STICKS BY SHAY

side profile of a fresh ear tattoo. the ink is all black, and depicts a demon with a long snaking tongue and creepy fingers grabbing the ear and whispering into it

back profile of a fresh ear tattoo. the ink is all black, and the only image visible is a few snaking and curling lines stretching around the back of their ear, swirling near their lobe and spreading onto their skull

side profile of a fresh ear tattoo. the ink is all black, and depicts a demon with a long snaking tongue and creepy fingers grabbing the ear and whispering into it.

back-side profile of a fresh ear tattoo. the ink is all black, and depicts a demon with a long snaking tongue and creepy fingers grabbing the ear and whispering into it. the tongue appears to take a wiggly pattern into their ear

my friends’ other tat from today… their name is close to Demon, so we made one whispering in his ear 😈

very dainty little skull tattoo on client’s forearm, over some spots of scar tissue. the skull has a heart-shaped nose

closer shot of a very dainty little skull tattoo on client’s forearm, over some spots of scar tissue. the skull has a heart-shaped nose

handpoke! color-tested some light pink details on this client’s multicolored skin. the lighter shade is scar tissue, and for now we just put a black border around it, but we may go more detailed soon… sketchy little luvdrunk skull awwe!!!

Andrea/Andrew Gibson has died today of ovarian cancer. Way to kick off Enby Awareness Week with a stab to the fucking heart, Andrea. You always knew how to make me sob, you fucker

fresh upper forearm tattoo of a spiny abstract black bone-looking form, wrapped with a softer, loopy-looking form of ombre blues and lavender

freehand design for one of my DND players :))) we’re waiting to start on their thorny vine half-sleeve until they’re back from an extended trip. doing big handpokes is so rewarding but requires at least one BIG chunk of time… i am often tatting friends into the wee hours…

(((((((me hypnotizing u)))))))))

fuck w meeee

yall want more tattoos so badddd

aawweee 🥺🏡🫀

i wanna live in this world of ppl

freshly bandaged (in shiny second skin) handpoke tattoo on a person’s upper arm of two laughing flowers and some metallic sparkles

freshly bandaged (in shiny second skin) handpoke tattoo on a person’s upper arm of two laughing flowers and some metallic sparkles

thanks @gardenarcade.art !!! it was fun yapping w you for a few hours :) ANOTHER FIRST TATTOO!!! YIPPEE 🥳

a freshly (and previously) tatted arm of a person standing sideways. the fresh tat is a spiky, handpoked, freehand filler/ elbow wrap

a freshly (and previously) tatted arm of a person standing facing away. the fresh tat is a spiky, handpoked, freehand filler/ elbow wrap

a freshly (and previously) tatted arm of a person standing sideways. the fresh tat is a spiky, handpoked, freehand filler/ elbow wrap

a freshly (and previously) tatted arm of a person standing facing the photographer. the fresh tat is a spiky, handpoked, freehand filler/ elbow wrap

my friend came over and realized they never got a tat from me before so we made this filler :)

a fresh Bluejay feather tattoo on someones hand as it rests on their leg. The tat extends from mid-pinky and ends just before the wrist, so it stays very straight visually

a fresh Bluejay feather tattoo on someones hand as it rests on their leg. The tat extends from mid-pinky and ends just before the wrist, so it stays very straight visually

bluejay feather drawn by someone else, but it was V lovely to get to tell this person with melanated skin that colorful tats CAN look gorgeous on them!!! trick is understanding undertones and not over-working the skin xoxox

FR GIVE ME COLORFUL TAT REQUESTS OR I’LL D!E

or just literally do the custom :( but there are MANY i will not do, at least without EXTENSIVE discussion!

I always say no customs but then someone tells me a cool idea and I make them a whole personalized flash sheet bahahahahaha

cutie flowers based on a client’s drawing <<<333

only the swamp gator is taken so far from these :)

some blue ink from the stencil is still stuck on, only the black is the tattoo!

from 2018

me

here’s the very first handpoke i ever did on another person, Mitch’s first tattoo :’) thats a real friend folks

your first tattoo is a gateway to body mod heaven btw. I searched for two years for the perfect artist to do my first piece at age 18 and settled on Emily, co-owner of Thin Line Tattoo in Plainfield/Batavia. this tat looks AMAZING a decade later. I have never once touched it up, possibly never will.

bee on my fave :) I normally hear that my handpokes are so comfy and nonpainful BUT THIS ONE… their FIRST neck tat… the most painful of all 20+ tattoos they’ve received. we finished it in two tiny sessions to break up the pain <\3

on their ass, in their partner’s handwriting. he wore his jockstrap for the appt so we could make sure the positioning looked good with it on :)

perhaps my favorite piece? On Zach, dreamed up by Zach, a picture of Zach looking at Zach

3 little flowers, a trade for the temple tat on my sternum

medusaaaa in cunty little glasses!! so fun for my MPLS comrade