“Portland is home to incredible tattoo shops, legendary tattoo artists, and a long tradition of tattooing.” As a result, identifying the 22 best tattoo shops in Portland is a difficult process. If you’re looking for tattoos in the Portland region, we’ve searched high and low and located a collection of excellent tattoo artists that you should check out.
According to a 2017 research by Male Health, 37 percent of adults aged 18 to 21 have tattoo guilt, so consider twice before getting inked. We’ve seen that most customers who come for tattoo removal blame themselves for taking a poor decision, rather than the artist’s unsteady hands.
Several clients go to tattoo shops to have their existing tattoos lightened so that they can have a great cover-up. This is a viable option, but we typically advise seeking advice from a reputable tattoo artist and also a checkup with a qualified Laser Tattoo Removal specialist.
It’s difficult to locate reliable lists of the greatest tattoo artists in the town on the internet. There are a few search-optimized results from Yelp and CBS, but none truly highlights the city as it should be, so we decided to compile our own list.
22 Best Tattoo Shops in Portland
While we consider this compilation of our “22 best tattoo shops in Portland,” we also want to recognize a large number of talented tattoo artists without whom we would not have been able to compile this article. So, here is the list of 22 unique places to get a tattoo. there are many top rated tattoo shops Portland Maine some of them are as follow:
- Aardvark Tattoo Company
- Above the Pearl Tattoo Studio
- Albatross Tattoo
- Art Work Rebels
- Birdhouse Tattoo
- Blue Ox Tattoo
- Broadway Ink
- Brynn Sladky
- Dead Gods Tattoo
- Fortune Tattoo
- Hopeless INK
- Icon Tattoo
- Infinity Tattoo
- Lombard Street Tattoo
- Lucky Supreme Tattoo
- Oak Iris Tattoo
- Optic Nerve Arts Tattoo
- Powell Tattoos
- Sellwood Tattoo
- Skeleton Key Tattoo
- Wonderland Tattoo
- Sea Tramp Tattoo Company
Without further ado, let’s explore all the shops;
1. Aardvark Tattoo Company – Best for Unique Tattoos
Aardvark Tattoo Company is a Portland-based tattoo studio. It was established in 2010 and specializes in unique tattoos and piercing. Portrait photography and photorealistic graphics are some of the tattoo styles available. Tattoo camouflages, traditional female tattoos, and writing is all available at the business.
Risa Stevens and Paul Thomas, the shop’s owners, are in this tattooing business for over ten years. Risa has worked on graphic tattoos and biomechanical designs, and Paul has appeared in Tattoo Titans and Ink Master Angels.
LOCATION: Portland, OR 97236 14804 Southeast Powell Blvd
- OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://aardvarktattoocompany.com/
2. Above the Pearl Tattoo Studio – Best for skin damage concealment
Since 2007, Portland consumers have been served by Above the Pearl Tattoo Studio. The studio is located near downtown Portland and accepts clients by appointment.
Its in-house tattoo artist has 16 years of experience. Cover-ups, like post-mastectomy tattooing and skin damage concealment, are the studio’s specialty.
Above the Pearl Tattoo Studio has indeed been recognized in Bob Baxter’s Tattoo Road Trip and was nominated for Willamette Week’s Best of Portland. Clients have complimented the cooperative artists and the clean, private setting.
Location: Portland, OR 97222
- Official WEBSITE
3. Albatross Tattoo – Best for Full-color tattoos
Albatross Tattoo is a tattoo studio in Portland that specializes in black and white, ethnic, realistic, classic, full color, and some other tattoo styles. The shop is a clean and tidy area, friendly environment, and creative artists have all received favorable praise from customers. The studio encourages its customers to arrange consultations before their visit.
Location: 1125 Southeast Division Street Portland, OR 97202
- Official WEBSITE
4. Art Work Rebels – Best for Classical tattoos
Art Work Rebels is a private tattoo studio in Portland that has been in business since 2002. It focuses on unique, classical, and classic tattoos rooted in American and Japanese tattooing traditions.
Art Work Rebels accepts same-day appointments and is available a full week. Jason Kundell, the business’s founder, has been tattooing since 1996. Throughout the year, he does interstate bookings in Southern California, San Francisco, and Berkeley.
Location: 811 Northwest 20th Avenue Portland, OR 97210
- Official WEBSITE
5. Birdhouse Tattoo – Best for wildlife tattoos
Birdhouse Tattoo is a Portland-based group of tattoo artists. The tattoo shop is run by five artists, all of whom are influenced by landscape, wildlife, entertainment, poetry, and human harmony in their work. On clients, the crew has tattooed anything from canine images to pop tradition relations to plants and flowers.
The artists use both black and grey as well as colorful ink in their work. Birdhouse Tattoo promotes diversity and accepts people of all textures, genders, and sizes.
Location: 5823 Southeast Powell Boulevard Portland, OR 97206
- official WEBSITE
6. Blue Ox Tattoo – Best for ethnic Tattoos
Blue Ox Tattoo is a studio in the historic Kenton area of Portland, Oregon. Its tattooists have a wide range of styles and ethnic backgrounds, allowing them to meet the needs of each client.
Tattoos in black, grey, or color are among the artists’ collaborative work. They can also not work scenes, florals, and conventional American-style artwork.
Tattoos for kitty owners are also available. Consultations are available at the tattoo studio to go over reference materials, brainstorm ideas, and figure out the ideal body placement.
Location: 1907 North Kilpatrick Street Portland, OR 97217
- WEBSITE
7. Broadway Ink – Best for permanent makeup
In Portland, Oregon Broadway Ink is a tattoo parlor. It’s a female shop that offers tattoos, lifelong make-up enhancement, and teeth gems, among other body art treatments. All of the tattoo artists just at the shop are self-employed and can do a variety of styles.
The artists who serve at the studio are described by customers as professional, courteous, and welcome. They also compliment the company on its tidiness and the excellence of its job.
Location: 1605 Northeast Broadway Portland, OR 97232
- Official WEBSITE
8. Brynn Sladky – Best for pop-culture tattoos
Brynn Sladky began her profession as a tattoo artist in 2006. She helps clients in Portland and the surrounding areas with several years of experience. Brynn is recognized for her pop-tradition tattoos, but she works in a range of genres.
She’s done tattoos in black and white hues, along with vibrant designs with a lot of color merging. T-shirts, mugs, stickers, as well as other items, are also designed and produced by Brynn.
Location: 1909 Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Portland, OR 97212
- WEBSITE
9. Dead Gods Tattoo – best for photorealistic graphics tattoos
Clients have been getting bespoke tattoos at Dead Gods Tattoo since 2010. The studio, which is located in Tigard, welcomes walk-ins but likes to schedule appointments. The shop’s co-founders have a combined tattooing history of at least 35 years.
Watercolour, photorealistic graphics, ethnic, gray and black, and pattern tattoos are among the many art types available at the workshop. UV-reactive tattoos will be available at the shop. Dead Gods Tattoo’s calm atmosphere and courteous, considerate employees have been appreciated by clients.
Location: 11509 Southwest Pacific Highway
Tigard, OR 97223
- WEBSITE
10. Fortune Tattoo – best for colored tattoos
Since 2010, Fortune Tattoo has been providing tattoo services to Portland residents. Stephanie Wilkins, a visitor and local artist who can do realism, Japanese, and colored tattoo styles, is one of them. To avoid tattoo issues, it employs the Out to Sea Tattoo Lotion.
To prevent tattoos from UV radiation, the shop suggests applying a sunblock factor of 15. Mikki began his professional career tattoo artist in 1987, working under Don Deaton of Sea Tramp Tattoo.
Location: 1716 East Burnside Street Portland, OR 97214
- WEBSITE
11. Hopeless INK – Best for environmentally friendly tattoos
Hopeless is a Portland-based company. Wildlife, flowers, portraiture, and abstract art are among the images drawn by the studio’s tattoo artists. They attempt to create a pleasant and friendly environment that promotes sanitation and safety in order to provide a great tattoo experience for their clients.
The tattoo artists at Hopeless have a combined expertise of over 50 years in the field. Due to the utmost precision and skills, they were picked to work for the organization.
Location: 2308 Main Street Vancouver, WA 98660
- WEBSITE
12. Icon Tattoo – Best for Mystical Tattoos
Icon Tattoo has been in business for more than 20 years in Portland. Its five tattoo artists work in a variety of genres, including mystical and classical Japanese, Polynesian, and American artwork, as well as fine line black and grey imagery.
Mostly, they accept walk-ins, and on the previous Saturday of each month, they host Flash Day, during which customers could choose the artists’ pre-prepared designs and get their tattoos done on a first-come and take-served basis.
Location: 2308 Main Street Vancouver, WA 98660
- Official WEBSITE
13. Infinity Tattoo – best for Black and White Tattoos
Infinity Tattoo is one of Portland’s most well-known and well-established tattoo shops. The store has been in business for about 24 years and provides tattoo and piercing treatments. Portraits, black and white sea creature tattoos, sketch style tattoos, and traditional tattoo patterns are among the tattoo styles available.
Amanda Myers, a former Sea Tramp Tattoo Company trainee, founded the studio in 1993. Several of its tattoo artists, Richard Cuellar Jr., has already been tattooing for over 19 years.
Location: 3316 North Lombard Street
Portland, OR 97217
- WEBSITE
14. Lombard Street Tattoo – Best for abstract tattoos
Lombard Street Tattoo is a customized tattoo shop in Portland, Oregon. Its tattoo artists are skilled in a wide range of techniques, including Japanese, abstract, conventional black-and-gray, and colored ink.
Tyler Eilbeck is a fan of ero guro, ukiyo-e, the verdant realm, surrealism, symbolism, and mysticism, among other artistic genres. Madison Berger is a tattoo artist who specializes in animal, plant, obscure, and psychedelic imagery.
Ona Greenberg is a tattoo artist who is inspired by comic books. Guest artists from all over the world perform at Lombard Street Tattoo.
Location: 8937 North Lombard Street Portland, OR 97203
- WEBSITE
15. Lucky Supreme Tattoo – Best for personalized tattoos
In its facility in Oregon City, Lucky Supreme Tattoo makes personalized tattoos. Black and grey tattoos, photorealism tattoos, full-color tattoos, classic American tattoos, and other styles are created by the tattoo shop’s artists, who have a combined experience of more than 45 years in the profession.
Lucky Supreme Tattoo’s trained and skilled tattoo artists have received good reviews from clients.
Location: 718 Main Street Oregon City, OR 97045
- WEBSITE
16. Oak Iris Tattoo – Best for portrait-style tattoos
In Portland, Oak Iris Tattoo is a tattoo shop. It opened in 2019 in the Overlook neighborhood to meet the community’s inking and self-expression demands. Rebecca Flaum, Sasha Moore, Riley Guardalabene, and Jenny Kollj are skilled tattooists who can work in a variety of styles.
Colorwork, black-and-white imagery, portraits, and watercolor are examples of these. Oak Iris Tattoo also has a store where you can buy clothing and gift certificates.
Location: 4330 North Interstate Avenue Portland, OR 97217
- WEBSITE
17. Optic Nerve Arts Tattoo – Best for Black and White realism tattoos
Optic Nerve Arts Tattoo is a Portland-based custom-only tattoo studio. It opened in 2003 and now houses four exceptional painters who work in a variety of styles, including classic American and black and grey realism. Pedro Dorsey, one of the shop’s artists, has been in the business since 1992.
Dorsey is well recognized for his ability to tattoo an exact replica of a client’s selected portraits. To protect the safety of its customers, Optic Nerve Arts Tattoo also works to maintain the business and its tools clean.
Location: 2224 Northeast Alberta Street Portland, OR 97211
- WEBSITE
18. Powell Tattoos – Best for body Piercing
Powell Tattoos’ Portland location maintains a decent and welcoming environment. Each tattoo artist at the workshop has at least ten years of expertise.
Body piercing is also available, as well as a wide range of body jewelry, such as implant-grade titanium, implant-grade stainless steel, bone, stone, and wood. Powell Tattoo’s courteous, professional team and clean store have received high marks from customers.
Location: 5117 Southeast Powell Boulevard Portland, OR 97206
- WEBSITE
19. Sellwood Tattoo – Best for Customized tattoos
Sellwood Tattoo is a Portland-based studio that serves clients from all around the United States and it had visitors from every part of the world. The tattoo studio, which opened in 2011, specializes in customized tattoos and has a team of artists who each have their own distinct techniques and artistic uniqueness.
Customers are invited to work with the company’s ink experts to choose their favorite design and produce body art that is unique and fulfills their needs.
Location: 8213 Southeast 17th Avenue Portland, OR 97202
- WEBSITE
20. Skeleton Key Tattoo – best for Tattoo removal
Skeleton Key Tattoo is a vegan-friendly tattoo shop. The workshop also offers pigment-lightening tattoo removal, and it’s a less painful and less expensive option for tattoo removal. English and Spanish are spoken by the employees.
The cheerful, helpful, and accomplished tattoo artists at the Portland tattoo parlor won the 2012 Mercury Reader’s Choice Award. Support land, a program that helps local companies, is a scheme that Skeleton Key Tattoo promotes.
Location: 1729 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard Portland, OR 97214
- WEBSITE
21. Wonderland Tattoo – Best for animal tattoos
With its bespoke tattoo services, Wonderland Tattoo tries to combine art and innovation. Since 2013, this firm has been providing custom designs for customers in Portland and the nearby region. It employs seasoned painters who specialize in vintage, folklore, traditional, botanical images, and animals, among other types. Cover-ups are also accepted at Wonderland Tattoo.
Since 2001, the proprietor, Alice Kendall, has been creating various forms of body art. Her specialty is designing nature-oriented and fictional tattoos, though she can work in a variety of styles.
Location: 7020 Southeast 52nd Avenue Portland, OR 97206
- WEBSITE
22. Sea Tramp Tattoo Company – Best for Vintage tattoos
Sea Tramp, created in 1978 by famed artist Bert Grimm and situated in the Central Eastside, is Oregon’s oldest tattoo shop. (His historic flash sheets decorate the shop’s walls, and he’s claimed to have inked the notorious Bonnie and Clyde.)
The store minimum is $80, and hourly fees vary (cash only). Every day of the year, walk-ins are welcome.
The painters of Sea Tramp — Patrick Murphy, Skot Ramsay, and Mike Stevens — continue Grimm’s legacy of providing vintage graphics.
Location: 523 SE Stark Portland, OR
- Official Website
Best Female Tattoo Artist in Portland
Though there are several female artists in portland who are running their own tattoo shops we have mentioned the best female tattoo artist for you:
Wonderland Tattoo Shop by Alice Kendall
Kendall began tattooing professionally in 2001 as the owner of Wonderland Tattoo in Portland. She’s tattooed everything from nature and science to themed tattoos since the beginning, and she loves it all.
Kirsten Holliday, Sean Wright, Savannah Trevino, Cecelia Wingate, Katy Bisby, and Sarah Walls are just a few of the artists Kendall collaborates with.
Kendall’s shop is in Southeast Portland, and she’s tattooed just about everything you can think of during her illustrious career. Her true passion, as evidenced by her Instagram, is nature and science-related work.
Kendall loves painting, and her tattoo ideas frequently become the topic of her artwork or vice versa. She is a well-known Portland tattoo artist who aspires to continue tattooing and creating artwork at Wonderland Tattoo until her last living breath.
Location: 7020 Southeast 52nd Avenue Portland, OR 97206
- WEBSITE
How old do you have to be to get a tattoo in Oregon?
A tattoo is for life, so don’t hurry into it or get it done illegally, especially if you’re a kid.
This is a question we get a lot!
We’ll go through all of the rules and regulations that govern the minimum age limit for obtaining a tattoo.
So, what is the minimum age for getting a tattoo? The minimum age in the United States is 18. The legal drinking age in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia are also 18. It might be possible to get one younger than 18 with parental approval in some situations, but it depends on the situation.
You won’t need to get your parents’ permission, sign any additional consent forms, have your age verified, or be concerned about breaching any state laws at this age.
Every state has its own laws prohibiting minors from having body art or modifying their bodies, and many times there are extra municipal restrictions as well. In terms of age, there is no restriction on how young someone can have a tattoo.
Tattooing on minors is legal in 38 states with an informed parental agreement or with the presence of the parent. However, this does not imply that a newborn may simply crawl in and acquire a tattoo.
For safety and liability reasons, most tattoo artists will not ink anyone under the age of 15 or 16.
Tattoo Age Restrictions
There are two basic reasons for age limitations and tattoo regulations:
Conventional Mentality:
Legislators tend to be from older generations, are more conservative, and have a negative attitude toward tattoos. As a result, they use their political clout to make tattoos more difficult to obtain, or even illegal, and to make it more difficult for tattoo businesses to operate legally.
Oklahoma was the final state to legalize tattooing, doing so in 2006.
Getting a tattoo is a medical procedure:
Tattooing is a medical practice, so minimal criteria must be met. This is the second reason for age limitations.
Tattooing carries some hazards, particularly when done on youngsters. If a shop’s equipment isn’t adequately sanitized and meets basic standards, viruses, illnesses, and germs can readily spread.
Oregon has an 18-year-old minimum age requirement. That means anyone over the age of 18 can get a tattoo without parental permission.
Getting a tattoo as a minor, on the other hand, is state-dependent. A minor is somebody below the age of eighteen. Before you begin planning your tattoo, educate yourself about the laws of the state in which you intend to have it done.
Average hourly rate for tattoo artists – Portland Oregon
Most competent and sought-after artists will charge between $80.00 and $100.00 per hour. Remember that when you commission a tattoo, you are commissioning somebody to create a work of art on your body that you will cherish for a lifetime.
Let’s have a look at the cost chart to get a tattoo:
| Size | Average Price |
| Tiny Tattoo (Under 2 in) | $30 – $100 |
| Small Tattoo (2 – 4 in) | $50 – $250 |
| Medium Tattoo (4 – 6 in) | $150 – $450 |
| Large Tattoo (6+ in) | $500 – $4,000 |
Are tattoos safe?
Tattoos have never been more popular. Per a 2015 Harris Poll, nearly one-third of those surveyed (29%) have seen at least one tattoo. People have also developed infections as a result of tainted tattoo inks, as well as bad reactions to the inks themselves, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA has obtained a total of tattoo-related adverse event reports over the years, including 363 from 2004 to 2016.
Consider these crucial questions, as addressed by Dr. Linda Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors, before getting a tattoo.
Do I need to be concerned about harmful tattooing procedures or the ink itself?
I think both. Infections can occur as a result of ink that has been infected with bacteria or mold, as well as unsanitary techniques and non-sterile equipment. Non-sterile water is a prominent issue, but it isn’t the only one.
There’s no way to know for sure whether the ink is harmless or not. If the package is sealed and the product is labeled as sterile, ink could be contaminated.
What’s in the ink used for tattoos?
According to published studies, certain inks contain pigments that are utilized in printer toner or automobile paint. Cosmetic pigments have yet to be approved by the FDA for infusion into the skin.
The FDA looks into consumer and healthcare provider reports of bad effects or infections. State officials in charge of tattoo parlors may be able to inform us of outbreaks.
What are the possible reactions to getting a tattoo?
A rash—redness or bumps—might appear in the location of your tattoo, and a fever may develop.
Fever, tremors, chills, and sweating are all symptoms of more severe illnesses. Antibiotics, sometimes for months, or even hospitalization and/or surgery may be required to treat such infections. An allergic reaction might also cause a rash. The reaction may also remain since the inks are permanent.
Is it possible to develop scar tissue after a tattoo?
When you get a tattoo, scar tissue may grow, or you may get “granulomas,” little knots or bumps that form around the foreign matter that the body detects as foreign. If you’re prone to keloids, which are wounds that grow beyond their typical bounds, the tattoo may trigger a similar reaction.
Best Tattoo Shops in Portland – FAQs
To Wrap up!
Tattooing is the most common obsession among teens nowadays. They want to get their body tattooed with some symbolic and extraordinary designs. Tattooing is a medical process that must be done under the expert eyes otherwise there might be chances of adverse effects.
There is no need to worry if you are getting tattoos for the first time. We have made a list of the 22 best Tattoo shops in Portland and I hope it will help you a lot in cherishing your first ever tattoo that is going to stay with you lifelong.
Best of Luck!
