Wingnut Tattoo & Piercing Studio

****** never again will I associate with these people.

I had gone to Wingnut to check out the artists' books and was impressed with the work in Gabe's book. I went back that Friday to meet him, showed him the design I had and explained the kind of shading and coloring I wanted. He made a very good impression and had time right then, so I went ahead with the tattoo. Gabe gave me exactly what I wanted, was very professional and has a gentle technique. He also did a free touch up of the color once the tattoo healed for a few weeks. I was really impressed with his work and have sent family to him for tattoos that he also did a wonderful job on.

I wanted to get a custom lower back tattoo to mask a surgical scar. Angie's List didn't have many reviews in this category, so I asked around among people I know who have tattoos and also did a lot of research on the internet. I decided to to consult with Jo at Wingnut (Anoka location) because I liked some of his original tattoos featured on their website. I stopped into the shop without an appointment, and was able to spend about 10-15 minutes conferring with an employee (don't know his name) who was very friendly and helpful. He looked at my scar and gave some general information on pricing and the amount of time it would take to complete the tattoo. Then Jo took a break from a tattoo he was working on to talk to me. He was very receptive to the ideas I had for the artwork, and gave me a few ideas of his own. He asked me to print out pictures of tattoos with similar features and come back in to meet with him. On my second meeting with Jo I showed him about 20 pictures, none of which were exactly what I wanted, but each had some aspect that I liked. He took a tracing of the area to be tattooed, kept my pictures, and we set up an appointment for the work to be done the following Monday. I put down a $40 deposit, and was assured that if I came in for my appointment and was not pleased with his design, the deposit would be held while he worked up something new. On the day of my appointment Jo was ready with a design. It was just what I was hoping for, so after we discussed the colors to be used he got started on my tattoo. Everything was clean and professional. He finished the tattoo in about two hours, then gave me instructions on aftercare. The tattoo is beautiful! The lines are crisp and clear and the colors are vibrant. I will be going back to see Jo about modifying another existing tattoo.