Raised by artists, Dave studied painting under mentor José Cruz. He attended the University of North Texas for drawing and painting then dropped out to apprentice under Robert ” Hack” Hackney in Dallas, TX. He took his first walk-ins in the Spring of 1991. Dave has tattooed in Texas, California, and Hawaii. Brooklyn has been home since 1999.
Dave created 8 of Swords Tattoo in 2008 and the current studio was opened in August 2011. He prefers working in a wide variety of styles and enjoys visualizing ideas for clients. Custom, antique botanical illustrations, organic, Art Nouveau, Asian-inspired, fantasy, and large designs that work with the body are his favorite. Dave does not tattoo hands, faces, or white-ink-only tattoos.
Continued floral and snake designs on a great client!
#snaketattoo#floraltattoo#engravingtattoo #finelinetattoo#blackandgreytattoo #brooklyn#dcwallin#tatport
Thanks, @lucidserpent for trusting me!!
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#torchtattoo#skulltattoo#snaketattoo#b>attoo#dcwallin#tatport#brooklyn#customtattoo
Neo trad dagger and tea cup for Morgen!
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#americantraditionaltattoo #dagger#teacup#colortattoo#neotraditionaltattoo #boldtattoo#tattoosforwomen #tatport
Thank you Lorraine for trusting me yet again over all these years! Forest scene: wild mushrooms, ferns, lily of the valley, and cecropia moth.
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#dcwallin#tatport#mothtattoo#blackandgreytattoo #eightofswordstattoo#8ofswordstattoo #brooklyn#customtattoo#floraltattoo
Fun custom walk-in tattoo I drew up for Matt today! A shrike from the Hyperion sci-fi novels.
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#shrike#hyperion#customtattoo#brooklyntattoo#eightofswordstattoo #8ofswordstattoo #dcwallin#tatport#greywork
Finished!
Thanks Nathan, for sitting like a champ this whole time.
All #freehand #drawon done @8ofswordstattoo
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#dcwallin #blackandgreytattoo #japanesebodysuit #japanesestyle #nyc #brooklyn #tattooshop #freehandtattoo #8ofswordstattooshop #nyctattooartist #backpiece #customtattoo #tattoosnob #inkmag #japanesetattoo #japanesetraditional #blackink #tattooshoplife #fullbodytattoo #tattooideas #inklover #williamsburg #backpiecetattoo #backtattoo#tatport
Years in the making… filling Will’s sleeve collection piece by piece.
#kurtvonnegut #sharktopus #swallowtattoo #fenderguitars #bareknuckleboxing #traditionaltattoos #neotrad #dcwallin#tatport
#freehand for Tara, find @8ofswordstattoo
Link in bio to book your appointment.
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#dcwallin #freehandtattoo #drawon #sharpie #blackwidowtattoo #spider #spidertattoo #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #botanicaltattoo #orangeblossom #nyc #brooklyn #8ofswordstattooshop#tatport
Thank you for sitting like a champ, Kelly!
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#tatport#dcwallin#8ofswordstattoo #liontattoo#portraittattoo
A little Tolkien adventure on the thigh.
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#tolkien#lotr#balrog#khazaddum #fantasytattoos#dcwallin#tatport
Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Devil flash for your pleasure. Enquire within.
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#devil#deviltattoo#tattooflash#devilishdesigns#traditionaltattoos#halloweenflash#brooklyntattoos#dcwallin#8ofswordstattoo#satanicpanic#vvitch#tatport
Thank you Melissa! We worked together from her concepts to make this first tattoo covering some scarring. She sat like a champ for 3 hours.
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#blackandgreytattoo #blackworkers #coveruptattoo#brooklyn#dcwallin#eightofswordstattoo#freehandtattoo#tatport#dcwallin
Fun old-school D&D style sketch a friend decided to get tattooed!
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#dnd#osr#skull#shrooms#sketchbook#penandink#bkackandgraytattoo #lineworktattoo#brooklyntattoos #8ofswordstattoo#dcwallin
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@8ofswordstattoo#tatport#dcwallin
All done, thanks Lakota! • #dcwallin #freehandtattoo #sharpieart
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#phoenixtattoo #blackandgreytattoo #blackandgrey #backpiece #brooklyn #nyc #nyctattooartist #tatport
for Devin, thank you @meowdevin DONE @8ofswordstattoo link in bio to book an appointment
#tatport
Healed! done @8ofswordstattoo thanks Jon @jonsbones
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#brooklyn #nyc #dcwallin #8ofswordstattooshop #brooklyntattooartist #nyctattooartist #blackandgraytattoo #blackandgrey #tatport
@officialdannytrejo for Bunnie, done in February and never posted.. @8ofswordstattoo #brooklyn #nyc #tatport
Grey Peonies in water sleeve.
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#peony #japanesetattoo #watertattoo #sleeve #blackandgreytattoo #floraltattoo #freehandtattoo#tatport
Apples and apple blossoms for a client visiting from Washington State. .
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#8ofswordstattoo #dcwallin #appletattoo #appleblossom #blackandgreytattoo #brooklyntattooshop #nyctattooer#tatport
Curls for miles. Lady heads are always in style. .
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#sketch_book
#illustrationsketch
#drawingdaily
#artist
#drawing
#drawings
#sketchdrawing
#sketchartist
#charactersketch
#pencilsketches
#sketcheveryday
#conceptart
#sketchbook
#sketches
#sketch
#artistsharing
#ladyheads #girlheads #ladyheadtattoo #hairgoals #hairtattoo #nouveau #mucha #artnouveau#tatport
From loose sketch to finished product: three types of seaweed for an underwater leg sleeve. Thanks Katie! @norumbegan @8ofswordstattoo #brooklyn .
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#seaweed #underwatertattoo #nyc #8ofswordstattoo #dcwallin #freehandtattoo#tatport
#freehand little wild garlic to add to my client’s vegetable and flower garden sleeve! • #garlictattoo #dcwallin8ofswordstattoo #8ofswordstattoo #brooklyntattooartist #freehandtattoo #blackandgreytattoo #nyctattoo #williamsburgtattooshop#tatport
Daily doodle. Mermaid? New pencils!
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#mermaid
#characterdrawing
#sketch_book
#illustrationsketch
#drawingdaily
#artist
#drawing
#drawings
#sketchdrawing
#sketchartist
#charactersketch
#pencilsketches
#sketcheveryday
#conceptart
#sketchbook
#sketches
#sketch
#artistsharing
#arts
#artsketch
#artwork
#characterart
#doodle
#fantasyart
#lineart
#tatport
#pencil #tatport
A sneak “peak” at a WIP Twin Peaks project. All dotwork. Channeling Drew Friedman. .
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#twinpeaks #twinpeaksart #sarahpalmer #agentcooper #dotworktattoo #blackworktattoos #pointilism #tatport
Someone come grab this fanciful cock head. available to tattoo. .
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#workinprogress
#drawingtattoo
#tattoo
#tattooart
#tattooartist
#tattooed
#tattoosketch
#tattoostyle
#tattooideas
#tattooshop
#customtattoos
#inked
#tattoostagram
#cock #rooster #fowl #chicken #doodle #anycocklldo #birdtattoo #wannados #tatport
Every now and again I get lucky enough to have clients like @spinmatt that trust me to do crazy, experimental stuff on the fly. We were going for alien, flora, infection body horror. Whether it’s classic, fantasy, retro, modern just come in and let’s brainstorm ideas. Get something unique. #bodyhorror #alien #infection #dcwallinportfolio #tatport
Mourning dove with dogwood branch freehand engraving style. #dcwallin #8ofswordstattoo #freehandtattoo #tatport
