WHAT IS TATTOO GATE?! And why is a sketch $7000?

[@victorianelms1407]

The craziest part is people reverse image searched the fox and found her "sketch" as a design thats being sold on etsy and the artist just traced it 🤯

[@sallytownsendart]

Came here to say this!

[@ArisanaXhien]

no fucking way

[@matthieubaker4564]

Oh shit really?! Yo can I get the original artist's name?

[@lindakelly360]

Maybe she couldn't find a whole fox sketch on Etsy.

[@sallytownsendart]

@@matthieubaker4564 looks to be from shop FunnyFauna, their watercolour red fox set

[@a.r.mproductions5616]

This artist is a scammer. Straight up. They made the first sketch not what she wanted on purpose so the customer would have to pay more for changes. I can’t imagine how much farther it would’ve gone till she got till the $6,000.

[@joosoo]

Don't call her an artist. She's a cockroach.

[@sophaloph1129]

my thoughts immediately! she intentionally did the sketch wrong to upcharge the customer for more changes.

[@Thisplaceisaprison3912]

And now she’s gone private on everything because she knows what she is doing is wrong, but doesn’t want to change her behavior, apologize or face the consequences of her actions.

[@anniemal8030]

My thoughts exactly. I immediately thought she did that on purpose because no one would be fine with that sketch

[@spookytunez]

such a disgusting thing to do. completely took advantage of her customer.

[@Kate-n2310]

I feel so bad for that girl. She seems like a nice person and it’s so sad that she got scammed like that. I feel like “knowing your worth” has been taken to such an extreme that people now overestimate the value of their work & customers pay the price.

[@deathnstuff]

Fr I actually feel so bad for that girl (glad she made a tiktok sharing her experience tho), but I feel like this is more of the case of “greedy scammy ppl will be greedy & scam” 😭

[@Tamaki742]

I think it's more like people taking advantage of "knowing your worth" to exploit customers who might not be as knowledgeable about the market. Like not even regular illustrators charge for concept sketches. Revisions, yes, but not sketches, unless that's what they're offering and the only thing the client wants, that's it.

[@FalcoSparvarius]

Good news though, an artist in California is partnering with H2Ocean to fly her down for her tattoo for free! She posted an update last night that she accepted their offer.

[@Leni_lovely]

@@FalcoSparvarius omg yay! She deserves it after being scammed like this oh my god

[@biazacha]

Considering the studio had less than 3 stars going from months before her consultation and even a legal complaint, that’s also a cautionary tale of not let social media hype get in the way of DOING YOUR RESEARCH. Someone else’s art can be as amazing as your wildest dreams, please check the credentials.

[@Dvnie]

I’m so glad that another tattoo artist reached out to her and offered to do the tattoo for free. She deserves it.

[@Rueescorner]

But do you know what’s crazier? Someone on TikTok exposed the fact that the exact design of the fox was already on a t-shirt or something on Etsy. They layered the designs and they look waaaay too similar almost identical. So you tell me you charge 1.7k for something that took you 10 minutes to sketch and also looks like it’s copied? The audacity!

[@negligible_reality]

i'm honestly not even surprised that a scammer is also out here tracing other people's art and claiming they drew it themselves

[@Estframa]

The actual worst part is that, to my understanding, package #3, the 6 THOUSAND DOLLAR one, includes the sketch in a canvas or some shit like that as an art piece hence the price. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS!? Van Gogh?? Lmao

[@Donteverlook4videos]

She's straight up delusional. All her designs are copied and I really really hope she gets sued for it

[@mayamacisaac]

i LOVE tattoos, have a bunch and definitely plan to get more, and i'm more than willing to pay/tip well for an artist's time and talent etc. however this is absolutely wild what the hell??? you cannot overvalue a poorly-made sketch like this esp after ignoring a client's CLEAR requests and only allowing minor alterations. also many artists will give consultations for free lol,, this artist is insane and she needs to calm down

[@mayamacisaac]

btw i do think you're right in saying the tattoo community is largely pretty chill vibes (at least in my experience). lots of artists as well as apprentices are incredibly skilled and capable of doing great work in both the design and inking phases of tattooing. i really hope this mindset stays as a minority because it's truly delusional to believe she, at this level of (pretty objectively bad) work/service, can charge thousands

[@xoxorosequartz]

she even bought the sketch off of etsy

[@lauraherz99]

Right?? I have never heard of tattoo artists limiting the input the client is allowed to give.

[@CM38110]

I came to the comments as soon as she said the packages gave limited revisions. And the prices for them. Bonkers. I'm not fully tatted by any means but from my experienxes any artist who has passion in their work will make sure the client is happy first and foremost and give input based on their expertise. This is crazy and I feel so bad that she had to pay for a consult and a design fee!!

[@lovelybones8179]

my husband and I got couples tattoos with our wedding date and we paid less than 500 for both... like altogether, no "consultation fee", no design fee, just chill people and good vibes, we must've spent like 5 hours there at the shop too and by far, its my favorite one. it's an upper arm piece that covers the one side so they aren't like small hearts or something, these tats should have cost more tbh.

[@gilbej91]

I've got a tonne of tattoos by various artists in several countries and not once have I been asked for a sketch fee. Deposits varied by the artist but was usually around $100.00. It's absolutely absurd that she wanted to charge so much for so little.

[@taryndancer29]

Same! I've been charged beforehand from 50-100 euros for deposit but that's it! This is all really insane I've never heard of a sketch fee.

[@cherrybomber69]

And the deposit almost always comes off the final price as well. Some artists will also not charge you for the time spent preparing and placing the tattoo either, they will just charge for the time spent tattooing. $1000 for a deposit is just....

[@fionayoung4124]

I've had them in multiple counties with multiple artists. I've never been charged for a sketch ever. Also the artists have always been willing to make a number of changes until I was happy.

[@LizzieBelina]

Yeah even if she requested a 50% down deposit (which isn't standard but hey maybe she has a lot of no shows) THAT would be reasonable unlike a fucking sketch fee AND consultation fee. Hell I've had an artist give me a discount because the red ink took surprisingly well and we got done early. She didn't have to do that. She would be flabergasted at this artist.

[@fred4859]

Agreed! Even in NYC or Miami you can sit with very well known artists and not get charged a sketch fee.

[@AllieiceMC]

Tattooed person here, I have hardly EVER heard of tattoos being more than 1k unless they’re extremely big and involved (think like full back and sleeves) so ignoring everything else wrong with this artists practice, the price alone for a half sleeve makes me shake in my boots

[@saria5657]

Even then with the right artist it's not all at once, my massive back piece took six sessions of 400 and most artists are reasonable with pricing,

[@AllieiceMC]

@@saria5657 exactly

[@VividAnarchy]

right like i wouldnt expect much more than that for whole tattoo even at high price point

[@lanaesworld6976]

Thats obsurd. Im covered in award winning tattoo artists, was married to an amazing one and started a shop that is still running with amazing artists even after the founder and my partner passed away. I have heardnof deposits and sketch deposits but not mandatory concept sketches rhat cost thousands. Yes the artists usually dont give you the stencils or sketches to avoid stealing of Design and I'm sure they could work out price to take sketches home but not mandatory.

[@majesdane]

Agreed. It’s a total scam. I’m covered in tattoos and I’ve never heard of such a thing. That artist was just gaming people who didn’t know better. Anyone with tattoo experience would have immediately walked.

[@biazacha]

Sorry for your loss, see the industry coming together against this delusional greed “artist” is honestly heartwarming.

[@lanaesworld6976]

@biazacha yes, there are so many good people in the industry. Good family's and honest artists who would never do this. I hope this effectively ending her scam artists career. Putting a deposit down for your appointment is pretty common now. It usually goes towards the final price. Also alot of artists will charge for tattoo time unless the drawing time and corrections a client is making is excessive. That's not the case here. She was intentionally leaving out options that were not pricey . Just sad

[@jonelle_planningxo2371]

I feel soo bad for that girl. I could never. I feel like she was scammed.

[@-MaryPoppins-]

You don’t have to feel it. The entire shop has wiped their entire social media presence off the internet lmfao.

[@cinderfeather]

.... because she was scammed 😆

[@britnysnyder4991]

I hope she sues for her money back

[@cailinanne]

Oh she was

[@persgodiva]

There's already been a follow up by the OP - apparently it was found out that particular tattoo artist traces all her tattoos from designs on etsy. Just fantastic. I have big tattoos done by artists who have their tattoos in freaking magazines and I never ever paid that much. Completely ridiculous.

[@mmaslanka96]

Those prices are absolutely CRAZY I know it's different in America but I paid £400 for a full calf tattoo and sent multiple ideas to the artist. I only saw the sketch a few days before the appointment but it was PERFECT. Im so confused by these prices and this practice.

[@majesdane]

It’s not a typical practice for getting tattoos in the USA. This woman is insane for doing this.

[@dianecalderon1700]

I got a custom piece on the top half of my back for $400 in the US. This artist is a joke.

[@playlist2167]

I’ve never had to pay more than $350 for a tattoo, even the one that takes up almost my whole thigh

[@Sarahkara1313]

DEFINITELY not typical. My most expensive tattoo is $200 before tip. My artist doesn’t even require me to do a deposit bc we’re friends from before she was tattooing lol. Like this woman is OUT OF HER MIND. NO ethical tattoo artist is saying they have all creative control

[@erinnicole3170]

This artist is in Ontario, Canada. Idk anything about Canadian tattoo shops, but I don't think this practice is common anywhere honestly.

[@neheimi]

everything is called "something-gate" because of the Watergate scandal

[@Mischief58]

lmao thank u i was scared everybody forgot about watergate

[@Thisplaceisaprison3912]

Watergate is also the name of a popular 70’s “salad” made of pistachio pudding, pineapple and marshmallows and is also named after the scandal! Fun fact

[@p3t4l]

It's so dumb though because Watergate wasn't about water! The something-gate scandal naming convention is the worse

[@sewmini]

@@p3t4l well it the Nixon administrations' burglary of the Watergate office building, where the democrats resided so duh its not about anything to do with water...

[@beeee3722]

​@@p3t4l .... It was at the Watergate Hotel. That's why it's called Watergate.

[@madibri336]

I’ve never ever seen someone be so delusional about their own artwork… not saying its bad but not good enough for her to be acting like that. also the way she handled the „charging“ is ridiculous and not how it works

[@omegareal5183]

the crazy part is that she literally traced the design from an etsy seller..... she's charging so much money for something that isnt her own original artwork....

[@elzzz2000]

I am 100% comfortable with saying that some of her work is objectively bad, the linework is so scratchy, the clearly traced imagery is awkward and underformed, her shading and colourwork is muddy. She has no business charging what she does for such messy work

[@madibri336]

@@omegareal5183 that Is absolutely insane I didn’t even know that. That makes it so much worse.

[@madibri336]

@@elzzz2000 I mean yeah I didn’t see it. All I see is the one in this video and I wouldn’t say it’s bad but I wouldn’t call it good either and I’d definitely never get that tattoo.

[@elzzz2000]

​@@madibri336 watch some of the videos of her work honestly. I think it's worse than cake gate purely just for how exorbitant her prices are.

[@ElectricRose9001]

For $7,000 I'd expect to have them tattoo it on themselves first to make sure I REEEEEALLY liked it, like damn! XD

[@gilbej91]

I could understand a small design fee if it was a full sleeve and she had to merge a tonne of ideas and pictures references. But that design is super simple and might I add, super clear to understand what she wanted (full fox).

[@khushkosmos]

the first sketch option was $1500 + tax??? and she did that??? this is so wrong omg 😭

[@chrisbcpack]

that's insane my lord. i can understand charging for sketches, but anything that even remotely enters the $1000 range is crazy, especially when you already know the tattoo itself will be well into the thousands

[@deltasaves]

Especially when not one penny of all those goes towards the tattoo.

[@biazacha]

Yeah I can see it if both consultation and sketch fee are one and the same - the fact that she charges both, plus the scheduling, plus her work PER DAY and obviously doesn’t end it in one single day…

[@hegh2425]

The most I’ve ever spent on a tattoo is $300 and the only reason it was so much was because of who the artist was as he was a highly sought after artist there was no consult fee and no design fee

[@majesdane]

I’ve paid way more than that on large pieces (chest piece, full thigh, etc). I would expect that a half sleeve WOULD be expensive, especially when done by any reputable artist. But outside of a deposit, no legit artist is going to charge you for a consultant AND a sketch AND the whole tattoo.

[@Thisplaceisaprison3912]

I have 2 large forearm pieces that I did not pay for the design or consultation and the artist did not charge a chair fee. They were $350 a piece. I also got a small tattoo behind my ear from the same person for $50.

[@DeFyHSW]

As someone who has gotten alot of tattoos and is aspiring to be one usually the consultation is free but they will make you pay a certain fee upfront incase you cancel they still get something for the time they used to draw up the sketch and that comes out of the overall tattoo fee. I've neeeeveeerrrr seen a tattoo artist fee for every step of the tattoo. That is insanely ridiculous and borderline scamming... well it is a scam but most people would notice those red flags I think

[@gilbej91]

I saw all over tiktok people who were able to find examples of the artist's work (before accounts were privated) and it is definitely not worth the money she was charging.

[@sarah-my1xp]

My boyfriend has just started a tattoo apprenticeship and he had NO IDEA this was kicking off, I had the best time explaining it all to him

[@pixelm8731]

speaking of apprenticeships did you see the woman who said she asked to do an apprenticeship under her and this 'artist' wanted her to essentially agree to a 10 year term at her shop, for free until she arbitrarily decided she was ready and not only that she wanted to move to mexico with her mom and have this woman running the whole shop and send her all the money.

[@glaedr_4_life685]

oof, we've been getting all the niche-gate's lately and im loving the change up 😍😍 glad your feeling better too

[@sydewing]

as someone with multiple tattoos (and has friends training to be tattoo artists), the client must be involved in the design process. the tattoo will be on you forever, so you need to make sure that it is EXACTLY what you want because as expensive as tattoos can be, their removal is even more. by charging so much for the designs, this artist is running a dangerous game of giving clients tattoos they're not happy with, thus not creating loyal customers.

[@amelia3146]

These are all called -gate because of Watergate! It’s somewhat common to call a controversy [name]gate due to the explosive scandalous nature of Watergate. Basically, it’s now just shorthand to express “this is a controversy or scandal”.

[@Wwonsmas]

I have 3 tattoos (very few yes, but each at different parlours and with different artists) and you're so right. The vibe when getting tattoos (at least on the artist's end) was always relaxed and welcoming... You're meant to enjoy your time with them. All this foul behaviour before ever even meeting the artist in person.... I feel so bad for this woman, she just wanted a beautiful piece😔

[@Wwonsmas]

Also... I'm Canadian; seeing as I use the same currency as these women... NO WAY ANYONE'S PAYING THAT MUCH BEFORE INK TOUCHES SKIN. This artist is actually the worst.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

"I tattoo very fast, so it doesn't make sense to charge by the hour." What in the actual full on fckery squared fckery cubed what in the ACTUAL root power is THAT?! I got a tattoo back in college, during the 2010s, and my tattoo basically goes like this: "Not today.... For the Force is with me For the odds are ever in my favor For I have mischief to manage ....And winter is coming" That is it that is the tattoo exactly like that, "not today" is in red and "and winter is coming" is in blue to represent different things, and it is a very loved tattoo people love pointing out the Star Wars, Hunger Games, Harry Potter and GOT quotes and it cost me around 180 ish I think and took a few hours at least from what I remember. Because the people I looked up and went to were PROFESSIONALS. And you could tell they love what they do. I got that tattoo in a time of my life when I really struggled with depression, so I can look at that, look at what those quotes mean, and keep going when I struggle....tattoos can mean a lot to a lot of people, and the fact that people would look at this CRAFT this beautiful work that people with TALENT do and just think "lemme get a quick check" makes me SICK. This woman gives me the same vibe as cake gate girl who legit said "you don't need to be a professional to have a business" which....you need to have a PROFESSIONAL mindset. Otherwise you get women like this, women like her, and women like Jaclyn Hill who have no BUSINESS running a business. Also I'm really looking forward to getting another tattoo, it's gonna be FULL color Sonic the Hedgehog chillin in a ring, holding both a sea salt ice cream, and luxury Pokeball with the lyrics "you make me feel like my troubled heart is a million miles away" engraved on the ring....and I do need to brush up this tattoo as the blue is fading a bit, so seeing all this before hand is reminding me to DO RESEARCH. Thoroughly.

[@user-ur8wq7gp9u]

The tattoo process in general is always so weird. Like some people even get offended if you ask for estimates of pricing. Like how am I supposed to know then

[@LillyOkCool]

This makes me SO NERVOUS asking for tattoos I literally have 5 and 4 were flash because I’m scared of talking to artists after the first time 🫠💀

[@user-ur8wq7gp9u]

@@LillyOkCool same for me

[@siany100]

I'm always so sad to see people get scammed! Feel so sorry for this fox lady 😢

[@dilflover69_]

The design fee itself is insane. Though I’m no tattoo artist, I major in digital media and have designed a handful of tattoos for family/friends/other people and would never think of charging shit for a tattoo design

[@launoname]

As someone who was too scared to say no to the concept my tattoo artist drawed for me and now has a permanent tattoo on me, and too scared to say that she charged me a bit more than the price we discussed... At least I can always remind myself of speaking out but it was 70 euros... This is an actual scam.

[@launoname]

@@amandak.4246 I decided not to get any more because I can't trust myself 😅

[@sylverscale]

​@@launoname Take a friend or relative with you who can speak up on your behalf. Don't be too scared to get any more tattoos if you want them. Also find an artist you're super comfortable with so it would've easier for you to say you don't like something.

[@biazacha]

@@launoname honestly this is the level of actually hindering your capacity to do things you otherwise would, therapy to help with the social anxiety would be a good idea to consider.

[@SaplingsCo]

Obsessed with Angelika’s glasses era

[@AngelikaOles]

I’m obsessed with the fact I can see without straining my eyes 😭

[@icekraze07]

Everything is called “gate” because it is a reference to watergate which was a huge scandal that took place in the watergate building that ended with President Nixon resigning from office. Naming scandals after watergate became popularized in the internet era with a scandal/controversy about women in gaming called gamergate in 2013.

[@pinkyhc4130]

This is why I am so careful with new tattoo artists. Be mindful, its not just the design, its the artists energy and vibe they're putting on you too.

[@beboprovina]

I'm a tattoo artist and a tattoo lover in general... I have NEVER heard of a consultation fee and NEVER met artists that charge this much... and also, I've seen her works and they're pretty average, nothing special or nothing worth that price for sure!

[@amikireicraftstore]

I'm speechless, I had a Tattoo made by an international awarded artist and they where so accommodating, I payed the consultation fee in which we went over changes and options for my design until I was 100% satisfied and then the cost of my tattoo that ming you, wasn't anywhere near thousands of dollars, like, no, watercolor style tatto of at least 30 cm and I didn't pay HALF of what this person is asking, it's INSANE. Of course you would want input, hell, you are having that on your body forever! I'm simply horrified.

[@jadedoggie121]

the biggest tattoo i've gotten (granted i did the sketch myself and the design was fairly simple but rather large) was like half the price of the tattoo artist's cheapest sketch price. aside from that, the artist's response is super unprofessional what even

[@jennabaum1018]

the reference photos clearly shows what the lady wanted. it seems like the tattoo artist doesn’t have enough talent to properly design her tattoo so she gaslit the lady for having an issue with it

[@quinn3110]

Trust me, that tattoo artist is one of a kind. I have never heard anyone in the tattoo business doing that stuff. Not even the most popular/influential ones.

[@CryptidMilky]

I don't know if anyone else has talked about it, but I love the simple intro and outro! It's so nice so the video doesn't end so abruptly but isn't overcomplicated! ❤

[@ricaramos9631]

oh how i LOOOOVEEE this type of content from you. I love your pettiness

[@melissapetzer3560]

This is so important to share. Thank you. Also “holy roast” took me out 😂😂😂

[@katief7047]

It’s scary to me that she’s at the point where she defends herself instead of realizing how ridiculous this is. That shows me she’s manipulated and exploited so many clients before and it worked. So she thinks she can keep doing it. I’m guessing there are a lotttt of people that she’s basically stolen/scammed money from and they didn’t know how to get out of it or at least address it. I’m glad someone finally called her out.. I feel bad for the probably many people who’ve been scammed by her.

[@lexigonzalez3322]

Absolutely SHAMEFUL. How do businesses get away with this?!

[@florencetheunicorn]

I LOVE how Angelika, even without tattoos, is so absolutely flustered with the audacity of this artist! I would feel confident with her as a client for... well, anything! She knows what she wants and knows where value is.

[@MissJoyce88]

The timing of the bark is what made this video top notch :D

[@squishyAO3]

Wow, I’m relatively heavily tattooed, and have NEVER, *NEVER* been charged a penny for consultation or design 🤯 It is reasonable for a tattoo artist not to give a copy of a design to the client in case they bugger off and take it to someone else, but the rest of the nonsense the poor TikTok woman went through is mad. In my experience, a good tattoo artist will jump through hoops to make sure the client is happy before needle hits skin. BTW, the word you were looking for was stencil…

[@chapterandclawstudio]

My favorite thing to come out of all of this is all of the tattoo artists making sketches for her for free. I think she made a TikTok sharing all of the ones she had so far. Another tattoo artist has offered to fly her out to his studio and tattoo her for free.

[@bbee-canish609]

its pretty standard to if you want to book a consultation here (sweden) theres a 50 dollar fee for it that is included in the end prize of the entire tattoo just so the artist have a small insurance that if they take time out of their day to book a consultation and the customer is a no show theres that 50 dollars atleast. But then the design of the sketch and alterations decided under the consultation is FREE i cant believe paying thousands of dollars for a traced picture is absolutely insaane

[@emilijakevisaite5721]

Haven't clicked this fast ever in my life. Can't wait to watch the video❤

[@AngelikaOles]

Hello 💗

[@emilijakevisaite5721]

Hopefully you're feeling better 💕💕

[@mongy9376]

I tried to watch all the videos about this. But couldn't. I knew my girl would come in clutch. Feel better soon! 💜😘

[@caitlinmeechan2030]

Think the ‘gate’ thing comes from ‘watergate’

[@selinahilmes]

I can't look at my phone screen because of the reflections in your glasses but I still really enjoy listening to you 😂❤

[@rontoolsie]

The ring light gave a beautiful, soft, and even illumination- but the alien eye reflections were a bit off putting. Ring light reflections in the iris are quite esthetic...but NOT in glasses. In future try a more oblique light placement so you don't have the light directly behind the camera. Or skip the glasses!

[@Kiwichen99]

Lol the ending/outro music on Angelika’s videos is so funny 🎉

[@ellae5694]

As a tattooed person and as a professional artist, this whole thing is insane and incomprehensible. Artists deserve to be substantially compensated for their work, however this is scam territory and total delusion. Additionally, I have never once paid a “design fee” on top of a deposit. A deposit serves to hold a client’s spot and partially cover the inkwork and DESIGN. It is actually encouraged that clients speak up on any changes needed to the design and that minor changes/artist fault should be at no additional cost to the client.

[@radhikalol]

deep sleep can be such a bitch though i slept for 1.5 hours today in the afternoon and apparently i'd missed around 15 calls from my parents. My phone was on full volume quite literally next to my ear. Hopefully youre able to get enough and a restful sleep soon!

[@sabor3541]

Yo this situation is a lot worse than we thought 😂😂 apparently this woman made clients pay WAY more than what she originally charged them and when they would question her about them she would threaten to call the police on them. Apparently she has called the cops on several clients before and even sent their information to other tattoo shops to blacklist them… Disgusting.

[@kaydiglawson7767]

I'm pretty sure it all started with water gate. My bestie spent $9,500 to have her entire back tattooed. There was no charge for the consultation or the sketch. She just had to put $1,500 down payment.

[@Mahaliak]

I love when you say "Absolutely. Bonkers."

[@KaytNicol3]

I have 3 tattoos and I have NEVER paid for a consult fee or sketch fee, I've only ever paid for the final tattoo. This is madness., the artist needs outing because God knows how many people they've done this too. I would notify my bank and say I was frauded...smh

[@Ang_848]

“Just through ..good vibes”😭😭

[@meeckeymouse8637]

Omg angelika, I have been waiting for this video, tattoo gate wondered across my fyp and I needed the video from you. There was to much other people videos on TikTok. I knew you would gather the info

[@octaviablackthorn9]

So my regular tattoo artist does have a design fee as well. He used to get a lot of time wasters. The cost goes towards the final cost of the tattoo if you choose to go forward with it. But he doesn’t recharge you every time he redraws or changes something.

[@zog2844]

I recently got a tattoo (2 magpies filling the area of my left shoulder blade) it was a €50 deposit with a 10-15min consultation and I offered up several references for styles, design, actions etc. It was a 5hr appt. and I was charged for €500 but technically only had to pay €450 as my €50 deposit counted to the final price and of course I tipped well as my artist was incredible! I wanted black and grey but my artist suggested colour and was able to win me over on the day and didn't charge for any last minute changes/ addition of colour. 1k for just a deposit made me sick when this came up on my fyp. Thank you for highlighting it Angelika there is so many scams/dodgy artists and people should really be careful and ideally maybe find artists via word of mouth etc from a trusted friend etc (how I found mine)

[@zog2844]

I just feel so sick to my stomach that someone can so easily take advantage of things that can be so personal in someone's life

[@chloemiller2483]

I have stunningly beautiful tattoos that I fully helped designed and the most expensive one was 600 dollars… this is insane I understand tattoos are expensive but what she paid for a “design” is what I’ve paid for almost all my tattoos all together

[@ivey06]

You have the perfect lashes, they are so pretty!! 😍

[@cinnadala]

when i first heard about this, i thought the entire tattoo including sketch was 7k... but to realize that THAT IS ONLY THE SKETCH, which would've taken an hour, two hours at most. i'm an artist and i charged $30 for basic head commissions for semi-realistic art, which takes me anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours total. i knew i was undercharging myself but it's the only way i could get customers. it's crazy to see others charge a ton of money for something half assed and what you could get for an under $500 tattoo anywhere else.

[@Mouse__]

As a heavily tattooed person, this is blowing my mind. I've paid to have more well known artists (who happened to also be a member of one of my favorite bands-but I didnt know that prior) at well known shops and they didnt even charge near this much. And their work was better. Some of her work is good, but its no where near what I'd expect to be charging even $1k (depending on the size obviously) for the entire piece and everything that comes with it.

[@cassellen2416]

I have a sleeve and lots of other tattoos by very talented, well respected artists and I have NEVER paid for a design! Usually there is a deposit fee for the appointment for 100-200. This is absolutely insane I feel so bad for her, she was scammed

[@EmilyMichellexo]

Whenever I’ve gotten tattoos the “consultation fee” or to book the appointment has a cost, however it comes off the final price of the tattoo!! This is ridiculous

[@Sarahkara1313]

My friend/tattoo artist said she spent an hour reading this artists review the other day bc of this whole thing 😂 this is insane

[@justingraves8649]

Well, I asked "Pink Sauce, pickles and cake. What's next?" Now I got the answer... Tatoos.

[@bunny.ribbit]

the tattoo thing has happened before too. i remember a lady who did $100 tattoos that were really rushed and even let her 11 y/o daughter tattoo a client. she even stole designs and deleted comments that criticised her. so i guess this is tattoogate 2?

[@2turg_2furious]

@@bunny.ribbit you’re talking about the lady who did that awful Wednesday “sparkle” tattoo right? And she does blind tattoos?

[@bunny.ribbit]

@@2turg_2furious yup, those were some wonky tattoos, oof. messy situation.

[@2turg_2furious]

@@bunny.ribbit thought so

[@justingraves8649]

@@bunny.ribbit I remember that.

[@kaceyisdead]

LMFAO it was the "LOOK" 75x for me 😂 GO OFF!

[@bunsii10969]

My tattoo artist once spent 30 minutes of her own time UNPAID moving around my stencils purely because she wanted them to be perfect for me. If your artist sees you as nothing more than a pay check and doesn’t give a shit whether you are happy with their work or not they absolutely should not be a tattoo artist

[@franm9693]

i feel so bad for her like as someone with tats i could never spend £1200 on them (tho mine aren’t as big or detailed) but still poor woman

[@greatgecks2256]

Ding ding. You just had the best analogy with regards to “hairdresser “ because that’s exactly what it is here …except unlike a hairdresser in most cases, you’re seeing things out of a book or not at all but it’s the end product that you’re paying for. AND hairdressers do not charge you extra for the every shampoo pump they use or the conditioner . it’s all wrapped into the price. with more expensive salons they put a credit card hold but they never charge you something separate, finally will bend over backwards if the end product isn’t what you like.

[@lucianagalvagno4096]

I never saw a sketch of my tattos before Time because i choose people that i know im gonna love what they end UP doing BECAUSE! they do a really in deep consultation, never have i ever had a problem, they are up to changing things in person so You End up getting what You really want

[@jadeshay1]

I’ve got several tattoos, one needed 2 sessions and the artist kept cancelling the second session (maybe cancelled 5-6x). The final time he was running 2 hours late and texted me a picture of him waiting at a car dealership saying, “still waiting”, and I was pretty pissy at this point and said, “if you’re gonna cancel on me, just cancel dude, I have work in the morning and I’ve already waited over two hours for you.” My guy then said, “fine, I’m cancelling then. Good luck finding someone else to finish your tat”. But dudes didn’t know that the owners of the shop he worked at were family friends of my fam, and they told him that he was way out of line and unprofessional and that they wouldn’t allow for him to represent their parlor in that manner. He wasn’t fired, but they put him on a professional development plan which included no longer letting him handle his bookings solo. I only get my tattoos from the owners now (well, one of them, the other has a super heavy hand according to my mom and sister, which scares me 😅). But it just highlights how professional tattoo artists carry themselves, this is something they love doing and they take it seriously. Never let someone who’s being rude or unreasonable anywhere near your skin with a needle, you’ve gotta be 1000% comfortable with your artist.

[@ChelseaLynnThibodeaux]

In case you missed my last comment. Marlena Stell will be on "the sesh" on KZbin on Wednesday. I love Kendall and Janelle and can't wait to see the interview and would love to hear your take on it.

[@AngelikaOles]

I can’t wait to watch it!

[@ChelseaLynnThibodeaux]

@@AngelikaOles me too! I also can't wait to see you cover the interview, if you choose to do so.

[@kathleenuclear]

Something unrelated to the actual topic but related to the name: tacking -gate onto the end of a scandal name dates back to the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. Because it happened at the Watergate Hotel, the scandal itself was often just referenced by "Watergate," and it became popular after that to call any widespread scandal by "blank-gate," it's pretty amazing that it's stuck around this long.

[@brandnouis]

this whole situation is crazy to me because my pretty detailed tattoo only cost me £40 (free consultation, £20 deposit, £20 at the appointment) and my bf got his tattoo for free by his cousin who owns a tattoo shop the only tattoos imo that are worth as much as she’s charging are full torso/back tattoos especially a torso one i’ve just seen on tiktok where the artist freehanded the design using both hands ambidextrously and made a huge, perfectly symmetrical tattoo

[@jeni-w7748]

Learning this lady is from the same city as me was WILD because you said the name of the studio & I just about fell over

[@Gyouseii]

Honestly what a freaking ride. As an illustrator and designer, I understand the need of getting paid for that part of the work. But with Tattoo artists, the artwork they create in the end is the tattoo. Often you pay deposit, sometimes consultation, and perhaps even some money for a sketch (so if you pull out, they haven't lost a shit ton of money by not being able to find someone else to get work from). But it's also common to just have that be a part of the tattoo price, or even be deducted of the total you have to pay, as it was deposit and not lost time in the end. My most recent tattoo was 150 EU per hour. It sounds like a lot, but part of that IS the sketch, the materials for tattoo, the overhead of the studio, their taxes, their insurance, their actual income and money towards their pension or future. It sounds like a lot but in the end, you can imagine it being reasonable. 3600 for a DESIGN of a tattoo, WITHOUT including the tattoo? That's like really expensive commissions or art prints.

[@Gyouseii]

Also... "if you don't pay for my tier 1 design fee, you just get my artwork or bugger off" attitude is freaking weird. The sketch freaking sucks but turns out she most likely TRACED another artist as well. Which unfortunately happens a lot, but for the amount of money she paid. And then the shit talking of the other artists?! The only positive thing about this is so many people offered and drew many tattoo designs. What IS bad is people bombing Lucid Tattoo on the wrong shop...

[@galacpebble1734]

btw in tattoo artist terms if she wants to only do her own designs without getting peoples input on your stuff at all: they're called "wanna do's" and you offer them for a fixed price on your socials. You can call them flashes but those are usually small. If someone gets a tattoo that IS custom. it HAS to be by default, that IS the transaction you are doing. The trust a client puts into the artist is to come with an idea and for the artist to be able to make something beautiful and permanent out of it. Also the pricing is psychotic for what it is. Even stuff like full illustration WITH rights for publishing (like book covers) costs less wtf

[@haleydarko2989]

I got a huge tattoo at a famous tattoo studio in Las Vegas and I only paid 400. These new artists are out of their damn minds.

[@RUlNA]

The reason they're called xyz-gate is because it's a reference to the Watergate Scandal in American history!

[@brentmatheson4729]

I live in the same city as Tattoo gate artist. I just got my first tattoo from an artist not too far from me...not her. The process was very transparent. His hourly fee is right on his website. His deposit he charges, which goes toward the final price of the tattoo, was right on his website. His policies are clearly documented when I made the appointment. When I told him what I wanted he sent a few photos from the internet to show the various ways we could go that were true to his style. I chose one and he drew up a sketch. I saw the sketch when I showed up the day of the appointment and he did the tattoo. Nice and easy. From what I know of the tattoo industry, this lady is not the norm. Addendum: It is normal to not see a sketch until the day of an appointment. Also, the sketch does often look like that one and is not detailed. The problem here, I think, is that the artist seems to indicate, by charging, is that you will get much more than that. Another point for perspective. I was told by a tattoo artist that one of their clients has gotten a tattoo from a 'high end' tattoo studio in Toronto. It was a photorealistic tattoo of Freddy Mercury that was about the size of a deck of cards. It cost $3000 and was beyond mind-blowing in its detail. The artist was transparent about costs and the final product made the client really happy. Compare that to potentially $6000 before the ink even starts and is not meeting the client's specs. This story is nuts.

[@LizMcDo]

“I’ve got an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil, I can make something happen for you” TOOK ME OUT

[@P1X1EHAZE]

Seriously somebody stop this girl. I can’t handle the absolutely gorgeousness ❤

[@katedring]

This is why I've never had a tattoo artist design a tattoo for me because of fear of something like this happening I always just get flash designs that I like. I mean I doubt anything as bad as this would happen though lol

[@samanthahelenn]

I'm pretty covered in tattoos and I've never even heard of a consult fee.... Deposits sure (and they are normally taken out of your tattoo fee on the day. I put down a deposit of $150 and my tattoo is $750 so on the day I pay $600), but never a consult fee! Let alone a design fee! I'm from Australia, but a full day sitting for most artists is less than $1000 too (that's less than the design fee she charged). Absolutely insane. A full day of getting multiple tattoos or a large piece averages $800 for most artists. I'm bamboozled

[@Zooeeaayy]

Yesss been waiting for this one. Tattoo gate finally made me download tiktok for the first time. Bonkers behaviour!

[@Zooeeaayy]

The idea that she's pricing people out of edits and either stealing their money or forcing them into getting permanent art they don't want makes me sick. Tattoos are meant to be exactly what you want.

[@haveagoodday5446]

As someone with a lot of tattoos, yes this is insane. 🤯

[@shayleenrose9118]

I live in Canada, I love tats have a few and will get more. I’ve never heard of packages before, I always pay the full amount and tip well for the artists time but omg that is not even close to a normal price! My ex got a full sleeve with no blank space for 1k plus like $100 deposit fee. The way she keeps saying it’s standard practice is giving.. gaslighting.

[@shaniasstitches8026]

I'm looking at my first tattoo in honor of my cat that recently passed. The tattoo consultation was free and he told me the approximate price for it on top of how much pain I'd expect

[@snuterella]

This is absolutely insane on the tattoo artist’s part, and I would NEVER participate in her business practices, which should 100% be more transparent. CRAZY. As a person with two full arm sleeves, a full side piece, and a few more here and there, I’ve never had to pay for a consultation or a sketch, down payments are generally $250, and an hourly rate of $150 is pretty standard. Idgaf how good of an artist she is, that’s just insane

[@celestitenight8425]

I've only heard of consultations having a charge that is like a deposit that will go to the tattoos total cost(so pay half at the consult and half on the tattoo date) so they know you'll get a tattoo and not just waste time and get a free sketch this is I n s a n e

[@iga9709]

Thats literally every dentist visit I've been on

[@me_hello1830]

I’m getting 2 tattoos this summer and granted they’re pretty simple medium designs but I’m paying $800 total for both…