50 Tattoo Artists You Need to Know

Image via Life and Times

These days, it's more common to have a tattoo than not, and as changing societal norms make it acceptable for even the most clean-cut crews to be inked up, more and more folks are going under the gun. Since tattoos literally last forever, why not dream big? If you had unlimited funds, time, and travel budget, who would be the artist to put a permanent stamp on your skin? Hopefully it won't be Miley Cyrus...

Make sure to do some research before getting inked permanently, by checking out different types of lettering and the artists who are on the come up. If you want to get a new tattoo, put some money away to make sure it's done right, and consider one of these 50 Tattoo Artists You Need to Know before you go in.

Doug Hardy

Location: San Francisco

Son of legend Don Ed Hardy, Doug runs San Francisco's well-known shop Tattoo City. With his dope artistry, Doug does a fine job of upholding the family legacy.

Rob Kelly

Location: Hong Kong

Rodeo Rob hits a nice mix of East and West in his Hong Kong shop. From koi to roses, Rob has it covered. His art is a mix of new-school color and traditional line value.

Angelique Houtkamp

Location: Amsterdam

After starting her career relatively late in life (at 30), Angelique developed a traditional style with a feminine touch that works just as well on skin as it does on canvas.

Annette LaRue

Location: Various

When we asked about her style, Annette said, "I love traditional tattoos and paying customers!" She's old-school, and as the proprietor of New Orleans' Electric Lady Land, she brings over 20 years of experience to the table.

Keith Underwood

Location: Austin, Texas

A pupil of the late, great Mike Malone (who in turn was a pupil of the great Sailor Jerry), Keith Underwood has been tattooing for over a decade. During that time, he has mastered and refined his own take on classic American street-shop styles. Keith is a link to the golden era of American tattooing, so if that's what you're looking for, head to Austin.

Lana Wingo

Location: Chicago

Ms. Wingo has a lovely style. Her work is bold and bright and has all the right detail. Her flowers are superb, and you can't go wrong if you go to her for a traditional Americana tattoo.

Jeffrey Pitt

Location: Santa Fe, N.M.

Boasting over 13 years of work in the industry, Pitt's dope designs helped to bring his and Charlie Foos' Baltimore-based tattoo parlor Read Street to the attention of many. He is currently working with Dawn Purrell as an in-studio artist.

Valerie Vargas

Location: London

Former Frith Street Resident, Valerie Vargas opened her own tattoo parlor in London in 2014. Known for her dynamic visual style and feminine illustrations, her women and flower tattoos are as perfect as they come. So if you are in London and dying to get inked, check out Modern Classic Tattoo.

Bert Krak

Location: Brooklyn

Bert Krak holds down Brooklyn's Smith Street, and he pushes classic New York tattooing forward. His work features strong lines and bold colors, all with distinct quirks. Go to him for new-school takes on the old.

Bailey Hunter Robinson

Location: Brooklyn

Bailey's love of American folk art comes through in his tattooing. Whether in black and gray or in color, his interpretation of classic Americana is always remarkable.

Louis Molloy

Location: Manchester, UK

Molloy is the man behind David Beckham's ink. He's super-talented and can do all kinds of things, but his religious subject matter is where it's at. Few artists come close to his angles.

Freddy Corbin

Location: Oakland

Corbin is another tattoo legend. He was schooled by Don Ed Hardy and worked with guys like Bill Salmon to perfect his craft. Freddy Corbin's execution of religious iconography is top-notch and awe-inspiring.

Woon Kim

Location: Schwenningen, Germany

Woon Kim brings together a host of international styles, mixes them up, and makes them his own. Musicians are a favorite subject, and he does great portrait tattoos. If you're looking to put a lady on your body, female figures by Woon Kim are well-conceived.

Kat Von D

Location: West Hollywood, Calif.

Kat Von D—who hasn't heard of this gal? Regardless of her celebrity, she can hang with and do portraits alongside the best of them.

Placaso

Location: Santa Ana, Calif.

Placaso comes from the SoCal black-and-gray tradition; his work is similar to Mr. Cartoon and Boog. He can do all the Chicano lowrider stuff, the lettering, and the clowns, but his portraits are what set him apart.

Shane O'Neill

Location: Middletown, Del.

Point blank—Shane O'Neill is a god in the world of photorealistic portrait tattoos.

JK5

Location: Brooklyn

RISD graduate Joseph Ari Aloi is known for a whole host of graphic-design ventures. Tattooing is where he remains most deep-rooted, though. JK5 opened his first custom shop in 1997, and superb composition has made him a household name in the tattoo community. His collaboration series with clothing brand Mishka helped introduce him to the Hypebeast set.

Grime

Location: San Francisco

Grime is your favorite tattooist's favorite tattooist. His work has been compiled in a book, Iron Will, which is currently sold out, but if you hit him up maybe you'll get lucky for the holidays.

Scott Campbell

Location: New York

Famed for his celebrity clients, including one Mr. Marc Jacobs, Campbell can handle a range of styles. He excels when it comes to traditional Mexican imagery. Think death masks—very good death masks. Scott also renders some remarkable takes on cartoon characters.

Nao Takamura

Location: Fukuoka, Japan

Tattooing out of his apartment, Nao Takamura offers tradition with a contemporary twist. His tattoos are one part Japan, one part SoCal.

Steve Moore

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Steve Moore is one of Vancouver's finest. The former skater has been tattooing since 1993, and since then he's developed a penchant for big, colorful sleeves.

Julian Garner

Location: Ottawa, Canada

A former pro skater, Julian Garner now holds down Ottawa's Five Cents. His best work emphasizes shading with ultra-delicate line work that allows the colors to take center stage.

David Glantz

Location: Toronto

David Glantz began in his hometown of Ottawa before moving to Toronto and becoming the city's favorite ink-slinger. His influences come from comics, graffiti, and a bit of Art Nouveau. 

Regino Gonzales

Location: New York

Regino Gonzales offers a new-school take on a number of traditional styles. He can hit a full-color bird just as neatly as a black-and-gray ship, and if you want a full, darkly themed body suit, he can kill it for you.

BJ Betts

Location: Wilmington, Del.

Typography titan BJ Betts excels at lettering—in fact, he literally wrote the tattooist's guide (four volumes worth). Aside from killer stomach-rockers, Mr. Betts produces gorgeous flowers and fantastic koi fish.

Jimmy Hayden

Location: Cleveland

Hayden, the owner of Focused Tattoo, has adorned two of the Cleveland area's finest exports: LeBron James and rapper Stalley.

Maxime Buchi

Location: Brooklyn

Not only is Buchi a talented tattooer, he is also the creative mind behind the brilliant Sang Bleu magazine. Buchi trained under the famed Filip Leu, and his design background ensures superb lettering. He now has his own tattoo studio in London, also titled Sang Bleu.

Norm

Location: Los Angeles

Norm rose to fame as part of the AWR/MSK graffiti crews. He later shifted to gallery work, and then to the body. Norm slings ink from his Will Rise Studio on Fairfax in L.A. and offers sound lettering and a tight California style.

Julie Becker

Location: Los Angeles

Julie is a terrific tattoo artist. Her psychedelic mix of florals and symbolism makes her work stand out. Unfortunately, she is currently taking a small break from tattooing to focus on fine arts.

Horishow

Location: Fukuoka, Japan

If you want a tattoo of traditional Japanese subject matter with bold color, head to Fukuoka and seek out Horishow. He is the man.

Chris Garver

Location: Miami Beach, Fla.

Fans of tattoo reality-TV know Chris Garver as the guy from Miami Ink that did Lloyd Banks' "Rotten Apple" back piece. Garver has a capacity for different tattoo styles, but his best work draws from traditional Japanese work.

Chris O'Donnell

Location: New York

Once tattooing alongside Scott Campbell at Saved, O'Donnell specializes in Japanese-style tattoos. He has since moved to Kings Avenue Tattoo. He does it all: super dragons, scrolls, skulls, geisha girls, koi, etc.

Chris Trevino

Location: Austin, Texas

Also known as Horimana, the Austin-based Chris Trevino has been tattooing for 20 years. His take on traditional Japanese ink has resulted in some major body suits, and his work exhibits a perfect balance between black-and-gray and color. A lot of Horimana's work has found its way onto merchandise. It can all be seen in his 2011 book, Gods and Warriors, Horimana: The Art of Chris Trevino.

Erin Chance

Location: Richmond, Va.

Ms. Chance does awesome ladies and cats in top hats. She excels in figurative tattooing.

Joe Capobianco

Location: New Haven, Conn.

Got a fetish for females? Joe Capobianco will indulge your fantasy. His figures are unique—if you want something bold, eye-catching, and completely different from your buddy's barbed-wire bicep, call this dude.

Bugs

Location: Los Angeles

Need to settle an argument about tattooing as art? Show a few pictures of Bugs' work to your mother. The Parisian-born, L.A.-based artist creates tattoos with painterly strokes and an abstract/cubist style.

Nick Baxter

Location: Various

Nick Baxter is able to execute perfect depictions of classic chairs; the Eames lounge is just the tip of a remarkable iceberg. Baxter also excels at large-scale color tattoos. Outstanding—always.

Dave Fox

Location: Various

Dave Fox's tattoos burst with color. His elongated figures are distinct and have a charm to them. He is currently on the road.

Thomas Hooper

Location: Austin, Texas

Thomas Hooper is bringing a new twist to tribal. Leo Zulueta brought it to the mainstream, then it got lost in the muck, and now guys like Hooper, Xed, and DiMattia are bringing it back. Hooper is doing it by hooking up traditional subjects with tribal geometry.

Daniel DiMattia

Location: Liege, Belgium

DiMattia is another master of blackwork, but don't go confusing it with your older cousin's "tribal" piece from 1996—this guy is legit. DiMattia's minute detail and penchant for geometric patterns result in astounding tattoos.

Xed Ledhead

Location: London

Ledhead is London's blackwork legend. His tattoos are delicate, intricate works, and feature his trademark pointillist style.

Tuki Carter

Location: Atlanta

Alongside his partner Miya Bailey, Tuki Carter has built Atlanta's City of Ink into one of the premier tattoo shops in the country. Carter is a pioneer, his work is terrific, and his client list is a testament to his stellar reputation. Rappers Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, and Wiz Kalifa have all gotten work from Carter. However, Carter works less as a tattoo artist now and is pursing a music career.

Goethe

Location: Hong Kong

Goethe specializes in pre-Hispanic images, and all of his tattoos have terrific depth. His style is closely connected to Southern California black-and-gray techniques, but his subject is markedly different. His understanding of Aztec and Mayan iconography allows him to corner a unique niche in the marketplace.

Eric Eaton

Location: Philadelphia

Whether it's owls, portraits, or skulls—or anything else for that matter—Eaton tackles his subjects with an eye for extreme detail. His work is known for its strong sense of composition, and his tattoos never cease to impress the ladies.

James Acrow

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Remember the awesome graphics from Battle Axe Records releases? Those were all James Acrow. His tattoos share the same punch, and he also does amazing birds.

Bang Bang

Location: New York

Bang Bang is one of New York's young, rising tattoo stars, and Rihanna is a big fan. He's a protégé of Paul Booth, so his training is legit.

Boog

Location: Various

Big Boog Star is a street tattoo legend and one of a handful of major hip-hop tattooists. Boog is internationally known for lettering, and he also crushes traditional Chicano subject matter.

Jun Cha

Location: Los Angeles

A young gun with a class pedigree, Jun Cha apprenticed under Baby Ray, Chuey Quintanar, and Jose Lopez. He also learned a little from Cartoon. Jun Cha only graduated from art school a few years ago, but the dual lessons of the classroom and the tattoo shop show. Cha is steeped in history, and he favors historical subject matter. He excels at creating mythological figures.

Mister Cartoon

Location: Los Angeles

Soul Assassin Mr. Cartoon went from designing the Cypress Hill logo to becoming hip-hop's favorite tattoo artist. Get a tattoo from Cartoon and not only will you own a fine example of L.A. lowrider ink, but you'll also join Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, and pretty much every Hollywood actor and model in the annals of tattoo history.

Paul Booth

Location: New York

Paul Booth is a legend. Dark themes are his specialty, and his style has influenced a host of East Coast artists working in black-and-gray. Salute to the top dog on our list!