FAQ

Not required. Many collectors start with a sleeve, a half sleeve, or a leg sleeve. What matters is that wherever you start, it's planned with intention. not just for that piece, but for everything it might become.

A sleeve typically takes six months to two years of consistent sessions depending on scale and complexity. A back piece usually takes one to three years. A full suit can take five years or longer. Every completed stage stands on its own. You decide how far it goes.

Worth discussing in the consultation. Some existing work fits naturally into a new composition. Some creates limitations. Every situation is different and handled individually.

Both. Machine handles line work and solid coverage. Tebori is used for shading and color where the hand produces a different quality of result. Every project gets the right tool for what the piece actually needs.

Fill out the consultation form. That's the whole first step.

Item dFill out the consultation form and tell me what you're thinking, even if it's just a feeling and not a finished plan. You don't need references, placement, or answers yet. That's what the consultation is for. We build the plan together before anything touches skin.escription

Item dNo. Most serious projects start as a direction, not a blueprint. You bring what you're drawn to and what it means to you. I bring the tradition, the composition, and the planning. By the end of the consultation you'll know exactly what we're building and how.escription

We talk. You tell me what you've been carrying around, sometimes for years. Then we map it: subject matter, placement, scale, and where the work goes long term. Every project gets planned as a complete composition before the first session, so nothing gets started that closes a door later. You leave with a clear plan and a date, not a maybe.

Yes. That's part of planning, not a problem with it. We look at what's there, what you want it to become, and design the new work so everything reads as one body of work instead of separate pieces. Bring photos to the consultation or send them with your form.

Standard rate is $150 per hour

large scale Japanese rate is $125 per hour

Because your session time is reserved for you and turned away from everyone else. The deposit protects that. If life happens and you need to reschedule, reach out and we'll move it. The deposit follows your project, it doesn't disappear.

Bring anything: references, sketches, a photo you saved four years ago. But what goes on your body gets designed for your body. I don't trace a picture onto a plan that has to move with your arm for the rest of your life. Your idea is the starting point. The composition is what we build from it.

Tebori flash starts at $100 and that's exactly what it's for. A single piece, done right, done by hand. Plenty of large-scale projects started as one flash piece and a conversation. No pressure to commit to more than you're ready for.

The symbolism is real and it's older than any of us, but it isn't a menu where koi means one thing for everyone. In the consultation we connect the tradition's imagery to your actual life, researched properly, not recited from a flash sheet. You'll know what you're wearing and why before we ever start.

We set a rhythm that fits your healing, your schedule, and your budget. Some collectors sit monthly, some spread it out further. The plan doesn't fall apart if life slows you down, because it was designed as a whole from day one. The work waits for you, it doesn't drift.

Case by case. Some pieces can be built over, some need work first, and I'll tell you honestly which one you have. Send photos with your form and we'll figure out what's actually possible before you spend anything.