I'm planning to get a tattoo, what's the average hourly rate of artist that's not particularly famous?

the price sounds pretty standard for a non-famous artist in seoul honestly. $400-600 usd converts to about 500k-800k won which is normal for a detailed forearm piece from a solid mid-tier shop. if anything, the split-day option is a green flag because it shows they care about your comfort and the quality of the work

one thing i'd check is whether they're registered with the local health office - tattoo shops in seoul need to be licensed under the public health act, and legit artists will have that paperwork visible or at least be upfront about it. you can also ask to see their workspace on kakao or instagram before you go, if they're cagey about showing the actual studio that's a red flag

for the style you mentioned, dark ornamental is pretty popular in hongdae and around euljiro so you might find similar artists there if you want to compare. but honestly if you like their portfolio and they've done guest work abroad they're probably fine, just make sure you communicate clearly about sizing and placement since language barriers can mess with expectations sometimes

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tbh $400-600 for a forearm piece sounds about right for a mid-tier artist in Seoul. the hourly rates here are generally lower than in the US or Europe, so that's not a red flag at all. 8K followers is actually decent for a local artist who's not trying to be an influencer, and guest work in different countries usually means they're legit enough to get invited abroad

one thing to check is their portfolio for healed work, not just fresh photos. a lot of artists post stuff right after it's done but the real test is how it settles after a few months. also ask if they have a physical shop in Seoul or if they're working out of a rented studio space, it's pretty common here but you want to make sure it's clean and licensed

hongdae and itaewon have a ton of reputable shops if you wanna browse around before committing. the quote being a one day session is normal for that size, it's when they try to rush a huge piece in a few hours that you should worry

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Depends heavily on the shop and their location within Seoul. Expect to pay anywhere from ₩150,000 to ₩300,000+ per hour, but you'll likely find the average closer to the lower end unless they're working in a super trendy, high-profile studio. Shop around and check portfolios!

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Reserve the 2pm seating, gets packed after 3.

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the set, not a la carte

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Coming from Haebangchon, take line 6 to Itaewon then walk up, taxi is only like 6,000 won though. Skip the scones honestly, they're dry. Order the first flush darjeeling a la carte and a slice of their matcha roll.

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