Tattoo FAQ

It depends on size, detail, placement and which artist you book with. Small pieces start from £60. Hourly rates run from £100 to £120 depending on the artist, and full day sessions are available from £500.

The best way to get an accurate figure is to send us your idea, consultations are free and there's no obligation to go ahead.

Fill in the booking form on our website, DM us on Instagram, call 01903 231951 or email rick@brokenpuppet.co.uk.

Once we've discussed your idea and you're happy to go ahead, a deposit secures your appointment. That deposit comes off the final price on the day.

Yes. A deposit is required to secure all bookings. The amount varies depending on the size of the piece. It's deducted from your final price on the day of your appointment.

Yes, when we have availability. It's always worth calling ahead rather than just showing up, especially if you have a specific artist in mind. We're open Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat from 11am to 6pm.

Yes, no charge and no commitment. You can come in, talk through your idea, see examples and get a quote before deciding whether to go ahead. A lot of people find it useful just to have a conversation before committing to anything.

It varies by artist and how busy the studio is. For smaller pieces you might get in within a week or two. For larger or more complex work with one of our senior artists, a few weeks to a couple of months is more realistic. The apprentices tend to have more immediate availability.

If you have a specific date in mind, get in touch as early as you can.

Chloe Toogood offers discounted rates as an apprentice artist. She works under Rick's supervision and produces excellent work in her style. She also typically has more immediate availability than the senior artists.

Yes. Choose your artist on the studio booking form and your request goes to the studio inbox, marked for them. If you are unsure which artist is right for your idea, tell us what you are after and we will point you in the right direction.

We ask for as much notice as possible. Deposits are non-refundable on short notice cancellations because they protect the artist's time that has been set aside for your appointment. If you give us reasonable notice we will always do our best to rebook you. Your deposit carries over to the new appointment date.

Yes, but most people find it very manageable. Where it sits on the pain scale depends a lot on placement, ribs, feet and hands are more sensitive than arms, thighs and upper back.

Your artist will check in with you throughout and work at a pace you're comfortable with. If you need a break, just say so.

Small pieces can be done in under an hour. Medium-sized work typically takes two to four hours. Large or complex pieces, sleeves, back pieces, full leg work, are usually split across multiple sessions to keep quality high and your skin in good condition.

Your artist will give you a realistic time estimate before you book.

Eat a proper meal beforehand, your blood sugar dropping mid-session is not fun. Stay hydrated, get decent sleep the night before and avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours. Alcohol thins the blood and makes the skin harder to work with.

Wear clothing that gives easy access to the area being tattooed. If it's a back piece, a top you can take off easily. If it's a leg, shorts or loose trousers.

For smaller pieces the design is usually ready on the day of your appointment. For larger or more involved work, your artist may send it across ahead of time so you can review it and request any changes before you come in.

Either way, nothing gets tattooed until you're happy with it.

Yes. Space is limited so one person is ideal, but you're welcome to bring someone for support, especially if it's your first tattoo.

Yes. If your tattoo needs touching up once it's fully healed and you've followed the aftercare advice, we'll sort it out. Just get in touch once it's healed, usually around four weeks, and we'll book you in.

A consultation is a free, no-obligation meeting with the artist who will be doing your tattoo. You bring your ideas and reference images and they assess what will work, suggest adaptations where needed, and begin developing the design brief. Nothing is committed to and nothing is paid for. The consultation is where the tattoo actually starts to take shape.

Yes, always. We do not adapt generic flash or use pre-drawn designs without significant reworking. Custom means custom. Your design will be drawn for your placement, your body and your brief. That is what separates a piece that truly fits from one that was just placed.

Yes, and for larger pieces this is often the best approach. Splitting work across sessions gives the skin time to recover and allows you to assess how the piece is developing. Your artist will advise on the best session structure at the consultation. Deposits are taken per session for ongoing work.

Between the five of us, traditional, neo traditional, Japanese, realism, black and grey, ornamental, fine line, micro, pixel, anime, cover-ups and large-scale custom work. Most styles are covered under one roof.

If you're not sure who's the right fit for your idea, just describe what you're after and we'll point you in the right direction. See the artist pages for a breakdown of who does what.

All our work is custom. We don't pull flash off the wall and stamp it on, everything is designed around your idea, your body and where it's going. Even if you only have a rough concept, that's enough to start a conversation.

Yes and it genuinely helps. Reference images give us a clearer idea of the style, colours and feel you're going for. They don't have to be tattoos, artwork, photos, objects, anything that captures the vibe works.

We use references as a starting point, not a copy. The finished design will be something original built around your idea.

Yes, cover-ups are something we have a lot of experience with. Rick in particular has done hundreds of them. In most cases we can completely transform an existing piece into something you're proud of.

Send us a photo of the existing tattoo along with your idea and we'll give you an honest assessment of what's achievable. See the cover-ups page for examples.

They can if the technique isn't right or the aftercare is poor. Done properly with the correct needle configuration and depth, and looked after well, fine line work holds up. Our artists who specialise in fine line work have techniques specifically designed to maximise how long it lasts.

Placement matters too, areas that get a lot of sun or friction will fade faster regardless of style.

Often yes, depending on the type and age of the scar. Older, fully healed scars are generally much easier to work with than recent ones. Send us a photo and we'll give you a straight answer on what's possible.

Gold Drip is Rick Shaw's original technique built across three stages: black and grey, then gold elements added, then full colour completing the piece. The result has genuine depth impossible to achieve in a single session. It is exclusively available through Rick at Broken Puppet.

X-Ray Fusion is Rick Shaw's second original style. A traditional tattoo layered over a detailed x-ray view of the anatomy beneath, creating a design that reads as bold and traditional from a distance but reveals an entirely different layer of detail up close. Only available through Rick at Broken Puppet.

Yes. Simon Watkins is a specialist in ear tattoo work and won first place in the Decorative category at Brighton Tattoo Convention 2026. Every ear piece is designed to use the anatomy of the ear as part of the composition rather than treating it as a flat surface.

Yes. Rick Shaw specialises in large scale work including full sleeves, back pieces and full leg work. This type of work is planned carefully from the start with composition, flow and long-term ageing all considered at the design stage. We offer day rate sessions for clients committing to major projects.

Yes. Zoe A G specialises in pixel art, gaming and pop culture tattoos. Her work covers classic game sprites, detailed character work from anime, gaming and film. She also works in fine line, stipple and micro tattoos. Find her on Instagram at @zagtattoo.

You'll get full aftercare guidance on the day, including the products we use and recommend. We use Dermalize second skin film for most tattoos, which protects the area during the first critical days of healing. For aftercare cream we use Yayo Familia.

Full instructions are on our aftercare page so you can refer back to them any time.

The surface heals in around two to three weeks. Full healing, including the deeper layers of skin, takes up to four weeks. During this time the colours may look dull or patchy as the skin settles. That's normal.

Touch-ups are done once the tattoo is fully healed, not before.

Yes, both are a normal part of the healing process. Don't pick or scratch, it can pull ink out and damage the surface. If it's itchy, pat it gently instead.

Not until it's fully healed. Swimming, pools, sea, baths, introduces bacteria and can seriously damage a healing tattoo. Direct sun fades new ink fast and can cause irritation. Once it's healed, use a high SPF on it whenever it's in the sun to keep it looking sharp long-term.

Get in touch straight away, Instagram, phone or email. Send us a photo and we'll tell you if it looks normal or if there's something that needs attention. Don't sit and worry about it.

Not for the first two weeks. Exercise increases blood pressure and causes sweating, both of which can affect how the ink settles and increase infection risk. Light walking is fine but avoid anything that significantly raises your heart rate or causes the tattooed area to flex repeatedly until it is properly healed.

Keep the tattoo out of direct sun for at least two weeks while it heals. After that, always apply high factor SPF sunscreen over it when it will be exposed. UV light fades tattoo ink faster than almost anything else. A well-protected tattoo will still look strong in twenty years. A regularly sunburned one will not.

Start with a consultation. Come in, bring any ideas or images you have been collecting, and talk it through with one of our artists. You do not need to have everything figured out beforehand. The consultation is exactly where that process happens. Our complete first tattoo guide also covers everything you need to know.

Look through the portfolios and find what you are drawn to. If you are unsure, our artists are good at helping people narrow down their ideas at the consultation. The key is matching the style to the artist. A fine line idea should go to Sarah Peters. Ornamental or ear work to Simon Watkins. Traditional, Gold Drip or large scale to Rick Shaw.

Yes, always. Your artist will show you the design and apply the stencil before any tattooing begins. You will be able to check the placement and sizing and request adjustments before anything is permanent. Nothing gets started until you are genuinely happy with what you see.

Completely. Most first-time clients arrive nervous and leave wondering what they were worried about. Our studio is calm and welcoming. None of our artists will rush you or make you feel pressured. If you need a break during the session, just say so. You can read what our clients say on the reviews page.

It depends on the condition and any medication you are taking. Some conditions and medications can affect healing, bleeding or how the skin responds to tattooing. If you are unsure, speak to your GP first and let us know when you get in touch. We would rather discuss it properly than make assumptions.

4 Gratwicke Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 4BH. We're a short walk from Worthing town centre and the train station. There's parking nearby on Gratwicke Road and the surrounding streets. Full directions are on the Find Us page.

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11am to 6pm. Closed Sunday and Tuesday.

Yes. The studio is fully licensed and operates to professional hygiene standards, single-use needles, disposable equipment and proper sterilisation throughout. If you have any concerns or specific questions about our hygiene practices, just ask.

Yes. A good chunk of our clients come to us for their first tattoo. We're used to working with people who are nervous, unsure what to expect or haven't fully settled on their idea yet. The consultation is specifically designed to take the pressure out of it.

18. We don't tattoo anyone under 18 under any circumstances, including with parental consent. ID will be asked for if there's any doubt.

It depends on the condition and any medication involved. Some conditions and medications can affect how the skin heals or how it responds to tattooing. If you're unsure, speak to your GP first and let us know when you get in touch, we'd rather discuss it properly than make assumptions.

We are at 4 Gratwicke Road, Worthing, BN11 4BH. A short walk from Worthing town centre and train station. There is on-street parking nearby. If you are travelling from Brighton, Chichester or elsewhere in West Sussex, our travel guide has full directions and transport details.

Yes. Simon Watkins won first place in the Decorative category at Brighton Tattoo Convention 2026. Rick Shaw holds a YouTube Silver Creator Award for his How To Tattoo educational series and is co-founder of Tattoo Space. The studio has received recognition across multiple categories over the years.

Of course. Come in during opening hours and have a look around. No appointment needed just to visit. We are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 6pm. Closed Sunday and Tuesday.

Yes. If you would like to buy a gift voucher for someone, get in touch via the booking form or call us on 01903 231951 and we will sort it out for you.