Cost of living pressures are hurting Melbourne tattoo artists
Police officers, teachers, doctors and lawyers are among the many Melburnians choosing to get inked up for the first time, but the cost of living crunch is leaving some tattoo artists feeling the pinch.
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The cost of living crunch is hurting Melbourne’s tattoo artists, with many reporting a decline in business as clients tighten their purse strings in the tough economic climate.
Interest rate rises and an abundance of tattoo shops is also leaving some tattoo artists feeling the pinch.
Although the cost of tattoos vary, minimum prices normally start at about $100-$150.
Russell Winter from Sanctum Studio in Fitzroy said there had been a noticeable drop in the amount of work for tattooists, not only in Melbourne but all over Australia and the world during the past 18 months.
“After the lockdowns, tattooing was maybe the best I’ve ever seen it and there were so many new tattooists and studios popping up all over Victoria,” he said.
“Tattooists couldn’t keep up with the demand. Now with the cost of living and the interest rate rises, so many people don’t have that extra cash to spend on tattoos or holidays or any other luxury purchases.
“I think that it’s turned a corner in the past few months though now that the initial fear that the cost of living crisis caused is becoming manageable and now people are starting to get more tattoos again. “
Andrew McLeod, co-owner of Chapel Tattoo, said the cost of living was definitely having an impact on his business.
“A lot of people are tightening their belts a bit, myself included,” he said.
“And there are now also a lot of tattoo shops out there, and a lot of tattooers.
“When I started there were 40 tattoo shops in Melbourne – now there are hundreds.”
Daria Drexl, who works at Yokai City Tattoos in the city, said the cost of living was having an impact on the industry as a whole.
“Tattoos are a luxury good which is the first to go when the economy isn’t doing as well,” she said.
“But they’re still spending money, just in smaller amounts and more sporadically on smaller things as it’s a lot easier to buy something for $100 and get that instant gratification than it is to save $1000 over a few months for a tattoo.”
Chris Chant from Full Spectrum Tattoo said the cost of living crisis had “most definitely” had an impact.
“The industry has been very slow due to the price of living and people being more careful with spending. Luxury items like tattoos have taken a back seat.”
But for those who do choose to get inked up for the first time, there is no shortage of talented Melbourne artists to choose from – and many have built up a huge following on social media.
“Now that a lot of tattooists use social media to get work, there’s been a huge increase in the variety of tattooists and tattoo spaces which has brought a whole new set of styles and personalities to the industry – it’s not such a male dominated industry like it has been,” Mr Winter said.
Check out some of Melbourne’s best tattoo artists.
Cholo Caracciolo
Instagram: instagram.com/fine.line.tattoos
Studio: Fine Line Tattoos Carlton
Cholo Caracciolo, owner of Fine Line Tattoos in Carlton, has been tattooing for almost 20 years.
“I went to university for graphic design and quickly learnt it wasn’t for me, I needed to be working with my hands.
“So I actually started spray painting designs on cars and eventually fell into the tattoo scene through a friend.
“From there I focused on my drawing and started an apprenticeship and tattooing friends.
“When I first started tattooing I was obsessed with cursive script. I had a request from a female client for a beautiful, fine hand written script tattoo. From that one tattoo being posted to socials, the style blew up and I became known for fine line tattoos.
Mr Caracciolo said there were so many new tattoo trends popping up.
“At the moment small dainty bow tattoos are popular and finger tattoos or ‘charms’ as we call them.”
He said “without a doubt” tattoos were becoming more popular with the general public.
“We tattoo all age groups, and we are fortunate enough to tattoo many first timers daily at our studio.”
“We also do a lot of brand collaborations, where we will pop up at different events; many people being tattooed at these events are first timers and for them it’s about creating a special memory at the event.”
Fine Line Tattoos has tattoo events coming up to coincide with concerts from Travis Scott, Coldplay and Olivia Rodrigo.
One of the favourite tattoos Mr Caracciolo has ever created was a couple’s heartbeats after they recorded them on their Apple watches.
“I was able to create their heartbeat as a fine line tattoo. They were able to forever have each other’s heart beats – I thought this was very cool and unique!
“The most unusual request I had was being asked to tattoo in a palliative care ward.
“At first I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but then I felt truly honoured that this was one of her final wishes. I was able to create a special memory for her and her friend, they were tattooed together and this will forever keep them bonded.”
Chris Chant
Studio: Full Spectrum Tattoo Bonbeach and Mt Eliza
Instagram: @chrischanttattoo, @fullspectrumtattoo, @fullspectrumtattooluxe.
Chris Chant from Full Spectrum Tattoo in Bonbeach and Mt Eliza has been tattooing for nearly 10 years.
“I have always been an artist and loved creating different types of art. I have a love of tattoos so it seemed a natural progression for me to learn how to tattoo.
“The thing I love most about my job is having people trust me to permanently place my art on their body and knowing that they will be wearing it forever.
“My brave mate volunteered for the first tattoo I ever did. It was a tribal style face on the top of the foot.
“I actually gave his wife her first tattoo a few weeks ago at the opening of our new studio Full Spectrum Tattoo luxe in Mount Eliza which was a great moment.”
Mr Chant said tattoos had definitely lost some of the negative associations from the past.
“I tattoo people from all walks of life including police officers, teachers, doctors and lawyers,” he said.
“Most of my clients are women. Tattoo studios are much more welcoming to all these days, we specifically work really hard to make sure everyone feels really comfortable in the studio. “I think it’s an indication of how the industry is evolving and becoming more regulated and mainstream.
Mr Chant specialises in creating tattoos with dots and lines, geometric and mandalas.
“My clients mostly come to me specifically for my style although there is definitely a massive resurgence in the sticker sleeve style,” he said.
“I have had several requests to tattoo various intimate areas but doing nipple tattoos for breast cancer survivors is up there. It is always a really rewarding experience.”
Claire Layla
Studio: Corner Store Studio Clifton Hill
Instagram: @wrenling
Claire Layla has been tattooing for just over three years, after starting an apprenticeship during lockdown in 2020 and works at the Corner Store Studio in Clifton Hill.
“The best part of my job is getting to be creative for a living, the privilege of making wearable art for my clients.
“I’m doing a large scale back piece of native cockatoos at the moment which I think when I’m finished will be my favourite piece to date but I get to tattoo so many amazing animal and botanical plant designs, I’m very lucky.”
“I get a lot of my clients from TikTok and then some from Instagram and word-of-mouth.”
She said tattoos in Melbourne were very popular with young adults and were beginning to become more popular with Gen Y and Gen X too.
Yudi
Studio: Carrot Tattoo Studio, Melbourne CBD
Instagram: @yudi.tattoos
Yudi, an artist at Carrott Tattoo Studio in the city, specialises in colour tattoos, particularly anime, featuring designs from classic childhood favourites like Pokemon, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and other Japanese anime, as well as Disney and Pixar animations.
“What I love most about my job is the ability to create my own style using colour and animation,” Yudi said.
“When I bring an anime character or scene to life through a colour tattoo, I get to put my own spin on it, which I find incredibly fulfilling.
“It’s especially rewarding when clients react with joy after receiving a tattoo that combines their favourite character with my personal style.”
“Recently, I’ve been getting more requests for custom anime tattoos that reflect a client’s personal story or individuality. Clients often want to combine specific characters with their own unique colour combinations or narratives. These requests give me new creative challenges, and I love the opportunity to design something fresh each time.”
Yudi said tattoos were becoming more popular with the general public.
“Society’s perception of tattoos is changing, and more people from various backgrounds and age groups are using tattoos as a way to express their individuality.
“Tattoos are no longer seen as just rebellious symbols — they’re a personal form of self-expression.”
Yudi’s favourite tattoo that she has created is a Pikachu with pixel sunglasses.
“Pikachu is one of my favourite Pokemon characters, and I had so much fun working on this design because it was so cute! Combining Pikachu’s charm with my own style made this one of my most beloved pieces.
“One of the most unusual requests I’ve received was from a client who wanted their first tattoo to be Hello Kitty on their butt. At first, the request seemed a bit quirky, but after I asked why, the client said it was just for fun — so that anyone who saw it would find it amusing! It was a great insight into their sense of humour and personality, and it made for a memorable experience.”
Aaron Grech
Studio: Hidden Moon Tattoo Carlton
Instagram: @aaronsworld94
Aaron Grech, a tattoo artist at Hidden Moon Tattoo in Carlton, said he loved the freedom of being able to take his job around the world and meet like-minded people.
“The tattooing community can often get a bad reputation, but I think if you know where to look, there’s so many amazing people in this industry, you can almost go anywhere in the world, and even if you can’t speak the same language, you have an instant connection with them over the passion for tattooing, the art, the struggles and the history,” he said.
“My style is a bit of a blend between contemporary illustration and American traditional aesthetics. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I think that’s something I like about the style that I do, it only attracts a very specific type of person, and leads to a nicer experience for myself and the client.”
Mr Grech said the latest trend he had seen in tattooing was integrating the visual language and eclectic nature from the internet and bringing them into a physical, permanent format.
“It’s kind of taking the very quick ‘flash in the pan” humour of meme trends and pushing them to its limit by making them a life long mark.”
Mr Grech said tattoos were at a point now where there were only a few spaces left where they’re considered offensive or unbecoming.
“The general public is used to seeing tattooed skin in most aspects of life and culture,” he said.
“Every tattoo I get to make is my favourite tattoo. I think with tough economic times at the moment, clients are getting extremely hard to come by, so every tattoo I’m able to do is a blessing.”
Daria Drexl
Studio: Yokai City Tattoos
Instagram: @DariaDrexl
Daria Drexl, who works at Yokai City Tattoos in the city, began tattooing a little over seven years ago but has been drawing for as long as she can remember.
“I slowly realised that most of the ‘normal’ artistic jobs didn’t appeal to me, but I was in love with tattoos and the whole metal subculture so from about 14 I was adamant on becoming a tattoo artist,” she said.
“It’s pretty hard to pick one thing that I love most about my job because there are so many aspects to it, but what stand out most is the relationships I get to build with my clients and how much trust they have in me, not only to put a permanent artwork on their body but to bring their idea to life in my own unique way. Seeing how much they love it and the confidence it gives them (usually when the tattoo isn’t even finished yet) makes it all the more rewarding.”
“I get asked what style I specialise in all the time and still struggle to find an answer because I don’t think it fully fits in any one category technically speaking. I’ve taken my favourite aspects from a few different tattooing styles and ended up with whatever it is that I do now so I think “Dark Neotraditional” is the best description.
“I think dark ornamental is becoming pretty popular in the last couple of years, it’s kind of like metal tribal and honestly I’m here for it because in my opinion it looks awesome and really compliments the body.
“Some of my favourite things to tattoo are animals though, and I’m currently working on a sleeve that has something called a Marten on it which is the cutest little weasel-like creature.”
Bono Lee
Studio: Private studio in Fitzroy
Instagram: @hi-imfromyesterday
Bono Lee has been tattooing for more than 10 years and has specialised in small pet portrait tattoos for six years.
“I got into tattooing naturally because many of my friends are tattoo artists,” Bono said.
“The biggest advantage is the freedom to work wherever and whenever I want.
“When I first started, Instagram was a big help, and I also received support from the shop I was working with. These days, most of my clients come through referrals.”
Picking a favourite tattoo is tough to ask.
“Since I usually work on my clients’ pets, it’s hard for me to pick just one of their beloved family members (as my favourite).
“Clients sometimes ask me to mix the ashes of their lost pets into the tattoo ink. While I fully understand their desire to keep their pets close, it’s not a good idea due to hygiene concerns.”
Scarlet Yoon
Studio: Blah Blah Blah Tattoo
Instagram: @blahtattoomelbourne
Scarlet Yoon, tattoo artist and owner of Blah Blah Blah Tattoo in Melbourne’s CBD, specialises in a style called micro-realism tattoos, creating special mementos of her clients’ pets.
“I really enjoy doing works that are full of detail and rather delicate, and when combined with my interest in doing works about my clients’ pets I think it creates something that I really enjoy doing,” Ms Yoon said.
“I just love hearing about peoples’ pets and their relationships, and listening to the way people talk about the animals is such a lovely experience.
“Also, I think a huge part of the joy that comes from the job is the fact that I get to see people’s reactions after getting the tattoo that they want. It always brings a smile to my face.
“Instagram is a big part of how I’m discovered, but I think by far the most common way clients discover me is through the works that I have completed before.
“What I mean by this is that when I complete a work, clients show off the tattoo to their friends and family, and they get referred back to me about any tattoos that they might like. “I’ve had many, many people tell me that they loved what I tattooed on their friends.”
Ms Yoon said when her own childhood dog Janggun passed away it left a lasting impact on her.
“Fast forward a few months, I came upon a few works on Instagram that showcased tattoos of pets.
“That brought back a lot of memories and I thought to myself just how meaningful something like that may be for other people. So, one thing led to another, and I ended up mainly doing pet tattoos for my clients.
“There was this one time where I got into a conversation with a client and when I asked them about their design, the client told me about who their pet was and what the picture meant to them.
“It was really emotional, and given my own personal experiences, it was a really memorable conversation.
“The client ended up crying when the tattoo was done, and I shared in that grief together with them, and it was a human experience that I will never forget.”
Ms Yoon encouraged anyone considering getting a tattoo to “choose a style that speaks to you personally”.
She said tattoos were getting less stigmatised and more popular these days.
“I feel like tattoos are becoming just another way for people to complement their fashion or express themselves, which is why the younger generations are feeling more familiar with tattoos.”
Russell Winter
Studio: Sanctum Studio
Instagram: @russellxwinter
Russell Winter from Sanctum Studio in Fitzroy has been a tattoo artist for nine years.
“There’s so much to love about tattooing but I think one of the best things is creating a connection with clients who then become close friends.
“Tattoos are very personal so people often open up quite fast which means you’re diving deep into their life and offering up your own in return.”
He said Instagram had been the main exposure tool in getting his work out there.
“Word of mouth is big now and I do get many people who have seen tattoos I’ve done on people in the street and asked who did it and then they come in to see me.
“I’ve actually had two clients of mine say they met each other in a bar because one of them recognised that they both had my tattoos and they then got together and are now married. It's a real compliment when people recognise my work and share it with others.”
“I would describe my work as high contrast blackwork with a focus on a balance between heavy black and negative space. My flash is stripped back and not overly refined.”
Mr Winter said social media had played a huge role in tattoos becoming more popular.
“I think social media has played a huge role in this, people can find a tattooist, follow them, see their work and get to know them as a person (even if that’s just a digital version) via that platform before they take the step to get something permanent on their body.
“It’s hard to say a favourite (tattoo of mine) because there’s been so many over the years, so I’ll say a special tattoo I did instead which was a hand with a rose growing from it that I did on my wife Samantha.
“It was a design I drew when we were newly dating before I got my apprenticeship.
“Sam was such a support for me getting into tattooing and especially when I was working every hour during my apprenticeship. She offered me some skin to tattoo very early on and chose that design which meant a lot to me. It’s still one of the best tattoos I’ve done to this day.”
Joel Ang
Studio: Dynamic Tattoo
Instagram: @dynamictattoo
Joel Ang, owner of Dynamic Tattoo in Swan St Richmond, has been tattooing for almost 18 years, although Dynamic Tattoo itself has been running since 1991.
“I got into tattooing via an apprenticeship in 2007. I was young and barely out of school, but had already been building up a collection of tattoos, hanging around the local shop, and drawing tattoo designs for fun. It was just the coolest thing to me, then; still is, and I suppose my enthusiasm was palpable when my mentor approached me with the prospect of becoming his mentee,” Mr Ang said.
“I love creating art and getting to decorate people, hearing their stories and learning more about them.
“I specialise in large, elegant, full-body tattooing done in the Japanese style.
“Our shop also specialises in both traditional and modern Japanese styles of tattooing, fine-line work, script, traditional-American/English, neo-traditional, geometric and dotwork to name a few.
“Just from our shop, where a lot of us here have experience in doing larger work, we’re finding that because of the increase in acceptance and popularity of tattooing among the wider public, more and more people are diving into the deep end and getting big first tattoos. “We’re talking full arm sleeves, leg sleeves, back pieces and even a couple of body suits.
Andrew McLeod
Studio: Chapel Tattoo
Instagram: @chapeltattoo
Andrew McLeod, co-owner of Chapel Tattoo, is gearing up to celebrate the business’ 30th anniversary next month.
“I had a fascination from when I was quite young for tattoos,” Mr McLeod said.
“I didn’t think about it as a career as such as it was a bit of a foreign world to me.
“Then I think what really pushed me was I got a particular magazine from America and saw an article about a guy doing tattooing and I hadn’t seen anything like it at all before.
“That planted the seed and then I kept trying to get my foot in the door.”
Mr McLeod co-owns the business with Jane Laver and said they work with a team of creative artists at their studio on Chapel St in Windsor.
“All the people I work with are very creative,” he said.
“And what comes out of the door – we have a standard we like to keep and a certain look.
“Our shop has always been a traditional street shop, we always try to keep that vibe.
“It’s a friendly environment; everybody gets treated the same.”
Mr McLeod specialises in the traditional style of tattooing and has a loyal clientele – he is now even tattooing some of the children of his older clients.
He has seen tattoos become more popular over the years.
“We see a mix of ages and gender – kids who have just turned 18 to people in their 80s.
“I think the oldest lady I’ve tattooed was in her 80s and it was her first tattoo as well.
“It’s almost like you’re more unique if you don’t have a tattoo nowadays.”
Mr McLeod is also about to take part in the In Pieces initiative, helping to open up conversations about suicide and provide practical mental health training.
His artwork will soon be divided into puzzle pieces which will be tattooed onto hundreds of individuals to raise funds for the initiative.
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