How’re y’all doin? I hope very well! My name is Carl Hallowell and I would like to welcome you to my private tattoo studio.
Rooted strongly in tradition, both in tattooing and in my values, I am a practitioner of both American traditional tattooing and the japanese traditional tattoo. At 30 years experience as of 2025, I must admit that I am a master in both styles.
The American tattoo is raw power, chicken today/ feathers tomorrow, stab it and steer gusto and imagery. The tattoo is stand alone upon the skin- readable like a bumper sticker that proudly proclaims. The usual suspects are the eagle chest tattoo, the rose forearm tattoo, the clipper ship backpiece tattoo. These pictures are clear at a glance. Veracity and tenacity jump right out of the skin into your eyes.
The japanese tattoo is an integrated whole. It is seamless and flows like a great river of ink. Right and left sides are computed simultaneously. There is more patience shown, the old bull saying “let’s walk down and have them all”. The eye is to the overall. The complete body is considered, mastered.
Many tattoo roads lead to the japanese tattoo. The more a customer gets tattooed, the further they move towards tattoo sleeves, torso tattooing, and full bodysuit tattoos. The spaces between the tattoos get filled in, disparate tattoos are connected by a flowing background. This connected tattoo is the japanese invention. The tattooist too, as he gains experience and skill, begins to look toward bigger work almost invariably. The dreams of creating large-scale work become a distinct possibility as his speed and dexterity increase.
The traditional American tattooed response to “how many tattoos do you have?” Is “One. One big one.” This means that he has taken all of his American traditional swallow tattoos and hearts and banner tattoos and pin up girl tattoos and dagger tattoos and merged them all with a connective background of clouds and shading— borrowing from the japanese tattoo the extensive background in use therein.
And so emerge one tattoo style out of two traditions. And that is one way to practice tattooing- to take both of its strongest traditions, which produce the most successful work, the American and the japanese traditional tattoo, and to combine them to produce a hybrid style.
However, it may be more correct to remain more staunchly traditional in each form. In this endeavor, traditional American tattooing should be kept free of any outside contaminants. Similarly, the japanese traditional tattoo should suffer no invasion either. In this way, pure traditional American tattooing can be practiced. And authentic traditional japanese tattooing may be preserved.
The artist looks long and deep into what he is expressing with his art, his craftsmanship. Although I enjoy both American and japanese styles, I think that my strength lies in pursuing the large scale work of the japanese traditional tattoo, but doing so with the heart and soul of a pure American.
I believe that myself and a few others of a similar ilk are following the path to tattoo perfection laid down by past American tattoo masters such as Sailor Jerry Collins, Don Ed Hardy, Bob Roberts, and Richard Stell- total Americans seizing on the power of the japanese tattoo for our own purposes and our own glory, who in doing so, created a new frontier of American traditional tattooing – the Japanese style tattoo.
Your work is out of this world. Keep up the great talent. Your one hell of a tattooer.
Real tattoos for real people…keepin’ the real texas tradition alive bud
first off carl is my buddy he does bad ass traditional tattoos he did a killer stray cats logo on my forearm in solid black he also did the state of texas that says dime for dimebag Darryl of pantera he also did a bitchin rockabilly chick with a deck of cards and a bottle of booze with some cherries it says rocker's dream I just went up to him and said I want a rockabilly chick and the genius he is came up with that carl is a very kind cool dude.
Carl is a great tattoo artist. Great with clients and makes sure everyone walks out with a killer piece that they will love forever. Very patient and kind, and it shows in his work and with repeat customers. Keep up the good work Carl!!!
I'm not sure what type of witchcraft/wizardry you did on me, but this tattoo is almost completely healed, and it hasn't even been a week yet! What the?!? Haha, awesome. Thanks again for a KILLER tattoo and arguably the best tattoo experience I've had thus far.
Love your site, very informative and helpful! I might need another?!?!?!?
Great stuff here man! Love it!
It’s amazing after all these years how you’ve stayed true to the art. The way you continue grow but still hold on to the raw power of what we hold dear. In a time when tattooing is going in a diluted direction and seems to have lost it’s magic, there you are to push the brakes. To give soul back to the sacred. Anyone that knows you knows that you are an asset to tattooing. I am honored to call you my friend. May you find enlightenment in this thing we call tattoo and finally capture the perfect panther!!!!
I've been getting tattoos by Carl for almost 20 years now, including two half sleeves, a back piece, and various other sundry pieces, and I've never gone to anyone else. Carl is a genuinely personable guy that gets along with everyone, and is a consummate professional that takes his craft very seriously. He is always prepared to give you a unique, personalized tattoo that you'll be proud to wear the rest of your life, no matter what the style.
I've been getting tattooed by carl for the better part of 2 decades. He always makes sure that we don't miss out on any painful spots. He's a great guy like that! I have trusted Carl with both sleeves and now my back. His light handed approach makes it easy to sit with him for hours.
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