and design ideas. If she’s not familiar with the subject or needs a more in-depth understanding of it she will begin with informational research. She follows this initial research phase by collecting images that fit your tattoo idea. Using them to curate a mood board of everything she finds that may be incorporated into her final design. This first phase of the design process takes anywhere from one to four hours.

During the second phase Lainey uses the photos that you have sent her of the area of your body you would like tattooed to create the initial design. This way she can assure that the design will fit your body perfectly.* She will start designing  your tattoo with a focus on your wishes, the story you want told, your body type, muscle flow, skin type, skin tone, and personality. She creates a rough sketch of the design first and will then work her magic to make the design come to life. Composition, color, contrast, and details are coordinated in order to achieve the best possible result. This process takes Lainey up to ten hours for a 1 daysession, depending on tattoo size, subject and level of detail.

The design process is part of Lainey’s work method and is an integral step in creating your custom piece of art. Although most artists will design your tattoo the day of the appointment, Lainey likes to be well-prepared and to spend as much time as she feels is necessary on her designs, so does all design work ahead of your tattoo appointment. She does not like to ask clients to wait in the studio any longer than necessary.

Viewing of the design
As soon as Lainey has finished your tattoo design, she is ready to go! Usually she will finish the design a week before your appointment. As Lainey is a traveling artist the viewing of the design will be at the day of the appointment. No designs are sent by email (or via apps), nor will designs be viewed through a video call. In addition, taking pictures of the design is not allowed. This is for the protection of the design, which will remain property of Lainey Bee.
When viewing the design, you may want to make some minor adjustments, and this is not a problem. However, if you want a completely different design, the process starts over again. You will have to pay another deposit/down payment.  If this is the case, you will be notified by Lainey Bee or her managers. This is rarely an issue because of the time put into the discussion of your ideas during the initial video call, but it is important to be aware of this going into the process if you do indeed have a change of heart. All adjustments will be done during your day session so keep in mind that the more you would like to change, the more time it will take, the less time you will have to get tattooed.

*If the photo is not taken from the right angle, there is poor lighting, or your measurements are off, there is a possibility that Lainey will need to adjust the design at the time of the appointment. She asks for photos of your body part that are taken in a daylight setting, that show your body part in full, without clothes covering them. She needs to be able to see your skin type and skin tone (including freckles, moles, scars, skin imperfections). The photo should be taken by someone else and be taken at an angle horizontal to the middle of the body part (no selfies or mirrored pictures). She would also like some measurements (both horizontal and vertical). If you upload the photo via the ‘book now’ form and it isn’t sufficient Lainey will let you know during your video call.

Down Payment Policy

When booking an appointment, you will be asked to make a non-refundable down payment. The amount of the payment is determined by the size of the tattoo and the number of day(s) that are required to tattoo you. The down payment is at least 30% of the total cost of your tattoo. A deposit is required to secure your appointment and to compensate for the time invested in designing and preparing your tattoo. The design work begins well before the appointment date, and the appointment time is reserved exclusively for you. 

If you cancel your appointment or fail to show up for your scheduled appointment for any reason, the downpayment will be forfeited. We assume that you will never ‘no show’ without a good reason for doing so. However, the reason for cancelling or rescheduling does not change the deposit policy. Once time has been reserved and work has begun, that time has been set aside exclusively for you. And unfortunately Lainey still has bills to pay, even when someone has to cancel an appointment 😉.  

Rescheduling
Rescheduling an appointment is different from cancelling, but it still affects the schedule. Tattoo appointments represent reserved working time and it is often very difficult to fill that time on short notice. Because of the nature of custom designs (and the extensive times she spends on those designs for you and her other clients) and because many of Lainey's clients travel from other cities or countries specifically for their appointment which makes last-minute changes especially difficult to accomodate.

When rescheduling the down payment remains valid for up to one year from the originally scheduled appointment date. If the tattoo appointment has not taken place within that time frame, the deposit will expire and a new deposit will be required to schedule a new appointment.

Appointments can be rescheduled free of charge up to 60 days prior to the scheduled appointment. And the appointment(s) may be rescheduled one time free of charge. If you have to reschedule a second time, 50% of the original down payment will be forfeited. A new deposit equal to that amount will be required to secure a new appointment. If you have to reschedule a third time, the entire deposit will be forfeited. A new full deposit will be required to schedule another appointment, and at that point it will also be determined whether Lainey is still able to take on the project.

If you cancel your appointment at any time during the process or reschedule closer to the appointment than 60 days prior, the deposit for the scheduled day(s) will be forfeited and a new deposit will be required when making a new appointment.

When you show up and get tattooed as scheduled, the down payment is credited towards that days session and the remaining balance for that day is paid on the day of the appointment. This also goes for multi-day sessions, the down payment is applied per day session.

Please read Illness & Medical Disclosure down below to know what happens if you show up ill. This will affect your down payment and is a part of the down payment policy. 

By booking an appointment you confirm that you have read and agree to this deposit policy.
Note: all payments are done cash & zelle (both free of additional charge. Or by Paypal, Credit or Debit card (4% additional charge). 

The Day of Your Tattoo & Preparation

Does getting tattooed hurt?
The answer to that question is different for everyone, but the more energy you have, the better your body can handle the process. Don’t be that client who didn’t eat breakfast before coming in and has run out of energy by noon 😉 Eat well, rest well, and relax!

Want to bring someone along for the ride? 
Unfortunately, Lainey does not allow people to sit with clients during the session. Lainey Bee prefers to tattoo you without your friends or family around to ensure that the flow of the session doesn’t get highjacked by someone else. Also, children (or animals) are not allowed in the studio.
If you want to bring someone to show them the design, this is only possible after discussion with Lainey. As she designs the tattoo specifically for you, it is your body and your decision, therefore she will only discuss the design with you. 

Here is a brief explanation of what you can expect on the first day of your tattoo:
Please be on time. The clock starts ticking at the set time of your appointment. Lainey will be waiting at the appointed time with your design and will have her workstation setup with the basics. If you want to make some last-minute changes to the design this will be done during your appointment.** 
Once you have approved the design, Lainey will take any final measurements, adjust the size of the design, and print out the stencil (the guide for the tattoo design). She will prep your skin and apply the stencil to your skin. If it is not perfect, she will do it again. As soon as you are satisfied with the placement and appearance of the stencil, it will need to dry for about 15-20 minutes. Please note that if the design or size is modified in a manner other than previously discussed, it may affect the price of the tattoo.
You will get a permission form (from the GGD/health department) to sign and then the payment method is arranged in advance. We will then complete the setup of the workstation with ink and needles and Lainey will start tattooing. 

During the session, we ask you to sit as still as possible so that Lainey Bee can do her work as well as possible. The more you move, the longer it will take. If you want to listen to some music or watch a movie, please bring your own headphones to do so. Wear comfortable clothing, preferably black as it is always possible clothing will get stained by the stencil or the tattoo ink. Also, black clothing will look the best for taking photos of the finished piece.
Because of hygiene it isn't allowed to drink or eat during the session. You will get a short break every one and a half to two hours to do so. If you want extra breaks just ask Lainey.

After completing the tattoo, we will take photos of the tattoo for Lainey Bee’s portfolio, promotional materials, and social media. She will wrap the tattoo in plastic wrap, and you will receive aftercare instructions. 

Client Preparation
Please arrive well prepared for your appointment. This means being well rested, having eaten beforehand, staying hydrated, and avoiding alcohol or drugs before your appointment. Tattooing is a physically demanding process for both client and artist and proper preparation helps ensure the best possible tattoo experience and healing result.

Clients are responsible for their own physical condition during the appointment. If a session needs to be stopped, during or beforehand, because the client is not physically able to continue (for example, due to feeling unwell, fainting, or not having eaten beforehand), the appointment time will still be charged as booked.

Numbing Policy.
Please note that Lainey will not tattoo skin that has numbing agents applied prior to the appointment. This includes numbing creams, gels, sprays, or patches. Numbing products can alter the texture of the skin, affect how the skin accepts ink, impact the healing process, and cause unpredictable reactions during tattooing. Clients must therefore arrive with clean skin that has not been treated with any numbing products. If a client arrives to the appointment with numbing products applied, the session cannot proceed and the full day session will still be charged.

Illness & Medical Disclosure 
Please inform Lainey ahead of your appointment if you are feeling unwell or if you are taking medication that may affect your skin, healing process, or the tattoo session. If you are unsure whether something may affect your session, please contact us before your appointment. Always check in with your doctor before getting tattooed if any medication will affect your tattoo session. If your doctor says it's okay while on medication that could affect the healing or session in anyway, bring a singed document from your doctor. 

Clients are responsible for informing the artist of any medical conditions or medications that may affect the tattoo process. This may include (but is not limited to):

• blood thinning medication
• antibiotics
• acne medications such as isotretinoin (Accutane)
• steroids or immune suppressing medication
• skin conditions affecting the tattoo area (active infections, open wounds, inflammation, rashes, severe irritation, sunburn or other skin conditions)
• conditions that may cause fainting, dizziness, or unusual skin reactions

Your health and safety are very important. If you are feeling unwell, have flu-like symptoms, fever, a contagious illness, or anything that could affect the healing process of your tattoo, please contact us as soon as possible before your appointment. Tattooing someone who is ill is not safe for the client, the artist, or the healing process. If you arrive visibly ill, Lainey reserves the right to stop and reschedule the appointment for health and safety reasons. In that situation the full day session will still be charged. The same applies if medication is being used that was not (or was) communicated beforehand and it becomes clear during the session that it affects the tattoo process or the skin. If the session needs to be stopped because of this, the full day session will still be charged.

Please be honest and communicate this in advance. Losing a deposit is always better than having to pay for an entire tattoo day that cannot continue.

Your honesty helps us plan the session properly and ensures the best possible tattoo result.

Tattoo Pricing

It is impossible to name a final price prior to a video call, as every tattoo is custom made and every client is different!
The final price for your tattoo depends on your wishes, size, placement, detail, colors, skin type, how you sit during a session, and so on. You will get an estimate of the price during the video call and again when you come in for your appointment (this because we might have to change the size of the tattoo, or you may have last-minute changes which can affect the duration of the tattoo session). Lainey works with a minimum daily rate. For larger tattoos that can't be done in 1 day, she will book you in for multiple daysessions. 
We can only give you an estimate of the costs for your tattoo since the time needed can vary. It depends not only on the design but also on our awesome customers. The amount of time needed for your tattoo depends on how much time we need for the correct placement of the stencil, how well you can sit still during the process, how many breaks you need during the session, and the condition of your skin. Each of these unpredictable aspects of the process necessitate the price remaining an estimate.

Prices are never discussed online via direct messages on social media. If you would like to receive information on pricing please fill out the book now form on this website and Lainey will send you more information including the price for a daysession. 

** This is the time that your appointment starts until you leave the studio. It is your responsibility not to be late. The appointment includes the full amount of time needed and this includes stenciling, final setup, pouring inks, and any breaks. 

Keep in mind that Lainey provides custom, individual works of art.   

Aftercare

If you really want to be prepared ahead of time, check out the aftercare instructions.