Snobby. That's just lame.
I checked out several tattoo shops to see which was best  - cleanliness, professional service, workmanship, etc.
Idle Hand Tattoo was hands down the most unfriendly, snobby place I visited.
Just because someone don't LOOK like your normal "tattoo person" doesn't mean you should treat them with disdain and curtness. I'm no tat newbie - I have 4 tattoos.
HEY IDLE HAND - here's a tip - don't judge a book by it's cover.
And treat all your customers with respect.
Assholes.
Erik's work is excellent. Â Look no further for lifelike, black/grey tattooing. Â Went in for a consultation, left a deposit, scheduled my appointment - simple.
My appointment was almost two months out which was completely understandable due to his great reputation and excellent artistry. Â I'll be honest, I wanted to sit ASAP to get my work done but I knew the wait would be worthwhile.
The day of my appointment Erik showed me his sketch, and I was very happy. Â A few hours later once it was completed, I was blown away.
I look forward to my next piece from Erik.
Just got my FIRST tat from Hanna and I love everything about it! Â It's a beautiful memorial piece for my mom and was executed perfectly. Â I wanted her guitar with star gazer lilies around it and the idea I had in my head paled to what I actually got. Â
She took the pictures of the guitar and used them as the base for a portrait of it. Â She uses a single needle which is a challenge for most artists. Â There's so much detail in the piece and I simply cannot wait until it's fully healed and I can see the whole beauty of it!
Plus, Torenado is 2 doors down so you can go and have a victory beer afterwards. Â :)
My first tattoo. I had been thinking about it for a while, but the friendly (and clean) vibe of the shop convinced me to take the plunge at Idle Hand with Aaron. While I had a pretty concrete idea for the design of my tattoo, a left the details up to Aaron in terms of shading, size, placement, etc... I am really glad I did, because the tattoo looks great. Also, he was great about walking me through the process (ex: making sure I had something to eat before getting started). The experience and product were so enjoyable I am already itching to get more work done. Final note. Aaron was pretty damn efficient. The tattoo took much less time and cost a lot less than I was expecting.
Review Source:I heard a lot of good things about this shop, and was very impressed with their tattoo artists on line portfolios. I emailed Erik Jacobsen about getting a tattoo done and wanting to set an appointment. I waited several weeks and never got a response. At that time I was not too worried about it and figured he was pretty busy. I called the shop and was told he was busy with a tattoo and left a message, and was told he would return my call when he could. Its now been two weeks and never got a call back. I picked Erik because of his amazing line work and black and grey. Erik's talent is amazing, no denying that. However, not his customer service.
Review Source:Been here three times now and it's always been great, atmosphere is good and the shop is nice to relax and get work done in. Â Had my last five tattoos done by Ryan Shaffer and won't go anywhere else in the future. Â Very professional and a great artist- he truly cares about each piece he does.
Review Source:I am really distracted at work - I just got golden poppies inked on my back shoulder blade yesterday. Â I keep getting up from my cube to sneak a peek at it in my office bathroom. Â IT LOOKS AMAZING.
Huge thanks to Erik Jacobsen for his beautiful work. Â He is a really talented, chill artist - I went in thinking this ink would be my last tattoo in awhile but I, now, want to see what else he will do (immediately / as soon as i have more money).
I was referred to Holly by a good friend who is an artist and I am glad I was introduced to her! I emailed her back in 2010 and sent her a handful of pictures of my mom that I wanted tattooed on my forearm. Even though her wait list was slightly long (the woman is in high demand people!), she was really great in helping me choose a photo that would work best and she was even able to sneak me in a bit earlier than I had anticipated. I am glad I waited because the piece I got was nothing short of amazing. When I came in for my appointment Holly was finishing up the stencil and literally did the whole tattoo in what I would call free hand. The portrait came out exactly like the photo I brought in. The shading is beautiful and I get compliments on it daily. I would recommend everyone to Holly for portrait work. She was friendly, professional and easy to get along with. The piece took less than 4 hours and I have not had to get a touch-up in almost 3 years. The lines still look clean and the piece is still as beautiful as it was the first day!
Thank you Holly for giving me such a beautiful piece! I will continue to recommend your work now and in the future!
Top notch tattoo parlor. Â Everyone here is super talented but down to earth and not pretentious. I got a full back piece from Aaron Hodges. We've been working together every few weeks for the past year. I'm beyond pleased with the work and would recommend him to anyone looking for an original piece of art.
Review Source:I only have 2 tattoos and both of them were done by Eric at idle hands. First of all this shop is clean. I think it's easy to say I am a neat freak along with a slight cleaning compulsiveness and this shop is up to my standards. My first tattoo was on the top of my ankle and I had an idea of what I wanted but not an exact design. I gave Eric full control of what the tattoo would be. Kinda ballsy for my first tattoo but hey, why not. He drew up a design and I loved it. He placed it about 3-4 different times just to make sure it was straight. (He is a little OCD about that which I think is a great quality to have as a tattoo artist) it took him about an hour to do and he kept checking on me to make sure I was ok. End result...perfection! He charges about the same as anyone else in the area and the shop has a cool vibe, cool people, great choice of music. I will always have Eric do my tattoos. He also tattoos my cousin and husband. Every piece is so different and unique. If he doesn't know the style you want he will research it and make sure he is very knowledgable about that style. He is very honest and I'm sure he is one of the few artists that will refuse to do a stupid drunk tattoo because he knows the repercussions you will face later on. Love this place. Go get inked here!!!
Review Source:I've been working with Holly Ellis, owner and tattooist at Idle Hand for almost a year now on a large back piece. I can't say enough great things about Holly and Idle Hand. The artists are talented, the place is comfortable, and they have been extremely professional with me. It's a great atmosphere to get a tattoo, and I'd recommend it highly.
Review Source:I am SO lucky to have found Holly Ellis here! She is the owner and does a great job running the shop and has a great group of artists. She is above and beyond what I expected for my portraits. She is finishing my arm after another artist stiffed me. I literally get stopped almost every where I go because it looks so unreal amazing. People ask if they are real because they look so life like. I have no reason to ever go to anyone else. She is punctual, highly professional, and has a fast light hand. Her work is so intricate and incredibly detailed. I couldn't be happier!
Review Source:I was recommended to Idle Hands by a gal over at Brain Drops (which used to do tattoos but now only specializes in piercings). Â As it was my first tattoo, I was very nervous and ended up visiting the shop a couple times before I decided to pull the trigger. Â The previous time I had gone into the shop, one of the gentlemen there was very patient with me and answered all the questions I had about the process. Â Since all I wanted was a line of text in Latin on my lower left rib, he recommended that I do a walk-in as opposed to making an appointment. Â This worked particularly well for me since I'm one of those people that will freak out and not do it if I put too much pressure on a certain day and time. Â
I ended up going in a couple weeks later and walked in around 3 pm. Â They were particularly busy this day, so the man at the front told me to come back in an hour. Â When I came back, I met Austin Maples, who was very patient and courteous. Â I had had a font straight from Microsoft Word I brought to show him, but he offered to come up with something similar but creative and one-of-a-kind. Â As I'm a very visual person myself, I wasn't too sure when he first showed the sketch to me. Â Austin was kind enough to go ahead and set everything up and place the sketch in a couple different locations on my rib before I was completely satisfied.
We did a test run to see how I dealt with the needle since I had no idea what to expect. Â Surprisingly, it was a lot less painful than I thought it would be. Â Of course, I had already heard that rib tattoos are the worst, so I knew that it would definitely hurt, but Austin was relaxed and very professional as he worked. Â The entire process only took about 20 minutes! Â Austin finished, showed me the final product, and I was on my way in no time. Â
It's been about a month now, and the tattoo is pretty much completely healed and I love it! Â It's very different from what I had in mind, but in the best way possible. Â Thanks so much Austin!
Hands down the best people in the best shop in the Bay.
Aaron Hodges has such an incredible arsenal of skills, no matter what style you're looking for he nails it every time. The shop itself has a great atmosphere and I always feel like part of the family while I'm there for a session.
The shop is extremely clean and all of the artists make sure their stations stay that way.
Idle Hand and Aaron have me as a client for life.
Tattoo shops, to be cliche, are a dime a dozen. That is because there is not much regulation, if any. That being said San Francisco is blessed with some of the worlds greatest artists and the San Francisco community is tight. What makes IDLE HAND stand out from the rest is that every artist there is shockingly talented. Furthermore; they all love what they do so the environment is relaxed, personable, and professional.
For the last few years I have gone exclusively to IDLE HAND to work with Aaron Hodges, because he is creative and fun to create tattoos with. Though Aaron is my go to guy, I feel that whole staff is top notch and I would be happy with any of them putting something permanent onto my body.
If you want a unique and memorable experience, make it out to the shop during one of their "get what you get" days.
I came into Idle Hand on a Sunday afternoon for a walk-in, realizing that with walk-in appointments, you kind of just get whichever artist happens to be free/feels like doing your tattoo., so I it's a bit of a gamble, especially if you're not super familiar with the studio. It's three blocks from my house, and I wasn't getting anything big (German word in typewriter font at the top of my back) so I thought, what the hell.
My artist, Austin was friendly and patient as I asked for a couple re-fittings of my stencil. The thing's gonna be on you forever, so I can't stand it when artists make you feel pressured, or like they're impatient to get it over with. Â
The most impressive thing was how FAST he was. It had been maybe 20 minutes and he paused, I thought he had done the outline, but he had done the whole thing. It's healed up beautifully with continuous coats of Aquaphor.
Thank you Idle Hand!
A friend of mine referred me to Aaron Hodges to get a script tattoo done, after he had gotten two tribal tattoos from him. Â I felt hesitant about dropping $100 as a deposit, but that's the requirement, and I guess it makes sense. Â Otherwise, folks could ask an artist to start on a design and then get cold feet at the last moment. Â After scheduling a consultation via e-mail, Aaron couldn't make it to the appointment at the last minute because of a family issue. Â The gentleman who took my deposit reassured me that Aaron would do a good job on the script... still I felt nervous because I wasn't able to meet with Aaron and fully convey what I wanted in terms of the tattoo.
The phrase I wanted tattooed -- "Amour de soi," or "love of self," which I got from the French philosopher, Rousseau -- was extremely meaningful to me (as I'm sure most people's tattoo ideas are), and I waited anxiously for that week to pass before my sitting. Â When I got there and Aaron showed me the initial design, I was quite honestly a bit disappointed -- I wanted more extensions and embellishments of the lines circulating and underlining the words. Â Aaron was attentive to what I wanted and showed me other examples of script in his portfolio; he asked me to wait ten minutes, as he redesigned the tattoo. Â Let me tell you -- the new version was amazing.
Aaron was also totally patient with me as we figured out where exactly to place the tat; I knew the general area, which was underneath my V-line, around the pelvic area, near my right hip. Â The finished product was even more amazing -- the shading particularly was impressive. Â Aaron has a great 'bedside manner': he's patient, tells you to let him know if you need a break if it's too painful (which it wasn't, for me), and only used the restroom towards the end of our 1-1.5 hr session. Â Not only do I have a tattoo to remind myself to be loving and kind to myself, I LOVE my "love of self" tattoo!
Now I know what my friend was talking about. Â I totally, wholeheartedly recommend Aaron.
Erik Jacobsen ROCKS!
Erik did a BEAUTIFUL owl tattoo for me - large size, too: covers my left ribcage and the tree branch and leaves extend under my left breast. This was my 9th tattoo, so I knew what I was in for, getting a tattoo in such a sensitive spot, but Erik was great. Not only was he fast, but he did AMAZING shading and precise detail. And his pricing was great, too! I moved out here from Michigan, and expected the cost of such a large tattoo in downtown San Francisco to run me at least $600 - $700; he was much more reasonable than that, and I am thankful for that :-)
I would recommend him to everyone and anyone who asked!
I'm most definitely going back to him to clean up one of my older tattoos that need some work - I trust him completely to make the artwork beautiful.
I had a poem that means a lot to me that I initially wanted in four lines, fairly small, in script, on my ribs. Aaron took it and told me it needed to be a little bigger because the loops in the letter may run together, in the long run, with script. I took his advice, got it in eight lines and a little bigger, and I could not be happier. Everyone says that the ribs are one of the most painful places to get tattooed, but I barely felt a thing and Aaron did a great job. Everyone who sees it cannot tell me how sick it looks and how classy it is.
Thanks, Aaron.
I got a piece on my thigh done by Cris Cleen, and he is amazing! Â Super friendly and sympathizes with the pain you're going through! :) haha He is moving to NY and I know SF will miss him greatly as he is extremely talented! Â He's easy to get in contact with (email, fb) and is fast to reply.
Everyone else at the shop was nice as well, and I'll probably be back for work from Holly in the future!
Only complaint: they do not take credit cards! Personally, I don't like walking around with $500 in my pocket (if not easily more!) I don't know why they don't take CCs but it is a huge inconvenience!! Â I nearly wasn't able to cover my whole appointment, but luckily everything turned out just dandy. :)
A friend of mine mentioned Idle Hand amongst a long list of shops in Oakland and SF the he recommended. After doing the research and checking a number of artist's portfolios from a number of different shops, I was thoroughly impressed by Holly Ellis' body of work. A few weeks later during First Friday/Art Murmur, I just happened to see that a two hour session with Holly was amongst the items up for silent auction at the Hatch gallery in Oakland, and I happened to put in the winning bid.
I met with Holly for a consultation with two pictures of brown rabbits. She heard me out on what I wanted, and seamlessly combined the elements of the two images that I wished to have included in the piece. I went into the session not knowing exactly where I wanted the piece or the orientation that I wanted it to my body. Holly created two stencils so that I could figure out exactly how I felt it would look best. The session lasted one and a half hours, which was surprisingly short. Holly had a gentle hand, and kept mentioning how much fun she was having with the piece.
I can not be more thrilled with her work. I am super honored to have had her create this piece for me, and would recommend her without hesitation. The shop was super clean, the environment was laid back, and everyone was very friendly. Just be prepared to wait a at least a few weeks from the time that you schedule your consultation, as Holly is a very sought after artist (and rightfully so).
Got a recommendation from a friend of mine to check out Idle Hands and speak with Eric Jacobsen. We made an appt with him and I planned on getting a skeleton key on my chest. Went in, he designed the key and got it all done within an hour and a half. The design was great and he added colors and some of my thoughts into it. He definitely listened, had an easy hand and 2 months down the road I LOVE my tattoo!
Would most definitely recommend him to anyone! He only takes cash so make sure to have some with you. Decent price as well!
Love Idle Hands Tattoo Studio. The cleanest studio in San Francisco! I had a back piece done by Holly, left shoulder dragon by TJ, and looking to get a piece on my forearm in July. These artists are TALENTED. I've gone to other artists outside the city and they were good but I really like the atmosphere of Idle Hands. Thanks Holly and I'll be back to finish up my "Endangered Species" back piece!
Review Source:I wanted to get some script on my ribcage, and I like to take the small work as an excuse to explore new shops. I had been referred to Idle Hand by a friend.
I walked in at noon on a Sunday. Erik and Cris were there, but they were about to start working with some early appointments they had. "I texted Hanna; she can do it, but she's not coming in until 2. Is that cool?" It was. If you don't make an appointment, can you really be pissed at any length of wait time?
I checked out Hanna's portfolio - solid stuff. So I snagged some lunch and came back around 2pm. Hanna drew it up pretty quickly, and it looked great. I'd never been tattooed by a woman before; she had a fairly light hand, and got it all finished up in under an hour. She was also hilariously awesome in conversation - a huge bonus if you're getting a large piece done and end up spending a ton of time together.
TL;DR? Bottom line: the atmosphere of the shop is laid back and friendly, and all the other artists there were helpful and professional. Everyone's portfolios looked great, and it's a clean shop. What else can you ask for? I'll definitely be stopping by in the future for some of my larger work.
(if that goes well, which I'm sure it will, I'll be changing my review to 5 stars)
Jason Donahue has been my tattoo artist for the past several years. Â He is always on-time, ready to start working at the set appointment time. Â Jason's art is amazing and I'm beyond satisfied with his work and professionalism. By the way, Â I think everyone at the shop is extremely talented. Meet the artists to determine your best match. This shop is clean, "sane" Â and fun.
Review Source:I came here to get some new ink for my birthday. Eric did my tattoo, and I'm not going to lie, he's extremely talented. I wanted a Pisces tattoo done, and brought in a print out of what I wanted. Basically, I came out with something that I didn't really ask for. The only thing the finished product had in common with what I asked for was that it was two fish that are tied together.
Long story short, Eric is a great artist and his work is absolutely stunning, but he's not a very good listener and not really willing to compromise if he already has something else in mind for you. The finished product I got was not in the place I wanted or the style I asked for.
Oh well... you live and learn. I mean, I guess isn't the worse thing that could happen when one gets a tattoo. I pretty much got a cool tattoo but it's not what I wanted. I guess it's partly my fault, since I should have been more firm on what I really wanted.
Also, the wait is really long. I called twice beforehand to ask if they can take two walk-ins and they said they did without asking any other questions. Eric took me and did the tattoo really quick, but my boyfriend, on the other hand, was told his can be done at 6:00. We waited until 7:00 before anyone even came to prepare the artwork for his. If you're going to go, definitely make an appointment.
I hadn't gotten anything done in so long that I wasn't sure where to go. I asked around and decided on Cris Cleen over at Idle Hand based on some artful work that I'd seen and heard that he was skilled, pretty fast, and personable. Totally. I've gotten a couple now from Mr. Cleen and am very happy with the results. Cris was focused and and pleasant, good at his craft. Everyone in the shop is extremely nice and hospitable. All of the other artists' books are pretty impressive, I'm sure you can't go wrong here. My new tattoo is lovely, I've gotten loads of compliments in a week. Going back for another, fer sure.
Review Source:So ... here I am again updating my review for Idle Hand. Â It continues to be one of the best shops in town. Â My pal and favorite artist Jason Tyler Grace has taken off around the world and is no longer there. Â Boo. Â That said, we've been taken in by Aaron Hodges who in addition to being an amazing painter and all round nice guy, is a rockin tattoo artist. Â He's done several pieces for me and my hubby now and we could not be more please. Â The hubby also got tattooed by Jason Donahue who is no slouch himself. Â The owner here, lovely Holly, has been adept at keeping a good eclectic mix of artists in the shop who are friendly, down to earth and without asshole ego's like some of the other artists and shops in town. Â Go in and check them out. Â You won't be disappointed.
Review Source:Jared Powell at Monkey Wrench Tattoo/Black Saints in Santa Rosa recommended Idle Hand so I knew they would be good. I wanted to work with an artist to create my tat. I had a vague idea in my head of what I wanted and the style that I liked. I checked out all the artists on their site, looking at all their myspace pages and individual portfolios and sites.
I finally decided on Aaron Hodges after looking at stuff he did for art school and liked his style for the piece I wanted, which was this pen and ink ship thing. I requested him and he called me back almost immediately and we started emailing back and forth so he could do a sketch. I gave him a few photos and when I got to my appointment he had sketched out the exact photo I gave him, which wasn't what I wanted but he worked with me in tailoring the piece to my liking.
It took him about a half hour or so to make the new sketch and after I made a few tweaks we got to work. The vibe of the place is a lot of fun-- the guys were tattooing each other and their friends.Aaron was really patient and kept modifying the tat making sure I was happy with it until what was supposed to be an hour of inking turned into over 2 hours. All in all, I was at the shop for about 3 and a half hours and it came out to $200 for a detailed piece the size of a Post-It. I recommend Aaron Hodges and will probably go to him again.
Clean shop, good vibes, and great artists. Â Look through the portfolio of anyone at Idle Hand and you will be blown away. Â I highly recommend Erik, but you have to choose the artist who's style is right for you. Â They're all unique.
I walked in with an unfinished idea and left with a masterpiece.
I can't say enough how ecstatic I am with the tattoo I got yesterday from Ben. I must have had amazing luck because he's currently a guest at this shop and only there this week. Nevertheless being my first tattoo I really wasn't sure what I should be looking for or how to go about trying to explain what I really wanted. My tattoo was going to be a memorial for my recently passed dog. I walked into the shop with the idea that I would just get her name written on my forearm.
After meeting with Ben he sat down with me and asked more specific questions as to what I really wanted to convey in the piece and also gave me a slew of suggestions. He showed me his portfolio where he had a couple photo realistic pieces. I had never seen these types of pieces before and was really blown away by their level of detail and realism. I quickly changed my previous idea of just having her name, to having a portrait of her instead without the name. It speaks volumes and now I can easily look at her for the rest of my life.
After about half hour I left and decided that I'd bring in some photographs the following day to see if he could work with any. Ben really was patient and understanding and took the time to ensure that the piece would be something that would truly convey Jennifer's personality as well as fit best on my body structure. In the 2nd day we spent about 1 hour choosing the photograph and prepping it to be used. By that time I was so impressed (and excited to get it done) that I decided to have him to it right there. Never did I feel rushed, or uncomfortable, the complete opposite.
The guy is very meticulous too when it comes to his work, a lot of true attention to detail from his setup of the equipment to the actual piece. Three hours later and the piece was done. Perfectly. It's still very red but looks incredible. The positioning was flawless and he got the emotions in her eyes down exactly as the photo.
If I ever need another piece done, I'm definitely tracking Ben down (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myspace.com%2Fpowsone&s=28645616fddcdeef7f03c9128b7b43753a449aae245feb6c37e059e6f9b19cb9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/p…</a>) but I hope he comes back and becomes a permanent artist at Idle Hand.
NOTE: Make sure to eat a large meal with enough sugar before you come in for a tattoo, or you'll pass out :(
Wow. Is all I can say about Idle Hand. After going to a different studio 2 1/2 years ago and not feeling right and leaving when the artist had not sketched anything out with lots of communication 'tween us over 2 months time, then having another artist flake on me twice, I found Idle Hand. Â Halla-fuckin-lulah!
I researched my first tattoo, knew pretty much what I wanted. And I was ready. (very important element to getting permanent art-not like you can toss it out like an IKEA lamp or something, right?) Â
So I found Jason DONAHUE- I chose him because I liked his roses. I went down to Idle Hand one afternoon and walked in, was greeted by nice guy and  then Jason came out.  Trust was an instant reaction. We talked for a few, made the appointment, left him a deposit  when I went back for brief consultation. After, we communicated a little by email about what I wanted.
When I walked in for my appointment Jason came out with a fantastic rendering of what was to be. He took my nebulous vision and created a work of art. Â ART. We went into the back room and he really wanted me to be happy, so we adjusted, flipped and reworked the size until I was satisfied. Jason Donahue is very chill, Â sincere, focused, and sweet as pecan pie!
He didn't rush me or make me feel pressured. I totally dug his style. No Rambo with a needle here. This guy is practically Zen.
Did it hurt? Not really. Or I'm one tough woman, because I was able to sit for 3.5 hours. Â Jason Donahue is really efficient. I sat, he created. It took much longer then we thought, but the result is a beautiful amazing tattoo I will show off for life. I am not done with my body story and I imagine Jason will be doing more work for me in the future.
If you are looking for a good place with many talented artists, Â I can highly recommend Idle Hand, but I think I'm sticking with Jason. Â Be willing to wait a month or much much more to get what you want-it's worth it. Prices are more then fair, and the shop friendly a good vibe. When people give neg reviews maybe it's their attitude that needs adjusting.
Thank you Idle Hand!
I was refereed by a friend who got a pretty effin awesome tattoo of a pelvic bone on his shoulder.
Went with my best friend to get our matching tattoos (Friends forever). We came at a slow time and were able to get right in. The tattoo was pretty simple text that I had already scaled, so it was a pretty quick process. So fast that we weren't even charged the full rate.
Took my room mate there to get his first tattoo a few weeks ago. Aaron did his ink and did a great job. He was attentive and really made the overall effect as my roomie wanted.
Going to get another tattoo this week sometime. Will update.
I had a great experience here. I usually expect to be treated like an alien when I walk into a tattoo shop, but that was not the case at Idle Hand. I was greeted quickly by the guy at the front and he was friendly.
Alex Empty did my tattoo and I highly recommend him. We sat down and discussed all the the tiny little details. He even brought out some books to show me ideas. Then he drew the tattoo a few times until it was perfect. Alex does not waste time putting bad work out there.
Idle hands rules- alot of talent and super cool people.
Anyone who complains about customer service for a tattoo shop should have their head checked. It's a tattoo shop, i sat for 3 hours with JTG and heard cuss words every 5 minutes. Awesome. Boner jokes. Awesome. Etc.
Waiting lists - here's the deal, get on the waiting list for someone you like. Tell them your idea, be really nice and open to having a conversation with them - remember they are people (artists) not copy machines or bullshit tattoo artists - that's why people go there, because your getting something permanent on you - have it done the best you can. THEN let them know that if they have a cancellation you'd love to come in. Then call and check up. But remember, most importantly be nice.
I'm giving Idle Hand 5 stars because I can't think of anything about it I would change...
I got my first tattoo from Alex in 2007 at the age of 19.
I picked Aaron to do my second tattoo because I felt what I wanted fit better with things he usually does.
Aaron is currently 1/2 way done with a sugar skull/roses piece on my back. The outline took about 2 hours and after a month the lines have already gone completely smooth.
Before I got my first tattoo I went to 5-6 places in the Bay Area that were recommended by some of my heavily tattooed friends. Some places were mean to me as a newbie wanting to start small but everyone at Idle Hand was totally cool to me and it calmed my nerves right down.
These guys rock!
I just got my 3rd tattoo from Iggy Van at Idle Hand. I have to say, once again, that he's amazing. He's an extremely talented artist, who can also adapt his work to what you want.
And he's crazy efficient, which I know shouldn't be a huge deal but it definitely cuts down on the total pain factor.
It can be hard to get an appointment with him- he's popular. But be persistent and you can get on his schedule.
The work Iggy's done for me:
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I came here a few years ago to get my first tattoo done by zach johnson. this guy is amazing and the detail and coloring he does on his work is priceless. since then, i've returned twice to have more work done and its a huge bummer he moved away but i cross my fingers for his return. i've sent a couple friends here and after they saw their results they couldn't believe they've wasted time at other shops in sf instead of going to idle hand from the get go.
my boy from philly used to come here to get work done by andy lowlife (now in santa cruz) - <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andylowlife.com&s=34f03176b955a33e9722b34b3ec9cf13ece6108926038a2af1224757d9c68973" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.andylowlife.c…</a> and now goes to iggy who is the fucking man. iggy tattoed the top of both of his feet, we're talking HUGE pieces, and he nailed it. since then i don't think he's gone a day without wearing flip flops to show off the work.
no matter who you go with, every artist in this shop is a MASTER at their craft.
I've been working with Aaron at this shop over the last year. Â I found his name by harrassing random tattooed passers-by who's color work moved me and repeatedly Aaron's name came up. Â From only a vague simple idea I had he was able to draw up almost exactly what I saw in my mind's eye. Â It's taken several sitting over the year, but I have to say I'm very very happy with the sleeve he's laid down for me. Â I will def come back to this shop and to Aaron for any color work I get done in the future.
Review Source:Got a piece by Jason Tyler Grace when I first moved to the city 2yrs ago or so... and his style and handling are all about precision and control.
I brought him my idea and he didn't want to change a thing, so I knew that we had a similar aesthetic--- and I have never told an artist to "Put this on me", always not wanting to stifle the creativity of the artists to get the best work possible.
The shop is a lot of fun, as all the people here are easygoing and fun to chill and talk with. Â It's grown upwards a bit since I was there and the shop is huge now!! Â I'm waiting to possibly save up to get a piece from Holly Ellis as I really like her work --- but that's another day. Â
Great shop, great talent from those with it. Â They also have a ladder shelf which is neato. Â And everyone who is new to getting tattoos on themselves: Â PLEASE don't use the phrases like: "Getting inked..." "Sweet tats bro!" and "I'm thinking of getting this Hella crazy Tribal piece for my 1st tattoo on my back!!" Â Â Unless you're going to kill people in a jungle with your delta force training, you probably have no use for such craziness... Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â For serious.
Had a great experience from beginning to end. Â I emailed Aaron a brief description of what I wanted and the fact that I wanted the tattoo completed within the week. Â He responded right away which I really appreciated and asked me to come in to talk. Â Came in on Saturday for the consultation and made an appointment for the tattoo on Tuesday afternoon. Â Aaron made me feel extremely comfortable, was gentle and has a great sense of humor, which is very nice cause the shit hurts regardless of how gentle one can be! Â The piece he drew was great, we consulted about colors and I was out of there in 3 1/2 hours. Â I will definitely be going back to Aaron and perhaps will get the chance to have a piece done by another amazing artist at Idle Hand.
Review Source:i went here to get my first tattoo! the place was chill probably the only spot on haight with a less than hour wait for tattoo work. I got a nice little bicycle cog on my ankle done for a bike scavenger hunt here and the circle and geometry of the cog itself matches the one of my bike! perfect!!
A+ to the studio for being bike friendly (let us bring our bikes in) and just being chill in general!
i came here by word from a guy i work with. Â he highly recommended the joint and my best friend was comin' into town and we wanted to get some work done.
the initial dude we spoke with was a bit aloof and said he couldn't take us this week (the work WAS a bit tedious - two fairly large tattoos with only reference shots and rather badly-drawn loose sketches), but he asked aaron, who was working on someone and the verdict was to come back at three, he might be able to do me and at least work with my friend to get some ideas going.
we came back and aaron promptly attended to us. Â he sketched mine out real quick (mine being easier, more cartoony and simple lines) and his sketch was pretty much exactly what i had envisioned, although he asked me to pick it apart and make any modifications if i wished to.
all in all, it took 2 and a half hours. Â it was in a painful spot, but he worked as diligently as he could and was very sweet and joked around with us. Â he told me to speak up whenever i needed a break (i needed a couple) Â as he worked on me, he chatted with my friend, trying to get a feel for what exactly my friend wanted. Â after the work was done with me, he actually drew a loose sketch on my friend so that they could get an idea of what was going to go down. Â they agreed on an appointment for thursday and my friend is pretty pumped.
the 5 stars are for how damn happy i am with my piece, how damn cool aaron was, and the overall ambiance (and yeah, cleanliness) of the shop. Â next time i get a wild hair up my ass and want another tattoo, i'll definitely go see aaron again!
Iggy Vans is great. He's an awesome artist and an all around cool guy. His lines are clean, packs color in smooth. His work speaks for itself. I have been working on a sleeve with him forever now, (I don't have the money to go in as often as I'd like, and I'm a fighter so when I get tattooed its two weeks away from training which is also hard to do.) He is still cool about it though. Even though I'm sure he wishes I would just get in there and finish the damn thing already.
Its a great shop, I love being in there. All the artists are good, but I recommend Iggy.
I knew what I wanted for my first tattoo for around 5+ years before I laid eyes on the perfect portfolio of work from the perfect artist for me.
I saw Jason Tyler Grace's portfolio at a Tattoo convention in Reno, NV. I had gone to accompany a friend as he searched for an artist to do a tattoo for him. I walked past Jason's album, browsed through and KNEW he was the one for me. I waited around for him to return, chatted with him about his portfolio and worked out an appointment to meet with him and go over my design.
He was gracious enough to keep my artwork and work on it since I was coming from Reno to SF for every session. It was my first tattoo and I had spent years figuring out exactly what I wanted, not sure if I would ever find an artist who could do it. I rolled in from Reno for my first actual sitting and was BLOWN AWAY by the sketch. It was an EXACT translation of what I wanted. It's relatively complex to explain so I will just leave it at intricate.
4 sessions later, I have my amazing tattoo and a tattoo artist for life. I'm considering other tattoo's and would NEVER go to anyone else. Everyone at Idle Hand is amazing and it's the perfect home for Jason Tyler Grace. He's a chill dude who makes you relax and enjoy (as much as possible) the sessions. He was patient and understanding, knowing it was my first tattoo and that it was huge and dark (go big or go home I say). I've already recommended him to friends and can't wait to see all he does in the future.
I cannot wait to head in there again for my next round(s) of ink. I encourage anyone who seeks intricate and detailed tattoo's to give JTG a chance at designing your next piece of body art. I'm sure he will NOT let you down.
There's a photo of my tattoo in my profile incase you are curious.
My friend recommended Holly Ellis to me as I was looking for a good portrait artist. All I can say is WOW!! Â She is AMAZING!! Â Yes she has a wait list but get on it, and be patient! Â It's so worth the wait. I am still in awe of how you can take photographs and transfer them on a body and make them look real! Â My portrait of my horses is so realistic and I can't stop looking at them in the mirror!! Â I will definitely come back to Holly Ellis and have recommended her to friends!
Review Source:I got my first tattoo when I turned 18 - a small, blue butterfly located just above my right ass cheek (I like to call it the "side of my lower back hip kinda").  Photo here:  <a href="http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/Y8L8egw83U9pZEoq9gQ9bw/l">http://static.px.yelp.co…</a>
It was a tribute to my late maternal grandfather - Â the man who taught me to read, write, and do math when I was four years old, made me enroll in piano and dance lessons, and was basically my best friend up until the day he passed away. Â My Lolo Amancio donned a large blue butterfly tattoo on his forearm, a remnant from his days in the Navy. Â My grandfather was a pretty hip dude. Â Since my first inking, I've wanted to continue to build on that tattoo...it's taken TEN years...but I've finally gotten some more ink done!
I originally tried to get an appointment with the famous Holly Ellis (per Luis M.'s recommendation) but she is booked 6 months in advance, and I'm more of the "It's Now Or Never" mentality. Â But, since all the Yelp reviews pretty much agree that all the Idle Hands artists are pretty damn competent, I was fine with being someone else's canvas.
I flipped through some portfolios and found the work of a guy who had a style pretty similar to what I've been wanting to get done. Â His name is Jeff Pickens - a heavily tattooed guy with a great sense of humor, steady hand, and an amazing visual artist (he has some work up in the shop). I booked an appointment for a week later. Â He took the design that I brought with me, and said, "You don't want this. Â I'll sketch a better one for you." Â He was right - the design I picked was too cartoon-like and two-dimensional. Â
The following weekend, I arrived at my appointment nervous - I am a giant wuss when it comes to pain.  He freehand sketched one the same size and shape as the design I found, about the size of my hand, to go around my butterfly.  Thankfully, he let my two girlfriends sit with me, and they distracted me as much as they could from the needle's sting, and we all made very raucous and bawdy chit chat with Jeff (conversation revolved around penises, vaginas, and assorted related topics).  They snapped photos ( <a href="http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/V4WmC7j9BOE5PSUMvcfMaw/l">http://static.px.yelp.co…</a> )and I tried my hardest not to flinch (he said he only counted twice where I flinched so bad he had to pull away - I think he was just being nice).  He worked quickly and before I knew it, it was over.
Less than an hour and a half later, I have a beautiful sakura (cherry blossom) tattoo adorning the lower part of my back and side.  Photo can be seen here: <a href="http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/9uGi6--d5_bcFXd-8t0tKA/l">http://static.px.yelp.co…</a>
Thanks, Jeff!!  I think my grandfather would approve, cause he would've been down like that  :) Â
I am now formulating ways to extend this tattoo even more....
Artist - Iggy Vans
First Piece - Serenity Prayer
I was referred here by friends (both inked on by Jason Tyler Grace) and they were everything they had explained. Place is clean, people are cool easy going and helpful. Idle hands is a great shop and highly recommended if you want ink done.
I followed my artist to this studio when he changed employment.
and I'm glad I did!
This studio is much more friendly than any place I've been to.
No pressure to get something or get out.
Teri the "shop girl" is aways friendly and genuine. As are all the people there.
Personally I get work done by Jason Donahue. Two 3/4 sleeves, pin-up portrait of my mom, oriental fan, puzzle piece and soon a full back piece.
All of the things he's done for me have been custom and AMAZING!
So far he's done 3 cover-up jobs for me and no one would be the wiser.
I've taken a few "first timers" to jason D. personally and they've all been happy with his work and his "bedside manner".
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND all the artists at this shop.
***update****
I also get work done from Doug Hansen.
I should have done this review a while ago but later then never is better just like the tattoo.
Yes it's a long wait to get a tattoo but it's a long wait that's worth it!
I had been researching a very special tattoo for myself for a LONG time trying to find the artist I really wanted. When I saw Holly's work on Idle Hand and <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FTattoonow.com&s=00fb4aeaa5ac35f73bc102160f481137f06cbbde4aa47cdf78c7c6f5ec466ff7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Tattoonow.com</a> I fell in love instantly! Her work was amazing! Then I met her at the Tattoo Expo and her personality went along with it. I tried to make an appointment with her a few months after meeting her and found out that It'd be at least 6months to a year till I would even make an appointment with Holly. I didn't mind because i REALLY wanted her to do my work.  6 months pass no call. No big deal  I give them a call they say that she's still busy and that it'd be around winter when she'd finally be available. Another 6 months but I don't mind. So she calls and wants an consultation in a week I was stocked!
I wanted something custom done. A Peach Blossom with an anatomically correct heart as one of the pedals, with the veins of the heart merging with the pistols of the flower. Â
During the consultation we talked about how it'd be better if the heart was a separate entity (but still attached through the vein/pistols) and that it should be full color rather then black and gray like I originally wanted. Also it was going to be a LOT bigger but she talked with me and said it'd be for the benefit of the tattoo. She wanted me to get the bigger one that she said would be around $450 but I knew i couldn't afford more then $300 so we did the size smaller which would be 2 hours and $300.
A week later I show up for my tattoo to see her new design and it was AMAZING! Much better then my design ever was! The tattoo (which is on my right shoulder blade) was nearly painless (especially for it being my first tattoo). Â The tattoo session was 3 hours straight (with a short break). So i was a bit worried about how much it was going to come out to be but she only charged me what she had quoted $300 which was MUCH appreciated!
She's an AMAZING tattoo artist and a Great person. Well worth the year I waited to get the tattoo and WELL worth Every penny!
I can't wait to get another tattoo and I know exactly who I want it from even if I have to wait another year :)
One of my fave in the city!
They have a great selection of artists with varied specialties. Anything you want, someont there can do it. Terry the receptionist is very helpful and friendly. I'd suggest going in and checking out the portfolios.
They're totally worth the money. And lower haight is the perfect tattoo spot!
I came across Holly Ellis by chance at the San Jose Tattoo Convention last month, & am SO glad I did; I'd been searching for years for just the right artist to do a design in memory of my late father, and one look at Holly's book convinced me that she was it. And I was right; she did an amazing job on the design. I'll definitely be heading up to Idle Hand to have her do more work.
Review Source:back in april, I had my first (and only, so far) tattoo done here by holly ellis.. and i absolutely love it. i have received numerous compliments on it and people always ask where i got it done, by who, etc etc.. and that being my first time under the gun, she made it as painless as possible and now i want another one, just don't know of what or where. here's a photo of my tat: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fflickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fj_boogie%2F476207069&s=cc6bf35c03f5a2e82aa951e0f5633dcaa056d985c06b4da9d15533e55407dec4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://flickr.com/photos…</a>
so she was originally book for months ahead when i wanted to make an appt. so i had to settle with being on the waiting list. a few weeks later she called me to come in because she had a cancellation so i got it earlier than expected :)
she charges by the hour ($150/hr) and a deposit is required when you meet for consultation and make the appointment for the actual date. ca$h only.
overall -- very talented tattoo artists, clean shop, friendly staff.. =five stars from me.
I really like Idle Hand. The atmosphere is not at all pretentious like some shops and it's not flooded with Haight Street tourists trying to get that rebelious rose tattoo on their ankle or the fighting Irish guy on their bicep...no offense to those who may have such works of art...
My guy is Aaron and I have followed him all over town. First in the Castro. Then down on Gough. And now here. This is my favorite space yet. Though, there are no "private" rooms. If you have such a requirement due to the placement of the tattoo then they will have you set up in the back room with a screen or something I think, but other than that it's pretty open...but at least it's not crowded like Mom's!+++
They have space upstairs from the store front shop now that I assume are private....just wanted to add that in. (5/23/08)
I checked this place out on a whim, following a recommendation from a stranger with a nice ocean scene on his arm. I asked for and was given a tour of the joint by the receptionist, Terrie (sp?). The outfit was very clean and sterile; all of the artists were working on somebody and the atmosphere was professional. I made an appointment for a week later to meet with the artist whose work appealed to my fancy, Mr. Iggy Vans.
Mr. Vans and I went over the idea that I had, we negotiated a fee schedule and he commenced to work up some designs.
The actual work took three sessions: 1.5 hours for the basic outline (nice!), 2 hours for the scales and detail for that "Vato-tat" look (impressive!) and about 3 hours for the color (outstanding!).
This was my first tattoo (and probably my last, though I will have something added to this one later). I'm extremely satisfied with the process, the result and the professionalism of the shop. Mr. Vans researched this art well, and the only complaint are 2 things inherent to a tattoo that I had not previously contemplated:
First,. either you get the thing done upside down in a place where you can view it as if it were right-side up (like on your forearm or on the top of your thigh) or you really only get to see it in a mirror.
Secondly; you're never really naked again.
So please check this place out. And say hi to Mr. Iggy Vans for me.
I really wanted to get some more ink done before I left for a 3-month stay in London. I had heard good things about Idle Hand, but, fearing that it would take forever to get an appointment, I wasn't sure if it was possible.
Yet a quick phone call made me realize I could simply walk in on a Friday afternoon to have it done, and honestly, there was no wait at all! My tattoo was pretty straightforward (some sort of a heart on my chest) so I didn't need much of a consultation. The entire staff was friendly and cooperative. I felt completely at ease during the process.
My friend was getting a slightly complicated tattoo on his ankle, but his artist worked diligently to make the tattoo work to where my friend was satisfied. Their rate is pretty standard, at $150/hour.
I'm definitely going back when I return to SF!
Holly Ellis rocks the party that rocks the party.
I'm both thrilled and devastated that she's so booked up these days - lots of people clearly recognize what an effing brilliant tattoo artist she is, but it means I have to wait longer to get in to see her. Â But she's always worth the wait.
I shopped my way through several SF tattoo artists before going to Holly, and she was the first who was not only able to take my ideas and descriptions and example pictures and hand-waving and make it into something beautiful and amazing, but also get really excited about doing it. Â I sent her pictures of some really amazing woodwork on a door in Paris and said, "I like this" - she managed to incorporate it into my tattoo. Â I brought my favorite brocade coat to our consultation and said "This is one of my favorite things in the world - is there a way to get the design into my tattoo?" - and there it was, incorporated into my tattoo. Â She is bloody brilliant. Â I've received so many complements on my work from people on the street, in bars, etc. that I've taken to having a stock of her business cards on me at all times.
I also have to mention that this was my first tattoo, a multi-session, semi-complex backpiece. Â And she made my experience better than I ever could've imagined. Â She's actually fun to spend several hours with, even when she's got a needle in your skin for those several hours. Â The guys in the shop all respect her and her clients and I had a great time with it.
i'd heard great things about jason tyler grace. Â i'd been researching, for about 6 months, tattoo artists in the bay area, and specifically looking for someone who could do a custom tattoo for me in the style i wanted, i didn't care how much. Â i looked at jason's work, and it was exactly what i wanted.
november, 2006. Â i go into idle hands, have an appt, talk for maybe 25 minutes with jason. Â in great detail we go over the tattoo i want, a very complex piece. Â i show him examples of what style i want. Â i tell him it's a very different sort of tattoo style, but i showed him tattoos he'd done that matched that style exactly. Â i liked him, and asked him if he felt he could do my tattoo, do that style. Â he said yes, no problem. Â Â he sketched out the concept and got it down completely. Â he told me he'd work on it, then get back to me a week before my appt.
when will the appt be? Â i asked. Â not til february 2007. Â i was a bit disappointed, but i had faith in his ability to give me a good tattoo, and i was willing to wait for quality. Â the tattoo was going to be several sessions, $1000.
in january i get a call from the receptionist at idle hands, telling me they were rescheduling my appointment, which i'd been waiting for for 2 months now, yet another month into the future, march 2007. Â i've been waiting this long, might as well wait another month. Â i accept the rescheduled appointment.
i totally messed up and missed my appointment in march. Â i'd lost my job, and was very distracted. Â i called a few days later, profusely apologizing. Â is this going to ruin things, i asked? Â i'm totally willing to pay what i need to, to make up for this, please let me know. Â no problem, you don't owe us anything, the receptionist says, we're just glad you called. Â Â
my appointment is rescheduled for june 2007. Â previously i've been told, by jason, that a week before my appointment i need to call him, so we can go over the custom artwork he'd done for me, make sure it was what i wanted.
a week before my june 2007 appointment, i call jason up. Â it takes me 4 days to get a hold of him . Â 3 separate days i leave messages, and i am not called back. Â finally, not knowing what to do, i walk in one evening, and jason is there.
hey, i'm here to check out the artwork for my tattoo. Â do you have time either tonight or tomorrow? Â a little later tonight, he says.
i come back an hour later. Â i wait 15 more minutes, and he walks over, and shows me a drawing.
a drawing that is nothing, absolutely nothing like we'd talked about. Â the custom artwork, $1000 worth of it, that we'd discussed was a large full-sleeve piece, with foliage and birds and sunshine and skies and growth. Â what was on the piece of paper he handed to me? Â a bird. Â that was it. Â he'd missed approximately 80% of the piece we'd discussed. Â and i'm confused about this, because when when we met in november 2006, he'd sketched out the entire piece, and i said yes, that's what i'm looking for.
so i explain again, still believing in the guy. Â i explain the piece all over again, the style all over again, this tattoo i've now been waiting 7 months for. Â it's now 20 days before my 33rd birthday, and this tattoo is now my birthday present to myself, and i've been waiting for it incredibly.
sitting there, just a few days before my appt, he tells me he doesn't think i'm the tattoo artist to do this piece. Â i just look at him. Â i pause for several moments. Â jason, i say, i've been waiting for 7 months for this, and when we met back in november you told me you could do this. Â why are you telling me that you can't now?
he says, "we had an appointment in march, and you didn't show, i lost an entire day of work" and he looks at me as if this is now his revenge. Â
i'm confused. Â 1) i'd called, profusely apologizing, and had offered to pay for my missed session. Â 2) my appt was for only 2 hours. Â how did he miss an entire day's work? Â i don't say this, however, i'm reeling from the sinking realization that a tattoo i've been looking forward to for so much, planning on, isn't gonna happen.
i say, when i met with you back in november, and i asked you if you could do this piece, i really wish you would've told me no then, rather than me waiting all this time. Â if you would've been upfront with me from the get-go, i could've found another tattoo artist, and i wouldn't have had to wait all this time.
he's polite in his reply, but very lackadaisical, whatever, as if he'd decided he didn't want to be bothered, and i am distinctly getting the impression that he's holding a grudge against me for missing that one appt back in march.
my birthday present to myself was going to've been this tattoo, and i walked out the door near tears.
if i am paying $1000 for a tattoo, i expect a certain degree of respect and professionalism from the people i'm giving my money to, whether you're an "artist" or not.
My review is for the tattoo shop as well as my awesome artist, Jason Tyler Grace. I met Jason when I lived in LA and got a small-ish piece on my shoulder by him about 7 years ago. When I moved back to SF, I was afraid I'd never find anyone as talented or as kind of a person as him till a year or so later, he and his lady moved up to the city! He bumped around till he found his home on lower haight at Idle Hands. I'm in my third year of completing my backpiece by him (which, if it at all peeks through my shirt, am asked about constantly), and I'm almost done! I love his style because his work looks more like a painting than a tattoo. It's a definite work of art to comission this guy.
So, back to the shop - not only do i love Jason for the kind and sweet person that he is, he has found a place where his coworkers share the same frame of mind. There is always someone to greet you as you come in, to answer any questions, or to look at an artists' portfolio. It's a totally un-intimidating experience. Plus all their artwork rules!
i'm sure i'll bump this rating up to a 5 once i get my cover up tattoo done by Holly whose portfolio is so amazing but her appointments are a year out from now! Â i originally came in to get a new tattoo but am way to anxious to wait even the 6 months they told me i had to wait to get inked by JT.
at any rate, the place is pretty cool looking, the set up is nice, and they have a mascot to greet you as you come in.
This is a really great space filled with some immensely talented artists. Iggy Vans has done both the tattoos I have so far, and I will keep going to him for as long as he's tattooing and I still have blank space. He's genius at figuring out what I want, even when I'm not that great at explaining it, and his artwork is just stunning. (He was also very patient with me during my first piece, when I was, uh, kind of a wuss, frankly.) Everyone who works here has always been totally friendly and funny, and they cover a huge spectrum of styles. If you come in and flip through their books and can't find something you just love, then there is really no hope for you.
Review Source:I never thought that it would happen to me. You know, one of those experiences where it just takes one glance...and you know.
Upon entering Idle Hands per a friend's recommendation, I immediately scanned through the artist's portfolios on the front counter. While flipping through one or two, I decided to settle with one of the artist. As the lady was taking down my information to make an appointment, I decided to flip through Jason Tyler Grace's. It took about .5 seconds for me to say "This is it." Jason Tyler Grace is truly talented and unlike any other artist I have seen (I mean not to say that I'm an expert in the field).
I had a basic idea in my head and just told him to do what he felt would work and the results are amazing.
hint: Keep in mind that a lot of the artists here are talented thus the wait can be a while.
I'm almost reluctant to review my favorite tattoo place on account of the fact that people are gonna find out how great it is and start filling up these guys' calendars. Â
But they really do deserve some love so here goes.
First of all, Terry is a peach! Â She's sweet and chatty and she got me several glasses of water while I was desperately trying to find my 'happy place' for about 4 hours under the gun last Saturday. Â
Zach Johnson just moved his ass to Monterey, but I'm told he gets back up here occasionally. Â He tattooed some vintage style roses onto my shoulders that are really really lovely. Â Well balanced, beautifully shaded with nice bright colors. Â The guy has a good eye. Â I've heard he is comfortable with both traditional American and Japanese style tattooing. Â
At some point I might hit Andy Lowlife up for a pin up girl, he's a really nice guy and his girls are super cute and saucy.
Check out Holly Ellis' book as well, her work has the sensitivity of a painter.
Iggy did a beautiful day of the dead skull (sugar skull they call it) on a friend of mine. Â I thought the outline was incredible by itself, but he did a great job shading it as well.
And then there is Jason Tyler Grace. Â This guy is incredibly talented. Â And enthusiastic. Â And NICE! Â He literally designed me one of the most beautiful tattoos I've ever seen. Â It really compliments my figure and I just don't know if I can fully express how excited I am about it. Â
So there. Â Go there. Â Talk to the artists and let them design you something. Â Just leave me some time on Jason's book, will ya?
Lately whenever I see a unique tattoo that I really love it turns out it was done at Idle Hand. They have some of the best artists in town, which is saying A LOT in this town. My sister and I recently got our first Idle Hand tattoos and they came out as great as we had hoped. And the shop seems really well run and full of friendly artists that want to ink you up, unlike a certain Black & Blue tattoo, oh that reminds me, I better write a review of how completely that shop sucks. Anyway, go to Idle Hand for your next tat!
Review Source:I've been getting tattooed by Holly Ellis since last year and have a few sessions scheduled with her through August of this year. Â I found out about Idle Hand and Holly from a friend who had some work done there. Â I went with her on for her first consultation and browsed through the portfolios. Â I was impressed by everyone's work but one tattoo in particular caught my eye. Â It gave me an idea for a piece on my right arm. Â I made an appointment with Holly gave her my ideas and she ran with it, creating the beautiful cherry blossom branch on my right arm.
I had also been wanting to expand on the Plumeria that I had covering my left shoulder (done by Clifton Carter of Tattoo City). Â Once I had a good idea of what i wanted I called Holly again, ran my idea by her and once came up with something that was ever better than what I had in mind. Â We've got a couple more sessions to go before it's finished but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it completed.
The shop as a whole is really great. Â Everyone there is very positive and they all seem to get along great with each other. Â I love the look of the place as it isn't the typical glass case front desk, or flash covered walls.
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