So i’m getting this big cover up done currently…(the artist i got to from a referral)… so we’re 4 sessions deep now and the depends depends on how you look at it…

appt 1 was at 5 oclock… he had a walk in (i knew from overhearing the convo) before mine…i waiting an hour before seen… the session was about 4 hours long and he actually tattoo-ed for about an hour…he kept freehand drawing and erasing over and over…

appt 2 – had to wait 45 mins to been seen – same results – spent about and hour tatooing – rest of the 3 hours drawing and erasing – then “I’m not getting what i want’ let me take a pic and i’ll sketch it out —told me he would send the ‘study’ via text which he did not…

appt 3 – i showed up and he forgot i was even booked – waited an hour to be seen – had to search and search for the guys number—told me his appt was at 5 first but then at 5:15 said “he should show up in 20-30 mins…and should take an hour”…now on appt #1 he said it would take 15 mins to finish…took an hour…session was same – 4 hours and most of the time drawing and erasing – the session ended at “amn, i’m burnt right now, I’m drawing stupid shit now – let me put something down on paper and text me for the study in 4 days” —i texted him – no response…when i got there…there was nothing on paper – he was freestyling again…

appt 4 was 3 hours – started on time – worked up until another person called him for his session

now- from appt 2-4 he said he would be shading and now just the outline is done… the piece is a 3/4 sleeve…i asked him how much longer it will take…he said 10-15 hours… on initial visit (before session 1) he said he charged $150/hr …on session 1 he re-iterated $150 hr but said “actual tattooing hour(s)’ —so right now i am $1200 deep… i’m lucky to have even 4 hours of actual ink to skin done.

what can i say about his pricing? – should i put the timer on my cell when he starts and when he stops and at the end say ‘you only tattooed for XXX amount of time” – that seems sooo lame and will make me look like an ass?— and dude takes about 5-7 smoke breaks per session…

i’m pretty much at his mercy because the whole sleeve is in his mind…i really can’t go anywhere else and have them finish it… many lines are done and there are many lines he put without ink so it would be next to impossible for someone else to figure out

i feel like i’m getting gouged pretty good…so basically… how do i handle this situation?… if he’s going to be 10-15 hrs more at $150/session comes out to $1500 – $2250…+ the $1200 already in…then tip?…we are talking major bucks and the first person i went to see first quoted me under 2K…i’m at a loss …and with a tip? i don’t even feel like he deserves one… appointment issue everytime, told me one thing/did another on the drawing/all the time spent just drawing and erasing at my expense etc.

sorry for the lengthy email… any advice? — i def. don’t want to come of as a dick but don’t want to get ripped off either ya know