As a general rule of thumb, a more seasoned and talented artist with five or more years of professional experience could be faster than a less experienced artist. If you want it fast or cheap, it is almost definitely not going to be high quality. Good Tattoos Aren't Cheap and Cheap Tattoos Aren't Good.
This category also includes full and half-sleeve tattoos.
For a medium-sized tattoo like a tribal or portrait, expect to spend between $150 and $450.
This means that the ink travels from one generation of cells to the next, and so the tattoo remains in place.The average cost for a small tattoo like a heart or cross is $50 to $250. The dermal cells remain in place until they die, and when they have completed their life span, they are absorbed by younger cells. During this time, ink could still escape from the dermis, which is why again we cannot stress the importance of after care enough! It takes about two weeks to one month for the epidermal layer to heal. Think of how a scar transforms from pink and soft to darker and more fibrous. These are meant to repair and/or regenerate damaged tissue.
Some of the ink also remains suspended in the dermis, after being consumed by skin cells called fibroblasts. Some of them travel out through the lymph nodes, but some stay with nowhere to go and so does the ink inside them. It sends white blood cells called macrophages to gobble up the invaders and foreign material and sacrifice themselves to keep you safe and protected against infection. Stunning by Sebastian from Vivid Ink Stafford