How We Approach Custom Tattoo Design
"Can you design me something custom?" is one of the questions we get asked the most, and the honest answer is always yes — but custom doesn't mean we pull something out of thin air five minutes before your appointment. It's a process, and it's one we take seriously, because you're going to be wearing this for the rest of your life.
Here's what actually happens between your first message and the day you sit in the chair.
It Starts With a Proper Conversation
Every custom piece starts the same way: talking to you. Not a form you fill in and forget about — an actual back-and-forth about what you want, why you want it, and where it's going on your body.
We're listening for:
- The idea itself — a motif, a memory, a feeling you're trying to capture
- Placement — because a design that works on a forearm won't necessarily work on a ribcage
- Style — whether that's fine line, bold traditional, Japanese, realism, or something in between
- References — photos, other tattoos, paintings, anything that shows us the direction rather than just describing it
This is also where we're honest with you if something isn't going to work the way you're picturing it — too much detail for the placement, an idea that'll blur within a few years, a size that won't do the design justice. We'd rather tell you that upfront than let you find out after it's permanent.
Matching You With the Right Artist
Custom design isn't one-size-fits-all, and neither are we. Every artist at Good Times has their own strengths, and part of our job is pointing you toward the person whose style actually fits your idea.
If you're after stunning Japanese work with real narrative flow, that's Nikole's world. Want something bold and folk-inspired with strong linework? That's Kamila Daisy. Looking for realism or surrealism in black and grey, or maybe biomechanic? Piotrek Taton. Clean black illustration is Emily Rabbit's territory, sketchy floral and animal pieces are Jodie Mae's, and if you want something classic, old school or beautiful script, that's Andy aka Wham Bam.
Getting matched with the right artist at this stage saves everyone time — and it usually means a better tattoo.
The Design Itself
Once we know what you're after, the artist starts sketching. This part happens off-camera, so to speak — we're not going to send you fifteen half-finished drafts to pick apart. What you'll see is a design that's already been thought through: composition, flow, how it'll sit on your specific body, how it'll age.
Approval, Then the Chair
We usually show you the design on the day itself, and we build in plenty of time before we start tattooing to go over it together and make any changes until you're genuinely happy with it. No rushing you into the chair with a design you're still unsure about.
You'll fill out your consent form before we get started, but we don't go through aftercare at this point — or while we're tattooing. Honestly, people forget most of what's said in that window anyway, whether it's nerves or just being mid-session. Instead, once your session's done, we'll go over the full aftercare instructions, and we'll also send them over by email, so you've got something to actually refer back to once you're home.
Why We Don't Rush This Part
We could design faster if we skipped the conversation and just handed you something generic with your idea loosely bolted on. We don't, because a rushed custom design usually looks like exactly that — rushed. The pieces we're proudest of are the ones where the client and artist actually worked through the idea together first.
If you've got an idea you want to talk through, drop us a message. We'll ask a few questions, point you toward the right artist, and go from there.
📍 Good Times Tattoo, 8 Lower Clapton Road, Hackney, London E5 0PD 📬 Get in touch via the contact form
We don't do online booking — every custom piece starts with a real conversation, not a click.
Good Times Tattoo has been part of East London since 2009.
