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| - I've had a list of tattoo plans since I got my first one five years ago, but I didn't feel comfortable entrusting them with anyone until I found Artisan. While I have a tattoo with Nathan Mould in the works (and hopefully someday a famously awesome portrait by Jason!), I took a chance on the shop's apprentice, Josh Barnes, who was offering $50 hand-size tattoos after he did a great piece on a friend. I've done pretty extensive research on Pittsburgh tattoo artists, and Josh's line work and shading holds up to some tattoo shop owners, let alone other apprentices. In several cases, I think that his work is even cleaner than more experienced tattoo artists. While his flash designs are primarily animals (check out his wall of designs for awesome stuff like narwhals and jackalopes), I asked him to design a traditional-style piece based on a character from my favorite film. He executed it beautifully and made all the changes I requested while being honest about what would look good and what would not. The session was about 3.5 hours, and I walked out with a stunning piece of art that has healed perfectly--all for $50. When I told him I felt bad about how little it cost even with a 30% tip, he said, "I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be able to tattoo people." Total prince. I've continued working with him, and he's completely honest about how confident he feels in executing different styles and whether certain images can translate well to tattoos.
Everyone at the shop is friendly and welcoming. All the tattoo artists have their own styles: Jason is amazing with portraits, and Nathan does geometric and decorative pieces. The shop is in a beautiful old building in Garfield with three stories (they just opened a piercing studio on the top floor)--a totally clean and chill place to get tattooed.
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