Ask anyone with a tattoo and they're bound to have an opinion, but ask around and you'll see some regular names start to emerge. Toronto has a lot of talent, yet one spin through each of these artists' portfolios, and you'll see that they're a cut above.
These are the top 10 tattoo artists in Toronto.
Jay Decator, Passage Tattoo Parlour
Jay Decator's Passage parlour is the definition of a custom shop. Built on a word-of-mouth reputation, he caters to those who know what they want and go the distance to get it. "When I started tattooing in '94, there was none of this "my own style" bullshit. You had to do everything and anything, or you wouldn't be paying rent," he says. "So we'd take their idea and interpret it in the cleanest, slickest, design possible. I still try to use as much of my customers ideas as I can while maintaining the integrity of the design."
Long considered a linchpin in the Toronto tattoo community, Decator has an educated opinion of what he sees unfolding in the local scene. "I'm not sure if it has evolved. There are definitely a lot of great tattoo artists now in the city, but also a lot of bad ones," he explains. "You used to know each artists pedigree: who they apprenticed with, how they came up. Now there's a tattoo shop on every street and god only knows who is working in half of them."
Matt Ellis, Seven Crowns Tattoo
With skills honed at now defunct Way Cool Uptown, Matt Ellis quickly went on to become one of the most recognizable names in the local tattoo community. Having built a solid reputation and clientele over 18 years, he partnered with George Brown III to found Seven Crowns in 2008. An oddity amongst the restaurants and boutiques of Yonge and Eglinton, here Ellis bolstered his aesthetic, bending traditional Japanese style to something unique.
His colour work is easily amongst the best in the city, with a vibrancy that simply pops off the flesh. As conceptually solid as he is with his palette choices, Ellis creates stunning large-scale pieces that are more that just your run of the mill patchwork sleeve variety. He also helps those in need of cover up from "scratcher" artists, and estimates that 40% of his work is of this nature.
Ronan Gibney, Imperial Tattoo
Ronan Gibney learned the trade the old fashioned way. "I was an eager 21 year old willing to answer phones, mop floors, scrub and sterilize equipment, and make line drawings of flash in exchange for the opportunity to be immersed in a professional shop environment with the prospect of learning how to tattoo," he says. Under the tutelage of Anthony Stephenson of Way Cool Uptown he built his trade on a solid foundation, and boasts a reputation for exceptional grey-scale realism, a skill that's won him accolades at the Northern Ink Exposure convention here in Toronto.
On Toronto's changing community over the years, he says. "I've noticed a shift from versatility to specialization. When I started tattooing it was beneficial to be able to work in many different styles, but now artists have the opportunity to focus and refine their own style and specialize," he explains. "Another big change is the sophistication of the clientele. Clients are far more knowledgeable and informed and will do their research on which artist would best suit their desired tattoo style. This seems to be a major factor in the shift to specialization."
Commended by media including Complex magazines' list of "50 Tattoo Artists You Need To Know," David Glantz is helping put Toronto on the map. Taking influences from the classical and contemporary, Glantz has developed a unique and highly sought after style.
Starting his career with an apprenticeship at Lucky 13, he began sowing the seeds for his unique approach under their guidance. He then moved on to work with Derek Lewis (also on this list) where he continued to push in new directions and explore new techniques. He has worked with other celebrated artists but really came in to his own in the fall of 2008 when he opened Archive Tattoo Studio, where he continues to work today.
Aaron Hill, Speakeasy Tattoo
In a list of the best of the best there's always room for a newcomer. Aaron Hill qualifies as exactly that. Many established artists have singled him out for praise, and in turn he speaks very respectfully of his predecessors. Hill did his apprenticeship at Good Points Tattoo in Oakville under artist, Cory Ferguson. During his tenure at Speakeasy, he's been filled with much work, including several high profile clients like Death From Above 1979's Jesse Keeler (he also manned the station at the band's pop up shop record release).
"The tattooers I admire in Toronto are many. I enjoy seeing work from Lizzie Renaud, whose work I get to see regularly, Chris Wellard, Dan Innes, Chris MacDonald, Morgan MacDonald, and Alex Snelgrove," says Hill. "I greatly admire people who have been tattooing in this city for some time such as Matt Ellis and George Brown. I've been tattooed by Jay Decator, Andreas Merrill and of course Bill Baker. They've made my life easier and have better stories than I do."
Derek Lewis, Lewis Family Tattoo Company
A strong illustrator, Derek Lewis brings a well-cultivated love for drawing to his tattoo work. "I grew up with comics, and just started copying them as a kid," he explains. "I do what's been called comic book realism. I guess it could be deemed illustrative as well. The "How to Draw the Marvel Way!" is a book I had given to me when I was younger, and its the one book I recommend to everyone that comes to me asking how."
Like the majority of artists profiled, Lewis has strong opinions on the growth of the industry in the GTA. He maintains a positive outlook on the future tattoo art in Toronto. "A community is coming along... I don't feel its quite totally there yet, but there's a lot of good being done towards it with community events/art shows," he says. "There's so much knowledge here too. We have people that have been tattooing for years and years, with vast amounts of information on how to do things, and then we have a bunch of young kids with art training, with a whole new set of rules. Its really great."
Andreas Merrill, TCB Tattoo Parlour
Andreas Merrill has witnessed a lot of change in the 12 years he's been working exclusively in Toronto. TCB Tattoos, the shop he established with partner Scott McKewan in 2002, has become a mainstay of the burgeoning Toronto scene. If pressed to describe his style, Merrill would say it's "traditional with a bit of a biker tinge, but a little more modernized and clunky." But the 22-year veteran comes from a time when versatility was a job requirement. "It was very rare for some one to be specialized in some kind of folk-artsy style of tattooing and be busy back in the day."
On the rise in popularity of tattoos and tattoo shops, Merrill has mixed feelings about the exposure that shows like Miami Ink has provided. "I don't ultimately think they're are good for tattooing. They're not made for people who actually tattoo," he explains. "They're meant for people who want something spectacular. They don't want to watch some one spending a lot of time drawing and painstakingly working things out. They want drama. I don't love 'em but it did a lot to popularize tattooing. It brought the numbers of people up quite a bit."
Having worked with people she considers the best of the best in the Toronto community, Lizzie Renaud came by her considerable skills honestly. "Rob Coutts and Dave Wildenboer both taught me the ABCs of tattooing and customer service. Jay Decator taught me basically everything else I know about being a good tattooer. Bill Baker helped me understand my tools and made me smarter about my job. My first workplace was New Tribe, and I have great memories from there."
Renaud is a consummate professional and takes what she does very seriously. "Every client is going to gravitate to their tattooer for a few reasons, but I like to think that I'm very reliable, so people can trust that I take their time seriously and know I'll be ready for them on appointment day." Her work is very bold, with a style she says "tows the line between American Traditional and illustration."
Eric Newstead, The Okey Doke Tattoo Shop
Eric Newstead has been tattooing professionally since 1995. Originally apprenticing under Oz Paredes at Tat-a-rama, he moved on to New Tribe after a five year stint. As he approached his 40s, he decided to open the doors to his own shop in 2011. A relative newcomer to the custom shop scene, The Okey Doke has slowly been building its reputation as a pretension-free destination. A playful attitude is reflected in his installation of the Tattoo Vending Machine at the shop but there's so much more to it. There's a obvious respective paid to the clients here.
"The scene in Toronto has expanded 1000% since I got my start," explains Newstead. "The amount of tattooing being done is staggering. Twenty years ago if I saw someone heavily tattooed I knew who they were personally or by reputation. Now it's everywhere. It was hard to get a table in a restaurant back then. I would need to leave my credit card with the waiter as collateral."
Chris Wellard, Chris Wellard Tattoo
Formerly of Passage Tattoo Parlour, Chris Wellard recently left to run his own private studio in conjunction with his fiancé's shop, Far Away Eyes. With a November launch imminent, Wellard has been putting his hands to work in a much different manner, mainly renovating the space. When I ask if he works in any different mediums, he wryly answers "I am currently working in Gypsum, Pine, ThinSet and Porcelain."
Wellard came to tattooing following a career in graphic design. "I studied four years of Illustration and Graphic Design at Sheridan College in Oakville and graduated with a job that I wasn't stoked on," he explains. "I thought that I would be half decent at tattooing. Three separate apprenticeships and a lot of hard work later, I am a tattooer. That is the short version." With a foundation built on Japanese and American traditional influences, Wellard has become known for tattooing that is graphic, bold and balanced.
Lead photo by Ryan Bolton
by Evan Sue-Ping via blogTO
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