One of the best tattoo experiences I've had! I met with Carolyn in 2023 after following her work for sometime on Instagram. She took great care of me in the chair, and during the design process! She didn't make me feel bad either when I asked for numbing cream even though this tattoo was just on my upper arm, and I have my underarm done and sat through that without it! Two years later my tattoo is still colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Photo taken 1.5 years after tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I designed a piece which has a very sentimental meaning and I wanted to be sure it would be translated with care and attention and Scott Sylvia did not disappoint! He translated my vision perfectly and it even made me a bit teary-eyed when I saw the final result. This tattoo parlour has been around for over 20 years and if you are thinking of getting a tattoo, look no further! read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Barn swallow holding two flowers - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Awesome tattoo shop!! Love their work, it's perfect everytime!! Both Moses and Scott are consummate professionals with their craft!! Unbelievably impeccable tattooing!! I'll recommend them to everybody on the planet!! Peace and love black heart!! Best, Reizo Shibamoto read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Back work - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's the best shop in SF, and one of the best in the US. Paul is an absolute legend. The shop is nice, clean, and inviting. Classic tattoo shop feel. The prices are high, but that is because you are at one of the top spots for a tattoo. You pay for what you get. The booths are private, the appointment process is efficient, and the checkin is easy. Absolutely no complaints. Black Heart is everything you want in a tattoo shop and nothing you don't. The neighborhood is a bit sketchy, but I've always walked here from different parts of the city and haven't had any issues. As is with most of SF, parking isn't great. read more

Amazing job by Fernando It was my first tattoo and he did an amazing job Very clean, professional, friendly read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

** CHECK THE STENCILS WITH THESE GUYS! ** I had a bad experience in February but I wanted everyone now to BEWARE. Still super disappointed in my last tattoo. I forgot the artist's name. This is the last time I go back there though. Anyways, I did a walk-in appointment to get a tattoo on the back of my neck. I gave the artist a specific image of what I wanted and HE CHANGED THE IMAGE WITHOUT INFORMING ME. As you all can see, the image I originally wanted shouldn't be challenging for any artist so I don't know why he changed the image without giving me a heads up. The images attached are what I wanted versus what I got (the skull hands are obviously different). read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Original photo I wanted - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here on a recommendation from a friend with quite a few tattoos and had my first on the day after my 58th birthday. I asked for Tommy by name. Bit of a mix up in reception: I was waiting and he didn't know I'd arrived, so I was worried about time, but he was such a nice guy and so good at what he did and worked efficiently but not rushing. A simple text design, but so sharp and clear and I'm loving it nearly a year on.. And the cost was lower than the estimate. He took interest in me as a person too, chatting about what it meant to me. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Been here several times for tattoos. I go to the same artist each time, but everyone at this shop is top notch. If you want a great tattoo look no further read more

Everything about this place is on point, and I love it. Most of my tattoos are based on sketches I've done myself, and the artists here do an excellent job of bringing them to life. The prices are reasonable, the music is good, the decor is perfect, and they have a goddamn custom PRESSED PENNY MACHINE in the foyer. They're also right next to Zeitgeist, so you can recover from the ordeal with a hefty dose of red meat. Good times all around! read more

So glad to have the chance to get tattooed here. Moses gave me a bad ass tattoo and I can't wait to go back for more! And Scott is working on my husbands sleeve and his artwork is on point. Keep the traditional tattoo shop alive! It's everything a tattoo shop should be! You guys rock! read more

I came here a few years ago to get one of my tattoos partially covered up by Jeff. Back then, he told me that my current tattoo was too dark to cover up well. That's fine - no biggie. After getting a few laser sessions to lighten it, I came back and we were able to talk in more detail. I gave him an idea of what I wanted and he took the idea and designed something wayyy better than I ever could have thought of! Long story short, after some months (it took multiple sessions), I am very happy with the result. Now I love my back tattoo even more than I did before! And yes, it hurt (obvs), but not more than with any other pro tattoo artist. Besides that, Jeff is friendly and professional (he really knows his stuff after doing tattoos for 20+ years!, I think he said), and I would highly recommend him if you like his art and style (instagram.com/jeffrassier). read more

My boyfriend and I walked in looking to see who is available for a walk in since they welcome that. The only artist that was free was Carolyn. We had checked out her work and I like what I seen. I already knew what I wanted, very simple anagram, but I was mostly using this tattoo to see how heavy her hand was and what was the heal process like for her work. I'm ultimately looking for a single artist to do my full body tattoos. Meeting her was not the warmest encounters. She didn't even ask what my name was until the end of the conversation. It was very clear she wasn't interested in tattooing me and only cared about touching up my boyfriend's tattoo. I guess to her there was more money in that than me. He was unsure if he even wanted her touching it. We came in more for me but she didn't get the hint. We needed to grab something near by and come back. She was okay with it and said that we didn't have to pay the holding fee since it was a less than 30 min errand. We left and came back, waited for a bit then told the nice front desk guy to let her know that we are here. We wait for about 30 mins. There was no contact from her at that point. She made it very clear she didn't want anything to do with my tattoo and we had left very disappointed and disheartened. So much for walk ins. read more

My friend had her tattoo done here by Cody , so I reached out to the artist I believe the beginning of Covid. He wasn't tattooing at that time but once he was able to start (last week I believe) he reached out to me to see if I still wanted to book and go over my idea . I thought that was super awesome he remembered me reaching months ago . About my tattoo , i had a half sleeve that I wanted to complete and make it look like one cohesive arm sleeve . Cody is amazing and did just that . Last night he did all the outline for the empty space and next session will be the shading . He is very reasonable, quick in his responses , professional, he takes sanitation very seriously , and he's a dope tattoo artist . After my arms done I'll be back for my leg with Cody. read more

I really hope this business makes it thru Covid/sip. Not my first tattoo, but best experience ever. Professional, chill, prepared with emails of suggestions I sent. Tattoo is absolutely incredible!!!! read more

Great place. A couple ladies and I wanted to get matching tattoos and Fernando hooked it up. Love them. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great shop! Some of the best tattoo artists in the country and friendly shop staff. Highly recommend it for anyone that is a tattoo connoisseur. read more

David Parker and the rest of the family at Black Heart are incredible. I went in for my first tattoo and from my consultation to my last session the entire process was flawless. The atmosphere inside the shop is more than welcoming and that starts with the girls working the front. Now to david Parker... My experience with David was so good im planning on seeing him at his new shop in texas. I came in for my consultation with absolutely no idea of what I wanted. I do not have a creative bone in my body. David took the time to get to know me and created something I could never have dream of. read more

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Carolyn is freaking awesome! I had an evening walk-in tattoo session with her for a cover up. I showed her my customized idea for the tattoo I wanted and she carefully and skillfully drew up a print for it. She constantly made sure I liked the placement and print she made. She also made nice conversation and was very friendly. I really think she is a great tattoo artist. Her lining and coloring was great. I highly recommend her! Also, the whole shop was very clean and the other tattoo artist's vibes were cool too. The receptionist (her name is Cookie) was super kind and easy to talk to. Thank you so so so much Carolyn! You rock!!! read more

Hats off to Fernando! My traditional flash dragon head tattoo looks AWESOME! I'm about two weeks in to the healing process, but I must say WOW! These guys take their work seriously. They are very nice and dedicated to their work. I've gotten lots of compliments and I'm very pleased with the pricing AND they took me as a walk-in on a Saturday afternoon. Bonus points to playing B-52's greatest hits. read more

I came to Black Heart to get some finely detailed line work done on my forearm. Tommy did an incredible job - I couldn't be happier with the result. He was professional, friendly, and got every sharp detail of the tattoo right. read more

Once again I had a horrible experience here. 2nd time. I don't know what it is about this place but they make you feel very unwelcome. they belittle you if you are ask for advice on pieces and roll their eyes when you have a piece you want done your way. I'm a person of color and they have a few POC working there, but I still feel unwelcome because I am not white. Also wasn't happy with my tattoo quality and artist being passive aggressive when I asked questions. the artist are supposed to be the experts and I highly value their opinion. They s off when when you don't know exactly what you want and belittle you when you come with your own piece. That's what consultations and deposits are for. I consider this place BLM unfriendly. Only reason I went back was because I live close to it and I needed a piece finished but my go-to artist moved out of town. Also noticed the way that they treated walkins. Very condescending. it's like their tactic is to intimidate you before they let you in.. "Only people our kind allowed" type feeling. I could not wait to get out of there. I am not going back and don't recommend others go there. They are one of the most well-known tattoo shops in the city but there are way better options. read more

Thank you Tommy for my newest tiny tattoo addition! I was a walk-in yesterday and the shop was able to easily accommodate me. This is my second tattoo at Black Heart (first done by Scott in 2013) and every Artist here is uniquely + amazingly talented, along with being very professional. I highly recommend this shop. Thanks again Tommy, I love my new tattoo read more

I just couldn't stay away from Black Heart. A few months after Cody completed my left sleeve, I came back to get a large-ish koi fish and waves on my right torso, along the ribs and obliques. This piece only took 2 sessions and a little over 2.5 hours under the needles. Sure, it hurt like hell but the end result makes it all worth it! Cody knocks it out of the park.....again! I don't know when I'll get my next piece but I can tell you two things: I'll be back at Black Heart and I won't be getting inked along my ribs again. read more

Nick Rodin is one of the most professional and talented artists I have ever gotten work done from! I received his information from my brother in law who had also had work done and if I can give any advice it would be to go get some work done from him. I came in looking for a back piece and wanted a peacock and he made magic happen. I ended up getting the nape of my neck down to the bottom of my butt cheek. It took 30 hours and 6 sessions but it is the most amazing work I have ever seen - and it's on me! :) Not only to mention he covered up 3 horrible tattoos in the process. I was completely topless (and sometimes bottomless) and he made me feel very comfortable and in no way akward which is a difficult task for me. The shop itself is very clean - the front desk is friendly and informative. From what I can see from other work at the shop all the artists are very talented too. Take my advice and have a consult with him. Check out his work and you will see exactly what I am talking about! read more

Black Heart Tattoo - My Peacock back piece by Nick Rodin - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I want to rate this place based on two things: the customer service, and the tattoo/artistry itself. Both get 5 stars, easily. I called Black Heart, on a friend's suggestion and based on reviews, hoping to make an appointment within a few weeks, and lucked out and got an appointment within a few days with Jeff Rassier. It had been 9 years since I last got a tattoo (I was 18 for my first two), so I felt like a tattoo virgin all over again. I knew what I wanted in my head, but wasn't sure how to convey it to the artist. I emailed him some photographs of the jellyfish species I wanted, as well as a couple of paintings of this animal that I liked for some reason or other, and gave some very vague direction about color preference. I said I wanted it on my inner forearm, and that was it. Day of my appointment, I arrive very flustered. I was having problems with my bank and wasn't able to withdraw cash due to some technical problem, so I was freaking out that I wouldn't be able to pay for my tattoo. The guy at the counter was very helpful in reassuring me and telling me it would work out one way or another, and helping me relax. In the end, my payment went through just fine, so I'm grateful they helped me relax and not worry so much. The guys that work here are very helpful. I was put so at ease just by being there. Anyway, on to the tattoo itself: I knew Jeff had a great reputation, but I still was a little nervous about what the design would be like, since I sent him a whole mess of things and didn't know how to convey what I wanted. He came out to the waiting area to show me the drawing, and it was PERFECT. It was just like I pictured in my head. He knows what he is doing for sure. It was just the outline of course, and he said we could discuss color when we got to that stage. When we began the tattoo process, Jeff made me feel, again, very relaxed and like I was in good hands. He was professional, efficient, funny, and friendly. This was my biggest and boldest tattoo yet, and my first with color, and I suddenly didn't feel nervous at all. As he went I just fell more and more in love with the piece. When it came time to color, he looked at printouts of the photos and paintings I sent him, asked a few questions about my preferences, then picked a few colors out and asked if that was alright. I said yes, and he got to work. By the time it was finished, an hour and a half had passed, and it looked BEAUTIFUL. It was like he took what I had in my head and put it down on my skin. He really does know what he is doing. The rate is $180/hr, which to me is WELL WORTH it! The result is nothing short of perfect. Thanks so much Jeff, and the other guys at Black Heart I met that day. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again for my next piece. You are all rockstars! read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Sea Nettle piece by Jeff Rassier - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I live in LA... and i go to SF just to get work by Paul. What a great guy! Super talented also!

I had mines done at a chop shop. This place was recommended by a friend so I took another friend here to get his second tattoo. The wait time for an appoint was about 2 months. Waiting and waiting. Finally after initial appointment to consultation to tattooing took about 5 months. The work was nice, great amount of detail. Just parking here is hell. Feeding the meter every so often because parking here is a biitch. read more

My friend meg showed up one day with this almost complete half sleeve with the most perfect line work in a dream catcher with constellations and I was like "I must go to him" I got tattooed here like five years ago and sort of wrote it off, but David Parker has completely changed my mind. He's a super talented fast drawer and he's crazy fast when it comes to work to. His lines are sweet perfection and my colors pop. I've never had any work, only eight days after they're done, to be done peeling with zero scabbing, especially on the fragile baby skin on my inner biceps. I'll be back for like a million other things. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Right arm #nofilter eight days later - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here to see Tim Lehi because I heard that he was a great tattooist. I got my tattoo from him. He did a really good job. Very calm, very nice, a very great guy. He was really nice to me, I didnt have to pay a deposit and my tattoo only cost around $100. He took his time, didnt rush. I'm getting my next tattoo from him. He specializes in asian demon/god art. So if you like asian demon/gods, he is the man for you. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - my dog's actual pawprint size and his name in japanese - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Awesome! I got my 1/4 sleeve done by Scott Sylvia and he did an amazing job. I took a book of butterflies for Scott to look at, because I wanted them to look realistic. Let me tell you, he nailed it! I have a monarch on my sholder, and it looks like it's going to fly off at any moment. He is so talented, and listened to exactly what I wanted! I got this done about 3 years ago and I still get compliments on it. I moved away, but when I move back to SF, I've got to book another appointment with him. He's so funny, and really just joked with my husband and I the whole time so I didn't even focus on the pain. It takes about 2 months to get in, but the talent is definatly worth the wait, it is going to be on your body forever! read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Scott Sylvia did my 1/4 sleeve. It's RAD! Butterflies, Cherry Blossoms, ect. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Because I have been burned before, and have two tattoos that basically suck cuz I was young and dumb when I got them, I did a TON of research before I made an appointment with Scott Sylvia at Blackheart. Scott normally does Asian and Tribal, so when I gave him the pictures I wanted my tattoo based off of (one was a Georgia O'Keefe painting called Pansies, the other is the Kilklispeen Celtic Cross) I was curious to see how he would interpret and combine both of these ideas. Needless to say I was totally blown away with his design. Both the flowers and the cross came out so perfect and so close to the reference pictures I had given him. I get so many compliments from all different types of people about the colors and the design. I always make sure to tell people exactly where I got it and who did it -so here's hoping you are getting some business out of it, Scott! It had been so long (almost 20 years) since I had gotten a tattoo I was practically a virgin again, and was very nervous about tackling a 1/2 sleeve, but Scott was super fast and very light handed. All in all, the entire thing took 3 sittings and about 9-10 hours. Yes, it was somewhat expensive, but, HELLO!!! Permanent artwork on your body! Not something you want to cheap out on. I think the final price was about $1200 before tips. But so totally worth it. I posted pictures of my tattoo. The black and white background just makes the entire thing pop. And I wanted bright bold colors which he totally came through on. Oddly enough, one of the reasons I chose Scott is because we have the same last name, which is not a very common one. We still haven't figured out if we are related, but we are probably 3rd or 4th cousins. Small world! The shop itself is clean and cozy. Other artists dropped by from time to time to chat, which was nice cuz it can get kinda boring sitting there for 3 or 4 hours straight. Plus, afterwards you can go get a killer Bloody Mary at Zeitgiest. read more

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Receptionist was great they squeezed us in which as great, but the work itself was not. The line work on my basilica tattoo is super shaky and spotty. When it heels I will go elsewhere to sharpen up and straighten up the lines . read more

Fernando tattooed me and it turned out terrible. It's so blurry, and when I called to say I wasn't happy with it, I was told "oh blurriness is normal for a little while". Well it's been 3 months. Also Fernando was so rude during the process, made me feel rushed, and hardly talked once we had started tattooing. He literally said "Are you serious?? No one does that" when I asked him if we could try on 3 different stencils to adjust the shape and size on before tattooing (this was a tiny, ~3 inch, 4-word phrase on a flat surface of my body). I kept asking for it to be smaller since the first two stencils he made were way bigger than what I had shown him. But he acted like it was such a huge hassle and was so passive aggressive even though it took 30 seconds to print a new stencil. It was like he was trying to intimidate me to the point where I would just let him do whatever he wanted. He did not make me feel comfortable despite knowing this was my first tattoo. Also, he seemed really annoyed that my tattoo was not in English even though I gave him a very clear, short phrase to just replicate exactly. Now I have to go get this fixed or lasered off. I want my money back. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - extremely disappointed with this result - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just remembered to write a review from a tattoo a got back in December from Scott. I've been wanting to get tattooed by Mr. Sylvia since back when he was working at Temple Tattoo in Oakland. Always have admired his work and thought if anyone is going to do a Repo Man tattoo it's going to be him. He was very professional but also very funny and cool. It really made me happy that it seemed like he was really into doing this particular tattoo. The tattoo couldn't have come out better! Excellent design, the colors pop and just an overall great experience! Thanks, Scott. I'll definitely be back for more work in the future. read more

Black Heart Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

When I was shopping for my first tattoo, I went to a LOT of shops and I had a LOT of questions. I went to Black Heart because a friend recommended an artist who works there. Granted, his portfolio had some great work. So I pop in their shop, and they were playing the same kind of heavy metal music I used to listen to in High School in the early 1990's very LOUDLY. Didn't seem conducive towards my being relaxed for my first tattoo. Some guy came to help me and seemed a bit dismissive when I told him this would be my first tattoo. I asked for the artist my friend recommended, who came to meet me after a few minutes. I think he was stoned. He didn't really take time to answer many of my questions and he suggested that he would free-hand the tattoo onto me instead of letting me review a draft of what the art would look like before needle meets skin. It did not inspire confidence. I ended up choosing War Horse Tattoo in Berkeley to do my artwork and I don't regret that decision one bit. read more

Okay- So I showed up to get my tattoo. All went fine. Some critiques: 1. My artist, Cody, did good work, but was definitely the most heavy handed tattoo artist I've ever had. I have a tattoo on my ribs. I'm no baby--I don't flinch but it was like he was carving into stone, not flesh. 2. Not only was I overcharged (I'm an awesome tipper from years as a waitress) but when I called to resolve the matter I got some 'tude over the phone over it despite leaving a nice tip, based on the wrong price! Not cool. Definitely a shop with the "holier than thou-I'm covered in tatts and you're not mentality" even though I've got more tatts than I can count on both hands. 3. I didn't get much artistry, just tracing and drilling. Thank goodness my artwork was great, but some vision might have been cool. NEVER going back and will not recommend to friends, but I'm sure they don't care! I hope you enjoyed all the extra cash guys! ------------------------ Update: My color is HORRIBLY uneven. Going to have to pay someone else to repair the damage. GRRRR. Worst tattoo experience ever! Run away! read more

I'm a tattooer from Los Angeles, and I've been getting tattooed for about 15 years. I've been tattooed by some of the best tattooers in the world, Bob Roberts, Mike Wilson, Horiyoshi III, Chris Conn etc... Long story short, when I wanted my neck tattooed, which everyone can see and a really simple design (easy to fuck up), I had Juan Puente do it, because I knew he would nail it. After years of deliberation about my back, I decided to have Scott Sylvia do my back from my shoulders to my knees, which is now complete. In a nutshell, people who know what's up with modern tattooing know that this is pound for pound one of, if not THE best tattoo shop not only in the country, but maybe the world. No shit. If you ever feel brushed off or not taken seriously enough here or any shop, just remember that tattooing is really demanding work, and that these guys are very busy, so they might be a little distracted trying to focus on the job that's in (or about to be in) the chair. When it's your turn, all that focus will be on you and your tattoo. These guys are all really straightforward, so if you're having any doubts, just speak up! you're not gonna hurt their feelings. Seriously, I have no reason to BS anyone, these guys have plenty of work. If you want the best tattoos money can buy, head here. read more

I got my first tattoo here about a year ago. It took me so long to Yelp about it because I've always put it off. I've finally decided that anybody's experience at any tattoo or piercing place is much, much more important in helping people decide where to go than deciding where to eat for dinner. I expected the experience to be more personable but I can't even remember the name of my tattoo artist. I think it was Tim? Or Nick? Or something? Nor can I remember his face very well. (I tried to look him up to match him with a name, but I just can't remember). It was my first tattoo so I expected to get a little more guidance from the tattoo artist. My "consultation" involved me standing in front of the front desk and him looking at my picture saying "okay I can do this." I asked him if he needed to keep the drawing and he just told me no. I just needed to bring the image during the actual tattoo session. I got more advice from catching another tattoo artist, Colin, at Body Manipulations during his smoke break! (And I don't know why he recommended me to Black Heart rather than just doing it himself! I kick myself about that, to this day!) I didn't feel like anyone was particularly nice to me. The receptionist that everyone said was a sweetie always just stared at me, the way most people stare at someone when they're trying to figure out whether or not they've met them somewhere before. It was just sort of a blank look, not quite nasty or friendly. But frankly it made me feel out of place. The tattoo came out almost exactly like the picture EXCEPT I had asked to remove a "swoosh" from the original picture during my consultation with him but he left it in. I am not completely dissatisfied with the addition, but it just showed the complete disconnect between me and the tattoo artist. He obviously forgot all the requests I had made on the tattoo during the consultation and me being more nervous about getting the tattoo completely forgot to remind him again. But should it be necessary for me to have to remind him? Shouldn't he have been more professional and had a sketch ready before the day of my actual tattoo? It just doesn't make sense. I am not dissatisfied with my tattoo. I actually like it. The artistry is good but based on the experience I am not coming back. Oh yeah, fyi, he charges $150/hour. It was a two hour appointment but it only took 1 hour 30-45 minutes. He still charged me the full $300. When you're charging $150 an hour, I would think charging part of the hour would suffice, but I'm not kicking myself over that. I don't quite know the tattoo-er's code on that matter. read more

Another 5 stars for these purveyors of bloody skin doodling. The overall atmosphere and location of this shop speak to the quality of work - it's clean and nice and well-appointed, and that means the artists are providing the kind of top-notch work that let's them charge more than enough to pay the rent and feed their pets. Speaking of pets, Jeff Rassier has a cute little dog with one of the stubbiest, waggiest tails I have ever seen. Jeff has done a cover-up, touch-up, and most of the sleeve on my right arm, and his work is great. I especially appreciated his work on the touch-up and cover-up; these are generally disliked by tattooers, from what I understand, but he handled both happily. His original work on my right arm is equally delightful, with a capital rad. Personality-wise, he's not the chattiest artist in there, but he has a good sense of humor and makes one feel at ease. One of the most important elements of a tattoo shop is the music they play; this place does not disappoint, as the music is generally loud, fast, and hard, like a screaming boner of lightning, or something to that effect. Anyway, it's the kind of music that makes sense to listen to while tattooing is involved. If you are concerned about how much a tattoo will cost, you shouldn't come here; you should start fucking tattoo artists, as that's the only way I know of getting great tattoos cheaply. read more

I cannot recommend Scott enough! He has done the most beautiful work on my Mom and I. He redid an old tattoo of mine and completely turned it into something new and exciting! I plan on returning here for future tattoos. read more