I had a small black ink piece done by Alan on my ribs/side today and am very satisfied with the results. It took the same amount of time as a smaller one I had done on my other side a couple years ago, despite being more elaborate and larger. Additionally, Alan chose to fill in the design as he went instead of first outlining it, making it slightly less painful, which I really appreciated, even though it meant more tedious care on his behalf. It was supposed to take 1.5-2 hrs, but he got it done well in under an hour! Whew!
The place was also very clean and organized, and Alan opened and put together a new needle in front of me. Very professional. I would definitely go back and get something done by him again.
I did forget that tipping was part of the payment process, since it was only the second tattoo I've ever gotten, the first being years ago. So when I was prompted if I wanted to tip, I said the first number I thought of that sounded decent since I was slightly dazed from the pain. In retrospect, I really wish I had tipped more since Alan was awesome. So I thought I'd mention it in case any noobs like myself look here for guidance - make sure you budget out for not only your piece, but a good tip!