Every original tattoo begins far from the skin — usually as a rough pencil sketch, a handful of reference notes, or a conversation about what a design needs to mean. Here’s what actually happens between that first idea and the finished piece.
The First Rough Sketch
Early sketches are about finding the core idea, not perfecting details. This stage is where composition, general shape, and balance get worked out.
Refining for the Body
Once a concept is settled, it gets adapted to the specific placement and size it will actually live on — a very different process from designing on flat paper.
Client Feedback Shapes the Final Design
A good original design goes through revisions based on the client’s input before it’s ever finalized — this collaborative step is what makes it genuinely custom.
Stencil and Placement Check
Before the machine starts, the design is transferred as a stencil directly onto the skin so both artist and client can confirm sizing and position one last time.
Execution
Only after all of this does the actual tattooing begin — line work, then shading or color, built up with technique refined over years of practice.
Start Your Original Design
Message us on WhatsApp to begin the sketch-to-skin process for your own custom piece, or see more on our homepage.