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Best Tattoo Artists
in Nashville
2017

We Looked at 138 Tattoo Artists in Nashville and Picked the Top 16

Here are the Picks:

Why These Tattoo Artists?

Our goal is to connect people with the best local experts. We scored tattoo artists on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analysed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best tattoo artists in Nashville, TN.

Our Selection Criteria:

1. Reputation
A history of delighted customers and outstanding service.
2. Credibility
Building customer confidence with licensing, accreditations, and awards.
3. Experience
Masters of their craft, based on years of practical experience and education.
4. Availability
Consistently approachable and responsive, so customers never feel ignored.
5. Professionalism
Providing service with honesty, reliability, and respect.

Alchemy Nashville is the Music City tattoo studio of artist Tai Orten. Ms. Orten owns and operates the studio, which accepts clients on an appointment-only basis. Tai Orten has been a professional tattooist since 2006, when she began apprenticing under Jerry Riegger and Charles "Tattoo Charlie" Wheeler. By limiting the amount of clients she accepts, Ms. Orten is able to provide an exceptionally calm, focused environment. She was also awarded the title of Tattoo Artist of the Year at the 2016 Indieville Awards.

Nashville, TN(615) 618-6335

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Art Immortal Tattoo & Piercing is a studio in Madison where people from all over the Nashville Metro receive tattooing services from the small team of highly competent artists. In addition to its Madison location, Art Immortal Tatto & Piercing operates a secondary location in nearby Portland. The permanent team of artists includes Jaisy Ayers, Michael Lanning, Patrick Atkinson, Brandon Over, and Amanda Chapman. Mr. Ayers, the shop's owner and founder, is originally from Phoenix, Arizona.

Madison, TN(615) 828-7776

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Battleground Tattoo Parlour is a studio founded in Franklin in 2015 by Will Bledsoe, who has been tattooing since 2003. The Nashville Metro tattoo studio's permanent staff consists of owner and artist Will and artist Paul Ratliff, each of whom has an individual portfolio which customers can view on the company's website. Will works primarily in an American illustrative style, incorporating Victorian imagery as well as religious symbols and art nouveaux.

Franklin, TN(615) 465-6878

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Black 13 Tattoo Parlor, bsaed in Nashville's historic Cummins Station, has a team of tattoo artists ready to create body art for clients from throughout the city as well as the surrounding areas. The studio is open six days a week, from Monday through Saturday, and its artists are available by appointment. Walk-in availability is not guaranteed. The permanent staff artists at Black 13 Tattoo Parlor are Jay Quarles, Jon Ragoe, Josh Woods, Marty McEwen, Steve Pearson, and Amanda Leadman.

Nashville, TN(615) 750-3741

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Electric Hand Tattoo is a Nashville-based tattoo parlor with clients from throughout the area. Established in 2011, the studio provides custom tattoos, incorporating clients' preferences and inspirations. The team of artists has experience in a broad variety of styles, including traditional Eastern and Western art, photorealism, portraiture, American Folk, and Pop art. Because Electric Hand is a collective, not a business, each artist on-site is responsible for his or her own business. If clients are interested in receiving services from a particular artist, they should reach out to that artist for pricing and scheduling information.

Nashville, TN(615) 678-7289

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Evolutionary Studios, located in Hendersonville, is unique among Nashville Metro tattoo parlors, in that it takes an unusually clinical approach to the art of tattooing. Clients visiting the Evolutionary Studios brick-and-mortar location will find a building closer in resemblance to a doctor's office than a tattoo studio. The facility is extremely clean, and each resident artist on the team has received training well beyond state regulations. All staff tattooists are licensed, insured, and certified to perform CPR as well as first aid.

Hendersonville, TN(615) 431-0874

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Gold Club Electric Tattoo is based in downtown Nashville, next to the Printers Alley. Artists on the staff specialize in a range of styles, from American traditional and portraiture to custom lettering and bold, bright, geometric designs. Clients can visit the brick-and-mortar location for a walk-in appointment six days a week, with Sunday appointments available by appointment only. Chris Murphy, who owns and leads the business, has assembled a team of experienced tattoo artists, including Derek Billingsley, P.J. Anderson, Derrick Hooper, and Mike Fite.

Nashville, TN(615) 835-3923

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At Kustom Thrills Tattoo, located in Nashville, clients can receive tattooing services from the business's small team of highly competent artists. Customers may schedule an appointment any day from Monday to Saturday, noon to 10 o'clock, or Sunday, noon to eight o'clock. Artists at the studio customize every tattoo according to clients' preferences, no matter the size or level of detail. Furthermore, they will present customers with drawings to serve as samples of the upcoming tattoo, which customers can revise to their liking.

Nashville, TN(615) 226-3009

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Lone Wolf Body Art is a small, independently-owned business delivering tattoo services to clients from Nashville and other nearby cities. The business has two locations, one in Franklin and another in Hermitage, each of which has its own artists and hours of operation. Founder Ben Dixon became a professional tattooist in 1991, and he founded the first Lone Wolf Body Art location in July 1993. Mr. Dixon is extremely involved in the industry. He collaborated with other local tattoo artists to draft the state's health regulations pertaining to tattoo parlors. And in 2000, he created the "Full Moon Tattoo Convention," which has been held locally every year since, now under the name "Full Moon Tattoo & Horror Festival."

Franklin, TN(615) 599-1122

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Michael Blaylock is a Nashville-based artist who, in addition to creating painting, creates artworks that use the human body as a canvas. Mr. Blaylock collaborates with his clients throughout the process, from discussing inspirations and concepts to designing and revising the final design. Past customers gush about Mr. Blaylock's work, speaking highly of his artistry, his professionalism, and his attentiveness to customers' needs and preferences.

Nashville, TN(615) 873-1098

Music City Tattoo provides its customers high-quality custom tattooing services in a clean and comfortable environment. The studio's permanent artists are husband and wife team Laura Saadati-Kepper and Mike Kepper, who met in San Francisco where Laura co-owned Primal Urge Studios. After leaving the city and working together at Jacksonville tattoo shop Inksmith and Rogers, they headed to Nashville and opened Music City Tattoo together in 2004. Laura has a Bachelors in Fine Arts and specializes in large-scale Japanese and traditional tattooing, and Mike was a professional skateboarder before becoming a tattoo artist. They work by appointment but take walk-ins whenever possible.

Nashville, TN(615) 742-8822

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One Drop Ink is a Nashville-based tattoo parlor with a small team of qualified artists creating body art for local clients. Elisheba Israel, the business's owner as well as one of its artists, works alongside Michael “Ol Skool” Mucker, her fellow tattoo artist, and Angelena, the business's resident body piercing specialist. Ms. Israel was a prominent participant in the Nashville Black Artists Renaissance, with murals and paintings shown at Columbia State, the Ha Factory, Boheme Collectif, and additional local venues. In 2015, Indieville TV named her the 2015 Nashville Tattoo Artist of the Year.

Nashville, TN(615) 649-1106

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Safe House Tattoo Studio is a Nashville-based business with five tattoo artists on its staff. Eli Draughn, Chipper Harbin, Zane Pendergast, Ben Ritchie, and Ian White can create body art in a broad array of styles, sizes, and colors. Interested prospective clients can view the artists' individual profiles on the Safe House Tattoo Studio website. Each of the artists has his own scheduling system, so customers should contact the artist beforehand to ensure availability. Tattoo removal service is also available.

Nashville, TN(615) 866-9810

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Tattoos by Sheri is a tattoo service in Nashville owned and operated by Sheri Chapman, who also works on the team at Electric Hand Tattoo. Interested prospective clients can view Ms. Chapman's website for an extensive portfolio of past works, which they can use as templates for their own tattoos, or simply as inspiration. Ms. Chapman works in color as well as black-and-grey, and she can perform cover-ups and touch-ups.

Nashville, TN(615) 678-7289

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At the Nashville-based tattoo studio Titan Tattoo, a staff of fully licensed artists performs custom tattooing, as well as tattoo cover-ups and touch-ups. Additionally, the business provides local clients with body piercing services, using Titan Tatoo's large selection of body jewelry.

Nashville, TN(615) 873-1098

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Victory Tattoo, in Nashville, serves customers from throughout the city and its suburbs, providing body art services in a range of styles, sizes, and colors. Leading the team is Mia Graffam, who was born and raised in Honolulu. When she was learning the art of tattooing, she drew from American Traditional artists like Sailor Jerry and Mike Malone. In addition to being a tattooist, she is a successful painter, whose work has been featured in New York City galleries and publications from throughout the nation.

Nashville, TN(615) 678-6803

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