Frequently Asked Questions
Location:
Optic Nerve Arts in Jack’s Station building
7911 N Lombard St
Portland, OR 97203
Contact:
Pedro Dorsey - pedrodorseytattoo@gmail.com
Tim Jordan - timjordantattoos@gmail.com
Jeremy Switzer - jrme.tattoo@gmail.com
Artist Rates:
Shop minimum: $200
Hourly Rate Pedro Dorsey & Tim Jordan: $250
Hourly Rate Jeremy Switzer: $200
Follow us on Instagram:
Shop: @opticnervearts
Pedro - @gibangous
Tim - @timjordantattoos
Jeremy - @jeremyswitzerart
How do I get an appointment?
Go to your chosen artist’s profile either on our social media accounts or our shop website.
First, you want to click on “Tattoo Proposal Form”, and complete the form.
If your project is accepted, you will receive an email notifying you of that.
Then a Square link will be sent to you, requesting the deposit.
Once your deposit is paid, you will receive a scheduling email, including a link to the calendar.
You will then use that to schedule your consultation and the number of tattoo appointments/hours as are recommended in the scheduling email.
How does the deposit work?
Deposits are requested in an email after you receive the acceptance email. All deposits are non refundable.
How do I pay my deposit?
After you receive your acceptance email, you will receive a Square invoice requesting the $200 deposit. If you don’t have the Square app, don’t worry, you can pay on that invoice with most major credit/debit cards.
What is your preferred method of contact?
Due to the high volume of clients showing interest in our work, we prefer that you contact us through our respective emails. The Optic Nerve Arts phone number is often unattended. Please use the phone incase of last minute appointment issues such as arriving late for an appointment to to notify of cancelation on the same day of an appointment.
Is the studio open for walk-ins?
At the moment none of us has a lot of time for walk-ins. However, feel free to follow our Instagrams to see if we post any special days in the future.
How far out do your artists book out?
That is specific to each artist, and would best be answered by emailing the specific artist.
Do you have a waitlist?
No we don’t. Our scheduling system has been optimized, and requires that prospective clients go through the inquiry process in order to schedule with any of us. For those with a continuing piece, in need of an extra appointment, there is a cancellation calendar we can give you access to.
I am a returning client, how can I get access to the calendar?
On the “Tattoo Proposal Form” link, one of the first questions is “are you a returning client”. When we receive that, you will receive a calendar link.
What is your cancellation policy?
In order to preserve your deposit, we prefer to be notified through email, with 48 hours notice, please. Please do not use any other method of contact, since those might be missed. If you cancel on the day of, or don’t show up for your appointment, you will lose your deposit, and will need to submit a new deposit within 7 days of the missed appointment. If that is not completed within that time frame, you will lose the rest of your appointments.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
Rest is very important, so please get enough of it the night before.
Being well-fed also helps with pain tolerance. Please bring any snacks or fluids you might need during the session with you (we do have a filtered water station in the studio).
If you use a numbing cream, please follow their directions. In most cases, immediately sealing the area you’ve applied the numbing cream on with plastic wrap will help maintain its efficacy until you start getting tattooed.
Where can I find the tattoo proposal form?
The proposal form is available through a link on each artist’s profile, either on the shop site www.opticnervearts.com or our individual Instagrams.
If one of us gets sick, do I need to reschedule?
Yes, if you can find a cancellation slot that is — at least — 3 weeks before your next appointment. If not, you will have to wait until your next appointment, as well as add one in after your last existing appointment.
When should my consultation happen?
You should set your consultation in one of the available consultation slots, then your first tattoo appointment should be set 3 weeks after that. Please don’t book your first session any sooner, as this helps keep our drawing schedules reasonable.
How can I get tattooed if I only have weekends off?
The artists have differing schedules, and some may work weekend days. If the artist you chose does not, then it is up to you if you want to commit to getting work from that artist. It is important for us to keep a good work-life balance.
What if my project is not chosen?
If your project isn’t chosen, it might simply be bad timing. If you’re still interested, you could wait a while and submit your project again. In some cases, the artist might feel that your project isn’t a good fit for them. In that case, you might be able to get a recommendation for a different artist from them.
Can I bring a friend?
Yes, but with a caveat: if your friend is respectful, and doesn’t become too much of a distraction, they are welcome. Very opinionated friends who consider themselves a back-seat tattooer are not welcome. We need to be able to do the best job for you, and we’ve found that a friend second-guessing the choices you make for your own permanent decoration almost never results in a good tattoo.
What kind of content do your artists enjoy tattooing?
Pedro likes to do illustrative, painterly, realistic, or comic book styles, and enjoys cute, anime or cartoon styles as well. He does well with human figures.
Tim likes to do illustrative, painterly, realistic, or comic book styles, asian and american neo-traditional styles, and enjoys cute, or cartoon styles as well. He excels at human figures, animals and plants/flowers.
Jeremy likes illustrative, painterly, neo-traditional, traditional, comic book style, Galactic (space themed), black and gray, cover ups / reworks. Anything strange, funny, weird.
Is there anything your artists do not enjoy tattooing?
Pedro is generally open to any style. He prefers variety in the things he works on. That said, he will not work on faces, except to repair flawed work.
Tim is generally open to a variety of styles and imagery, but he prefers not to do designs with a lot of geometric shapes or repetitive patterns. He will also not tattoo faces or fingers.
Jeremy is open to many styles, but prefers not to do lettering - block or script. A couple of words, names or date with a design is ok, but no long sentences, paragraphs, or biblical quotes.
How long are standard appointments?
Pedro’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days, or 3 hour increments for smaller pieces.
Tim’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days for large piece starts, or 3 hour increments for smaller pieces and color/shading sessions on continuing pieces.
Jeremy’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days, or 4 hour increments for smaller pieces and color/shading sessions on continuing pieces. Occasionally Flash days will be offered where preset designs can be chosen from for smaller appointments.
Can I numb the area before my appointment? What brand do you recommend?
Yes, you can! We don’t specifically recommend any particular brand, mainly because there is always a new brand that everyone’s excited about. If you are unsure, feel free to email your artist to see if they have heard of anything good.
When can I see my drawing?
Each artist has their own system when preparing for a tattoo. Please refer to their individual Terms and Conditions for further information.
Can I make changes to my design? Are there fees for redrawing?
As explained above, each artist has their own system when preparing for a tattoo. Please refer to their individual Terms and Conditions for further information.
Healing:
This depends on the type of bandage used:
Self-stick bandage (Recovery, Saniderm, Tegaderm): Ideally, if you can keep the bandage intact (no leaks or gaps to open air) for 4 days, you can skip any heavy care. After removal of the film, you would go right to washing only when you shower then, after drying off, applying a moisturizing lotion whenever it dries out during the day. Ideally, simple lotions that are low on fragrance or aloe/vitamin E oil are best. Continue with consistent lotion use until the dryness goes away.
Clear wrap (non-stick) or absorbent pad: We recommend leaving these on overnight. Upon removal in the morning, wash with lukewarm water, soap and your hands. Pat it dry, then apply Aquaphor, Bag Balm, A&D ointment (or any other type recommended by your artist), rubbing it in as if you’re moisturizing. This is a less-is-best kind of situation, do not try to leave a shiny layer on the tattoo. Repeat this process 3-5 times a day for the first 3 days. Starting the morning of day 4, only wash the tattoo when showering, pat dry, apply lotion to moisturize throughout the day, as often as needed. After a week or two, skin texture should return to normal, and lotioning can be used whenever you feel you need it.
In either case, avoid direct sunlight, soaking or swimming, or aloe/vitamin E oil for 2 weeks. After that time, sunblock is acceptable.
What kind of bandages do you use?
Self-stick bandage (Recovery, Saniderm, Tegaderm)
Clear (non-stick) wrap
Absorbent pad
What should I expect the day after getting tattooed?
There should be some swelling and soreness. The feeling is similar to a localized sunburn or abrasion. As the first few days pass, the soreness will wane and then dry papery flakes will form on the surface, if you’ve been following the care instructions properly. If not, you may develop some thicker scabs. In either case, no scratching or picking on those, just let them fall off naturally.
Do hands and feet heal like the rest of the body? Do I need any extra care for these areas?
Hands and feet are generally harder to heal successfully. With hands it is really important to be aware to keep them clean, and to avoid too much soaking (like doing dishes). With feet, the problem is similar as far as cleanliness is concerned, but footwear can cause a lot of abrasion during the healing. Sandals sound like a good idea, but straps rubbing back and forth can irritate the tattoo (as well as abrading the dry skin or scabbing) during the delicate first week. Comfortable shoes, with white or light non-intensely colored socks, are the way to go. The socks act as a barrier, reducing abrasion from the shoes.
What is a touch-up and when will I need it?
Touch-ups are sessions booked to repair any flaws that might have cropped up during the healing. These flaws are generally small gaps in the color where it should be solid, though your artist may find other things to do to make your tattoo settle in perfectly. Touch-ups are not needed in most cases, but when they are, you’ll want to get them when you find an issue with the tattoo. If you’re not sure if one is needed, email your artist with a well-lit photo(s) of the healed tattoo, and they may ask you to book a touch-up session. If it’s needed, you can get a touch-up after the tattoo is healed for at least a full month, up to a year if you can’t return right away. Please be aware that waiting until close to the year’s end to get a touch-up is not advisable, since it might take a while for new color to settle in to match the existing work.
After a year, if you find you need retouching on your tattoo, your artist will charge for the time, since any loss of color by that point is due to care (or lack thereof) of the piece on the client’s part.
If you still have questions, shoot an email to your artist. Thanks!
Optic Nerve Arts in Jack’s Station building
7911 N Lombard St
Portland, OR 97203
Contact:
Pedro Dorsey - pedrodorseytattoo@gmail.com
Tim Jordan - timjordantattoos@gmail.com
Jeremy Switzer - jrme.tattoo@gmail.com
Artist Rates:
Shop minimum: $200
Hourly Rate Pedro Dorsey & Tim Jordan: $250
Hourly Rate Jeremy Switzer: $200
Follow us on Instagram:
Shop: @opticnervearts
Pedro - @gibangous
Tim - @timjordantattoos
Jeremy - @jeremyswitzerart
How do I get an appointment?
Go to your chosen artist’s profile either on our social media accounts or our shop website.
First, you want to click on “Tattoo Proposal Form”, and complete the form.
If your project is accepted, you will receive an email notifying you of that.
Then a Square link will be sent to you, requesting the deposit.
Once your deposit is paid, you will receive a scheduling email, including a link to the calendar.
You will then use that to schedule your consultation and the number of tattoo appointments/hours as are recommended in the scheduling email.
How does the deposit work?
Deposits are requested in an email after you receive the acceptance email. All deposits are non refundable.
How do I pay my deposit?
After you receive your acceptance email, you will receive a Square invoice requesting the $200 deposit. If you don’t have the Square app, don’t worry, you can pay on that invoice with most major credit/debit cards.
What is your preferred method of contact?
Due to the high volume of clients showing interest in our work, we prefer that you contact us through our respective emails. The Optic Nerve Arts phone number is often unattended. Please use the phone incase of last minute appointment issues such as arriving late for an appointment to to notify of cancelation on the same day of an appointment.
Is the studio open for walk-ins?
At the moment none of us has a lot of time for walk-ins. However, feel free to follow our Instagrams to see if we post any special days in the future.
How far out do your artists book out?
That is specific to each artist, and would best be answered by emailing the specific artist.
Do you have a waitlist?
No we don’t. Our scheduling system has been optimized, and requires that prospective clients go through the inquiry process in order to schedule with any of us. For those with a continuing piece, in need of an extra appointment, there is a cancellation calendar we can give you access to.
I am a returning client, how can I get access to the calendar?
On the “Tattoo Proposal Form” link, one of the first questions is “are you a returning client”. When we receive that, you will receive a calendar link.
What is your cancellation policy?
In order to preserve your deposit, we prefer to be notified through email, with 48 hours notice, please. Please do not use any other method of contact, since those might be missed. If you cancel on the day of, or don’t show up for your appointment, you will lose your deposit, and will need to submit a new deposit within 7 days of the missed appointment. If that is not completed within that time frame, you will lose the rest of your appointments.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
Rest is very important, so please get enough of it the night before.
Being well-fed also helps with pain tolerance. Please bring any snacks or fluids you might need during the session with you (we do have a filtered water station in the studio).
If you use a numbing cream, please follow their directions. In most cases, immediately sealing the area you’ve applied the numbing cream on with plastic wrap will help maintain its efficacy until you start getting tattooed.
Where can I find the tattoo proposal form?
The proposal form is available through a link on each artist’s profile, either on the shop site www.opticnervearts.com or our individual Instagrams.
If one of us gets sick, do I need to reschedule?
Yes, if you can find a cancellation slot that is — at least — 3 weeks before your next appointment. If not, you will have to wait until your next appointment, as well as add one in after your last existing appointment.
When should my consultation happen?
You should set your consultation in one of the available consultation slots, then your first tattoo appointment should be set 3 weeks after that. Please don’t book your first session any sooner, as this helps keep our drawing schedules reasonable.
How can I get tattooed if I only have weekends off?
The artists have differing schedules, and some may work weekend days. If the artist you chose does not, then it is up to you if you want to commit to getting work from that artist. It is important for us to keep a good work-life balance.
What if my project is not chosen?
If your project isn’t chosen, it might simply be bad timing. If you’re still interested, you could wait a while and submit your project again. In some cases, the artist might feel that your project isn’t a good fit for them. In that case, you might be able to get a recommendation for a different artist from them.
Can I bring a friend?
Yes, but with a caveat: if your friend is respectful, and doesn’t become too much of a distraction, they are welcome. Very opinionated friends who consider themselves a back-seat tattooer are not welcome. We need to be able to do the best job for you, and we’ve found that a friend second-guessing the choices you make for your own permanent decoration almost never results in a good tattoo.
What kind of content do your artists enjoy tattooing?
Pedro likes to do illustrative, painterly, realistic, or comic book styles, and enjoys cute, anime or cartoon styles as well. He does well with human figures.
Tim likes to do illustrative, painterly, realistic, or comic book styles, asian and american neo-traditional styles, and enjoys cute, or cartoon styles as well. He excels at human figures, animals and plants/flowers.
Jeremy likes illustrative, painterly, neo-traditional, traditional, comic book style, Galactic (space themed), black and gray, cover ups / reworks. Anything strange, funny, weird.
Is there anything your artists do not enjoy tattooing?
Pedro is generally open to any style. He prefers variety in the things he works on. That said, he will not work on faces, except to repair flawed work.
Tim is generally open to a variety of styles and imagery, but he prefers not to do designs with a lot of geometric shapes or repetitive patterns. He will also not tattoo faces or fingers.
Jeremy is open to many styles, but prefers not to do lettering - block or script. A couple of words, names or date with a design is ok, but no long sentences, paragraphs, or biblical quotes.
How long are standard appointments?
Pedro’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days, or 3 hour increments for smaller pieces.
Tim’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days for large piece starts, or 3 hour increments for smaller pieces and color/shading sessions on continuing pieces.
Jeremy’s schedule revolves around 6 hour full days, or 4 hour increments for smaller pieces and color/shading sessions on continuing pieces. Occasionally Flash days will be offered where preset designs can be chosen from for smaller appointments.
Can I numb the area before my appointment? What brand do you recommend?
Yes, you can! We don’t specifically recommend any particular brand, mainly because there is always a new brand that everyone’s excited about. If you are unsure, feel free to email your artist to see if they have heard of anything good.
When can I see my drawing?
Each artist has their own system when preparing for a tattoo. Please refer to their individual Terms and Conditions for further information.
Can I make changes to my design? Are there fees for redrawing?
As explained above, each artist has their own system when preparing for a tattoo. Please refer to their individual Terms and Conditions for further information.
Healing:
This depends on the type of bandage used:
Self-stick bandage (Recovery, Saniderm, Tegaderm): Ideally, if you can keep the bandage intact (no leaks or gaps to open air) for 4 days, you can skip any heavy care. After removal of the film, you would go right to washing only when you shower then, after drying off, applying a moisturizing lotion whenever it dries out during the day. Ideally, simple lotions that are low on fragrance or aloe/vitamin E oil are best. Continue with consistent lotion use until the dryness goes away.
Clear wrap (non-stick) or absorbent pad: We recommend leaving these on overnight. Upon removal in the morning, wash with lukewarm water, soap and your hands. Pat it dry, then apply Aquaphor, Bag Balm, A&D ointment (or any other type recommended by your artist), rubbing it in as if you’re moisturizing. This is a less-is-best kind of situation, do not try to leave a shiny layer on the tattoo. Repeat this process 3-5 times a day for the first 3 days. Starting the morning of day 4, only wash the tattoo when showering, pat dry, apply lotion to moisturize throughout the day, as often as needed. After a week or two, skin texture should return to normal, and lotioning can be used whenever you feel you need it.
In either case, avoid direct sunlight, soaking or swimming, or aloe/vitamin E oil for 2 weeks. After that time, sunblock is acceptable.
What kind of bandages do you use?
Self-stick bandage (Recovery, Saniderm, Tegaderm)
Clear (non-stick) wrap
Absorbent pad
What should I expect the day after getting tattooed?
There should be some swelling and soreness. The feeling is similar to a localized sunburn or abrasion. As the first few days pass, the soreness will wane and then dry papery flakes will form on the surface, if you’ve been following the care instructions properly. If not, you may develop some thicker scabs. In either case, no scratching or picking on those, just let them fall off naturally.
Do hands and feet heal like the rest of the body? Do I need any extra care for these areas?
Hands and feet are generally harder to heal successfully. With hands it is really important to be aware to keep them clean, and to avoid too much soaking (like doing dishes). With feet, the problem is similar as far as cleanliness is concerned, but footwear can cause a lot of abrasion during the healing. Sandals sound like a good idea, but straps rubbing back and forth can irritate the tattoo (as well as abrading the dry skin or scabbing) during the delicate first week. Comfortable shoes, with white or light non-intensely colored socks, are the way to go. The socks act as a barrier, reducing abrasion from the shoes.
What is a touch-up and when will I need it?
Touch-ups are sessions booked to repair any flaws that might have cropped up during the healing. These flaws are generally small gaps in the color where it should be solid, though your artist may find other things to do to make your tattoo settle in perfectly. Touch-ups are not needed in most cases, but when they are, you’ll want to get them when you find an issue with the tattoo. If you’re not sure if one is needed, email your artist with a well-lit photo(s) of the healed tattoo, and they may ask you to book a touch-up session. If it’s needed, you can get a touch-up after the tattoo is healed for at least a full month, up to a year if you can’t return right away. Please be aware that waiting until close to the year’s end to get a touch-up is not advisable, since it might take a while for new color to settle in to match the existing work.
After a year, if you find you need retouching on your tattoo, your artist will charge for the time, since any loss of color by that point is due to care (or lack thereof) of the piece on the client’s part.
If you still have questions, shoot an email to your artist. Thanks!