How do I book an appointment? What is your availability
To book an appointment, check my schedule on my instagram or booking page. I’ll be guesting at tattoo studios all over Australia. Keep an eye out for announcements about upcoming locations and dates, and submit your appointment requests through the booking page.
Do I need to put down a deposit?
Yes, a $200 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your appointment in my calendar and cover administrative costs. The deposit will be deducted from the total cost of your tattoo upon completion.. Read the booking confirmation & deposit policy here.
How much will my tattoo cost? / How long will my tattoo take?
My rate is $200 per hour. If the studio I’m guesting at has a higher minimum rate, you’ll be notified before booking.
The time and cost of a tattoo depend on a number of factors, including size, placement, complexity, colour, skin type, and how well you’re able to sit for the session. More detailed designs, finer linework, multiple subjects, and a larger number of colours all take longer. Cover-ups, extensions or reworks, and tattoos that need to be carefully fitted around existing work generally require more time than new tattoos.
Small tattoos with a lot of fine detail or colour can also take much longer than people expect, and often take similar time to larger, simpler designs.
I’m happy to provide a time estimate once your booking is confirmed, but please keep in mind this is an estimate only. Many larger or more detailed pieces require multiple sessions to complete.
For a visual guide to help give an idea on how long some tattoos may take, please see this page here.
Do I need to make any preparation for my tattoo appointment?
Yes! I have written a whole guide here.
Do I need to shave / remove hair before the tattoo appointment?
If it’s beard or head hair – Yes! For anything else you don’t have to, but it’s always appreciated to save time at your appointment. More info on that here.
When will I see my tattoo design?
I will show you the design on the day of the appointment, as my busy workload does not always allow me to have drawings prepared in advance.
My portfolio speaks to the quality and consistency of my work. If you like what you’ve seen, you can trust your design will meet the same standards. Most clients find that the design is spot-on when they see it, and changes, if any, are typically minor and easily made on the day. This keeps the process efficient and allows for clearer, face-to-face communication when discussing the final design.
Can I bring a friend with me to my appointment?
To ensure your appointment runs smoothly and so I can focus fully on your tattoo, please don’t bring additional people into the tattoo workspace. Space is limited, and extra people can be distracting and disruptive for both myself and other artists and clients.
It’s fine for someone to drop you off, pick you up, or briefly bring food or supplies. If the studio has room, they may be able to sit in the waiting area, but tattoo sessions are long and waiting around can be very boring, so they may prefer to make other plans during your appointment.
If you require a support person for medical or accessibility reasons, please let me know ahead of time so appropriate arrangements can be made. Thank you for your understanding.
What if I get sick/ injured before my appointment?
If you become injured or start feeling unwell, please let me know as soon as possible. Even if you’re not 100% sure and just want to give me a heads-up, that’s completely fine. Early communication helps me plan ahead and, where possible, consider alternative options.
Please don’t attend your appointment if you are sick or significantly injured. Being unwell can affect your immune system, the tattoo process, and your healing, and it also puts artists, other clients, and their families at risk. If you arrive unwell, I may need to cancel the appointment on the day, and in these cases the deposit will be forfeited.
I have a 48-hour cancellation policy. Outside of travelling and guesting periods, rescheduling may be possible depending on notice and availability. During travelling and guesting periods, deposits generally cannot be carried over, as my work windows are limited and replacement bookings are difficult to fill at short notice.
Thank you for understanding and for communicating early if something comes up.
Why didn’t I get an appointment?
There is only one of me, and I can only take on a limited number of bookings. During busy periods, I often receive more enquiries than I have available spaces, so unfortunately not everyone who contacts me will secure an appointment.
I prioritise projects that align closely with my current style and the kind of work I’m focusing on at the time. If you’re interested in something similar to my recent work and are open to my creative input, you generally have a higher chance of being booked.
If I feel I’m not the right artist for your idea, I won’t leave you guessing. I’ll let you know and, where possible, point you toward another artist who may be a better fit.
If you don’t secure a booking in one round, you’re always welcome to submit again when the next booking period opens.
Why didn’t I get a reply?
If your booking enquiry has successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. If you didn’t receive this, please check your junk or spam folder first.
After submitting an enquiry, replies can take time, particularly during busy tattooing and drawing periods. I’m one person handling all bookings, admin, design work, and tattooing, and I’m unable to email while actively tattooing or drawing. Because of this, it can sometimes take one to two weeks for me to respond.
During large booking rounds, admin can take quite a while. Appointments are offered in stages, and time is needed to wait for responses and confirmations as I work through enquiries. Your patience during this process is appreciated.
I usually aim to reply to everyone, but during periods of very high enquiry volume, it may take several weeks to respond to every email individually. If all available spots are filled before I’m able to reply to everyone, I’ll post an update on Instagram or on my booking page.
If you haven’t heard back and think your email may have been missed, you’re always welcome to send a polite follow-up. I do my best to respond when possible, and I appreciate your patience during busy periods.
Do you use vegan ink?
Yes, I have checked, all my inks are vegan. The vast majority of tattoo inks are vegan these days.
I’m under 18, can I get tattooed?
No. It is illegal in Queensland and most of Australia to tattoo anyone under 18. Proof of age is required for every client. (further info)
The penalties for artists who break this law are severe: heavy fines, possible jail time, and suspension or cancellation of licence.
In some states it is technically legal at 16 with written parental consent. But no reputable studio will tattoo under-18s, and here’s why:
Health and safety: The law doesn’t care if a teenager “really wanted it.” If anything goes wrong, complaints and liability circle back to the artist.
Professional reputation: Even if it’s technically legal, many councils, licensing bodies, and fellow artists see it as crossing a line. It can harm licence renewals and damage credibility in the industry.
Risk of consent issues: Forged signatures or parental disputes leave the artist exposed to legal and professional fallout.
For these reasons, I will not tattoo anyone under 18 under any circumstance, anywhere in Australia.
If you are approaching your 18th birthday, you are welcome to plan and book ahead, provided your appointment is on or after the day you turn 18.
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I’m pregnant/breastfeeding, can I get tattooed?
No. I do not tattoo anyone who is pregnant. The safety of tattooing during pregnancy has never been studied, and it is not worth the risk. You must wait until you have fully finished breastfeeding before getting tattooed.
Do you do art/drawing commissions?
I primarily take on commercial commissions. Personal commissions are rare, but I occasionally open them and will advertise if spots become available. I do not create tattoo designs for clients to take to other artists. Tattoo designs are reserved for my booked tattoo clients only.
How do you pronounce your name?
‘Dray-ah’. Rhymes with John Mayer.
Do you tattoo cover ups or tattoo over scarring?
I do cover-ups, but each case needs to be assessed individually. In many situations, laser treatment is required before a successful cover-up, and tattooing should only be done at least six months after your last laser session.
For scars, they must be fully healed before tattooing. As a guide, scars should be at least two years old and no longer pink. Deeper surgical scars may need closer to five years. Each scar will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
I have dark skin, can I still get a colour tattoo?
Yes! Every skin tone is welcome. Colour tattoos can be tailored beautifully for all complexions.
Can I use numbing cream for my tattoo?
I generally don’t recommend numbing cream, as it usually creates more problems during tattooing than it solves.
There are limited situations where its use may be appropriate, but only under strict conditions and with prior discussion.
If you’re considering using numbing cream, please read this information so you’re properly informed before your appointment: https://www.dreadarling.com/info/numbing/
Any use of numbing cream must be discussed and approved in advance. If it’s used without prior discussion, I may need to refuse or stop the tattoo.
Do you have gift cards or vouchers?
No, I don’t offer gift cards or vouchers. Because I travel and don’t have a fixed studio, I can’t guarantee I’ll be in a specific place at a specific time.
If you’d like to gift a tattoo, a personal card or note explaining the gift works just as well. Any booking still needs to be made directly with me when bookings are open.
What is Drea less likely to pick to tattoo?
The most common reason I have to pass on a design is because a client’s expectations of size is too small to accommodate the level of intricacy & detail I put into my work. To get better idea for the general sizing of my tattoos, take note of the size of the body part they are tattooed on in my portfolio.
Other than that I am generally happy to tattoo most things. When I am spoiled for choice I will usually pick colour over greywash as it comes more naturally to me and I will choose subjects that haven’t tattooed before over something I have tattooed many times as really enjoy a bit of variety.
If I know another artist who I feel would do the design more justice, I will refer you to them.
What kinds of tattoos do you take on?
My style sits between neo-traditional and realism in full colour, though I’m versatile and also work in greywash, blackwork, fine line, traditional, watercolour, portraiture, and more.
I’m most inspired by:
Large-scale floral and fauna pieces in my style
Consistent sleeve work with repeating shapes, colours, or elements
Botanical and fauna subjects from anywhere in the world, especially Australian natives
Full colour or bold blackwork (solid fill, blackout, or negative blackwork)
New species or designs I haven’t tattooed before
The main reason I might decline a design is if it’s requested too small for the level of detail my work requires. As a guide, compare the size of tattoos in my portfolio with the body part they cover. When I receive more requests than I can take on, I prioritise the projects that inspire me most — usually colour over greywash and new subject matter over repeats. If I believe another artist would better suit your idea, I’ll happily refer you.
My question is not here
For all other enquiries please email me via this page.
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