12 Best Tattoo Artists In Michigan (2024 Updated)

Finding a talented and reliable tattoo artist can be tricky, especially during the times of enforced lockdown and recessions that the world is facing. Still, some great talents in the world of tattoo spite against the pandemic and still provide amazing services. While they were a bit difficult to find, they’re a true jewel in the desert.

In this article, we’re going to list the best tattoo artists in Michigan. We spent a long time digging through different tattoo designs, reviews, websites, and much more before we could list the best tattoo artists. If you don’t believe us, look at the amazing work they’re doing. You shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.

It’s worth noting that all these artists have their own studios and work and collaborate with other artists to make up for outstanding work. Before you visit the tattoo studio, keep in mind that most tattoo artists will ask you to make an appointment. Some tattoo artists are so popular that it’s hard to book your appointment weeks in advance.

That said, there’s no free lunch or any easy way to visit the tattoo artist directly and ask for a tattoo. Besides, it’s best to discuss the designs and terms in advance, so that you can ensure that you’re comfortable with getting a tattoo.

In this article, we listed the tattoo artists, their Instagram accounts, and websites, whoever had one for promotion. Additionally, we listed a few designs of each tattoo artist, so that you can get to know their style, and whether they’re the right for you or not.

12 Best Tattoo Artists In Michigan

We don’t want to keep you up from finding the right tattoo artist for you, so let’s dig into the reviews of the 12 best tattoo artists in Michigan.

Kyle Black Tattoos

• Website: https://www.kyleblacktattoos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleblacktattoos
• Address: 24834 Gratiot Ave, Eastpointe, MI

We thought that it’s best to start with small tattoo artist businesses that have proven themselves to be valuable through great pieces of work and collaborations with other tattoo artists. We must agree that Kyle Black tattoo artist has a little dark, and even gothic touch with the tattoos he designs.

Nevertheless, you’ll also agree that there are great tattoo designs that are worth mentioning. Their work focuses on realistic yet dotted and patterned work, and each one feels and looks unique in its way. There is extraordinary and exceptional detail on each one of them. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s no strange symbolism when it comes to working with Kyle.

As the Instagram account says, it’s best to visit the website which works fast, smoothly, and responsively to book an appointment for yourself. The site looks quite lovely, and there’s also an option to order a particular tattoo design from the webshop.

Lance Kellar Tattoos

• Website: NA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lancekellar666/
• Address: 25534 21 Mile Rd, New Baltimore, MI

Lance Kellar is the founder and the owner of the Lance Kellar Studios which specializes in designing superb tattoos. As you can see in the Instagram feed, their designs are mainly focused on pop culture and movie characters. Still, we had an opportunity to see some cool and realistic animal designs.

We love everything about the tattoos Lance designs. They’re usually large, deep, and have a perfectly detailed texture even months after healing. It’s visible that the studio puts a lot of work into the growth and development of skills, as well as the application of the raw talent as is.

Lance actively posts on feed and stories to show off the great designs he breathes life into. Still, in order to ensure that you’ll get your next tattoo there, it’s best to book an appointment in advance and discuss all the details with Lance before getting permanent ink into the skin.

Union 3 Tattoo

• Website: NA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/union_3_tattoo/
• Address: 1442 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI

We said earlier that we’ll mostly focus on tattoo artists that require appointments and discussion of terms before you come to get your tattoo done. But, with Union 3 Tattoo studio, that’s not the case. Walks ins are allowed, and there’s no appointment required via the DMs. This can occasionally make it difficult and crowded, but it’s ideal for people who urgently need something fixed or shaded, especially after the healing process is complete.

This tattoo studio is full of exceptional artists that will turn your every wish into a beautiful tattoo design that doesn’t take long to heal and looks stunning no matter what you wear. The pictures from Instagram are just a testament to great skill and talent. Furthermore, Google Reviews are sparkling from satisfied clients who don’t hesitate on coming there again and entrusting the artists with their skin.

Mark Heggie

• Website: http://www.markheggie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heggieweggie/
• Address: 230 W. 9 MILE RD. FERNDALE, MI

Mark Heggie is one of the tattoo artists from Signature Tattoos. While it’s highly encouraged to make an appointment via the phone call left in the bio section or contact via Instagram, you can also try walking in and hope for the best.

The designs from Mark are of extraordinary quality. He puts a lot of hard work to bring tattoo designs to life, by implementing vibrant and vivid colors, deep details, and impeccable lines with ink. When looking at his designs, we can see that he makes both smaller and larger designs, and anywhere that you want.

There are a lot of animal designs, as well as abstract and tribal designs like demons, dragons, lions, and others. There’s no doubt that Mark will do everything to make your tattoo as good-looking as possible. You just have to make an appointment.

Josh Figueroa

• Website: https://www.luckymonkeytattoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshfigueroatattoos/
• Address: 3024 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI

Whether you’re a fan of floral textures, large insects, spooky elements, and abstract stuff, then Josh Figueroa is the right tattoo artist for you, if you’re looking for a skilled and profound tattoo artist in Michigan. His artistic tattoo designs and great talent to pull both thin and thick lines are what will leave you breathless.

You can see the amazing attention to detail, as well as versatility to create anything from floral and natural designs to dark and dreary tattoos for fans of gothic and darker culture. To get an appointment at Josh, you’ll need to message either him or the tattoo studio that he works at.

There’s also a comprehensive form on the website that you can use to book an appointment for yourself. It’s more than easy, as long as there’s room for making appointments.

Detroit Ink Spot

• Website: https://www.detroitinkspot.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitinkspot/
• Address: 19845 W McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI

If you’re in or around Detroit, visiting Detroit Ink Spot sounds like the most sensible thing to do, especially if you value the detailed and dedicated work that they do. They have very strict cleaning protocols, which means that they want the best standards for their visitors.

There’s also not a lot of people in the gallery or studio, so you can feel comfortable and not worry while getting your tattoo work done. Besides tattoos, they also offer piercings, while being state-licensed for safety and professionalism.

If you take a look at the designs they’re working on, you can see that they often host discounts and actions that will allow you to get your tattoo done easier and cheaper if you book an appointment at the right time.

The tattoos look great, and the artists will have a lot of understanding and make pretty much every wish you have true. You can get anything from a small and hardly visible tattoo to a large sleeve-like piece of art.

Iconic Tattoo Detroit

• Website: http://www.iconictattoodetroit.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iconic_tattoo_detroit/
• Address: 3401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI

This is another studio from Detroit, and it’s definitely worth checking out if other Detroit-based studios are busy at a time. They have strict protocols to prevent respiratory and other diseases and friendly staff that makes sure that nothing is missing for you.

Their equipment is new, regularly clean, and the overall ambient feels cozy and homey. When it comes to the tattoo designs that they offer, it’s worth mentioning that the emphasis is on animals, both regular designs and those that are more realistic.

Nevertheless, the studio will turn any wish you have into reality. They also tattoo movie characters, flowers, family members, and even anime characters. There’s no doubt that this tattoo studio will make pretty much any wish you have true. All you have to do is make an appointment and discuss the tattoo design idea you have in mind with your tattoo artist.

Harlequin tattoo

• Website: https://harlequintattoo.bigcartel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlequintattoo/
• Address: 10021 Joseph Campau Ave, Hamtramck, MI

If you’re looking for a creative and witty studio in Michigan with friendly ambient and plenty of tattoo artists that will help you make your tattoo dream come true, you should rely on Harlequin tattoo studio to do that for you. Besides the outstanding tattoo designs, you can also purchase other products on their website, including merch like T-shirts and several coloring books that contain popular tattoo designs for you to pick.

Besides that, we think that the tattoo designs from Harlequin are quite cute and creative. There’s a great detail to the shades and texture, which is great for people who want a colorful tattoo design that they can flaunt. It’s necessary, however, to make an appointment and discuss the kind of tattoo to do.

Green Lion Tattoos

• Website: https://www.greenlionstudios.com/custom-tattooing
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenlionstudios/
• Address: 1444 Lake Dr SE Unit 2 Grand Rapids, MI

We can only express our admiration for the tattoo studio that emphasizes more girly designs but will do pretty much anything to bring your tattoo to life. There are various designs, from flowers, and cute animals, to animated and historical designs. You can also make a small or large tattoo to your liking.

They don’t seem to be too active on Instagram, but we discovered their great talent through other channels like Google, recommendations, and the website. They’re praised for their amazing and thorough work ethic and understanding of all requests that you may have.

On the website, you can contact individual tattoo artists who’ll be happy to breathe life into your tattoo. Make sure to book fast as some of them may become unavailable pretty fast.

Black Ball Tattoo

• Website: https://www.blackballtattoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackballtattoo/
• Address: 3126 Jefferson Ave, Midland, MI

Are you looking for a great-looking and lasting quality tattoo and you’re around Midland, Michigan, you should contact Black Ball Tattoo. The tattoo studio is powered by great tattoo artists who will go above and beyond to deliver an amazing result that you can show off and wear with pride.

They have a dozen of tattoo artists who are talented and specialize in bringing different tattoo designs into life. We love all the floral and animal designs in the tattoo studios, particularly the birdy ones. We also want to mention that the studio has taken all hygienic and safety measures to keep the studio clean and free of pathogens.

It’s a safe place for you to get your tattoo and have a comfortable time with the tattoo artist you choose.

Fat Kid Tattoos

• Website: https://www.daybreaktattoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatkidtattoos/
• Address: 4125 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 

Dylan who is behind the Fat Kid Tattoos does a great job at bringing cartoon, game, and anime characters to life via ink and different shading options. People from Michigan gladly visit him to get his take on reimagining anime characters.

We believe that in order to tattoo a certain concept perfectly, one needs to know what to do, and Dylan does a great job at that. He’s one of the artists at the Daybreak tattoo where he does a great job, while also ensuring that all the customers feel comfortable and safe.

Kelli Donegan

• Website: https://www.luckymonkeytattoo.com/contact
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kellidonegan/
• Address: 3024 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI

Kelli Donegan is one of the amazing tattoo artists who work at Lucky Monkey Tattoo. At the moment, only appointments are possible due to COVID restrictions, so walk-ins are highly discouraged. Kelli does great at black and white work, but she’ll also take different types of requests even if they include shading.

She does an exceptional job at floral and light tattoos that feel easy and soothing for the skin. Additionally, many say that she has a light hand so the tattooing process doesn’t hurt as much as with some other artists. She’ll take breaks and provide you all you need to feel safe and comfortable, especially if you’re getting your first tattoo.

How We Choose Tattoo Artists

We wanted to give you a little heads up about the process we use to choose the best tattoo artists and studios to ensure your comfort and safety. We’re aware that getting a tattoo is a big step for many, even if it’s not your first tattoo. That’s why comfort, satisfaction, safety, and confidence are the key points we’re starting with when choosing tattoo artists.

Michigan is full of talented tattoo artists and we couldn’t list them all. However, to list the ones we did, we had to go through the full analysis of their portfolio and what they exceed.

We primarily focused on whether they’re open at the moment, whether they allow walk-ins or not, and how careful they are when it comes to safety and health measures they provide for their users. Also, we wanted to ensure that they use new and reliable equipment.

We also wanted to ensure that they have rich and numerous portfolios to display. Without a good and detailed portfolio, you’ll hardly find reliable clients. That’s why we wanted to ensure that the tattoos look good even weeks after healing.

All tattoo artists allow making an appointment either through email, or the website form that allows you to detail just what kind of tattoo you need. You can also contact them through Instagram, but due to the great number of followers that gets difficult with too many messages.

With all these things counted, we concluded that the artists we displayed are worth the mention.

Also Read:

• Best Tattoo Artists in Bay Area. Top Talents To Choose From
• Best Tattoo Shops in Houston. Look For The Best Artists
• 10 Best Tattoo Shops In Sacramento. Find The Top Artists

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