Remington Tattoo · San Diego, CA
The drawing happens with you in the room.
Most tattoo artists design behind closed doors and hand you a reveal. Terry Ribera works the other way: a 2–3 hour drawing consultation where the initial design is developed live, with you sitting right there. It's how every custom piece — from a single tattoo to a full body suit — begins.
“The idea is yours. The design is original. This is a collaboration.”Terry Ribera — On the Consultation
Why It Works This Way
No closed doors. No reveals.
A tattoo design made without you in the room is a guess. It might be a good guess — but you'll be wearing it for the rest of your life, and "close enough" isn't the standard. Developing the design live means every decision gets made with your reaction in real time: the subject, the composition, the placement, the scale.
It also means you come prepared. Terry asks every client to arrive with clear ideas, because most designs require 3–6 or more hours of drawing preparation beyond the consultation itself. The clearer the concept walking in, the stronger the design walking out — and the reason complete redraws are exceedingly rare is that this conversation happens first, not after.
The Session
What happens in the 2–3 hours
The conversation
You bring the idea — subject matter, references, the feeling you're after, where you want it. Terry has drawn across every theme: fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, Japanese and Asian imagery, biomechanical, bio-organic, with Art Nouveau running through all of it. There aren't subjects he hasn't drawn; the conversation is about making yours work on skin.
Measurements, photos & tracings
The area gets measured, photographed, and traced. This is what makes the design real instead of theoretical — your proportions, your posture, your existing tattoos if you have them. Every drawing decision from this point on is built on your actual body, not a generic template.
The drawing, live
Terry develops the initial design with you in the room, working through composition, flow, and silhouette while you watch and weigh in. This is the part most artists don't do — and it's the part that removes the guesswork from everything that follows.
Notes & final design
After the session, Terry takes down any additional notes and completes the final design before your first tattoo appointment for your review. Most pieces require 3–6+ hours of drawing beyond the consultation. By the time needle touches skin, the design question is already answered.
Booking & Pricing
Simple terms, fair time
Required to book. Non-refundable and non-transferable — and it comes off the total cost of your work. Your retainer secures all of your scheduled dates.
Terry's hourly rate, billed only for time on skin. His efficiency comes from close to 24,000 hours of tattooing — a full color sleeve or back piece typically takes 18–21 hours.
Traveling from out of town? The drawing consultation can happen remotely. Measurements and tracings are handled when you arrive for your first appointment.
From the Consultation Table
Sketches that became tattoos
Every drawing below started as a conversation — a client's idea, developed in the room and refined into a final design. All original, all drawn from scratch. No copied work, no flash off a wall, no AI.
Questions
Consultation FAQ
What happens at a drawing consultation?
Consultations run 2–3 hours with you in the room. Terry takes measurements, photographs the area, and makes tracings of your body, then develops the initial design live while you talk through the concept together. After the session, he takes down any additional notes and completes the final design before your first tattoo appointment for your review.
How much does a consultation cost?
A $500 retainer is required to book. It's non-refundable and non-transferable, and it comes off the total cost of your tattoo work. Most designs require 3–6 or more hours of drawing preparation beyond the consultation itself, which is included in the process. Full details are on the booking page.
What should I bring?
Clear ideas. The subject matter you want, reference images that show the mood or elements you're drawn to, and a sense of placement and size. The clearer your concept, the further the design can get in the room. The idea is yours — the design will be original.
Can I do a consultation remotely?
Yes. Traveling and out-of-state clients can do the drawing consultation over Zoom or FaceTime. Measurements and tracings are handled when you arrive for your first appointment.
What if I want to change the design?
Refinements are part of the process — the final design is completed before your first session for your review. If there's a significant departure from your original concept requiring a complete redraw, the initial retainer is applied as payment for that drawing time, and additional drawing requires a new retainer. In practice this is exceedingly rare, because the consultations are thorough.
Why draw with the client in the room?
Because a design made without you is a guess. Working live removes the guesswork, keeps the concept honest to what you actually want, and makes the process a real collaboration rather than a reveal. It's how Terry has worked for 25 years.
Start the Conversation
Bring the idea. Leave with a design.
Take time with the portfolio and make sure the work speaks to you. If it does, reach out — every original tattoo at Remington starts at the drawing table.