Tattoo Shops near Aptos

“Dylan Loudon (@mirthwurm on Instagram) at Lights Out is an incredible artist and raises the bar for the quality of experience one can hope to have when getting a tattoo. He is incredibly creative, always pushing the boundaries of his art, and genuinely open to collaboration. The care he has to leave a positive impact on his clients is obvious, and every experience with him is filled with kindness, openness, and chill vibes. My tattoos all heal wonderfully and are just gorgeous and awesome. I am always eager to return. Thank you, Dylan!!“

“Many many years ago I had a tattoo done at Freedom tattoo. It came up in conversation today and I decided to jump on Google to show it to my friend.

Almost 8 years ago I had my tattoo done by one of the shop apprentices. I had initially booked an appointment to have it done by Cruz but he was sick that day. Since it was a commemorative tattoo they made it work.

8 years later, many of hours exposed to sunlight and general life wear and tear working construction and the tattoo held up and has been combined with my full sleeve.

*note I'm from Canada and the surrounding tattoos were done here where there is different ink laws for tattoos hence the different colors.

Additionally, I wanted to say shout out to Geoffery for making it happen. None of us would of known back then that this tattoo would also be the symbol of the last time I saw my cousin from California before they passed.“

“Cleanliness: Very clean

Stylist: Joseph James - it was my first tattoo and he was really great about walking me through everything! Overall the experience went really well :)“

“Blake and his work are excellent. Been getting tatts from him for years. Highly recommended. If you're looking for a chill shop and great work look no further.“

“Went great for my first tattoo. I had Tony as my artist and would strongly recommend this place. Great environment and great quality work.“

“Aaron is the best, he has done almost all of my tattoos and has fixed a couple of old ones. His lines are thin so when the tattoo gets old won't loose the shape and they won't disappear either. He will design your tattoo show it to you and give you suggestions about sizes and colors. His shop looks clean and has the right vibes“

“My favorite shop in town!! Kai, Jason, and Alyssa are all incredible artists who have now provided most of the work I have done. Some of the best vibes in Santa Cruz, it always feels like visiting friends when I'm here :)“

“I recently got my first tattoo a stunning atlas moth and I couldn't be happier with the entire experience. From start to finish, everything was beyond amazing. My artist, Butter, made the process so comfortable and enjoyable. Not only is Butter incredibly talented, but they're also super chill, which made the whole experience even more comfortable! I'm thrilled with how the tattoo turned out, and I can't recommend Butter enough for anyone considering getting inked!“

“I booked an appointment for a haircut with Tara Murphy at Estrella Collective not quite knowing what to expect. Walking in, the place looks like a party with ivy and twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling. Tara was relaxed and fun and she gave me one of my best haircuts ever- just what I had in mind! Thanks Tara!“

“Justin is one of the kindest souls I met on my travels down the California coast! He helped make one of my visions of a tattoo come true. He’s patient and understanding. His studio is professional and so is his work. It’s an honor to have gotten a tattoo done by him.“

“I went in for a Small tattoo and came out with 1/2 sleeve tattoos Misty is a professional tattoo artist and she makes you feel welcome highly recommend“

“Loved my tattoo from Thad! Super happy and I cannot wait to see him again in the future for more!“

“Bobby is the best around. He touched up a tattoo he did for me 15 years ago and I really like how it came out. Wish I had more time for him to work on it more.“

“This is the second time my wife and I both had Ally work her magic on us. Both times our experiences have been over the top. Not only is her work the best we’ve experienced, but the whole atmosphere is relaxing. Her shop manager was also great. Both are down to earth and do treat you like royalty! I can’t thank them enough for how they made us feel and the work Ally did!!Service: Tattoos“

“WOW ! This place was honestly the most humbling tattoo shop I've ever been to . The ladies who work here were very nice , I scheduled an appointment with Tony and he was very knowledgeable with what he recommended as well . I really liked the way they did the check in process . 10/10 Recommend coming to get work done by him ! The vibe with everyone and him were welcoming to the MAXXXX ! Can't wait to come back !“

“Being from the Central Valley,
I'm extremely grateful to have
found Heavy Water Tattoo and
Tattoo Owner/Artist, Brayton
Furlong in Santa Cruz. Brayton
has used his amazingly
creative and unique talent to
produce pieces of art that I'm
very proud to have
permanently on my personal
canvas, my body.
If you're looking for a Tattoo
Artist who is not only
professional, but who is worth
the drive, who will create a
special piece just for you and
who will make you feel
completely comfortable, you
need not to look any further.“

“Nick V is awesome. Beautiful line work and creative designs. Very respectful service and the whole studio is covid safe with masking required“

“Traveled from the East coast and would do it again to have Josh design and produce a tattoo! HIGHLY Recommend!!!!!

Requested style: My tattoo represents my daughter’s birth flowers along with my favorite, the gladiolus, original design by Josh.
Josh’s design of the lighthouse for my daughter was phenomenal! The shop is well appointed, clean, and the lively banter makes for a fun, relaxing experience!
Special thank you to Kelly for arranging appointments during a busy traveling time for the shop.“

“Clean both physically and tattoo wise ! This is my favorite tattoo location in this whole area!!! All artists are extremely talented and clean. Fair priced for tattoo or piercings, As a local I will continue to come here and always recommend to locals or as tourists.“

“Quality 10/10 Service 10/10 Vibe 10/10 My husband and I came in to get matching tattoos - they accepted our walk in and did SUCH a good job! So happy with the friendly service too! Thank you Patrick!“

“Cute shop! I got an appointment to get tattoos with my friend for her birthday. It was easy to book an appointment through instagram. Ethan was really patient and professional and a great listener. The experience was really good and the tattoos came out great! Will definitely be visiting again :-)“