Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I just want a sleeve, can I book that with you, even if I have no plans of getting a full bodysuit?
A: Yes, absolutely. The art of Horimono is largely a commitment of perspective. Zooming out to see the big picture. Many people begin their journey into Horimono with their sights set on ‘just a sleeve’, and with time the passion grows into something greater. But if you decide to stop with ‘just a sleeve’ that’s fine as well. I consider it a big part of my job to consider how that sleeve will impact the remainder of the suit, if someone were to go further.
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Q: I want a small tattoo, if it’s Japanese traditional style, will you do it?
A: Being that my focus is Horimono (the Japanese style bodysuit), I’m very selective about doing one-point tattoos. Not because there’s anything wrong with them, but because of how they can impact the tattooing to follow. If someone wants a one-point tattoo on their forearm, and has nothing else on their arms, if I do it, and then they want another one-point design on their bicep, the likelihood of them wanting to “make it into a sleeve” is high. The downside of doing things this way, is that the composition of a sleeve working around existing tattoos is not ideal, even if they are my tattoos. The resulting sleeve design will suffer. I would much rather discuss a sleeve/leg/etc from the start, to ensure the best results.
However, If someone is already covered and Horimono is out of the question, I’m open to it. This is the case for most tattoo artists and folks who have collected tattoos from traveling artists or tattoo conventions. I’ve got nothing against doing “gap fillers” when/if my schedule allows it.
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Q: I have a Japanese tattoo I started with someone else, can you finish it for me?
A: I’m open to working on new projects even if someone has existing work, however, I’m not interested in finishing another artists work. The rare case where I would consider it, is if someone is otherwise untattooed, and wants a bodysuit, I wouldn’t touch the existing tattoo until the rest of the suit is outlined/shaded. A high level of dedication is something that will sway this otherwise ‘hard no’.
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Q: I’m a big fan of anime, and I want a traditional Japanese tattoo with Naruto/Dragonball Z/etc, would you do this?
A: No, I wouldn't take on that kind of project, personally. I respect the art and storytelling of these shows but it doesn’t belong in Horimono. One of the rules of Horimono is once you commit to a smaller project like a sleeve, it means carrying that same theme over to a bodysuit. Now you’ve got your favorite Anime characters on your sleeve, and you have so much more space left in the suit, you can see how it would get difficult to keep it going. However, some of the characters of these shows have a basis in traditional Japanese tales, and fit into Japanese traditional tattooing. Such as Jaraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. If someone is open minded enough to get the original version of these characters in their tattoo, based on Edo period depictions of these stories from Ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), it will blend right in with the other available subjects of Horimono, should you decide to add on to your bodysuit later.
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Q: I’m considering a body suit, where should I start?
A: The absolute best place to start is the back. Every other part of the bodysuit pivots off of the design for the back. The motif selected for the back will also dictate what background elements, season and other factors continue on to the rest of the suit.
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Q: Where should I start if I’m not ready to commit to tattooing my back just yet?
A: There’s no easy answer for this, so I’ll give the pros and cons to starting with arms or legs… because it’s a bit lengthy, I created a separate guide just for this. Click here: (((LINK)))
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Q: I’m considering a back piece, but as a woman, I’m not sure I am attracted to the way a traditional tattoo ends with black bars, is there another option?
A: Yes! It’s actually very common for women (and sometimes men) to get a large image on the back without background, this is called Nukebori. If you decide they want to go for a suit at some point, you can then do your sleeves next (with background) and then continue the rest of the suit as a single project. From the larger perspective of Horimono, a finished back piece by itself is incomplete, and this stopping point can feel abrupt because of this. But once the bodysuit is finished it will fit & compliment the body perfectly. One thing about doing a Nukebori design on your back, be prepared for the design to potentially have parts on the back of the thighs and butt. This will allow for the image to be the size it needs to be to look good on the back. If one is trying to squeeze a design onto the back ending at the waist line, it often forces the design to be too small, and the composition of the backpiece is compromised greatly.
Q: I’m considering a half sleeve, but I may want a full sleeve in the future. Is that ok?
A: Sure, you can do it that way, however there’s definitely a huge advantage to composing a sleeve as a whole. I find that half sleeves that are later extended to full length are often noticeably sectioned off. You lose a bit of the flow in the middle, and force the image on the bicep to be smaller in scale. If the same subjects for a sleeve were done from scratch it would be a bit more seamless.
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Q: I want to get a sleeve but I don’t know if I should get it with the attached chest panel. Is there a reason to do this other than just for the aesthetics of it?
A: Good question. As with many things in Japanese tattoo, what you choose to get now may affect what you can get later. The Hikae, or chest panel, is no exception. I detail this more in my guide “Horimono: Where to start and why” (((Link))) but essentially the Hikae allows the design from the arm to extend onto the chest, and has a great look to it. It allows for more flow in the design from arm to chest. If you’re considering doing Munewari in the future (left and right panels with negative space down the middle), then starting with a Hikae makes for a good transition later on. However, if you are considering Donburi (full frontal coverage) having one or both (especially) Hikae will negatively affect the design aesthetics of the torso.
Q: Do you freehand all of your tattoos, or stencil them on?
A: A combination. I freehand all of the natural elements, wind/clouds/air/water/waves, and rocks. I often freehand flowers as well. When I do stencil, it’s typically the primary subject, and it’s only to save time during our session, in order to be as productive as possible. This is really just a consideration made to keep my clients with enough energy for the tattoo portion of the session.
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Q: Would you say that you have a different approach to tattooing your clients with melanin/brown skin?
A: Definitely. From the physical application, to design, to color selection, many parts of the tattoo are considered, in order to get a dynamic and vibrant result. There’s no one-size-fits-all for tattooing, and each project is very personal. On lighter brown skin tones the considerations are minimal, mostly keeping from using purple, and minimal use of muted/pastel tones. On dark skin tones, (read: “Dark Skin” not “Brown Skin”) I find that bolder lines and higher contrast Black & gray work best. It’s a sliding scale of these considerations, and I’m happy to discuss the options with each person during consultation and/or in the process of doing the tattoo. Horimono fits everyone, and I love working with anyone who is passionate about getting this kind of work.
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Q: For a backpiece, is there any subject-matter you would recommend for a woman, trying to steer clear of masculine looking motifs?
A: There is no shortage of subject matter that fits the bill. Mythical creatures like Phoenix, Kirin, and Dragons can be gorgeous back pieces. Even earthly creatures like snake, tiger, and koi can be beautiful on women. If you like heroes but just don't want a male figure, there are many female heroes, a couple famous female samurai, and even Yokai that would be great choices. The list goes on, and I’m happy to work with someone committed to getting a back piece, to ensure we find the perfect fit.
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Q: How would you recommend going about traveling by plane to get a tattoo?
A: Consider finding an artist with a short and affordable commute that you can work with on a regular monthly schedule. Air travel adds a huge amount of stress to the process and overall cost to the budget. Both of these things can stand in the way of you completing the work. Personally, I believe that consistency is a huge factor, and most people flying in want to do lots of work in as few visits as possible. This lends to bad heals and infrequent appointments. The only way I would book a client that has to fly in, is if they can commit to a session every 3-4 weeks, and have a larger deposit to cover potential unavoidable cancellations that come with long distance travel.
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Q: Would you do a half a body suit, only on the left or right side of the body?
A: There’s two factors that go into this…The first being, it’s very common for people who have gotten half sleeves to later decide they want it extended to full length. This same logic very much applies to a half bodysuit. The second factor, in Horimono the backpiece is the single most important part of the bodysuit, and by segmenting it into a smaller narrower area, the composition would be severely compromised. It may seem different, cool, edgy, or whatever from the idea stages, but the chances are high that you would later want to complete the suit, and the final results would suffer in the most important area (the back). In the larger scope of Horimono this would be very short sighted.
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Q: I want to get a chest piece, how would that look in Japanese tattoo style?
A: Well, within Horimono, there’s two different approaches when tattooing the chest. The first is within the confines of Hikae, which are chest panel extensions to the arms, and can effortlessly extend into the Munewari (panels that extend down the left and right sides of the torso, with a blank space down the middle). These Hikae panels need to be attached to half sleeves at a minimum, and being designed and tattooed at the same time as the arms is important to the flow of the design. The second option is full coverage on the torso, this is called Donburi. However, within the aesthetics of Horimono, tattooing only the chest is not a viable option, and is viewed as being a shortsighted approach that will eventually result in less favorable suit design. If you commit your chest to being fully tattooed, and then decide to go for Donburi, you’ll have a clear separation of subject matter between the top 2/5ths (chest) and the bottom 3/5ths (abdomen and rib panels). These traditional limitations may be frustrating for someone who wants what they want, but perspective is key in understanding why certain things aren’t traditionally done. Step back and think about your end-game, and what you want from your tattoos in the years to come.
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Q: Would you ever do Tebori for your clients?
A: I don’t do Tebori. All of my work is by machine. I haven’t studied under a Horishi to learn this artform, so I won’t attempt to teach myself at the expense of my clients. I have a great deal of respect for Tebori and those who took the time to learn it. If I was afforded the opportunity to learn in the future, I’d love to.