Alexis Hepburn
Tattoo Artist
About
Alexis commenced her career tattooing in 2013, after building a reputation from her unique folky paintings. After spending the majority of her years tattooing on the Gold Coast, Alexisโs art; travelling on skin and paper, can be found all across the globe.
You can find Alexis at her current residence:
Westside Tattoo Mermaid Beach
Gold Coast, Australia
Shop 6 / 2478 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
07 5679 5898
Tattoo Enquiries
Requests are currently at capacity for the season of Spring at Westside Tattoo Mermaid Beach, thank you!
Books will be opening for Summer in November.
Alexis does not take bookings for conventions, all conventions are managed on a walk up basis from flash.
Guest spots are announced and booked separately
Thank you!
If you have an urgent inquiry, please call Westside Tattoo Mermaid Beach on
07 5679 5898
Available Flash
Healed Tattoos
FAQ
+ When are you coming to my city?
Any travel info is always posted up on my instagram page, along with appropriate information. Please keep an eye out, as I do not take a wait list for each city!
+ Will you draw a custom painting for me?
Unfortunately I am not taking on any commissioned painting work at the moment. However, I do update my online store regularly with original paintings and archival quality prints which are available to purchase!
+ How much will my tattoo cost?
The price of a tattoo is all dependant on the final design. I do not work off an hourly rate; and each piece is priced based upon the size, placement and amount of detail in the drawing. For example, a tattoo will be slightly more expensive when positioned on places like the ribs, stomach, torso, neck, knee or elbow which are more time consuming. For larger pieces and ongoing work, I do offer a full day rate.
If you would like a quote on a design, please fill out my booking form!
+ Do you use vegan inks?
I do use all vegan inks! Most of my inks are organic pigments as well. You'll be pleased to know that the soap and ointment I use are both vegan :)
+ How should I prepare for my tattoo?
You only need to bring yourself! Personally; I find having a good solid nights sleep, and a big healthy meal before your appointment does absolute wonders. There are plenty of cafes and eateries around the shop if you don't have time to make something at home.
Make sure you are well hydrated, bringing your water bottle and some snacks is never a bad idea!
+ When will I see the drawing?
All my designs are drawn the morning of the appointment, so unfortunately they do not exist before then! As I have a busy schedule, I don't usually have the time to draw your design beforehand. Once you arrive for your appointment, you will see the sketch I have prepared for you and we can discuss the design then and make any necessary amendments
+ How should I look after my new tattoo?
After we finish your tattoo, I will generally wrap your arm in either cling wrap, or apply a Second Skin patch.
If using cling wrap, and I would advise to leave this on for a few hours. Once you are home, take off the wrap, jump in the shower and give your tattoo a good wash with regular soap and warm water. You want to give it a good massage with your hand (no exfoliating mits or scrubs!) and get all that goey black stuff off. Once you get out, pat it dry with a clean, dry towel. If you like you can re wrap it in cling wrap before you go to bed, this will stop it from sticking to your sheets and clothes. Just make sure you give it a wash beforehand, and when you get up in the morning.
If I have applied some Second Skin to your tattoo; I would advise to leave this on for at least 24hrs. If you can, leave it on for up to 5 days. It will fill up with fluid, this is patrially blood partially ink but mainly the plasma! Your body is sending this to heal the tattoo! Don't freak out, it will look a bit gross but it is normal. It will actually dry up over the next few days underneath the patch so long as the seal remains in tact! If the seal is broken at any time or it begins leaking out of the second skin, jump in the shower ASAP and take off the patch entirely. Once you are ready to remove the patch, you'll want to pull the skin around it taut, and slowly remove it under the running water and give it a good wash with some soap. You may experience some redness around the tattoo where the second skin was applied, after the removal. This is completely normal and can occur with any kind of medical adhesive.
It's best to wash it 2-3 times a day for the first few days. You want to keep it as clean as possible! However don't go over board, as excessive washing with antibacterial soaps can strip away all the good bacteria which are protecting your tattoo against infections!!
You'll notice your tattoo will start to feel dry and get a bit flakey and scabby, this is normal. Please do not pick at it! Allow your body to heal it and the scabs to fall off naturally.
Apply a small amount of After Art, cream, balm, coconut oil, coco butter or other moisturiser to your tattoo 2-3 times a day. It is important to use sparingly, as applying too much and leaving a thick layer of cream can suffocate your tattoo, and can cause complications.
After about a week, you're going to get the fresh tattoo itch. Try not to scratch it!! I find the best and safest relief, comes from slapping it (I'm not kidding)
Your tattoo will generally take between 1-3 weeks to fully heal. The healing time depends on the placement and density of the tattoo, how well you look after it, and how strong your immune system is.
+ I ordered a print off of your store, when will it arrive?
I always get so excited when people order a print or painting for their wall! Depending on my schedule, sometimes it can take me a week or two to find the time to package stuff up and get to the post office. Please understand that I am a one woman operation and do all of this by my self!
Please allow 1 month for domestic orders to arrive, and 3 months for international orders (Australia is very far from most places!!)
As for preorder listings, these may take between one to four months to process. This allows time for printing, preparation, packing and posting. I use a small printing business for all my prints, so once they have completed their colour correcting, printing and trimming, they bundle them up and get them over to me. Once I have recieved them, I will sign and number each print by hand, then pack each order individually and take them to Australia post. Sometimes this process can take a some time so I deeply appreciate your patience
When placing orders, please TRIPLE CHECK that your address is correct during the checkout!!
+ Can I use numbing cream for my tattoo?
If you are thinking about using numbing cream for your tattoo, I would appreciate if you could discuss it with me first! Some brands of numbing cream aren't really ideal for tattooing, and can make the skin tough, or your tattoo take longer to heal. It's generally ok if we are only doing an outline, but I would advice against it for any shading sessions
+ Will you draw a design for me to get tattooed by another tattooist?
I'm sorry to say, that this is not a service that I offer!
+ How long until I can swim?
I would recommend waiting at least two weeks before getting in the water! That goes for salt water, fresh water and chlorine! If there are still some scabs on your tattoo I would advise to wait a little longer
+ Can I bring friends along to my booking?
You're more than welcome to bring along a friend or loved one to your appointment for moral support! However I do ask that you be understanding that I share my space with other artists, and that you are respectful and conscious of those working around us. As I generally work in shared spaces, there isn't really the room for more than one friend in the work station with us during the tattoo. If you have a little group with you; they are welcome to wait in the waiting area, or go for a wander while we make your tattoo.
+ What if I have a booking & I want to change my idea?
If you've had a change of mind, please get in touch with me as soon as you can, so we can discuss wether this is possible with your existing appointment! As much as I like surprises, it doesn't work out so well if you wait to tell me on the day. I allocate just enough time to make your tattoo in your appointment, and I might not have time to redraw another idea completely!
+ Where are you located?
Currently, I am living on the Gold Coast and I have a permanent base tattooing out of Westside Tattoo Mermaid Beach.
+ How do I make an appointment?
If you follow the link to my bookings page, there is a form you can fill out with all the information that I need to get you booked in! Once I have this information, my assistant will organise the details with you. If the booking form is not available on my contact page, this means that my books are full for the season. I generally open my books every three months seasonally!
Guest spots are announced and booked seperately so please keep an eye out on my instagram page for updates.
+ Do you do cover ups?
I am able to do cover ups, however sometimes they are not always possible. It really depends on the size, density and condition of the existing tattoo; and how flexible you are with ideas. If you have a tattoo that you are thinking of getting covered up, please fill out my booking form, or swing by the shop; this way we can discuss your options properly.
Generally, the cover up will need to be considerably larger than the original tattoo, and it will need to be quite bold and dark. Having negative space within the tattoo, and free space around the existing tattoo will make it a lot easier to work with. Please be aware that with most cover ups, you will usually see some evidence of the existing tattoo underneath.
+ Where can I see your designs?
Most of the tattoos I have done and paintings I have made are viewable on my instagram page! I also have a portfolio section on my website, with some recent flash sheets, and apintings available to tattoo. If you would like to see my line drawing books with available designs, these are only veiwable in person at the shop ;)
+ I have sent a DM but I haven't heard back?
I am sorry to say that I do not monitor my direct message inbox on instagram! It all just gets a bit messy for me. If you would like to book in for a tattoo, please go to my bookings page and fill out my booking form!
GENERAL INQUIRIES
For tattoo bookings please go to bookings page
Please read FAQ before making an inquiry, as your question may have already been answered!
alexishepburntattoo@gmail.com
โOn this episode Jeremy Bolm talks to Alexis Hepburn about living in Australia through the pandemic, growing up with artistic parents, discovering new mediums, the connection between hardcore and tattooing, finding inspiration through blogs, designing band merch, working on the fly, the first tattoo she ever got, how she got started, the first tattoo she gave, working at different shops, practicing on friends, tattooing in Nepal, painting, music as an influence, and so much more!โ