Fred is my guy. Met him at a tattoo convention in Rochester, NY in 2010 because I knew I was moving down to Virginia soon. I liked his portfolio a lot so I went for it and got a tattoo that day. It's actually one of my favorite tattoos.
When I did finally move to Virginia I hit up Salvation and made an appointment with him. Again more brilliant work. Now I'm having another done by him in April.
I'm not terribly familiar with other artists. If you are interested check out their portfolios on the website. Kate is another great artist who does great tattoos for females IMO.
The shop is pretty cool. In the big window there's are pictures and trinkets devoted to old time tattoos. When you walk in there's big pieces of art adorning the walls as well as plenty of flash (I don't think it's any of the artist's flash, but I don't know). On a small coffee table you'll find all the artist's portfolio's so you can peruse and look for ideas and styles that take your fancy.
At the front desk you'll find extremely friendly people who want to help you get the tattoo you want. You can also call to make an appointment. When you make an appointment you'll need to put down a deposit, $50 usually. I put $60 down on this latest one, which was my choice. You can do this over the phone, which I think is great because I live in Manassas and would have to drive down to Richmond to just to do this (I had to go down for a consult anyway this last time, but I'm not upset because I'm confident the tattoo will be worth it and I love Richmond). I know other shops will only let you make appointments in person.
That's all. Definitely a great shop in one of America's tattooedest cities.
DON'T FORGET TO TIP
You can't live in Richmond and not have a constant nagging desire to get more tattoos. We are the third most tattooed city in the country, and I'm honestly pretty proud. With such a high demand for ink in this city, it's no surprise that choosing the right artist and shop for your next permanent piece can be pretty overwhelming. There are literally dozens of incredibly talented tattoo artists in the city, but I wanted to share my experience with a particularly awesome guy and shop.
I spent a fair amount of time researching different artists in the area and when I came across Matt Brotka's work, I stopped looking and picked up the phone. I came in for a consultation appointment and went over my ideas and left him with some artwork. The consultation requires a $50 deposit that will go towards the total price of your tattoo. It also guarantees that Matt, or the other artists, will get compensated for their design time, in case you choose not to get the tattoo. Matt was incredibly kind and listened carefully to my ideas and concerns. He was understanding and patient when I changed my mind about a few things last minute and I ended up with an amazingly detailed graphic line drawing of an owl. His precision and professionalism was amazing. I am beyond happy with the final product and would recommend Matt and the Salvation Tattoo shop without hesitation.
If you are thinking about your next (or first) tattoo, make sure to check out Matt's website and Salvation's portfolio as well. There are many other talented artists that also work out of the shop. Thanks again Matt!
Since I have come here to get my sleeve done, I recommend Salvation to everyone. So far I have gotten my work done by Katie who is super chill & rad. I have refused to check out other studios because I am so incredibly happy with the work I have now! Hopefully, I do not have to move away any time soon because commuting to Richmond will probably suck, but I will still do it. Keep in mind-they are big on appointments & are cash only! Their location is in a great neighborhood near the fan/VCU area and they are right next to 821 Cafe. Definitely go to Salvation for your work!
Review Source:I think this place is awesome and I don't know what I am going to do when I move to Seattle because Katie is an amazing artist and I'm scared to let anyone else touch my skin!
I love the atmosphere in this place - it's very chill. Everyone has been really nice to me. I thought people might laugh when I walked in for my first tattoo since I tend to look clueless, but everyone was great. They only take cash - I don't know if all tattoo shops do that since this is the only place I have been. Any time I have called to ask questions or make an appointment, everyone has been really nice and helpful.
Katie is WONDERFUL! She did a great job with my friend's tattoos so that's why I chose her. She did my very first tattoo and then my first "commitment piece" on my chest. I'm still very impressed by the ink and I have a photo on my yelp profile page if you are curious.
With my lotus blossom (first one) I wasn't 100% sure how I wanted it. I knew I wanted the lotus but the pictures I found weren't right. She drew it up and added these gorgeous leaves that I wasn't expecting but they definitely gave the lotus that extra special part that was missing. It turned out beautifully and I knew I'd go back for the next piece. A few months later, I did come back and she did my cherry blossoms. Again I still wasn't 100% sure how I wanted the blossoms but Katie created this amazing, original design. It's such a beautiful piece and not only does everyone (but my parents, of course!) think its amazing, I absolutely love it. I can't imagine my body without it.
Katie is very professional and fun to be around - the experiences both times were really enjoyable. She was honest with me about my ideas, especially for the cherry blossoms and I'm really glad I went with what she suggested. We went larger in size than I was expecting but you know, if you're going to get a tattoo in a visible place like your chest, you may as well get it done right! I'm glad I did because if I had gone smaller they would have just been weird random cherry blossoms (she pointed that out and I feel like she helped me make the right decision.) She definitely takes pride in her work and she gives it her 100% every time. I would recommend her to anyone!
After going to Salvation several months ago, I'll never go elsewhere in Richmond. Mike Moses is the bomb. First off, I emailed him with an inquiry for a custom piece. Even though he had a packed schedule and I would only be in town the next weekend (I was mostly away at school in Cville), he insisted that I still come and he'd even stay after closing to fit me in. On top of that, the day of, he contacted me and told me someone canceled and I could come in earlier.
I rushed in, was greeted by the best staff, gave them some baked goods, and got my best ink to date. A knife on my left inner upper arm, a matching fork on my right. Mike's so damn creative and passionate about his craft, and funny to boot. A client beside me said that Mike should materialize and sell the silverware he designed for me :) haha.
P.S. Cash only, the last time I checked.
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
