Guides & GuidelinesHow a commission unfolds
Every piece begins with a conversation and ends with letters that will be carried for a lifetime. Here is the path between the two, slow, deliberate, and drawn entirely by hand.
1
First contact
with Maya
You write to us. Maya calls leads by phone. She is your guide from the very first word onward.
In your first conversation, she will walk you through what you can expect.
What we need A few minutes of your time
Typical timeframeA reply within a few days
2
Your story
with Anna
Before a single letter is drawn, Anna sits with you to understand the meaning. You talk about the person, the verse, the memory: why these words, and why now.
This is the soul-stripping part. The story behind the words matters more to us than the words themselves.
What we need Openness, the story behind the words
Typical timeframeBetween a few weeks and a few months
3
The concept
with Gabriel
If your story inspires him, Gabriel writes the concept, the idea that will guide the whole piece. This is where words, meaning and form first take shape together.
What we need A story that asks to be drawn
Typical timeframeAbout a week
4
Meeting Gabriel
in Berlin or over Zoom
You meet Gabriel personally, at the studio in Berlin, or over Zoom. Together you talk through the concept, the script and the placement before anything is drawn.
What we need An hour, in person or on screen
Typical timeframeA single, unhurried session
5
The model
with Daniel
Daniel takes a precise cast of your skin, a mold of the exact canvas the piece will live on. It captures every curve and contour of your body.
With this in hand, Gabriel composes the piece to the very topography it will be worn on, rather than to a flat page, so the proportions, the flow of the letters, and the placement are considered with the same care as the calligraphy itself.
What we need A few minutes of your time
Typical timeframeA few minutes of your time
6
The art
with Gabriel
Gabriel draws your piece in his studio in Berlin
What we need Trust, and a little patience
Typical timeframeAround 4 months
7
Getting tattooed
with a tattooist you trust
You receive a finished, tattoo-ready design. We will point you toward artists we trust to do it justice.
What we need A tattooist to carry the drawing onto skin
Typical timeframeArranged around your schedule
8
Aftercare
with you
A new tattoo is a healing wound for its first weeks. Clear, simple aftercare lets the letters settle cleanly and last a lifetime.
What we need A gentle routine while it heals
Typical timeframeThe first few weeks