15 Best Tattoo Artists in Houston

3rd Generation Ink is a Houston tattoo studio representing the third generation in a family of tattoo artists. It is headed by Larry Shaw II, son of tattoo artist Larry Shaw and grandson of tattoo artist Bob Shaw. Larry Shaw the II has been tattooing professionally since 1993. The studio offers many styles of tattoos including traditional, tribal, Japanese, and cover-ups. Customers note that the studio maintains excellent sterilization and hygiene standards.

713 Tattoo Parlour creates custom tattoos and piercings in the Houston area. It is Houston’s only Association of Professional Piercers studio. They have won several awards, including a “Top Rated Tattoo and Piercing” Facebook award in 2015. Customers speak highly of the store’s professionalism and cleanliness. The Galaga arcade game in the waiting room provides guests with entertainment as they wait to get their tattoo.

Artistic Impressions Tattoo Studio is located in Katy, Texas. Opened in 2010, the studio offers custom tattoos and piercings. The staff has over a combined 20 years of experience and is led by Spiro Kambitsis. Customers are impressed by how clean, friendly, and helpful the shop is. They comment on the talent of the tattoo artists, as well as the piercers.

Bayou City Body Shop is a tattoo parlor and art gallery serving the Houston, Cy-Fair, and Katy areas since 2006. The studio specializes in traditional, realism, portraits, cover-ups, neo-traditional, full color, custom, lettering, and new school. The studio strives to maintain a friendly and clean atmosphere. Customers speak highly of the professionalism and talent of the artists. In addition to tattooing, they perform piercings and even will accept art commissions. The studio is run by artists Randy Lee, Earnest Garza, and JIMMEH.

Figurehead Tattoos is a tattoo studio located in Houston. It is led by Nate Beavers, an experienced tattoo artist who often has a long waiting list. He operates by appointment only. He specializes in portraits, realism, color, and black and gray. His clients have included Houston attorney and former professional football player Charles Johnson.

Flying Squid is an art gallery and tattoo studio in Houston Heights that houses artists Ryan Scroggins, Catfish Perez, Neal Dossey, Dustin Whelan, Jay McCaslin, Bill McBee, Gabriel Massey, and Damian Ellen Hallam. In addition to providing custom tattoos, the studio sells original works of art. The studio takes pride in being unique, and customers speak highly of how talented the artists are. The seven rooms connected to the main gallery offer seven different portals into the minds of the artists.

Imperial Tattoo Company is a family owned and operated tattoo studio in Sugarland, Texas. The studio was founded in 2011, and the artists on the staff have a combined 25 years of experience tattooing and piercing. They try to make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible in addition to creating quality tattoos. Customers are usually pleased with the quality of the tattoos, as well as the cleanliness of the studio. In addition to thousands of existing designed, they work with customers to create custom tattoos.

Noble Street Tattoo Parlour is a creator of high-quality body art in Houston. The company describes itself as an “old-school tattoo shop and art gallery” that combines time-tested methods with modern techniques to deliver awesome results. The artists develop solid plans based on clients’ input, and the parlour has different personalities and approaches to suit varying customer lifestyles and requirements. The owner is a fan of well-rendered inks, and he brings years of professional experience and industry exposure to his shop. The styles include neo-traditional, American traditional, realism, portrait, black and gray, bio-mechanical, and Japanese. With over 45 years of combined experience, the team members at Noble Street Tattoo Parlour pride themselves on creating quality tattoos and treating people well. The shop is located in the quaint area known as Old Town Spring.

Prison Break Tattoos is a “prison break” themed tattoo parlor located in Houston, Texas. The studio provides custom tattoos, cover ups, and piercings. It is decorated in prison décor with bars, electric chairs, and inmates. In addition to working in the tattoo industry, the owner BK has been working in law enforcement for over 23 years. The studio takes pride in supporting first responders and emphasizes a family atmosphere.

Rampage Tattoo is a custom tattoo shop in Houston that has been operating since 2011. Its five tattoo artists are led by Ram Perez, a 16 year veteran of the industry. He specializes in custom tattoos made in a variety of styles, including portraits, realism, black & grey, color and biomechanical. They create one-of-a-kind custom tattoos based on customer specifications. Customers speak positively of the professionalism of the staff and detail of the work. The shop provides complimentary valet parking and accepts both cash and credit card payments.

Scorpion Studios is a Houston tattoo studio founded in 1991. The five tattoo artists are experienced and passionate about their craft. They provide custom tattoos in a variety of styles. Artist Dan Martin, for example, excels at illustrative style and cover-ups. Artist Tracy Lambright has been tattooing for 15 years and specializes in black and gray, color, Americana, and large-scale Japanese work. “Big Gabe” Bayles has been professionally tattooing since 2004 and, in addition to being skilled with black and gray and Americana, is personally fond of large-scale Japanese designs.

Studio 8 is an upscale tattoo shop located in Houston. They specialize in biomechanical, Japanese traditional, traditional American, portraits, script, touch-ups, cover-ups and more. Their three tattoo artists have a combined 36 years of experience. The lead artist Shane Smith has inked over 14,000 pieces alone. Customers speak highly of the talented artists especially their ability to pull off difficult cover-ups.

Texas Body Art is a tattoo studio with two locations in the Houston area. It provides tattoos and piercings in a clean and safe atmosphere. The staff is led by Johnny Jackson, an iconic tattoo artist with almost 30 years of experience. In 2014 it was named the Best Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Houston for the 7th consecutive time. The studio makes it a point to keep out drugs, guns, gangs, and drama in order to provide a comfortable tattooing experience. The studio has also been featured in Inked Magazine.

The Black Pearl Tattoo Parlor offers custom tattoos and piercings at its Houston location. It was founded in 2009. The tattoo parlor is fully licensed and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. In addition to thousands of pre-designed images, the shop offers custom tattoo designs. The studio features artists J Badass, Mr. Mike, and Red.

Located in Meadows Place, Virtue Tattoo offers tattoo and body piercing services. The studio opened in 2010 and since then it has won the award “Best Tattoo and Piercing Shop in the City of Houston” three times. Led by Tim Gooding, all of the artists have at least 10 years of experience. The shop also takes pride in maintaining a high standard of cleanliness. Walk-ins are welcome, as are appointments.