Resident artist
Tuba
A resident who works small and precise: fine line, botanical detail and quiet blackwork, and the kind of first tattoo you are glad you waited for.
Tuba works at the delicate end of the craft. Fine line, botanical studies, dotwork shading and small, considered lettering, the sort of tattoo that reads as jewellery rather than armour. It is unforgiving work, because there is nowhere to hide a wobble in a single clean line, and that precision is the whole appeal.
A lot of her clients are getting their first tattoo, and she builds the appointment around that. You will know what is happening before it happens, the design is drawn for you rather than pulled off a wall, and nothing starts until the placement sits right on your skin.
Fine line asks for a little honesty about longevity. A hair-thin line on a spot that creases or catches the sun ages faster than most people expect, so part of the consultation is choosing placement and weight that will still look like the drawing in ten years, not just on the day.
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The work
What they do
- Fine line
- Botanical
- Blackwork
- Dotwork
- Delicate lettering
- First tattoos
Before you book
I want a small first tattoo. Is that too small to bother with?
Not at all. A lot of what I do is someone’s first piece, and small does not mean careless. It still gets a custom drawing, the right placement and the same time on the design as anything larger.
Will fine line last, or will it fade?
Fine line lasts well when it is placed with ageing in mind. Very thin lines on high-friction spots like fingers, feet and inner wrists soften faster, so I will be honest at the consultation about where a design will hold and where it will not.
Can you design a botanical piece around flowers that mean something to me?
Yes, that is my favourite kind of brief. Bring the specific plants, a rough placement and any meaning behind them, and I will compose something drawn for your body rather than a stock outline.
Do I need a consultation first?
Yes. Every piece starts with a chat about the idea, size, placement and style, so the design that arrives on the day is genuinely yours. It can be at the studio or over Zoom if you are travelling in.
How do I book with you?
Send your idea and any reference through the enquiry form. Once we have talked it through we will set a consultation and a date, and a deposit secures the appointment.
Consultations are free. Bring a reference, a story, or nothing at all.
Enquire with Tuba
