Most people think a custom tattoo consultation in Miami starts the day they sit down with the artist. In my experience it starts earlier, with the first message you send. The more clearly that message describes the idea, the placement and the size, the faster we get to a design that actually fits you. I'm Paul Michael Andras, a resident artist at Miami Ink on Washington Avenue in South Beach, and this is how I'd suggest preparing so the consultation is useful instead of a long round of back and forth.
The quick answer: bring a clear idea of what the piece is about, a rough sense of where it goes and how big, and a handful of good reference images. You don't need a finished drawing. That part is my job.
What a Custom Tattoo Consultation in Miami Covers
Every custom piece I do begins with a conversation about your ideas, your inspiration and what you want the tattoo to say. In practical terms we cover four things: your concept and references, placement and size, the style you're after, and an estimate for time and pricing. Looking through my portfolio together is part of that too, because it's the quickest way to agree on the look before anything gets drawn.
It helps to know what the consultation is not. It isn't the moment you approve a final design. Once we've aligned on the concept, I draw the custom artwork, we refine it together, and the last adjustments happen on the day of your session when the stencil is on your skin. If you want the full sequence from first message to healed tattoo, it's laid out in the process.
What to Put in Your Inquiry
The booking form on every page asks for your tattoo idea, a placement (arm, leg, back, chest, full sleeve or other), an approximate size, and optional reference images. Those fields exist for a reason, and filling them in well saves us both a lot of time.
- The idea in plain words. Tell me what the piece is and why it matters. "A black and grey portrait of my grandfather from a photo taken in the seventies" tells me far more than "portrait." If there's a feeling you want, like calm, dark, dramatic or soft, say so.
- Placement, even if you're unsure. Pick the closest option and add a note if you're torn between two spots. Placement changes the composition, so it's worth thinking about early.
- A size that matches the detail. The form uses ranges from small (2 to 4 inches) up to extra large (10 inches and up) and full sleeve or leg. Realism needs room for contrast and depth, so if the idea is detailed and the size is tiny, expect me to talk honestly about what will hold up.
- Your reference images. Upload them with the inquiry rather than describing them. More on choosing these below.
Inquiries usually get a reply within 24 to 48 hours. If the idea is still forming, send it anyway. Part of the consultation is shaping a loose concept into something that works on skin.
Choosing Reference Images That Actually Help
I always encourage people to bring references even if they aren't tattoo photos. Paintings, film stills, a photo of a place, a texture you love, all of it tells me something about the mood you want. That said, some references do more work than others.
For anything you want reproduced closely, like a face, a pet or a specific object, the source photo matters a lot. Look for good resolution, clear lighting that shows where the shadows fall, and a view where the important details are actually visible. A sharp original almost always beats a cropped screenshot. For black and grey realism in particular, strong light and dark areas in the photo make it much easier to build depth in the tattoo.
It also helps to send one or two pieces from my own work that are close to what you're imagining. That gives us a shared reference point for contrast, detail level and overall feel, so the conversation is about your piece rather than vocabulary.
How Placement and Size Get Decided
This is the part people tend to underestimate. A design is drawn to fit your body, not dropped onto it, so the same idea can look very different on a forearm, a calf or a shoulder blade. During the consultation we'll talk about how the piece should flow with the shape of the area, how visible you want it to be day to day, and whether it might connect to future work later on.
Comfort is part of the conversation as well. Areas with more nerve endings or less muscle, like the ribs, feet and hands, tend to be more sensitive. That doesn't rule them out, it just means it's worth knowing before you commit.
Size and time are tied together. Sessions typically run 2 to 6 hours depending on size and complexity, and larger projects are split across multiple sessions with healing time in between. If you're thinking about a sleeve or a back piece, the consultation is where we map out roughly how the work breaks down so there are no surprises later. On pricing, small pieces may start around $150-300, while larger custom work is typically priced by the session or day rate, and every quote is personalised once I've seen your idea. If you're covering an older tattoo, the planning shifts a bit, and the cover-ups page explains why.
Coming in From Around South Florida
A lot of people find me after searching for a tattoo artist near me in Miami, and plenty of them live nowhere near South Beach. Clients regularly come from Wynwood, Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Downtown Miami, and from Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward and Palm Beach counties. So if you were looking for a Wynwood tattoo artist, a Brickell tattoo artist or a Coral Gables tattoo artist and ended up here, the trip to Washington Avenue is part of the plan, and it's worth sorting placement and references before your session so the day itself is spent tattooing.
For the session, the usual preparation applies: get a good night's sleep, eat a substantial meal beforehand, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol for 24 hours before, and wear comfortable clothing that gives easy access to the area. Bring some music or a podcast for longer sittings.
If you've got an idea you've been sitting on, the best first step is to send it through the booking form on my Miami tattoos page with your placement, size and references. I'll read it, ask the questions that matter, and we'll start shaping it into something that's yours.