Blaque Owl Tattoo — Local services in Missoula

My experience with Blaque Owl tattoo parlor has been substandard, and definitely not worthy of five stars as others have indicated. There are multiple reasons for this evaluation. Some experiences are based on my own account, while others were relayed to me by friends.

First of all, scheduling is months out from the time you make the appointment. This is certainly not because the artists are that good. When the appointed time finally arrives, the artist often does not have the designed tattoo finished. In fact, there have been times when consultation(s) were not scheduled or even encouraged. A friend of mine was scheduled and blown off by Mike without so much as a phone call. Their concern was not stellar.

In regards to Ian’s skill, evaluate his online work. In general, his lines are wavy and of varying thicknesses, or have bends/angles that make no sense at all. Female hands look like they belong to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Lighting is off, oftentimes multiple light sources are used. Shading is not gradual. Shadows make no sense. Ovals are not completely ovals or circles smooth with a uniform radius (observe his "pearls"). Flows do not make sense according to the subject matter being tattooed. Moreover, Ian has been observed to yell at customers and coworkers, tell customers he will not do the work they wanted done, and fails to have the art prepared ahead of time for the scheduled consultation (when they did occur) prior to the appointment.

In short, this parlor has an unmerited, uppity and snobbish attitude without the talent or clout to support this persona. The only thing they DO have going for them is their visibility and flashy store front. But these two facts do not offset the low level of service and talent as their location would indicate. This is tragic for those thinking that flashy store fronts and pretty wall art indicate talent and good service behind their doors, neither of which the tattoo...

My friend and I came in for a walk in and wanted bee tattoos! Joey did both of our tattoos. My friend went before me ended up with an amazing tattoo with lots of details and he made sure it was everything she asked for! She was incredibly pleased and happy with her end result because Joey went above and beyond for her. It took him an hour for her tattoo and it showed. While my tattoo on the other hand took about 30 minutes and Joey seemed to rush my tattoo. I got what I asked for but nothing more than that. I didn’t get white highlights or the colors I asked for. I wanted light pink and purple for the flowers and got bright instead. I am not complaining because it was a walk-in and my tattoo is still really great. I am a bit disappointed though because Joey went above and beyond for my friend but not me. I am now having to go to another tattoo shop once it heals to get it touched up and add the extra details it’s missing. I think I may have had a different experience if I had booked the appointment in advance. I’m overall happy with the tattoo but definitely think it needs more. I’d recommend blague owl tattoo for anyone in Missoula! Joey is an awesome tattoo artist and made sure my friend and I were comfortable! I just wish I got the same experience and details in my tattoo...

I am not one to leave reviews, but wanted to say a few words about how positive my many experiences with Forrest at Blaque Owl have been. Years ago I had a semi-niche request, & he was willing to give it a shot - we started with a consult and I immediately got the vibe he was patient, flexible, and willing to work through my slight pickiness.

I have since done 4 (maybe more?) sessions with Forrest over the years and can’t overstate how patient, kind and talented this artist is. He is always willing to take time to alter size/placement & drawn on pieces, I always feel comfy taking my time and expressing myself to make sure we’re on the same page and happy with the piece.

Plus, a while back there was some crap going around with male tattoo artists in Missoula being creeps & committing crimes towards women, and Forrest was one of the only male tattoo artists I saw speak up & make sure his clients knew consent & open, respectful communication were non-negotiable top priorities for him. After some historical bad experiences with male tattoo artists, that meant a lot to me & might to other folks browsing artists, who knows

I recommend him to friends all the time so here’s my rec to the whole...