Brodan's Tattoo Bucket List

Brodan's Tattoo Bucket List
Photo by Fallon Michael / Unsplash

This post is a collection of all of the tattoo artists I hope to meet and get tattooed by before I run out of space on my body. I've only planned to tattoo my legs and as a result I don't have much time left. This means that, unfortunately, not every artist on this list will make the cut. Thanks for reading!

#1 @futrblacktattoo

The biggest spaces I have left on my legs at this point are my knees. Knees are such an awkward and ugly shape to tattoo and it would be nearly impossible to use a pre-drawn design to fill the space. This leaves me with only free-hand options, and for that I want none other than @futrblacktattoo to cover my knees in flowers, similar to the knees pictured above. Unfortunately, he is located in Russia and given the current political climate, it's probably going to be a long time before he travels to America or I can travel to Russia. This artist is at the top of my list, by far, and I will leave my knees available to him for as long as it takes.

#2 @r_i_o_n

@r_i_o_n may possibly have the most unique and recognizable style on this entire list. They remind me a lot of one of my favorite video games, Cuphead, and I also find a lot of humor in their work, which I desperately need more of in my collection. Tragically, I've missed more than one opportunity to get tattooed by them in NYC but I will not let that happen again.

Update: Rion tattoo obtained on June 5, 2023!

#3 @zillytattoo

I have a laundry list of reasons to visit Japan, and getting tattooed by Zilly is pretty high on that list. Zilly has a signature shark design that I've always admired and would be honored to add to my collection. The design gets bonus points for its simple shape and relatively small size, making it a great choice for a gap-filler.

#4 @aleksymarcinow

Right when I think I understand @aleksymarcinow and their style, they post something completely new that blows me out of the water yet again. Their style is hard to describe, but I immediately recognize it when I see it. They are based in London and often travel in Europe, but unfortunately I've never seen them come to the US. I'm really close to just dropping everything and booking a long-weekend trip to London so that I can see them.

#5 @rarebiscuit

This past week I literally had a dream that I ran into @rarebiscuit and we scheduled a tattoo. I've been following him since the very early stages of my tattoo journey through multiple Instagram handle changes, and I've paid silly amounts of money for international shipping to buy his merch on multiple occasions. He has mastered several different tattoo styles and often combines them in unique and humorous ways into a single tattoo. If/when I meet him, I hope to get an animal tattoo that mixes realism and traditional, similar to the one pictured above.

#6 @ryanxmcd

It feels wrong to call myself a tattoo collector given that I somehow don't have a single piece of American traditional on my body. I'd like to rectify this situation before my tattoo journey comes to an end, and I want none other than @ryanxmcd to be the one who do it. Their ability to turn niche pop-culture references (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mandalorian, Eastbound & Down, etc) into some of the boldest and brightest American traditional I've seen is truly remarkable.


Honorable Mentions

The rest of the artists on my list are in no particular order.

@davide_esz

Everything about @davide_esz and their tattoos blows me away. The color palettes, the shading, the placement, and the execution are all perfect. The only issue I have is the size. I really wish I had a chance to work with this artist earlier in my tattoo journey when I had more space, but unfortunately their minimal amount of travel and my maximal fear of travel made it too difficult.

@hhablak

Given how often I find myself in Philadelphia it's actually pretty wild that I never got tattooed by @hhablak. Their style, designs, and color palette are easily recognizable and undoubtedly deserve a spot on my list.

@ozzyink

Back in 2020, amidst the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ozzy posted on his Instagram story about some Pokémon cards he needed to complete his base-set collection. I ended up sending a bunch over to him. He told me that he would hook me up with a tattoo in exchange. I've always loved his signature panther tattoos and would love to get one myself. If I still have room the next time I'm in the Venice Beach area, I plan to hit him up and I hope he stays true to his word.

@itsjustcavan

Cavan is a good friend of mine, and even though I've been tattooed at the shop he works at several times, I've never been tattooed by him. His ability to work in so many different mediums and fuse them all together into his tattoos will never cease to impress me.

Update: Cavan tattoo obtained on December 17, 2023!