Tattoo Artists in Ontario

[Gunshow]

Hey guys, I THINK i've finally decided what i want to get for my first tattoo. I've been thinking about it almost daily since i was 15... I've always loved traditional japanese style.. but never wanted a dragon or a frog. I've also just recently started reading about the chinese zodiac, turns out i'm a snake, and most of what i've read describes my personality fairly accurately. So I think now that I have some justification and meaning behind it, i will feel comfortable getting a japanese snake piece. I want to either do a half sleeve or a full calf piece. Does anyone know of any good artists in Ontario, or even Buffalo/Detroit with alot of experience in japanese tattooing? I want it to be very accurate because i know in Japanese tattooing there are alot of meanings that go along with every piece of the tattoo, for example snakes are usually accompanied by blossoms in a tattoo because they sleep all winter and wake up in the spring, when flowers blossom. I don't think you would do the orange maple leafs with a snake, but it would look good. Anyways guys let me know i want to find someone who does really good work, not looking for discount prices i would rather pay a bit more and get something i love.

[meltedtime]

A couple of buddies have gone here http://www.123forever.com/portfolios123.htm. St. Catharines.

I've seen his work and Maggies, they are both incredible artists. They aren't cheap and are booked up a good 2 to 3 months ahead of time. Worth it if you want a quality tattoo done the way you want it.

[Relentless]

There's a girl in Barrie that's a fantastic artist. If you're willing to travel there, hit me up with a PM and I'll pass along contact info.

[Sidior]

Post on tattoo forums to get more informative answers. Also visit shops yourself and check out portfolios.

[Gunshow]

Post on tattoo forums to get more informative answers. Also visit shops yourself and check out portfolios.

I've been looking through all the porfolios i can find online, i do want to look at artists full portfolios in the shops though.. i dont want some guy who's been doing flash tattoos for 15 years i kind of expect the artist to be good custom work. What are some tattoo forums i've never been on one...

[RedSpikeyThing]

My buddy got a lot of tribal work done at www.oakvilleink.com I don't know what they specialize in, but it's worth looking into.

[Sidior]

I've been looking through all the porfolios i can find online, i do want to look at artists full portfolios in the shops though.. i dont want some guy who's been doing flash tattoos for 15 years i kind of expect the artist to be good custom work. What are some tattoo forums i've never been on one...

I can't recall any off the top of my head but google "tatto forums" and go from there. I did this to find an artist for my next piece, but when I checked it out I ended up going with a shop not even mentioned. Look at portfolios in person and when you find one you are impressed with book an appointment to meet the artist. The type of ink you are looking to get should not require too specific an artist to give you a great looking piece.

To give you an example...
I have a large tribal piece, it was given to me by a fairly talented artist but tribal is ****ing simple so I did not go all over the province looking for an artist. My next piece will be a full memorial sleeve all done in black and gray so I spent significantly more time looking for an artist.