Washington DC Tattoo Artists

Featured Washington, DC Artists

Here are some of the best Washington DC tattoo artists and shops according to our research. If you think we should add anyone to the list or if you see anything that should be edited, contact us by clicking here

Washington DC Tattoo Artist 1
Washington DC Tattoo Artist 2

Fernando Gonzalez

Instagram

Send Email


Kevin Avila Tattoo Artist
Kevin Avila Tattoo Artist 1

Kevin Avila

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist 5
Washington DC Tattoo Artist 6

Roger Anthony

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist 7
Washington DC Tattoo Artist 8

Liana Joy

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist 9
Washington DC Tattoo Artist 10

Jermaine Taylor

Instagram

Send Email


Renny G Tattoo Artist 1
Renny G Tattoo Artist 2

Renny G

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist 15
Washington DC Tattoo Artist 16

David Cavalcante

Instagram

Send Email


Veinna Tattoo Artist Jesse Naraja 10

Jesse Najera

Instagram

Send Email


Alex Moretti Tattoo Artist
Alex Moretti Tattoo Artist

Alex Moretti – Hagerstown, MD

Instagram

Send Email

washington dc tattoo artist lee uchiha 3
washington dc tattoo artist lee uchiha

Art of War Tattoo Collective

Tattoo Profile: Join us at The Art of War Tattoo Collective where we are dedicated to creating custom artwork and integrating your vision with our insight to manifest immaculate body art at a comfortable, sterile environment with approachable, experienced artists.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist blake 2
washington dc tattoo artist blake

The Tattooery

Tattoo Profile: We offer custom one of kind tattoos, drawn by our talented artists, specifically for you! Our artists take pride in giving our clients quality tattoos with a personal touch. We believe each tattoo should be as unique as the person wearing it, we don’t copy or duplicate any tattoos.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist isaac 3
washington dc tattoo artist isaac

Laughing Hyena Tattoos

Tattoo Profile: Laughing Hyena Tattoos is a full-service tattoo shop dedicated to consistently providing high customer satisfaction by rendering excellent service, quality products, and furnishing an enjoyable atmosphere at an acceptable price. We maintain a friendly, fair, and creative work environment, which respects diversity, ideas, and hard work. We provide quality tattoos in a healthy, clean environment.

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist 1
washington dc tattoo artist fernando gonzalez

Embassy Tattoo

Tattoo Profile: We take pride in our original art, our dedicated and talented artists and sterile environment. Pay us a visit for good times and even better tattoos. Specializing in original tattoos and piercings, we have a very talented crew that can accommodate any style of tattooing that you may want.

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist Tim Corun 2
Washington DC Tattoo Artist Tim Corun 3

Jinx Proof Tattoo

Tattoo Profile: Jinx Proof was established in 1996 by Tim Corun and Karl Hedgepath. It was the first tattoo shop to open in Washington, DC since 1983, and is the premier shop in the area.

Instagram


Washington DC Tattoo Artist Nikki Balls Lugo 4
Washington DC Tattoo Artist Nikki Balls Lugo 2

Tattoo Paradise

Tattoo Profile: DC & Maryland’s finest tattoos and body piercing since 2003.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist amy 1
washington dc tattoo artist amy

Rick’s Tattoos

Tattoo Profile: Northern VA’s Oldest & Finest Tattoo Shop. We offer custom tattooing and piercing. Rick’s Tattoos has been very fortunate to have had, over the years, some very exceptional artists work here. We still, in our opinion, have some of the best tattoo artists in the area working here now.

Visit Website

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist adam jeffrey

Great Southern Tattoo Company

Tattoo Profile: Great Southern was started by Charley & Sandy Parsons in College Park MD in 1979 and we opened our location in Alexandria VA. in 2001. We are a family oriented business that specializes in custom walk in tattooing.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist james 1
washington dc tattoo artist james 3

Bethesda Tattoo Company

Tattoo Profile: Bethesda Tattoo has some of the finest artists in Maryland to serve you.#1 in Montgomery County since 2005. We specialize in custom tattooing and expert body piercing in a friendly professional environment.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo artist susan doyle 1
washington dc tattoo artist susan doyle 2

Globe Electric Tattoo

Tattoo Profile: Globe Electric is home to tattoo artists Susan Behney-Doyle and Eric Doyle. We have been tattooing since 1993 and have worked together since 1998. We opened our own shop in December 2015 with the goal of creating high-quality work in a unique and distinctive setting.

Instagram

Send Email


washington dc tattoo shop fattys tattoos 2
washington dc tattoo shop fattys tattoos 3

Fatty’s Tattoos & Piercings

Tattoo Profile: All tattooists at Fatty’s are multi-faceted, mixed media artists who strive for perfection in their various art forms. We specialize in high quality, custom tattooing. You will notice when entering Fatty’s that our walls are not covered with the typical, corny “pick em and stick em” tattoo flash that you see everywhere else. Our walls proudly display fine art paintings by Fatty and our artists.

Instagram

Send Email


Washington DC Tattoo Artist Butch 4
Washington DC Tattoo Artist Butch 2

Champion Tattoo Company

Tattoo Profile: The Champion Tattoo Company is a custom Tattoo and Body Piercing studio dedicated to providing a quality tattoo and piercing service to our clients. We are conveniently located near the Eastern Market Metro and next to the I-695 (395) expressway. We provide excellent friendly service for your tattoo or piercing including free consultation, design services and safe hygienic body art.

Instagram

Send Email


Laughing Hyena Tattoos is one of the areas highest rated tattoo shops for a number of reasons. Importantly, they keep their shop extremely clean and sterile so you never have to worry about going into a dirty environment when it comes time to get your tattoo. Also, they have some of the very best tattoo artists in the District, so there’s a pretty good chance that if you want a particular style of tattoo, you can find an artist there that has plenty of experience with it.

While Laughing Hyena Tattoos is a fantastic choice for a lot of people, there are also quite a few other shops that can do a great job for you. The key is to look around for places that people have been happy with in the past. You’ll also want to try your best to find artists who have a ton of experience creating tattoos like one you want. It’s a big deal getting a tattoo and you definitely want to put in the necessary research before you commit to using any shop in Washington DC.

American pride tattoos have been all the rage in Washington DC pretty much ever since tattooing became a thing in the United States. Some people will get American flags, some will get eagles in their designs, while others will get text tattoos that show their love for their country. American pride tattoos are popular all around the country, but they seem to be a bit more prevalent in and around the nation’s capital.

Similarly, some Washington DC locals will get tattoos showing off their favorite monuments. The capital building is quite popular since it looks spectacular when done by a great artist and it can fit just about anywhere on the body. The Lincoln Memorial is another excellent monument option since it represents a lot of American history and because it works quite well as a sleeve or back tattoo.
Military tattoos are also quite popular in Washington DC for obvious reasons. Some people will get their military tats to show that they themselves were in one of the branches of the military, while others will honor their families with their designs.

If you’ve been to Washington DC, then you know that the area is filled with proud sports fans, which is why a lot of locals opt to get tattoos showing off their favorite Washington DC teams. Redskins tattoos are easily the most popular, but there are also plenty of people who get Capitals, Wizards, and Nationals tattoos as well. It’s actually not too uncommon to see sports fans representing each of those teams in a single design.

The truth is that Washington DC is a melting pot, which means that you will see every type of tattooing style known to man there. That’s great for locals and people passing through because it means they won’t have too hard of a time finding a place to get their tattoo idea realized. That’s also another reason why you should definitely do some research on all of the local shops that you’re interested in visiting so you can know for sure if they are the ones that you want to trust with your tattoo.

History

Washington DC as founded on July 16, 1790. The unique thing about DC as a city is that it was formed by the Constitution to be the capital of the nation. According to the actual line at the National Archives, Washington DC has been involved in sectional conflicts and issues about race, political maneuvering, compromise, power and national identity since its inception.

The location of Washington DC was a compromise like most decisions made in American history. On one hand, Thomas Jefferson and the states from the south called for the capital to be put in a location that would serve the agricultural interests of the slave holders. On the other hand, you had the northern states and Alexander Hamilton who called for the new federal government to pick up the tab earned from the Revolutionary War.

It was President George Washington who decided on the exact location that bordered the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. The city was founded, officially, in 1790 and this came after both Virginia and Maryland relinquished land for this new “district”. It was to be distinguished and distinct from any other state in the nation. Pierre Charles L’Enfant was chosen to design Washington DC. He offered his vision for a modern and bold new city that would feature ceremonial spaces that were reminiscent of Paris and also feature grand boulevards that are currently the streets that are named after our states. In the planning, L’Enfant was going to create a grid system that would hold the Capital building right in the middle.

Washington DC was nearly fully destroyed before the coming of age. DC was invaded by British forces during the war of 1812 and the burned nearly everything to the ground including the Capitol, the Library of Congress and the White House itself. The collection the library held was later replaced by Thomas Jefferson by selling all of his personal library in 1815 where he made $23,950.

After Washington DC was attacked, it was left in ruins. In terms of permanent residence and size, the city remained small. Not long after, it would become even smaller in physical size. This was because in 1847, the part of Washington DC that used to be Virginia was taken back because the locals felt that their part of the city (on the other side of the river) was being neglected by the government. If you look, you will still find some original markers from the District before it was retroceded.

The reason Washington DC ended up growing in size was because of the Civil War results. The slaves that had been owned in Washington were freed on April 16, 1862. It became a hub for freed slaves because it happened nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation. Because of this, Washington DC was known across the nation as having a vibrant and significant African American population that also included Frederick Douglass. The federal government grew around the administration that was in place and a large army was created to be protection for the capital while the war was going on.

After the war, Washington experienced a great deal of growth and it would eventually take in surrounding areas like Georgetown and other rural areas that were far beyond the plans of L’Enfant. Florida Avenue was the original boundary of Washington City and it was called Boundary Street originally. When looking at the first neighborhoods that started to grow around the capital you would have to include Downtown (Center Market), the Capitol (Capitol Hill) and Lafayette Square (the White House). The creation of new suburbs was pushed ahead by the expansion of streetcar lines during the middle of the 19th century.

The final push to finish the original designs of L’Enfant were starting to be put in place and it was called the McMillan Plan of 1901. Part of the process included an expansion and redesign of the National Mall which is now the crown jewel of Washington DC. DC continued to develop and expand over the rest of the 20th century even though it experienced civil unrest and riots during the 1960’s and 70’s. During this time, many of the residents of the inner city took off for the suburbs. In modern times, the areas of downtown are in the midst of an urban renaissance which is leading to many people moving back from the suburbs to Washington.

Even the it is a capital city, the people that live in Washington ironically lack full self governance. The representation in Congress is restricted to a House of Representatives that cannot vote and they have a shadow senator. The residents of Washington were allowed to vote in Presidential elections in 1964. In 1973, they were allowed to vote for their own mayor.

Even today, Washington DC remains culturally diverse and as vibrant as it’s ever been. The city is packed full of African American culture and heritage, international cultures, and it is one of the most gay friendly cities in America. To add to that last part, in 2010, DC recognized same sex marriage even before the Supreme Court deemed it ok in 2015.

Washington DC has developed as a layered and complex city even after 200 years of being the capital of the nation. The city has a distinctive charm and character by being an international center of power and a town for locals. It’s an amazing place to visit for any reason.

In times like these, you are able to have the best of both worlds when you visit Washington DC. You are able to experience modern amenities and visit the neighborhoods while at the same time behind able to take a visit to the nation’s past by visiting the monuments and local museums. If you are a sports fan, the DC area offers a great deal of local sports teams to watch like the MLB’s Washington Nationals, the NHL’s Washington Capitals or the NFL’s Washington Redskins. These are just the pro teams too as there are plenty of other sports to watch. We definitely suggest visiting DC and making a great time out of it.

Washington DC has a rich tattoo history. Featuring shops such as Jinx Proof Tattoo, Tattoo Paradise, Cirque Du Rouge, Britishink Tattoo Studio and Gallery, Rick’s Tattoos, Pinz-N-Needlez, and Champion Tattoo Company, Washington DC is a great destination if you’re looking for some new ink. With a population of around 635,000, there are lots of potential customers for the parlors in town. Yelp currently lists 38 different shops when searching for “tattoo” in Washington DC. Google Places lists 324 different tattoo shops in Washington DC, which shows how competitive the state truly is. When doing research for your artist, we suggest not paying too much attention to price because quality is much more important when you’re going to be living with the artwork for the rest of your life.

Leave a Comment