Not too happy. Lines aren't even or crisp (important on this tattoo) and colors are bleeding. After ten tattoos, I've never had one get infected and this one has. Feeling a little iffy because I didn't see the guy get a new needle or open it out of the package. Overall, wish I waited for my guy to get back from his tatt convention.
Review Source:I went to see Alex at House of Pain, and needed both a touch up and a new piece. Â First off, the place looks like your typical hole in the wall tattoo parlor. Â A touch up on my foot (black ink only) and a piece about 1.5 inch diameter on my hip (black ink only). Â Prices were very reasonable for quotes I've gotten before. Â
What I liked: The place was CLEAN. Â I was very happy with the cleanliness and never concerned about sterility. Â Alex was also super chill and always very respectful when he had to get positioned in awkward ways to get to the tattoo. Â He put me at ease, so props for attitude. Â The touchup was just faded, and he filled it in well. Â
What I didn't like: The new piece... It was pretty small, 1.5 inches in diameter, all thick line work. Â The lines were pretty solid and straight on the edges, but a few spots were there was supposed to be blank space, he made the lines touch, so it didn't look like and overlap/underlap. Â Also the shading for the lines... I've only had it two months and it's faded to grey, and healed splotchy with my skin coming through. Â Nothing I couldn't get fixed with a touch up, but as I no longer live in the area, I'd have to pay some new artist to fix it, so that sucks.
Tony was my artist, and I highly recommend him! I got a tattoo on my rib, and I was expecting it to hurt. But thankfully, it wasn't the least painful as I expected, and the tattoo came out just as I had hoped. The price was reasonable, and the artists seem friendly and super chill. Highly recommend!
Review Source:I came here with a very specific piece in mind. Tony took the drawing that I had an made it so much better than I could imagine. The price was extremely reasonable and he took the time and attention to detail you don't always see. I will definitely be back here to have more work done by Tony he is an extremely talented artist.
Review Source:Tony did my girlfriends tattoo, in traditional American style. His attention to detail was superb. Never complained or looked irritated at the 6 hour secission. Phill did mine, he was funny and very personable. I am really happy with the way my tattoo turned out and the effort Phill put into making sure it was center, and clean looking, THANK YOU
Review Source:i got my tattoo a few months ago, i dont remember the artist's name, but it was a girl. I have 9 tattoos, and they all look amazing, so i know how to take care of a new tattoo. not only did she have an extremely heavy hand that caused my tattoo to scab more than any tattoo ive had. it scabbed so bad to the point that the color did not even stay... now all i have is a partial treble cleft and and the rest that is a scar not color. i will never go to this shop again.
Review Source:I have 5 tattoos all done by different artists and I have to say, Phil is the most amazing artist I have come across yet. I gave him a general idea of what kind of design I was looking for, (and by general I mean 'A fold out fan with cherry blossoms on it). I really didn't even know myself how I wanted it to be exactly but I figured I'd leave it to the artist.
Phil's design was beyond anything I had ever imagined it to be. From the first draft sketch, to the outlining, and to the shading, Phil exceeded my expectations at every step. His attention to detail is amazing- clean crisp lines and a beautiful job on shading and blending. Needless to say, I don't think I will ever have to have another piece done again by another artist! Phil is unbelievable!
Went a basic idea to do something simple with my daughters initials. House of Pain came through again! My artist Phil took a small idea and turned it into something great. I can't stress enough how great it is to go a place when they can take your idea and make it into something amazing!
Review Source:Got a terrible tattoo done unprofessionally, and needed a cover up. Went here because it's a little shop, that looked legit. Was greeted by nice people right away, and felt comfortable (which is how i would want to feel in a tattoo parlor). The artist was all the way in the back and talked to me for a while about the work (i wish i knew his nameee!!!) anyway, his work was displayed all over, and i knew it was going to be awesome! Before I laid down, he put on some Sublime, and at that moment I was sold! haha, but seriously. i was so relaxed and we chatted and even sang along a little bit :) when i was finished it looked AMAZING. exactly what i wanted and was even better then i had pictured in my head, especially for a cover up! Price was just right, too! The only reason i couldnt give them all five stars was because it was so crammed in there! initially i loved the fact that it was a nice little shop, but for about two artists! there was wayyy too many people inside of there, and it could make someone nervous, especially if it was their first tat.
Review Source:I got my first tattoo here last night, by Tone Garcia.  It's a very precise geometric line drawing of a circular evolutionary tree.  After giving Tone an impossibly detailed PDF to start with, he created a sketch that was PERFECT. Seriously. I saw it and couldn't wait to get it inked.  So I did last night, and I could not have been more satisfied. Tone is a genuinely nice guy, and his attention to detail is amazing - far, far better than my own.  He knew what I wanted more than I did, hehe.  Sarah is another artist there, and although I didn't really get to see her work, she was also a genuinely good person and passionate about her work.  House of Pain (especially Tone (pronounced "Tony") really does rock, and I will definitely get my second tattoo there.  Here's my tattoo:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9sXE6.jpg&s=dd158f5fd3d25b7026569ba7d76aec9fcda6aee41df6c62f70cbffde6285cfb2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/9sXE6…</a>
Review Source:I just got home from my session with Sarah. I came in with a half-sleeve that was a mess and asked her if she could do a cover-up/revamp for me. She listened to what I wanted and created a design for me that matched my personality. I left today feeling so much better about my arm than when I went in. She exceeded my expectations. I actually like my tattoo now!! I would definitely recommend Sarah to anyone needing to fix an old tattoo that they are not happy with.
Review Source:I had my first tattoo done last night by Phil at the House of Pain. Â This place is the real deal. Â Very laid back and relaxed atmosphere. Â You can tell the moment you walk in that everybody there is passionate about the art. Â The place is very clean and the artists take great care in sterilizing tools. Â I brought in a photo of what I wanted done and Phil took it many steps further. Â He made a couple of suggestions to improve on it and then did his own shading and detailing. Â The finished product is so much better than I imagined! Â And so much better than the original photo! Â Thanks again Phil!!!
Review Source:So I went in to get a Tattoo from Phil, I had seen his work at another shop he worked at but never got a tatt from him. So I went in to House of Pain one day because my husband wanted  to get a tattoo from Phil, but I ended up getting one instead. I had been wanting an Edgar Allan Poe portrait for a really long time and luckily Phil actually had a portrait that he painted that I totally fell in love with. So I made an appointment for a few days later went in and what he drew up was exactly what I wanted.  I give 5 stars because one, the place is really clean, even the restroom is clean. Two, because everyone that works there is friendly and its a comfortable environment. Three, because Phil is very clean, he even made a joke about how many times he was changing his gloves which is fine by me. And on top of all that Phil is a very good artist I have seen some of his other work and he does a variety of tattoos for different people. He is fast, and my tattoo healed so well, and it came out looking so good, the color is amazing and beautiful.  I have gotten a lot of compliments about my new tatt.  He is actually doing some work on my husband now too!  I will definitely be going back to him for other tatts I have been wanting, plus he has a lot of cool stuff he draws up as ideas.
Review Source:Sarah is my tattoo artist. Â She's done my last 3 pieces. Â And I live in Philadelphia. Â That's how much I believe in her work. Â She's a fantastic artist, that I think is the easy part. Â She's naturally a great artist. Â The thing about Sarah is that she's so sweet and easy to talk to that you can really enjoy fleshing out (pun intended, not the sexual one you pervs) the tattoo from fledgling idea to fully realized permanent body art. Â
The other people in the shop are great artists and amazing people as well. Â I would like to make a tour-de-studio sometime in the future and get a collaborative piece from all of them. Â They each have their own distinctive style so you can really get some diverse work done in one location.
And best of all, for the quality of work I've seen, the prices are great.
I'll be back again and again.
Nako Tiau is an amazing artist! Â I got my tattoo only 5 days ago and i have never had a tattoo heal so well! He did exactly what i wanted and his work is detailed and polished very nicely! Â I have gotten tattoos in the past but this time i decided to put more color. The colors he used were very vibrant just how i wanted them to be. I only had one major request and that was for the lips on my tattoo to be HOT PINK and now that my tattoo healed it is hot hot pink! I love it! His instructions for afthercare were easy to follow and i think made a big difference in healing. This is so far the biggest piece i have ever gotten yet healed the best! He is a true artist who loves what he does and really cares about his work. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants a great quality tattoo!
Review Source:I've gotten several tattoos here even a cover up. I started going to this place after I got ripped off by Bulldogs Tattoos off of Tully and 101. Scott has done a great job and several of my tattoos. Since I've been back last Aug. of 2009 I've heard Scott left, and I've been getting my Tattoos done by Mike who does a wonderful job at cover ups and he did a great Cherry Blossom Tree on my back.
Review Source:I had a botched tattoo on my face of several outlined stars. Â I was looking to have two of the stars filled in and the lines fixed. Â Da Wei up the street turned me away saying they couldn't fix it because "I got the wrong stars." Â (I designed them myself)
When I walked into House of Pain, Mike and the desk guy with the knuckle tattoos assured me that while it was a tricky fix, it was definitely fixable. Â Since the tattoo was less than a week old, they gave me advice on how to prep for the coverup work and get as much ink out of it as possible before they started working on it. Â They said in the future to know that face tattoos are complicated and to never to let a tattoo artist who doesn't have experience with the different textures and depths you need to use on face tattoos touch me again.
Mike was extremely quick and efficient in fixing my tattoo and let me take all the time I wanted moving my stars around and placing them perfectly until I was happy. Â The whole tattoo took less than 15 minutes to fix and he did touchups for free since he said that face tattoos all heal differently when the swelling subsides. Â It was great and I would definitely go back.
I got all of my tattoos done here about 6 years ago, and they still look great. Â I had two that needed to be covered up that were done by me & another tattoo artist & Scott did an amazing job covering them up. Â I have referred many of my friends here in the past and they have all been extremely happy with their tattoos & the experience. Â I have to say though, I don't really like the location because there are sketchy-ass people walking around the area.. but nothing I can do about that! I will be getting another tattoo soon & will definitely be going to Scott.
Review Source:O.o House Of Pain Tattoo!!! Scott Is My Boy, =] He Has Tattooed Me Twice And My Friends Several Times. I Got My Last tattoo January 11 2008 (My 8th Year Of Being Adopted) And Scott Didi A Wonderful Tattoo On My Right Lower Shin  Hurt Sooo Good =] . He Also Did A Smaller One On My Left Lower Ankle Skull And Cross Bones!! I Love Them Both.And Even Though The Shop Is A Little Small The People And Friendliness Makes Up For it In A Heart Beat. I Defiantly Will Be Recommending People To Come Here For GREAT Service Because That's What Keeps People Coming Back.  =]. Overall Great Experience And Cant Wait To See This Place grow!!Anyway He Is Awesome. You Want A good Tattoo Go To Him. Hes Also Friendly, Takes His Time To Make Sure You Get What You Want. And Might Even Let You Play Guitar Hero While You Get Tattooed. =] Its The Best. I Could Go On And On. But Go And Find Out For Yourself XoXo Nikki. Here Is The Pic Of My Right Leg =] Enjoy!! <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi279.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk153%2Fpoizonmotherfuckingivy%2F825-1.jpg&s=6cb69b6c3f58b2514a5193e8d622aae2d03e5942045e861d462e00ad3a532964" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://i279.photobucket.…</a> Ps. Don't Be intimidated by the guy at the front desk Hes harmless And very nice!!
Review Source:I'm not trying to come off as some "Billy Badass" attempting to inform the Yelp community that I have some ink even though it might be beneficial in the end. Kidding. Truth is, tattoos usually correlate with the tough-guy type(ie. motorcycle enthusiasts and the majority of inmates in San Quentin). I, however, am neither. A tattoo to me is personal and mine is very meaningful.
Almost 3 years ago to this day my babysitter/mom passed away. She was an amazing woman. Her entire life was spent in the service of those less fortunate. Besides having 4 children - all boys - of her own, she took me in when I was 5 during a rough time in my father's life. He was a single dad trying to make ends meet working two jobs and I was at the age where I was getting involved in school and extracurricular activities--mainly sports. My babysitter and her husband took me in with no questions asked. Funny thing is, she often frustrated my father with her amazing essence. For example, he would try to pay her for her services; but instead of accepting the money, she would give it to me and have me sneak it back into my dad's wallet when I got back home. So she was helping raise and feed me for free. On top of that, she volunteered and ran the local food distribution making sure all the migrant families in the area could put food on the table. Add on top of that the infinite hours spent volunteering at the local Church ensuring a clean house of worship. Talk about the epitome of selflessness.
When she passed away due to a freak aneurysm, the only way I knew how to carry her memory with me forever was by staining my skin with a stamp of rememberance. I was referred to House of Pain by my roommate at the time. He had work done on him by Marty and highly recommended me in following his guidance. I did. Walking into the establishment, I knew what I wanted: Chinese symbol of the word, "Faith". Marty followed my instruction and added some amazing coloring and technique to make the tattoo look branded into my arm. Sick. 3 years later, I still get compliments on it. Marty is a cool dude too. I told him the story behind the tattoo and him being a soulful man himself picked me up with his own tormenting trials of lossed loved ones. So not only is he a gifted artist, but he is also a down to earth, cat. I can dig it.
Thanks, Marty.
Super nice people there! Â I got my first and second tattoo at house of Pain. Â I almost got my third tattoo there, but they were busy and I couldn't wait. Â When I got my first tattoo I was really scared, but the guy was really nice and kept checking to make sure I was okay. Â They had great advice for the after care and although the price was kinda high for a small tattoo, it is well worth it because they are skilled and the place is really clean. Â I will probably go back for my fourth one there and I will be sure to make an appointment next time.
Review Source:the guy at the counter was kind of iffy about my friend and i (of course we're fresh out of highschool) but was pretty nice and answered my questions promptly when i asked. the guy who inked us was Mike and he did a really really good job. really steady and although he was kind of quiet, he asked questions and cracked jokes. he made me feel pretty comfortable and the price is really reasonable. really glad i picked this place.
Review Source:I love House of Pain! I come here for all of my tattoos after a bad experience for my first tattoo at another shop. Â I go to Scott. He is awesome. Prices are fair and he does great work.
The first piece I had done is my ribs. I got sixteen stars all the way down my right side. Â Scott did an amazing job. The lines are crisp and a consistant width. Â I went back to him for some script on my left hip and he did not disappoint. I know three other people that have gone to him and he did a great job everytime.
House of Pain takes walk ins and they are friendly and fairly priced. I recommend for anyone to go here!
So in total, i've gotten 3 tattoos from there. i keep thinking about how i'm going to write this. and i think i'll just tell you about my first tattoo. the meaningful one that you don't want to mess up on and that you think about the most.
It all started freshmen year. [fyi i'm 19 now]. i was an artistic person so i doodled. and my early years of high school, all i doodled about was ideas for my first tattoo. so i finally did one that, you know, had meaning, was beautiful, and most important to me original, because i never EVER wanted to be caught somewhere lookin at someone who had the same tattoo as i did. and i said to myself that if i still wanted it by 18 that i would get it on my birthday.
2 years later i found myself here. i was recommended this shop since i started telling people about my art, which was freshmen year by my family and family friends and friends and their friends friends.
you can park in the valero gas station right next to it instead of on the street. that's where i always park. you walk into the shop. and it's not very big but it's not cramped. the desk duude is cool, i forget his name tho which stinks. he doesnt bite and might look intimidating at first but he smiles. i told him that i wanted to talk to someone about my tat and introduced me to Scott. and noticed how i said introduced. Scott shook my hand proper, which is always good i think. proper hand shakes tell alot about a person and i showed him my tattoo that i had drown free hand and in color pencil.
so it took him about 30 minutes to prepare it. and during those 30 minutes it was me, my girl Lala, and that sick desk duude watching family guy. we had chairs and everything and they even gave us soda :] now that's customer service i'll tell ya.
the tat was bigger than normal so we had to wait till the next day to do it. it took 2 hours and Scott pretty much took my drawing and painted it on me. it looks exactly like my sketch of it. the colors are vibrant even to this day. i didn't have black outline on this first one. so the colors of green were outlined with a darker green; blue with a darker blue etc. it was perfect.
he talked to me the whole time and we all joked and laughed and told stories and what not. he was very imformative and friendly. and they are sanitary as you can be and you see it.
they're quick they get the job done with excelent service. Scott's the only one i would recommend thou because he's the only one who's touched me with the needle.
i plan on going to Scott and only Scott for any ink that i want for as long as he's in business. he's great. and definately recommend this place.
Got two tatts here a while back because Marks of Art couldn't be bothered to draw something up without a deposit. HOP is VERY clean also, and since I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe that's a big deal to me. You won't find a caged snake and adult toys in THIS tattoo shop...
The first was a cover up done by Marty, (old school biker-type guy) and his work was AWESOME. A lot of it was free-handed and it is sharp, clear, and colorful to this day (about 4 years). My flames are beautiful, and I get compliments all the time.
The second was done by another guy whose name I can't recall, but he did an awesome job too. Usually famous cartoon characters come out looking horrible, but this guy got it PERFECT.
I even got my friends to come out here and get their work done. Prices were good, which makes this addiction affordable. My next tatts will be done here as soon as I come up with the $$$.
I was out with my cousins and had been contemplating a certain phrase - more of a biblical source for the name Michael, and as it turned out we happened to be right across the street from House of Pain. I went there with my baby cousin while her brother was shopping else where. I had asked her..."you want to watch me get a tattoo?" She said "hell yeah!" At the time she was unaware of my other tattoos and probably had thought that I was joking around. When I went in with design in hand and some reference art she seemed kind of stumped. She looked at me as if I was going to far with a gag that I usually do. Surprise! I sat myself down and proceeded with the work.
The entire process took about an hour and covered about a third rear of my right arm. My cousin kept asking me if it hurt. I told her "hell yeah it hurts....but there's more to it than just the pain." The guy (yes, I forgot his name) was really pleasant. I recall initially asking his thoughts about doing it in brown - I've been curious about it for a while now - however he advised against it. From my experience tattooist list to go the safe route sometime and suggest bigger and bolder designs. Maybe it's just me. All in all it was a good experience even though I did find it a tad on the more expensive side as far as tattoos go. Otherwise I have no complaints....didn't need to go back for a touch up or anything.
One thing I have learned about being a collector of skin art.....you got to take care of your skin - I'm talking about skin lotion, sun block, etc. You have to take care of yourself if you want to take care of your ink. Suffice it to say my cousin is now intrigued and has gotten a bunch of the cousins to join in on a group tattooing. Can't wait till the summer....got my piece figured out!
*5 STARS*
-Awesome tattoo shop, got my first tattoo with Mike, amazing tattoo artist with a friendly personality.
I had been searching around, all the other tattoo shops I went to didn't even acknowledge my presence when I walked in the door, at House of Pain, the atmosphere was welcoming and the prices are reasonable.
**Update** I now have four tattoos from Mike, I recently got a tat that consisted of nothing but lines and circles. Once again, he did a wonderful job, the lines are PERFECT. I also filled in a couple tattoos with color, the tattoo still looks brand new.
Highly recommend : )
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