About Us
Our mission statement & general FAQ.
Meet the Artists
Find the perfect artist and bring your ideas to life.
Aftercare
Properly taking care of your new tattoo is vital. If you have any concerns regarding healing, check out this section or reach out to your artist independently.
About Us
Honeydew Tattoo Collective creates a safe and accessible space for queer & POC tattooers to enter the industry. Artists are given the freedom to learn from experience and each other in an environment that's different from the traditional tattoo shop.We are dedicated to serving our community. Artists at Honeydew frequently host individual fundraisers to support local organizations and mutual aid for marginalized and at-risk individuals.We are located at:
1500 NW 18th Avenue, Suite #102
Portland, OR 97209
(directly behind the Sultan Cafe)
Metered parking is available on the street, with limited free parking in the lot. We are easily accessible to those with mobility issues, as we have a ramp leading right up to our front door.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I book an appointment?
Contact your artist directly! Please make sure they are accepting new clients before reaching out via email.What should I include in my email?
A detailed description of your idea, and include any & all reference images if you have them! Let us know what size (in inches) and where you'd like to place it. Please be as specific as possible! Lastly, it helps to give us an estimated budget, your availability, and any pre-existing health conditions you may have that we should be aware of.
Are you accepting walk-ins or out-of-town clients?
Unfortunately due to COVID-19, not at this time! We are just as eager to work with all you lovely folks, but public safety is our top priority.What are your COVID-19 protocols?
Everyone is required to wear a mask at all times within the building. We will take your temperature with a touchless forehead thermometer as soon as you walk through the door. Additionally, we have a HEPA air purifier running at all times within the space. If you feel under the weather or believe you may have come into COVID-19 within 14 days of your appointment, please reschedule your ASAP. We have immuno-compromised artists in this space.
What should I do to prepare for my appointment?
Take good care of your body! Get a good night's sleep the night before your appointment, and be sure to drink plenty of water the day before & the day of. It's best to eat a filling, protein-rich meal within 2 hours of your appointment. Arrive freshly showered and wear clean, comfortable, and loose clothing. If you are getting tattooed in a more intimate area, wear something that allows your artist easy access while still keeping you covered. You may bring a comfort object like a book, plushie, or handheld gaming system if you need something to distract yourself!Avoid alcohol and blood-thinning medication, as they can cause complications during the tattoo. You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain management, but avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil). Please do not apply any topical numbing agents to the area, your artist will apply it for you if needed. If you have any health conditions (dermatitis, low blood sugar, dizzy spells, allergens, etc.), please let your artist know ahead of time so we can accommodate you as best as we can!
What forms of payment do you accept?
Each artists accepts different forms, so be sure to check in with them individually!How much will it cost?
This varies from artist to artist, so be sure to double-check what your artist's rates are!
Meet the Artists
Wesley Tucker
He/Him
@offtothewes.t
Specializes in a colorful style inspired by anime, video games, and his favorite childhood toys
Bailey Thi
They/Them
@beebbug
Specializes in fineline, ornamental blackwork & botanical illustrations
Ovidia
She/Her
@_oliveoyll
Specializes in bold blackwork illustrative tattoos & permanent makeup
Hannah Jacobs
She/Her
@hj.tattoos
Specializes in illustrative nature pieces in blackwork & color
Dani Riha
She/Her
@frenchtoast.ghost
Specializes in vivid color tattoos inspired by the weird and wacky world around us
Wesley Tucker
Born & raised in a tiny town nestled within Oregon's Willamette Valley, Wesley was never seen without a pencil in his hand. He'd found his passion for art & creative spark at a very early age. While he'd always known he wanted to pursue the art, he wasn't sure how to go about it. He'd attended Portland State University as a fine art major for a little less than a year before deciding college just wasn't for him. He stepped away in the winter to reflect on his options, and around this time he had started to get tattooed more often.Willing to try anything once, he enrolled in tattoo school. Almost immediately he had taken a shine to the craft. He enthusiastically finished his studies, learning everything he possibly could, and made his way into the world.Wesley loves to collaborate with others to create permanent works of art. He enjoys meeting all sorts of lovely folks through his work. He's eager to learn and even more eager to geek out about literally anything under the sun with anyone who'll listen. From video games to comic books to late 80's time travel movies, drawing nerdy stuff is his greatest passion.Rate: $150/hr, $100/hr for POC
Ovidia
Born and grown in Portland, Ovidia is a second-year, permanent makeup artist and self-taught tattooed. Drawing influence from surrealism, vintage art styles, and pop art, Ovidia enjoys creating tattoos with thick, bold lines, blackwork, and negative space. She continues to explore her style and enjoys also dabbling in fine line tattoos with hopes to introduce some pops of color in the near future.Alongside tattooing, Ovidia also specializes in lip blush and permanent freckles, creating bold and natural enhancements to your face.Priced by the piece.
Kavita
Jungle Candy Tattoos by Kavi, is a theme of art that is subject to the world that Kavi grew up in. Born and raised in Portland, OR, but with immigrants for parents from Sri Lanka and India, meant that Kavi grew up in a colorful household full of spices, exotic plants, and a symphony of different influences.She strives to cultivate a different paradigm on botanical tattoos & nature-themed subjects but dabbles in all illustrative elements of tattooing. Kavi finds inspiration in all elements of her life but mainly from her Grandmother, who immigrated to the States at age 19 and became one of Oregon’s most monumental landscape and garden designers. She creates all of her botanical tattoos from reference photos from her nana’s garden or from client photos of their garden.Before tattooing, Kavi worked full time as a line cook in many different restaurants in Portland and still enjoys cooking & outdoor life as well as traveling. Her main goal is to cultivate and provide a safe space for all folks from different backgrounds & to create intentional tattoos for all of her clients. The best way to book with Kavi is to send her a message on Instagram!Rate: varies by piece, sliding scale for BIPOC
Bailey Thi
Bailey is an elusive creature born in Vietnam and raised in Oregon. Their artwork draws inspiration from various flora, insects/arachnids/isopods, freshwater aquatic life, storytelling/storybooks, folklore, vintage illustration, manga/anime, fantasy worlds, etc. which they digest & translate into whimsical, delicately contrasted forms. Only does fine-line Black & Grey work.Rate:
Flash - varies & working within your listed budget.
Custom - varies & working within your listed budget, if we go over the estimated time it will be $125 for every hour over.
BIPOC sliding scale
Hannah Jacobs
Hannah’s work largely centers around nature inspired subject matter. Her illustrative designs vary from more realistic depictions to stylized versions of each subject. She loves accepting custom work that holds special meaning for her clients, and drawing plants that are new to her! To book with Hannah, check out her booking info on her profile!
Dani Riha
Growing up in the PNW, she takes inspiration from; nature, nostalgia, art nouveau, and psychedelia. She works in a color illustrative style that uses bold lines and smooth color to create pieces from out-of-the-ordinary ideas that have extraordinary meaning. As a lover of music and literature, she enjoys being able to tell a story with her work, whether it be an important time in someone’s life or a funny memory they’d like to immortalize. Check out Dani’s profile for more on how to book with her!
Aftercare
Properly taking care of your new tattoo is a crucial step of the healing process. Our artists are as sterile as possible to ensure your safety (and ours!) Its important to keep your tattoo clean and healthy to avoid the risk of infection. Your artist will individually review aftercare instructions during your appointment, and will send you home with the information you need to extend the lifespan of your stellar new ink!
Bandages
Each artist opts to bandage tattoos a little differently, and its important to follow their instructions to the letter first and foremost. That being said, the two most common bandage options are transparent dermal shields and absorbant medical pads.
Please notify your artist ahead of time if you are concerned about or have had a reaction to adhesives or latex in the past.
Dermal shields (aka Saniderm, Second Skin, Viewguard, etc.) are often used in the ICU to treat burn victims and act as an impenetrable, water-resistant barrier. It remains on the skin for 3-5 days to protect your tattoo during its most vulnerable stage of healing, and (because it's transparent) you get to show off your fresh ink to the world! However, the adhesive has been known to cause allergic reactions or flare-ups to those with pre-existing skin conditions.
Absorbant medical pads are black pads secured with a lightweight, self-adherent compression wrap. These bandages do not allow the skin to breathe as effectively as a dermal shield and will need to be removed within 4-6 hours after your appointment. These pads are often used in sensitive areas where the thin is very thin (such as in and around your elbow/knee ditches and your armpit) where the dermal shield is most likely to cause skin irritation. These contain little to no known adhesive allergens.
Healing with Dermal Shield
If your artist sent you home with a dermal shield bandage, you may start to notice a build-up of ominous murky fluid underneath. That is completely normal and to be expected! This is a lovely soup of ink, blood, and plasma that your body has expelled as it works to heal your fresh ink. Should you spring a leak remove or replace your bandage immediately by following steps 1 & 2. If the protective seal has been compromised and harmful germs will have free reign to get all up in your new tattoo's business.
Dr. Bronner's Soap
Curel Lotion
1. Leave the dermal shield (saniderm, second skin, etc.) stuck to your skin for 3-5 days, and remove in the shower under warm running water. Pulling the bandage up towards yourself, much like you would a command strip, is significantly less painless than if you were to pull down and away.2. With clean hands, gently wash away the ink & plasma that has accumulated underneath the bandage with unscented, antibacterial soap such as Dr. Bronner's 18-In-1 Hemp Baby Unscented Pure Castille Soap or Dial Gold.
3. Allow your tattoo to air dry before applying a very very thin layer of fragrance-free white lotion such as Curel or Lubriderm.4. It's important to keep your tattoo clean and moisturized, however overdoing it can result in a pretty gnarly heal. You should only need to wash your tattoo after removing the bandage and be conservative with your use of lotion.5. Wear loose clothing for the duration of your healing journey. As tempting as it may be do not pick at or scratch your itching and peeling tattoo! Any abrasive rubbing against your tattoo could result in a poor heal.6. You can and should shower after getting a tattoo! However, refrain from soaking your tattoo (such as taking a bath or swimming in a pool, lake, or the ocean) until it has completely healed. Standing water is a playground for bacteria that could swim their way into your open wound and cause infection. Remember, clean and moisturized but not perpetually wet!7. Artists are as sterile as they can possibly be. That being said, one can never completely rule out the possibility of infection.
If you notice a green or yellow discharge coming from your tattoo, see a doctor immediately! These are big red flags for infection.8. It's best to shade your tattoo from the Sun's light as it's healing! Ultraviolet rays can cause the breakdown of pigments in the ink to accelerate, resulting in your tattoo fading much faster than usual. (Once healed) smear a healthy amount of sunscreen on your tats whenever you're out and about to ensure they stay bold and beautiful!Of course, should you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to your artist!
Contact Us
Please contact your artist directly to book an appointment.
For general business inquiries: [email protected]
| Name | Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Wesley Tucker | Booking Form | |
| Bailey Thi | Booking Form | |
| Ovidia | Tattoo Booking | PMU Booking |
| Hannah Jacobs | [email protected] | |
| Dani | Booking Form |