GET INKED! STAY BOLD! NO REGRETS!
KEAGAN RAATH — TATTOO ARTIST · SOUTH AFRICA
🌻
the artist, probably tattooing right now 🌻
// THE ARTIST
HELLO, I'M KEAGAN.
Tattoo artist with a thing for bold lines and ink that ages well. Whether it's your first piece or your fifteenth, we design something you'll still love at eighty — no flash-book copy-paste, no rushed work, no regrets.
- FINE LINE
- BLACKWORK
- CUSTOM DESIGN
- COVER-UPS
// WHAT I DO
PICK YOUR POISON
tap a line to open it up
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Bring a rough idea, a mood, a photo — even a bad phone sketch. Keagan draws it up from scratch and sends the design through before the day, and nothing goes on skin until you're happy with it.
- BEST FOR first tattoos, memorial pieces, anything you won't find on a flash sheet
- LEAD TIME allow a week or two from brief to finished drawing
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Single-needle and small-gauge work — script, botanicals, fine ornamental detail. Thin lines need room to breathe, so Keagan will steer you on the smallest a design can go and still read clean in ten years.
- BEST FOR script, florals, small matching pieces
- WORTH KNOWING tiny and highly detailed rarely survives healing — he'll tell you straight
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Solid black fills, whip shading and soft grey wash. Bigger pieces get split across more than one sitting — packing that much black in a single marathon is harder on your skin than it needs to be.
- BEST FOR sleeves, panels, bold graphic work
- WORTH KNOWING heavy saturation means a longer heal — the aftercare below matters more
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Send a clear, well-lit photo of what's there now. Some pieces can be covered as they are, others want a laser session or two first to lighten the old ink — you'll know which one you're dealing with before you commit to anything.
- BEST FOR old, blown-out or half-finished work
- WORTH KNOWING a cover-up runs darker and bigger than the original. that's the trade
// SELECTED FLASH
THE WORK
a taste of the flash — the full feed (and the healed shots) live on Instagram ↗
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01
MUSHROOM PILGRIM
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02
WILD GEOMETRY
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03
WATERFOWL DANCE
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04
ATREIDES
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05
THE RED STRING
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06
MISSING PIECE
// WORD ON THE STREET
"sat for five hours, would sit for five more."
"the linework healed as crisp as day one."
"covered a tattoo i'd been hiding for ten years."
"first tattoo. he talked me through every step."
// HOW TO BOOK
THE BRIEF
no app, no account — fill in what you know below and hit send. it writes your WhatsApp message for you, ready to check and send. the more Keagan knows up front, the faster you're in the chair. leave anything blank if you're not sure yet.
// BOOKINGS
GET INKED.
DMs open · deposits secure your date
// AFTERCARE
HEAL WELL
you're 50% of the tattoo — here's your half of the job
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01
WRAP OFF
take the wrap off after 4–5 days, or exactly as long as Keagan told you on the day.
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02
WASH GENTLE
lukewarm water, fragrance-free soap, clean hands only. pat dry — never rub.
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03
THIN LAYERS
fragrance-free moisturiser 2–3× a day. thin. a drowning tattoo heals worse than a dry one.
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04
NO SUN, NO SOAKING
2–3 weeks: no tanning, pools, ocean or baths. showers are fine. sunscreen forever after.
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05
DON'T PICK
itching and flaking are normal. scratching steals ink — you paid for that ink.
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06
CHECK IN
healing looks weird? don't guess — message. touch-ups on healed work are part of the deal.
// THE FINE PRINT
THE PAPERWORK
Every session starts with a signed indemnity. It keeps things clear, protects your health, and makes sure both you and the studio are covered. Read it before you come in — then print it and bring it signed, or fill it in at the studio.
- you're 18 or older and okay to be tattooed
- you've flagged any medical conditions, allergies or medication
- you understand ink is permanent and carries some risk
- deposits are non-refundable, and aftercare is your half of the job