The Best Tattoo Studio in Bury

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Best Tattoos in Bury

 

Getting tattooed in Bury can be quiet a decision making journey, sometimes you know what you want to get tattooed, however, you have to decide where to go to, which studio to choose. This is a very important decision to make, as every studio has a completely different way of thinking and operating as a business, so in this blog I would like to guide you, in order to find the best Tattoos in Bury for you, and also what are the advantages of getting Tattooed at Odin’s Eye Tattoo Collective.

 

Bury is a town with rich industrial heritage, and vibrant modern culture. Bury has evolved in to a significant town for Tattoo artistry in Greater Manchester.

 

In my beginning in 2006, I started tattooing in Bury, back then there was only 2-3 shops in Bury, the shop I worked it was the one to go to back in the day, however I knew Bury back then it wasn’t very advanced in Tattooing, I used to go to Tattoo conventions and notice that, other artist’s were better than us, however the guys I worked with would never admit that.

 

So I decided to move to Leeds, in order to learn, and I was glad I did it, as it was the first time I worked with real artist’s, guys who would finish a day session Tattooing and go drawing or paint at night, that was a moment in my life where I literally lived for art, you kind of get in your safe pleasure bubble, and that’s all you know, or want to know. I had a great experience working with artist’s, but then times changed, and I opened my own studio.

 

I really enjoyed opening my own studio, it was more chilled as I wasn’t working for somebody else  anymore, I was private as well, so people would message me through Google. So before approaching me they already searched about me.

 

After 13 years, I felt like my time in Leeds was over, and I decided to move back to Manchester where I started, I missed my Mum, and I missed my English home.

 

Coming back to Manchester, I tried to open a studio in Whitefield, but that was short lived, as the lease on the building was over, so I was walking in Bury, where I used to live, and I found Odin’s Eye Tattoo collective.

 

Odin’s Eye,  is owned by an old friend called “Sween” he has been tattooing longer than me, so he was the guy I looked up to. I spoke to him, and as he knew me from back in the day when I lived in Bury, so the transition was natural. I was really grateful I had a place to work, from someone who already knew who I was. Also meeting Tony, it made me really comfortable as he was very welcoming.

 

Bury was a quiet town, not much happening, the only thing we would look up to would be Sol Viva, the night club, where I used to loose myself before I started Tattooing. Coming back to Bury to be tattooing, it made me realise the number of tattooist’s and Tattoo Studios in Bury had increased a lot. So it was nothing what it used to be. However, I knew at Odin’s Eye, we would have the opportunity and potential to be on top.

 

When you have a lot of Tattoo Studio’s around you, you have to focus on what you can provide as a business, and we certainly consider that. Here are some advantages, of getting tattooed by us at Odin’s Eye Tattoo collective.

 

Every Client gets directed to the right artist for them. We have 3 artist’s more than capable to handle any tattooing style. So the client always wins.

Privacy when you get Tattooed. Each artist have their own private room, so you can have a one to one experience with your artist, so our focus is on you only.

WE give an honest advice on your idea, we wish the best for our clients, so we would rather turn away business than accepting to do something that will not work. Honesty is the best policy.

We serve the best coffee in town, if you make an appointment, don’t be shy to ask me for a coffee, I’m the barista, Tony is good as well, but he is always busy, so you can ask me, no problem.

We are multi award winning Tattoo Studio.

All 3 artists have been tattooing for 20 years plus. We all have more than 20 years experience each, so we have traditional tattooing values, that you can only build with experience.

You can feel the love when you come in the studio, we all get on well, and have each others back, that is quiet rare in a Tattoo studio. In my 20 years experience, that is the first studio I experienced working with other artist’s who are all for each other, every other studio I worked at, they were civil, however, deep down, they were all out for themselves, it was each to their own. And most tattoo studios you will walk in, they will make out they are a team, however, the truth behind it, it will be each to their own. It is just how it is.

 

Thank you for reading my blog, if you made it until the end. Come and get tattooed in Bury, we have the biggest arcade club in Europe, you will not be disappointed, until our next blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Right Tattoo Artist for You

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How to find the right Tattoo Artist for me

Hey everyone, Thanks for visiting this website, in this site you will find Tattoo Blogs, Art Gallery, and Tattooing. It has been 2 years working at Odin’s Eye Tattoo in Greater Manchester, and what a ride it has been. The Tattoo World is evolving, so should our ways of thinking and approaching tattoos. So in this blog I would like to help you to find the best Tattoo Artist for you, I’m going to mention how the Tattoo world has evolved, to how Tattoo Artist’s present themselves nowadays, so you can notice some behaviour and make the choice yourself, to who, you will choose as your Tattoo Artist.

Nowadays, with social media and the number of Tattoo Artist’s raising everyday, Tattoo Artists have been going way beyond what normally Tattoo Artist’s should do, in order to attract business.

I believe you as a client should have the freedom to choose the right Tattoo Artist for you in Greater Manchester, based on your philosophy, your beliefs and request. You will build your beliefs when researching for your tattoo artist, and researching is a very important part of the process, when looking for the right Tattoo Artist for you in Manchester. Who am I to tell you where to go, you will have the right to make a choice yourself, based on the tattoo Artist who you resonate the most with, in my part, in this blog, I’m going to guide you so you can educate yourself about getting Tattooed.

Getting Tattooed is a big thing to do, and it can mean a lot to someone, so first of all I would like to mention about getting tattooed of chance is not the best way to get tattooed, getting tattooed requires planning, and planning it well. Doing your research is crucial, read about the artist, look at artist’s who are doing the style you are looking for, travel if you have to, getting tattooed by the right person, it mite mean having to travel for it, and book a hotel, it seems like a lot of hassle, but when it comes to put something on your body for life, distance should not stop you to get the right work on your skin.

Online, specially on TikTok, I have seen lately a lot of artists posting videos of them speaking, and their speech is, I have been tattooing for 6 years, and if you are looking for a Tattoo, look no further. That kind of approach is quiet desperate, and it is not giving you the option to make your own personal choice. When a Tattoo Artist mention if you are looking for a Tattoo, look no further, that is a statement where, I believe, is no needed. An artist should present themselves introducing who they are, and explaining what they do, and the approach should be, if you like my work, please contact me on What’s app.

 I must say that 6 years tattooing, is not that long, I learned to Tattoo after I have been tattooing for 10 years, when I saw my Tattoos healed after 10 years, that is when I really learned to tattoo. So any Tattoo Artist, Tattooing for 6 years or less be careful, I’m not  saying they are all a no go, as there are some good new upcoming artists, I would just say, be careful, and special alert when they say, the only option is me, that is definitely a very egocentric way of approaching Tattoo clients.

Of course if a Tattoo Artist seems egocentric but you like them or resonate with them, is totally up to you, you can approach any Tattoo Artist you would like to, or feel comfortable with.

 I would like to recommend before approaching a Tattoo Artist, research about them before you book a consultation, some clients are booked with me for a consultation, and they do not really know what I do, or how I work, a client who  did a bit of research on me, will make me enjoy our consultation a lot more, and everything will flow a lot easier and natural. Don’t get me wrong I am happy to answer questions, I believe, the client should ask as many question as they would like to, however, if they research into their artist, they will ask good and progressive questions, instead of obvious ones. And someone who  researched for their artist, will not feel the need for the artist to convince them to tattoo them, they will be looking forward to have their work on their body for a life time. And be very proud of it. So research in to someone before approaching them.

Getting Tattooed is a big commitment, and it should not be a last minute idea, get prepared, be smart. You mite not be able to afford what you want to get it done now, so I recommend to save your money as long as I needs, until you have the money for your tattoo by the artist who you love, instead of just getting Tattooed now, just because you found an artist who charges your budget. You should get tattooed by someone, because you love their work, and not because of their prices.

I believe, if all Tattoo collectors recognised getting Tattooed as a serious commitment, we would see more amazing Tattoos, instead of budget Tattoos. What you pay cheap you pay twice, trying to save money on your Tattoo today you are risking future problems, which it could end up costing the double of what you originally paid for.

It is very rare to see someone covered in good Tattoos. Quality work takes time, and only the ones who are patient will deserve good quality work.

Thank for reading my blog, until the nest one.

Tattoo Studio in Greater Manchester

How to become a tattoo Artist

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I want to Become a Tattoo Artist

Welcome to Louis Santos Tattoo, thanks for taking the time to visit this web site. I would like first to Thank Ross for all his hard work, working his magic on this website, the guy has a talent with websites, and he looks after all the behind the scenes, technical stuff, which I can only be grateful for, you guys don’t realise how much work is involved in the background, to keep a website running, and Ross is passionate to keep the website running smooth so I can blog, and keep updating what I’m up to, and you guys can enjoy this web site.

In this blog, I would like to focus on helping those who have an interest in becoming a Tattoo Artist in 2026

The Tattoo industry is in a weird place at the moment, as it felt the high of the early 2000’s with tattoo programs of LA ink and Miami Ink, tattooing was booming, not only everyone wanted to get Tattooed, but people could afford to get Tattooed as well, so being a Tattoo Artist seemed like a Great idea, and the perfect career to pursue.

Nowadays we see Tattoo Artist’s abandoning the boat, the industry is over saturated, and no tattoo Artist is as busy as they used to be, so the first thing I would like to say to someone considering being a Tattoo Artist is, please be aware that The Tattoo Industry is not what it used to be any more. I remember looking up to some artist’s around 2013, messaging them, dreaming to get tattooed by them, and their waiting list was 2 and a half years, I doubt that would be the case nowadays.

So, if you have read this blog so far, and you still want to be a Tattoo Artist, this blog is for you. I will select key points to follow, what you need to believe in, and work towards.

So first and most important thing is, how do I get an apprenticeship?

The best advice I would recommend to get a Tattoo apprenticeship, is to, invest in your artistic development, do art classes, pay for online classes with artist’s that you look up to. Developing your artistic skills, there are 2 points to focus on, 1- Study and 2- Practise. The more focus and dedicated you are at study and practise art, the quicker you will climb the ladder of becoming a good artist and to achieve a good  artistic capability. After achieving a good artistic skill, you will look at a Tattoo Artist who you look up to, follow them, save up your money and go and get tattooed by them, and that means sometimes having to go over seas for it. When you get tattooed by someone who you love their work, they will not only get to know you, and respect you, but you will collect a Tattoo that you love for the rest of your life. Getting tattooed by your favourite artist, you will build a relationship with them, so if you are planning to get a half sleeve or full sleeve by someone, go for the artist you would like to learn from. Every client I tattooed a half or full sleeve on, I remember them even after 10 years. So if you become a good artist, dedicate yourself to the art craft for years, get tattooed by a tattoo Artist who you admire their work, your chances of getting an apprenticeship will increase a lot.

Why is it so important to become a good artist before becoming a Tattoo Artist?

If I Tattooed someone who was an amazing artist, It would be my pleasure to offer them a career, i would offer them an apprenticeship, as I would love to see how they would develop their artistic capability in to Tattooing, it would be exciting to see it.

So while Tattoo Artist’s are busy tattooing, you have the time and opportunity to study art and practise art. You have the time to become a better artist, than a Tattoo Artist who is busy Tattooing everyday, and if you show your drawings skills and painting skills to a Tattoo Artist who is an artist, they will consider taking you on as an apprentice a lot more, than if you ask for an apprenticeship without any dedication and previous efforts.When you apply dedicated previous efforts to what you want to do, everything else falls in to place, and when a Tattoo Artist see that you are a good artist, it means that you are passionate about art, and when you are passionate about art, it means you will have a better flow in becoming a Tattoo Artist, I would say a natural and beautiful flow.

So dedicating yourself to art is the best way to get in to Tattooing, instead of believing in short cuts, taking a Tattoo academy, before even learning drawing skills. Tattooing will come naturally if someone learn to be an artist previously.

–  Tattoo Academy does not make you a Tattoo Artist

How could I forget to mention about Tattoo academies, they have been popping out in the last few years, and they have promised everyone who joins on a course, to learn to Tattoo in a week, do you remember the last trade that was learned in a week? To be a plumber you have to go to college for years, how come in tattooing it only takes 1 weeks? That’s because, so many people want to be Tattoo Artists, and they want it at any cost, so they believe that if they pay for a Tattoo course, they will be Tattooing straight way,, so Tattoo academies take advantage of that. I have had so many parents coming to me, and asking me to train their kid up, and I could well take advantage of that and say OK, it will cost 3 thousand pounds, and I will train him or her in 2 weeks. Me personally I would not be able to do that, as I know if I wanted to help someone to be a Tattoo Artist, it would at least take a few years, so Tattoo academies are doing nothing but taking advantage of people who want to learn to tattoo. Tattooing is a lot more than a Tattoo course in a week, you have to be around Tattoo Artist’s with experience 24/7, work in a few Tattoo studios before you open your own, travel and go to Tattoo conventions, to learn and get inspired.

Tattooing  is not just a job, tattooing is a life style. And a life style of dedication to your craft, in order to respect someone who is willing to let you put your art work on their skin for a life time.

Thank you for reading my Manchester Tattoo blog.

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Tattoo Artist In Greater Manchester

The Best Tattoo Studio in Greater Manchester

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How to choose the best Tattoo Artist in Greater Manchester

The best Tattoo Artist in Greater Manchester is based on the Tattoo style you are looking for, doing your research seems like the obvious thing to do, however, its on top of the most important things to consider, when trying to find the best artist for you in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester is full of rich options to get tattooed, when I began my career in 2006 there were just a hand full of Tattoo Artist’s, nowadays, the marketing has been quiet saturated to be fair, when the volume of artist’s increase, you get a lot of artist’s who want to get there quick attitude of approaching a trade, however, you still get the artist’s who are willing to study, and not cut corners, the artists who love art in the background Tattooing, practise and study art in order to give you the best Tattoo, those are the kind of artists who you want to be considering getting Tattooed by, because, artists who care for their trade will for sure care about your Tattoo. Drawing as a Tattoo Artist not only allows you to become a better artist, but it helps you to make better decisions, when approaching a Tattoo. The better decision making you are, the better Tattoo Artist you will be.

Of my 20 years experience, I would say that my decisions I have made in a lot of Tattoos I have approached, it has completely changed the way the Tattoo looked, that’s when I was aware how important my decision making was, and that’s when I became aware of wishing to make my decision making better, which it was becoming a better artist, and how could I become a better artist? If I learned better artistic skills outside of Tattooing, in order to understand proportion, how the light falls in the subject, colour value and so on.

Becoming a Tattoo Artist, if you have an artistic background it will improve your capabilities in your Tattooing. That’s is how I guide young upcoming Tattoo Artists, I feel like they sorely care about becoming really good at tattooing, and not focusing on the foundations.

So, in order to find the best Tattoo Studio in Bury, Whitefield and Greater Manchester, you have to do your research. That is key, the reason why you should do your research, it is so, when you are going in to visit the Tattoo Studio you resonate most with, that you looked in to,  you will have a better understanding of the studio and what they are about. It is challenging, when someone walks in our studio and they don’t even know who we are what we do and how we operate.

So doing your research it doesn’t only benefit you but the studio that you are visiting. It’s respectful when a client comes in and they have an idea of how we work and what we do. Your Tattoo Artist should not be trying to convince you to get tattooed by them, you should choose a Tattoo Artist because you love their work, and not because they convinced you to get tattooed by them.

Thank you

Realistic Eye Tattoo
Skull Butterfly Tattoo
Sand Timer

Realistic Butterfly Tattoo

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I have been tattooing Sheldey for a while, she always comes in asking for small feminine Tattoos, which I’m more than happy to do it, I believe no tattoos are easy to do specially small ones, you have to put extra care on them and you have little space for error, on bigger tattoos is easier to rectify certain things, and go around something you want to fix or make it better.

This time my client asked for a bigger Tattoo on the side of her stomach. She requested a butterfly and sent me the image. She requested a lot detail, so I recommended to get it done a quiet clear size, and she agreed with my suggestion. In order to achieve a successful Tattoo, when the client gives the Tattoo Artist as idea, and after lets the Tattoo Artist give their honest opinion, and realise that, your Tattoo Artist want the best for you, you will have more chances to walk away with a successful Tattoo.

In our Tattoo shop in Bury, we value our clients ideas, and we take that idea, and our intention is to make the best decision possible to our clients, in order to achieve the best Tattoo as possible in Greater Manchester. In our tattoo studio in Bury Greater Manchester, our aim is to listen to our clients, work based on honesty, we prefer to be honest with a client and loose them, than lie to our client just to get business, and achieve the best quality tattoo possible.

In this realistic Butterfly Tattoo, my client mentioned, it was the most painful Tattoo she ever had done, but she did not give up, and she went until the end. She knew what she wanted, and she was willing to sit in the chair the time necessary to achieve the best We could do for her in our Bury Tattoo shop.

Tattoo Shop Near Me

Louis Santos Tattoo Studio

Louis Santos Tattoo Studio

Louis Santos Tattoo Studio provides artistic services, a calm and relaxing studio, covering most tattoo styles you are looking for, including, Realism, Mythology, Fantasy, 3D Tattoos.

Bird Tattoo

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I was approached by Matthew in the studio, he had arrived from near Blackpool to spend the  weekend in the Arcade Club in Bury, I remember it was quiet late in the day, so we made an appointment the following day, he forwarded an image of a feather.

The following day, in his appointment, Matthew started talking about the reason why he came to Bury, to visit the arcade Club, and I resonated with his interests straight way, as I’m a gamer myself, not as much as I used to as when i was a kid, but sometimes, after you tried so much, worked so hard, and need a brake from reality, what a great opportunity, to grab a controller and loose yourself in another world, or dimension if you can call it, and that is possible with gaming.

When we started talking about the Tattoo, Mathew let me know that, the feather was from his bird Zazu, who unfortunately passed away recently. Matthew showed me images of Zazu, so I could match the colours of his feathers in the Tattoo in Greater Manchester. I always put a lot of effort when I do my Tattoos, but when it is something sentimental to someone, it is different, because, it means a lot to that person, a pet can be a part of someone’s family, and become a family member, and I can completely understand that, as animals have the ability to love unconditionally and that’s true love in my point of view.

Zazu was Matthews first parrot. He says, I got him because he was so small and i lived with my parents, so I could only have a small bird, but he turned out to be the biggest bird I know, in terms of character and pluckiness.

Matthew had Zazu for nearly 12 years, and he got him from Liverpool when he was a baby. He was a South American Pacific Parrotlet. He had babies of his own, and he was a great Dad.

 He was loving like a little pocket sized hug, he would always sit with us, on a night and share tea and watch tv with us when we went to bed, says Matthew. He was just a truly awesome little bird.

When I was Tattooing Zazu’s feather on Matthew, he got a bit emotional, that’s when I realised how important that Tattoo was from him. That’s when you realise how important your job is, to deliver something on someone’s body for life, that’s going to remember them daily of someone who had an important roll in their journey.

 I have had memories doing sentimental Tattoos on customers. I have had a lot of memories from clients Tattooing their loved ones who passed away. But Pets are just as important to people as humans are, they seem to resonate with them in a deeper level, and have this unconditional love journey, which it is how all love should be, unconditional.

I would like to dedicate this post to Zazu.

Realism Tattoos Greater Manchester

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Surrealism Tattoos, is a style still in development and it is still to be discovered by a lot of tattoo fans, I do like surrealism, simply for the fact that is a mix of realism and things that are not real, almost like fantasy, surreal, however there is a taste of realism in the image. So it is basically a mix of something imaginable and unimaginable.

Surrealism is an artistic and a movement, that began in the early 1920’s. It is focus as an expression of the unconscious mind by combining dreamlike, irrational and unexpected elements that are not commonly real.

Surrealism is a mix of Realism with what’s not real. Surrealism is a mix of Realism with a dream.

Surrealists believe that dreams are a deeper truth than our conscious understanding, the movement was officially started by Andre Breton, who published the Surrealist Manifesto in 1924, inspired by psychological theories.

Some key points of surrealism art includes:

Dreamlike images, and unexpected combination of objects.

Symbolism that encourages different interpretations

A mix of Subconscious intuition and imagination rather than logic.

So those are a few examples of what surrealism art is, so you can get your mind exited with ideas, as there is no limits on how you can create, that is one of the aspects I do love about surrealism art, is unbelievably free and there is no limits to your imagination. You can distort your mind in a safe way, and not to worry about the outcome.

Maybe surrealism is what is in other dimensions, is the distortion of what we believe to be true, and it brings forth what we dare to believe. It is a safe place to express ourselves without being judged, its somewhere where there’s no right or wrong, good or bad, its just pure expression of art. Rules in my point of view, deviate the artist from the freedom of art, and limit the artist to its full potential, when you follow rules as an artist you become kind of a robot, and true artists are far from being robots, they receive ideas from the divine, and translate their feelings, intuitions and perception in to a piece of art. In order to receive creative ideas from the divine, you must be in peace within, peace within is the new kind of wealth people are looking for, instead of money kind of wealth.

In this piece of art I worked on, I incorporated elements of my own mind, letting my imagination be free, without any limits or judgements. That’s the best way to approach an art idea, and the development happens freely. I made this Charcoal and graphite drawing, in our Tattoo shop in Greater Manchester, I worked on it every free time I had after tattooing full time, usually I draw at night before I go to bed, its usually the last thing I do before I go to bed. In the morning usually, I go for a walk, exercise and read, as my brain is fresh in the morning, it is good to obtain information.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Realism Tattoo Artist

Tattoo Studio in Greater Manchester

Realism Tattoo Artist

Best Tattoos in Bury

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Best Tattoos in Bury

In this blog I would like to focus in the best tattoos I have been doing since I have been back in Bury, Greater Manchester. Working back in a public studio is surreal, its like going back to the beginning of my career, and working dealing with walk in requests. I feel like I’m more prepared to be in a public studio, after I have been tattooing for 19, nearly 20 years. You have to make quick decisions, working in a public studio, and being able to deal with last minute requests. I do enjoy the social side of it, you do end up meeting a lot of interesting people, and getting some really good tattoo requests.

The best feeling you can have is when the client comes in and understands what you do as an artist. And their request, it gives me the opportunity to put what I have been learning in drawing to the Tattoo. When I see a good opportunity in a Tattoo request, I plan the Tattoo as much as I can, planning is key to achieve the best tattoo possible I’m about to do. The more you plan a tattoo the better the outcome.

One example of that is a drawing a did on Ruth’s shoulder, I drew it over and over again, until I was fully satisfied with it, and the end result was, I booked a consultation for her to view the art work, and she was happy with it straight way. As I drew the tattoo over and over again, when it came to Tattoo it, it felt like I was in a natural flow, as the repetition of the drawing, contributed to the flow of the Tattoo.

Doing a Tattoo is like any other things you do in life, there is a flow, and the more you get immersed in that flow, the better the outcome of the tattoo. So a client who doubts their tattoo artist is most likely to get them out of the flow. Make sure to ask your questions before the Tattoo starts, and when you start getting tattooed, allow your artist to get in a flow, as the only person who is going to benefit from that flow is you, the client. Trust the process and allow your Tattoo Artist to express them selves in your skin, and in order to do that, study their work before you approach them, only get tattooed by someone if you are a fan of their work.

So in order to achieve the best tattoos in Bury Greater Manchester, there’s a lot of dedication and planning involved. I have recently bought a sketchbook to only focus, study and draw textures, I really want to upgrade my texture understanding, as when I do textures, I have to look at a reference, I want to create textures straight from my mind, so it comes out more natural. I learned that textures comes from a inward creativity that can not be copied, I learned that by studying Victor Portugal’s work, his texture work is amazing, and I wanted to learn more about it, so I started drawing in a sketch book trying to understand his textures, and that’s when I realised that, his textures were impossible to learn as it came from within him. So in order to deliver the best textures when I approach a Tattoo, is to study, practise, and allow that my intuition will create my style of textures.

Dedication is the only thing that will separate you from other artists, dedication is the only thing that will separate you from others in any walk of life, whatever you do, or whatever you are willing to achieve.

So, Thanks for reading my blog, if you lasted until the end, and enjoy the best Tattoos I have done in Greater Manchester so far, Thank you.

Black and Grey Wolf Tattoo

Best Tattoos in Greater Manchester

Chicano Tattoo
Black and Grey Chicano in Greater Manchester
Realism Tattoo
Dragon Tattoo
Black and Grey Tattoo in Bury

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