I recently moved to Chicago and was in search of a great tattoo artist. I visited Jade Dragon and Tatu Tattoo and was somewhat impressed with their friendly service, but not by their actual artistry as tattooers. Both of these places did not seem like real artists, they only seemed concerned with getting as many tattoos done in an hour as they could. I really did not trust either of these places to complete the piece I had started on my back several years ago. I asked around, especially people with really amazing tattoos, and other tattoo artists; they all recommended Ben and/or Harlan at Deluxe. I went in for a consultation with Ben, bringing in several ideas for not only fixing my tattoo, but adding on to it to make it a beautiful, finished piece. Ben was extremely receptive, helpful, and had a keen eye for detail. During my actual tattoo appointments, he was kind, but not super chatty. However, truthfully, I would rather have an awesome tattoo artist, who knows what he is doing, especially with composition, blending and tattooing skills; than someone who has a knack for conversation, but little artistic/tattooing skills!! I am never going anywhere else to get my tattoos done. If you want flash tattoos that you can pick off a wall, done in a non-artistic, crappy way, go to Jade or Tatu Tattoo. However, when you want those fixed and/or if you want an f#&$-ing awesome tattoo that you will be proud of for the rest of your life, go to Deluxe. They really are the best in Chicago!!
Pros: Artistic skills, cover up/fixing up tattoo ability, prices
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