Stainless Studios

Reviews 3

RY

Ryan Fyffe

STAINLESS SAVED MY ASS, well, the tat on my chest, at least! Three weeks ago, I made the mistake of getting my very first tattoo (at another studio called Freak Show, on Garland Road in Dallas) without doing any research into artists, studios, etc.. Since getting that horrendous tat, I’ve visited 12+ other shops (in person) and researched countless others (online) in the DFW area…and the work & patience really paid off, cause I found my new home-away-from-home with some of the coolest Artists in town…at Stainless Studios! I made no appointment and experienced absolutely no wait and when I walked-in on a late Monday afternoon. After being warmly greeted by all three available Artists in an immaculately clean stud and the AMAZING consultation Chellez gave me, I immediately feel at ease and decided to treat myself to an early birthday present and get the two new tats I wanted. After explaining what happened weeks earlier, Chellez made a deal to do not only the two new tats but rework my first one! After I peppered her with questions about what I was thought I was looking for, she patiently talked-out the designs, what they mean (in general and to me, specifically) and helped guide us to what I didn’t realize I wanted (slightly bigger and a little bolder)…she must be psychic cause she read my mind before I even knew it! I was SOLD! After she got setup, made sure I was comfortable, she got to work on the first tat rework (stylized version of Doctor Who’s TARDIS) and did such an amazing job, I can’t see ANY of the problems I had with the original work (sketchy lines reworked into bold, strong, STRAIGHT lines!) and actually improved on the original reference I provided by making the light on top look a billion times better. SUPER YAY! The two new designs were simple but Chellez gave it the attention to detail as the more detailed rework. CLEAN. CRISP. BOLD. LINES! Exactly what I wanted! YAS! Being in a client-focused-design-industry myself, I made some observations throughout my visit. Anyone who runs a business (or enjoys an stunning client experience) might appreciate these notes. In no particular order: - Spotless parking lot, reception & studio areas. - Their entire location has TASTE. Every bit of artwork is hung with care, there’s a strong sense of alignment and balance in the layout and decor of the place. (Most other places I visited were a mess in this department). - Every phone call the studio received was picked up on the first ring. - My interactions with all three Artists made me feel like family. I could talk (and joke) freely and comfortably throughout my entire visit (about 2-3 hours, honestly I lost track of time cause it was so fun). - The Apprentice Artist (Nando) eagerly helped Chellez and used every minute of spare time to draw and explore his craft. - I overheard Weso, another Artist, gave Nando some amazing critique of his work and how to make it better, which Nando accepted brilliantly. (that’s super important because it shows how focused the studio is on developing Artists and not “button pushers.”) - They have standards in work produced. Weso turned down a job because their requests would have looked horrible (my words, not his). He handled it so professionally that I wanted to give him a hi-five. As an artist, it’s hard to delicately explain why a design won’t work and exactly how he was willing to approach a quality solution without upsetting anyone, and somehow he did it…they just didn’t want to listen to his advice. I doubt he’d ever say it (or even think it) so I’ll say it… “He told you so!” Of all the places I checked out, which includes all the dives in the heart of Deep Ellum and others on the fringes of Dallas, in Garland and Arlington, Stainless Studios is by FAR the cleanest and most client-focused studio in town and somehow managed to beat everyone else’s price and quality, hands down. I’m coming back and proud to be recommending them all my friends!

A

A Private User

VERY AWESOME EXPERIENCE! I was first introduced to Stainless Studios back when they opened in 2009 because some of the staff would come in to the print-copy shop i work at and get prints done to use in their portfolios. From glancing at the artwork as they came out of the printers, I knew that these guys had a unique and contemporary style that was unlike anything I had ever seen. I told myself that I would visit the shop soon to consult with them about this idea I had. To be honest, I forgot about them for awhile and there were other things going on in my life that getting the tattoo I wanted had to be put on hold indefinitely. Fast forward to October 2010. After having a light-bulb moment (you know, where you just randomly remember stuff and you go "Oh! Thats what I was thinking about!") I checked out the website and saw all of the artists updated portfolios. I was so impressed and excited about the artists that, frankly, it didnt matter which artist I wound up with because they were all great and I knew that either of the artists could take on my design. After sending a message to the general email, I got a reply back from Chris Clements, who I could safely say is more of a portrait artist. However, he can tackle pretty much anything and everything else. From the initial consult, I felt completely comfortable and at ease. I was able to present my idea without any sort of harsh criticisms, like I have gotten at other shops before in my life. Like any artist, Chris has his own style and ran some of his ideas by me. The way he presented himself was both very professional and down-to-earth homey, like if I had known him my whole life or something! I knew that I was gonna be in great hands. The day of the tattoo finally came and Chris, along with Rudy and Smitty, were very welcoming. Again, the down-to-earth make-yourself-at-home type personality was a major plus for me. And the shop was well maintained. For a little over 4 hours, I saw in the chair in complete relaxation. Watching ESPN, talking to Chris, cracking jokes at their assistant Matt (Mickey Mouse noises and other stuff), listening to the awesome tunes coming from the stereo. It was an awesome place to be. The tattoo itself came out far greater than I couldve imagined. Its easily the best, colorful, and most detailed tat I have. Chris Clements is an A+ artist. Stainless Studios is an A+ shop. It was a long time coming, but I finally got to experience Stainless and I am definitely going back for more. Thanks for reading this loooooong and wordy review, but the moral is: Dont go anywhere else. Stainless should be your one and only spot for getting ink. Peeeace! Hoo-hoo!! -Bob

CA

Catherine Brown

Rob Holland is one of the best tattoo artists I have ever met. He did a coverup of a huge black tribal piece on my back that many other artists wouldnt even attempt. I have continued to go to Rob for the past two years and have been extremely happy with ALL of the work I have gotten from him. The shop is clean, the staff is friendly and professional, and they do amazing work. To the person who gave the bad review and called one of the artists rude I would just like to say; The guys (and girl!) in this shop are artists, tattooing is their profession. If they tell you that your idea is going to look like crap in a few years, you may want to listen to them. Just because an idea sounds good or looks good on paper, does not mean it will work on your skin. Remember, when they do a piece on you, you are basically a walking testament to the work that they do. When they tell you they dont want to do it, there is probably a good reason. As far as the price, most tattoo artists make a certain amount of money per hour depending on their experience and skill level. Getting a tattoo that is going to be on your body forever is not really something that I would recommend you try to haggle to save a few dollars. I am pretty sure if your boss came to you and said "I know you normally make 20.00 per hour, but I am going to offer you 10.00 per hour instead because this other girl said she would work for that" you would be pretty offended too. If you want a discount tattoo from someone who will just tattoo anything on you to take your money, this is probably not the shop for you. If you want an amazing piece of body art from experienced artists that know their business, make a consultation apt with one of the artists from Stainless. You wont be disappointed.