Primo Ink Tattoo

08/26/2026

Angel Bites Piercing🪽

08/21/2026

GUEST ARTIST ALERT — NICK LUNA 🔥

We’re excited to have Nick Luna back and joining us at Primo Ink from September 16th–21st!

📸 The attached photos are some examples of Nick’s work.

📲 To book with Nick:
Instagram:
Call/Text: 619-387-6839

08/19/2026

Fine-line horse, done by Troy.

08/12/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1956DUcWxz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Primo ink and baseball? Ok so this one isn’t a tattoo but Troy tried his hand at little league coaching this summer and the amazing Jonathan Ryan did a cool article about it! Thought I’d share with the primo ink community!

Sometimes, a name just fits its owner. That’s the case for the local Grand Rapids Youth Baseball Association named the Pirates, who entered their postseason as the underdogs, but raised

08/09/2026

Small traditional. Done by Dave

08/05/2026

Done by Troy.

07/29/2026

Before and after done by Troy. Background left simple so we can tie it into sleeve in the future.

07/15/2026

Anatomical heart & brain. Done by Matt.

07/08/2026

A legendary sleeve. Done by Troy.

07/06/2026

Information Monday!

GUY AITCHISON:

Guy Aitchison is one of the most influential modern tattoo artists because he helped push tattooing from a craft focused mainly on traditional designs into a more artistic, educational, and design-driven medium.

A few reasons tattooers respect him so much:

1. He helped pioneer modern biomechanical and organic tattooing

Aitchison became famous for large-scale biomechanical, organic, and abstract tattoos that flow with the body’s anatomy. His work drew inspiration from artists like H. R. Giger and blended fine-art concepts with tattooing in ways that were uncommon in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

2. He changed how artists think about tattoo design

Rather than treating a tattoo as a picture placed on skin, he emphasized:

* Flow with body contours
* Composition and movement
* Color theory
* Depth and lighting
* Anatomy-based design

Those ideas are now standard teachings in many tattoo apprenticeships.

3. He was one of the first major tattoo educators

Before the internet made information easy to find, tattooing was notoriously secretive. Aitchison openly taught seminars, published instructional books, and encouraged knowledge sharing between artists. Many veteran tattooers credit him with helping create today’s culture of education within the industry.

4. His book Reinventing the Tattoo became required reading

His book Reinventing the Tattoo is considered one of the most influential educational resources ever written for professional tattoo artists. It focuses on artistic fundamentals, design theory, and technical ex*****on rather than just equipment and procedures.

5. His influence extends through generations of artists

Many well-known tattoo artists learned directly from his seminars, books, DVDs, or online educational programs. Even today, tattoo artists on professional forums frequently recommend his educational materials to people learning biomechanical and large-scale design work.

Why he matters to tattoo history

If artists like Sailor Jerry helped define traditional American tattooing, Guy Aitchison helped define what modern custom tattooing could become: large-scale, highly artistic, anatomy-aware, and heavily influenced by fine art theory. His impact is felt not only through the tattoos he created, but through the way tattoo artists are taught today.

For someone interested in tattoo history, Aitchison is often mentioned alongside influential modern artists such as Paul Booth, Filip Leu, and Aaron Cain because they collectively expanded the artistic possibilities of tattooing beyond traditional flash.

Bonus fact. Artist mentioned Paul booth and Filip leu both did a collaboration piece with one more artist to tattoo the head of mark Phillips, who is the artist who did both Troy’s sleeves as well as a few more. (Pic of mark getting his head tattooed along with a OOOOLLLLLDDDD photo of him tattooing Troy.)