It all started in 1999…

(tl:dr) I’m giving away 25 tattoos in 2025 to celebrate 25 years in tattooing. Read below to see how to get one:

Tattooing has been incredibly generous to me. From the first time I saw a tattoo as a child, I loved the idea that there could be a picture in skin.  An image that becomes a part of the body is peculiar in its nature and still fascinates me to this day.  The pursuit of creating these visual anomalies has led me down a path that has granted me glimpses of some of the most profoundly beautiful and sometimes bizarre parts of the human identity.  Making tattoos has been a great privilege, and I have always treated it as such, I’ve try to be humble and grateful for my blessings, particularly when it comes to my tattoo career. And I still feel like I’m just getting started. 

In the spirit of gratitude for all of the support each of you has provided me in my efforts, I’d like to bring the work back to the roots of this journey; the portfolio.  For me, having a strong portfolio was always paramount in my pursuits, as having pictures of the work helped me foster more of it.  In order to do this to the degree that I wanted, I often needed complete creative freedom and control of the tattoo, including the design. This kind of trust is a lot to ask a client, so I needed proof that I could do what I was proposing. That’s where the homies came in.

Friends who were into tattoos were the backbone of a good portfolio for me, especially with  tastes as niche as mine.  So many of you have been kind and trusting enough to allow me to explore those tastes and create unique tattoos that you in turn live with.  To return that favor, I will be offering 25 original designs as 25 free* tattoos for all of 2025, to celebrate 25 years of tattooing. I will make 2 tattoos a month, every month. Over the year, I will be creating these with the intention of building a new portfolio and documenting the experience. 

To qualify, follow my tattoo page on Instagram, @adrianmakestattoos. I’ll be posting the sketches there. When I post them, tag a friend and comment why you think I should give you the tattoo. I choose who gets the tattoo based on who gave me the best reason to wear it.  You get the tattoo for free (plus shop cut for the time, for a 2 hour tattoo would be 120) I don’t make any money on it, you just pay for the shop cut and materials. In exchange, I get creative freedom on the process. You get a badass tattoo at a very discounted rate. It’s the super homie hookup mates rate.  If you win, I’ll comment on the post and tag you in it, you’ll have 25 hours to claim your tattoo and reserve a time. You’ll probably want to add notifications for my profile so you don’t miss out if you win. I’ll choose another winner if claims aren’t made in the 25 hour period.  I will do you after you claim via comment, and schedule the time.  I will never ask for you to click any links for this and you will only be able to be rewarded in person.  

As always, be mindful of scams. If you aren’t sure it’s me you’re interacting with, email me.  Don’t click weird links, stay vigilant. I’m looking forward to making a rad portfolio with your help this year.

-Adrian