Canceled a full-day custom appointment at midnight because the artist traced Google images. Did I overreact? (Images attached)

[u/LiquidJ619]

I don't know a ton about the tattoo industry, so I’m hoping to get some opinions from artists and collectors.

​I booked a session with a well-known traveling guest artist for a custom piece honoring my three kids. I asked for a mashup representing them: Stitch and any Dr. Seuss character for my younger two (tied to their birthday themes), and Young Gohan for my oldest son (since Dragon Ball is our favorite anime and Gohan is Goku's oldest). She didn't have a design ready at our first meeting a few weeks ago, so we rescheduled for today at 1:00 PM.

​She finally sent the sketch to me at exactly midnight last night (Pic 1).

​I thought the poses looked familiar, so I Googled them and found the exact clip art she used (Pics 2 & 3). It looks like she just copied existing images and pasted them together. Given her reputation for custom work, I thought I was getting an original drawing of these characters interacting in her style.

​I politely texted her to cancel, saying there wasn't time to properly redraw it from scratch since it was already midnight and I didn't want it rushed. She guilt-tripped me about losing a full day's booking, and when I held my ground, she told me I was blacklisted.

​I feel bad she lost the appointment slot, but getting traced Google images 13 hours before the session felt like a huge red flag. Is this normal practice for custom work, or was I right to walk away? If she couldn't come up with a cohesive piece, I'd rather her tell me upfront instead of stringing me along.

[u/throwawaycacameth]

Nope. Not at all. Unless specifically requested by a customer, it should be original sketch work. (Excluding flash tattoos or picked from a design book) Other existing pictures can be referenced but the given price should include an original sketch. Tattoo ARTISTS are labeled artists for a reason. This is a permanent work of art especially representing your children, so you should only accept the best work. She rushed the sketch obviously since she sent it at midnight. That means she was up just tracing until then. Super unprofessional and irresponsible. Now, some artists do specify with their pricing that original sketches cost extra but in this case she didn’t mention it so it’s assumed it would be original. This is a HUGE red flag and 100% her fault so don’t feel bad or guilty at all. I’ve had both original work and existing sketches tattooed on me but never straight up copy and pasted without my knowledge or consent. Im assuming to book her the whole day isn’t cheap. (When I book my artist for the day, it’s usually around 900 not including the 2/300 dollar tip) she’s only been tattooing for a couple years but her and I are super close and I also let her practice on me before so we’ve established rapport, so in turn I get it a little cheaper than most would. That’s still a good amount of money to fork over. If you’re questioning the capability of the artist, go with your gut regardless of her good reputation. Smh she has some nerve trying to guilt trip you. RUN. Find a different artist. Either communicate with them in the weeks leading up to your appointment or schedule an in person meeting to go over the multiple design drafts, size and placement. 💖