By Tamara M, NewsCastic
Tat, tat, tat it up. It’s hard-pressed to go almost anywhere in Dallas and not see some serious body ink. With more and more tattoo artists and shops popping up, it can be a life-changing decision on where you should go. Whether you’re in the market for your very first tattoo or if you’re looking to add to your collection, we have compiled the top 7 Dallas tattoo artists who have some serious skill. Before having a questionable tattoo guy come to your living room, check out these top dogs in no particular order. This list is in no way all-inclusive, but includes a diverse group of artists who are not only about awards, but heart, passion and quality.
A Gentleman and a Tat
The proprietor and tattooer at J. Hall & Co. Gentleman Tattooers, Josh Hall uses a true gentleman’s touch to achieve some of the best-looking ink in Dallas. The anti-thesis to most tattoo shops, you won’t find any death metal blasting here. A relaxing environment is set by soft music playing in the background to put both the customer and tattooer at ease for better results. In the game for more than 20 years, Josh prefers the American and Japanese traditional styles since he feels they age better. And if you’re considering patronizing this shop, the wait list could be around 1 or 2 weeks. Due to his expertise, Josh provides a lot of cover ups for those regrettable and/or botched tats by other artists, not on this list.
What can you expect to spend? Josh’s minimum is $100 and on average, most customers are spending between $200 and $400. His motto is, “Get it done right the first time, it’s only permanent.”
Check out Josh’s video and get a glimpse into his world.
Gentlemen Tattooers Dallas 4k
Gentleman Tattooers is a one of a kind Dallas tattoo shop headed up by one of the most unique charismatic people you’ll meet in Josh Hall. The team which consists of 4 artists really cover most all the spectrum of styles you may be looking for.
From Serving His Country to Serving Up Ink
Wolf won’t bite you, but he’ll show you his razor-sharp artistic skills. While he has only been tatting for 4 years, thanks to his passion for the art, his reputation is growing by leaps and bounds, which is evident in the numerous, glowing online reviews. Seeing some of his uncles come home after long jail stays made Wolf intrigued by their ink and wanting to learn more. Building on his raw passion for drawing and art, Wolf headed into the world of ink after 6 years of serving his country proudly in the military. After he completed his apprenticeship, Wolf knew this was the life for him and has never looked back.
Wolf is known for neo-traditional and traditional work, which he enjoys due its bright, bold and colorful nature. Some of his most requested work are for Mandala designs — intricate, beautiful and eye-catching. Working at the award-winning Stainless Studios, the shop minimum is $60 and Wolf charges $150 per hour. Learn more about Wolf.
Leaving ‘Em in the Dust
In a male-dominated field, Char is a female tattoo artist and owner of Gold Dust Tattoo & Fine Art. She literally started from the bottom and worked her way up since she started with no clientele and steadily built up a loyal group of clients. Char has been drawing ever since she can remember and recalls being fascinated with a family member’s body art. Char was easily bored as a child, so putting together a tattoo machine and tattooing her sister when they were kids was inevitable. After she landed an apprenticeship with a talented artist in 2009, she began tattooing professionally in Dallas in 2010.
Since then, she has racked up the accolades, including: Nominated for best tattoo artist by Dallas Observer, Named best tattoo artist in Dallas by Marked for Life held at The Church, Nominated for two DFW Art Awards in the categories of body art and realism, Received multiple 1st and 2nd place awards in various tattoo competitions in the categories of black & grey, portrait, and day of the dead. Her specialty is black & grey and photo realism. Char’s hourly rate is $150, but will work with clients, as long as they communicate their range and it’s reasonable.
Get Fly, Stay Fly
Inking fly tattoos and keeping them looking fly is the name of the game for Mack, tattooer and shop owner of Fly Ink Tattoo Parlor. Not one to want to get boxed into one category, Mack prefers staying versatile and tatting whatever happens to be thrown his way. However, he does enjoy realism and has become popular for his flowers, especially roses. Everybody wants roses. With art in his blood, it’s no wonder that Mack has become the successful artist that he has. His mother was an artist and this inspired his love of the medium from elementary up into college.
What really piqued his interest in the world of tats? Ink Master, season 1, of course. He took up painting to further hone his skill. For more than 7 years, Mack has been providing the kind of tats that leave his clients excited and shocked by the end result. Sometimes, he can even inspire a hug from a happy client. Clients can expect to pay $150 per hour.
IInk Master
What happens when a talented Chicago transplant opens up a tattoo shop in Dallas? He revolutionizes the game, of course. Rudy Hetzer IV, the owner of Dallas Tattoo and Arts, definitely knows a thing or two about tats. Not only is his body a canvas for his impressive ink, but he’s an expert in the world of mixed media, a special genre of visual art that combines and elevates traditional media to a new height. This level of skill even landed him on season 3 of Oxygen’s reality competition show, “Best Ink.”
With a background in graffiti and professional painting, Rudy definitely has an eye for art, which makes him one of Dallas’ most sought-after artists. Specializing in black and gray, new school Japanese, color bomb and lettering, clients can get inked to their heart’s desire. Visit Rudy and you can expect a $100 minimum and a rate of $200 per hour, dependent on size, details, and complexity.
Strike of the Empire
Richard Garcia is more than just a tattooer and even a tattoo shop owner, but actually has a mini-empire going with 3 top-notch shops: Legacy Arts Tattoo No. 1 on Coit, Legacy Arts Tattoo No. 2 on Midway and Skin Art Gallery in Addison. Growing up in L.A., Richard was always drawing and knew he would one day become an artist, but never thought about professionally tattooing, even though he loved tats. But at one fateful juncture in his life, he became a tattoo apprentice and never looked back.
Richard is another artist who doesn’t focus on one style but instead is all about the quality. A self-described perfectionist, customers’ expectations are usually exceeded after Richard is done with them. With 3 different locations, Richard shifts around a lot, but this award-winning artist makes himself available as much as possible. Richard usually does a set price for 1 sitting tattoo and $180 per hour for multiple sitting pieces.
No Frills, But Plenty of Ink Thrills
DallasTattooJamie might be a little less conventional, even by tattoo artists’ standards. Working out of his Dallas Custom Tattoo Studio, Jamie is about as humble as they come and prefers to remain low-key. In fact, if you want this talented tattoo artist, you better know somebody who knows somebody to get an appointment. Considering himself an artist before a tattoo artist, Jamie is known for the work he does in a variety of fields, including realism, Japanese, black and gray, color and cover-ups. A true artist in every sense of the word, Jamie draws, like, actually draws and doesn’t just copy designs. When he’s not tatting, Jamie can also be heard on a West Coast Radio Show, “MZNOW,” making cameo appearances.
Known as “The Truth,” by clients, Jamie steers away from conventions where awards are given out because he’s just not that guy. However, Jamie is the sort of guy who sees what he does as a blessing and talent from God that allows him to do what he does. He gets close to his clients and even prays for them during trying times. Jamie is by appointment only and starts at $40 for small tattoos and works with clients’ budgets. Learn more about Jamie and his work on Instagram at dallas_custom_tattoo and Facebook at Dallas Custom Tattoo.
No Frills, But Plenty of Ink Thrills
DallasTattooJamie might be a little less conventional, even by tattoo artists’ standards. Working out of his Dallas Custom Tattoo Studio, Jamie is about as humble as they come and prefers to remain low-key. In fact, if you want this talented tattoo artist, you better know somebody who knows somebody to get an appointment. Considering himself an artist before a tattoo artist, Jamie is known for the work he does in a variety of fields, including realism, Japanese, black and gray, color and cover-ups. A true artist in every sense of the word, Jamie draws, like, actually draws and doesn’t just copy designs. When he’s not tatting, Jamie can also be heard on a West Coast Radio Show, “MZNOW,” making cameo appearances.
Known as “The Truth,” by clients, Jamie steers away from conventions where awards are given out because he’s just not that guy. However, Jamie is the sort of guy who sees what he does as a blessing and talent from God that allows him to do what he does. He gets close to his clients and even prays for them during trying times. Jamie is by appointment only and starts at $40 for small tattoos and works with clients’ budgets. Learn more about Jamie and his work on Instagram at dallas_custom_tattoo and Facebook at Dallas Custom Tattoo.
