Black & Grey / Greywash Realism
Soft gradients built from diluted black ink, made to heal smoothly and age well. This is the work I'm known for and the style I prefer most.
Learn More About Me
Thanks so much for coming to see my work. My name is Myk (pronounced the same as “Mike”), and I've been in the tattoo industry since 2002.
When I was younger, I originally apprenticed as a professional body piercer, but after a few years I knew it wasn't my passion. Body piercing was a great learning experience, but I always knew I wanted a career in art. And to be honest, no matter how well you do a piercing, our bodies don't like foreign objects in them, so about 60% of the time people have issues with their piercings. Plus, there was no real sense of creativity or pride in that line of work. So I apprenticed once again, this time for tattooing, and became a full-time tattoo artist.
Now, many years later, I've built a portfolio I'm truly proud of, with a lot of different styles of art I've learned over the years. My favorite style of tattooing, though, is black and grey realism and portraiture.
My own first experience getting tattooed was actually super uncomfortable and disappointing. That seems to be true for a lot of you, too. I was 15 years old and nervous. The artist sat me in an open area with no privacy. I had to take my shirt off for the tattoo, and all the other customers just stared at me, shirtless and in pain. The artist didn't offer any advice on improving the design. He just told me the price and had me sit down. He didn't shake my hand or ask my name, and he spent most of the time flirting with my sister. Another artist a few feet away was smoking a cigarette, and when I started to get light-headed, he just laughed and gave me shit about it. I found out afterward that I was definitely overcharged for a very simple piece!
Needless to say, I never went back there and certainly never recommended that artist to anyone. It was many years before I built up the courage to get another tattoo. To this day I think that if he hadn't been the asshole he was, I wouldn't have been so motivated to become a tattoo artist myself and improve the industry.
When I first got into this, I had a vision of a tattoo industry that could be far more comfortable, welcoming, enjoyable and simple for anyone. At the very least, I knew that if I was just friendly and welcoming to my clients, they'd leave with a much better story to tell than the story of my first tattoo.
So if you're sick of studios where the artists are rude, dismissive and short with you, or you're tired of getting overcharged for mediocre work, I'd love the chance to change your mind about this industry. I genuinely enjoy tattooing, and I like meeting new people every day.
Today I own and tattoo at Inception Studios in White Bear Lake, MN. Stop by, or send me a text, for a free consultation and we'll get started on your idea. Right now. Why wait? :)