Five reasons to choose Art n Soul for your next tattoo
There’s a lot of decision making involved in getting a tattoo, especially your first one. The three main questions I asked myself were: what should I get, what part of my body and where should I go to get it done? I’ve loved tattoos since I was about 12 years old, but it took me until I was 21 to settle on what I wanted. Next I had to decide on a tattoo parlour and artist.
I started scouring through Google for the best tattoo parlours in Adelaide and came across the five-star rated Art n Soul and its owner and chief artist Colin Woolford. I recognised the name from Instagram, having seen a few friends post pictures of their new ink over the years. I had a look through Art n Soul’s website and social media accounts, and had soon found my answer to the third and final question.
That’s how I chose Art n Soul, but here are five reasons why I keep going back:
1. Cleanliness One of the first things I noticed when I entered Art n Soul’s studio room for the first time was how completely spotless it is. I’ve been in that room another four times since and the condition has always been immaculate – and that was well before ‘COVID-Safe environments’ were a thing. The cleaning and preparation process looks insanely tedious, with an endless supply of alcohol swabs, rubber gloves and glad wrap to clean, cover and protect clients, chairs and surfaces, but I always feel assured I’m in a safe and healthy environment.
2. Safety The cleanliness isn’t the only aspect taken into consideration to ensure your safety. On a personal level, I once rocked up to my tattoo appointment with dry and irritated skin. I had taken the liberty of shaving my own arm in an attempt to save Colin a few minutes before getting stuck into a five-hour session, but I didn’t do a great job. I didn’t think much of it, but this was a bad move on my part because Colin refused to proceed with the session. He said it would be far too risky to push through with the tattoo, as it could result in a nasty infection. I was obviously disappointed because I had been looking forward to the tattoo for weeks, but it was nice to know my artist was putting my health first instead of just taking my money and potentially putting me in harm’s way. In the end, we rebooked the session and I was very happy with the outcome.
3. Honesty Over the years I’ve had plenty of tattoo ideas that I have run past Colin during consults, which he has shut down pretty quickly. It might not be what you want to hear at the time, but in hindsight I’m glad he has always been truthful.
I am by no means an artistically gifted person and if my tattoo experiences have taught me anything, it’s to trust the professional. The Art n Soul team take immense pride in their art and they will work with you to make sure you leave with ink you love, not something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.
4. Environment I’ve been asked a few times, “what do you do when you’re getting tattooed for five hours?” Getting tattooed isn’t exactly a pleasant feeling, but the sessions haven’t felt like a drag to me. Whether you’re watching music videos, Stranger Things, cartoons or just having the most random conversations imaginable, the team has always found ways to make me and everyone else in the studio have fun and feel at home.
5. Quality
While cleanliness, safety, honest consultations and a fun environment are all fantastic, at the end of the day the most important factor is the quality of the artwork.
From the consults, where you get to see your ideas come to life on a computer screen or drawn on a piece of paper, to finally seeing that same design inked onto your body, getting a tattoo is exciting and somewhat scary. Yes, sometimes having to wait months to get a booking can be a little frustrating, but the waiting list and high demand should only act as a strong endorsement for the parlour and artist you’re visiting. My experiences have been worth the wait and I’ve always left the studio satisfied. Upon seeing my tattoos, my dad and some of my friends have also chosen to get their ink done at Art n Soul. This is ultimately a compliment for me, Colin and Art n Soul.
The great thing about tattoos is that they’re open to interpretation and everyone has their own preferences. While I might love a certain style of art, the person next to me could have completely different taste. Art n Soul caters to all tattoo enthusiasts and you only need to look through their social media platforms to see for yourself.