Fine line

Fine line is the most requested style in the studio and the one most often done badly elsewhere. Done right it heals soft and clear; done wrong it blurs into a grey smudge in two years. The difference is depth, needle choice and placement, and Ash will tell you honestly which placements will not work.

Ash works with a single needle or a 3-liner for most pieces, at a depth that keeps the line crisp without blowing out, and draws botanical work from real plants rather than Pinterest. Script is set by hand, not from a font, and sized so it will still be legible when the lines spread slightly over the years, because they do, which is why we will not do four-point lettering on a finger.

Fingers, the sides of feet, palms and the inside of the lip fade fast and unevenly whatever the artist tells you. We tattoo them, once we have explained that, with a free touch-up at three months and no promises beyond that. A fine-line piece on the forearm, upper arm, ribs or shoulder, kept out of the sun, will look the way it did on the day for a very long time.

What is included

• Single needle and 3-liner work
• Botanical, script, symbols, micro-realism
• Hand-set lettering, not a font
• Honest placement advice
• Free touch-up within three months
• Second-skin film for the first days

What it costs

Small fine-line pieces from £80, botanical forearm pieces from £180, script from £70. Quoted as a fixed price after a consultation, usually by email the same day. Prices include VAT. Flash prices are on the flash wall; every tattoo leaves with the aftercare sheet.