Stetson students who enjoy getting tattoos might be looking for an after-hours fix. Whether their packed schedule prevents them from getting a tattoo during the day, they’re simply looking for a late-night thrill, or are somewhere in-between, these three DeLand tattoo shops can hook you up:

Electric Tradition Tattoo

Electric Tradition Tattoo is about an 11 minute drive from campus. On weekdays, the shop is open until 10 p.m. Hours are extended until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays with available walk-in appointments until they close. 

Greg Tilson started tattooing around 2016. He currently owns Electric Tradition with his spouse, Kaila Sheppard, who is also a tattoo artist. “It’s not only a lifestyle or a job, it’s a craft, and it’s something that you never stop growing at,” Tilson says.  “You never get to be the best. Even the best isn’t the best.” 

The shop offers “a little bit of everything,” Tilson says. This includes, traditional Japanese, American traditional, neo-traditional, black and gray, fine-line and illustrative realism. 

Tilson describes the shop’s open floor concept as allowing for open dialogue; with artists and clients intermingling. “Everybody’s part of the atmosphere,” Tilson says. Sheppard details the shop as, “Laid back, cozy, lounge-y.”

Tilson, Sheppard and their apprentices exemplify a large sense of camaraderie and playful conversation. The shop’s dark walls pop with the framed collages and flash sheets covering them. Cut-outs of sketches are taped and pinned to walls, creating a charmingly underground, spontaneous feel.

Tilson recommends young adults looking to get their first tattoo to save space, rather than getting “a bunch of small tattoos that take up all your real estate.” 

When foregoing this, one can take time to think of Sheppard’s recommendation to get timeless tattoos instead of getting pop-culture tattoos and getting too caught up in their meaning. “Traditional tattoos are timeless. They’re going to look good over time,” Tilson says. “You’re not going to look at it 40 years from now and be like, ‘Why do I have Lil Wayne on my arm?’”

Flo Grown Tattoo

Flo Grown Tattoo is about a seven-minute walk from campus. While they are available for walk-in appointments until midnight, it is advised to make an appointment ahead of time as their hours vary.

Brian Taylor, an artist at Flo Grown, was inspired by his tattoo-artist father and uncle to pursue the profession at 16 years old. “[Tattooing] got me into a better world in my mind,” Taylor says. He has studied many different tattoo styles and the shop overall offers many styles and forms. 

Taylor expresses his desire to create a comfortable atmosphere for customers. He lets customers choose music to listen to or something to watch on TV, for those who need a distraction from the pain of a tattoo or simply a form of entertainment.

The exterior is adorned with warm, yellow hanging lights, seamlessly blending into the downtown strip of DeLand. The interior has a cooler color scheme, embodying the vibe of tattoo art; the decor, furniture and walls containing black-and-white gradients. Artists have individual rooms to tattoo customers. Taylor decorated his space with things like a hanging cotton cloud, a Marvel-themed stool and a spray-painted mural he adds to in his free time. 

Taylor advises anyone getting a tattoo to “hold onto the design for an entire year” before putting it on your body, and to ensure it is meaningful.

Liquid Gold Tattoo

Liquid Gold Tattoo is open seven days a week from noon to midnight, about an eight-minute walk from campus. 

Eli Tobias, owner of Liquid Gold, says the shop takes pride in providing custom tattoos and walk-ins simultaneously. Tobias says that they can do everything:, from black and gray to color, traditional, new school, etc. “That’s kind of the vibe that I wanted this place to have. Somewhere where you could have an itch, [make a]  spontaneous trip, find quality, custom artists who could extract ideas out of your mind, bring your vision to life and tattoo you all in one trip.” You can also make an appointment and return later. 

“Friendly, inviting, outgoing, and personable are the pillars that I would like this business to always stand on,” Tobias says. His experience owning tattoo shops dates back to 2006, when he opened Black Chapel in Winter Park.

The shop has a vibrant urban design. The brick exterior calls to the downtown environment, while the open interior combines sleek hardwood floors, plush couches and black ceilings with yellow walls covered by colorful art. The art covering the walls is by local artists of central Florida and is all for sale. Tobias says the intention is for the space to partially be an art gallery in the future, and they hope to do monthly artist installations.

Tobias advises young adults to put thought and research into their first tattoo. He recommends students try to consider their potential career paths when getting a tattoo despite the tendency of career paths to change. Though he recommends careful consideration, he sees his tattoos as a page in his life’s history, “Those pages turn, so those pages are behind me. Living with regrets of tattoos is something I don’t really feel.”

In a world where tattoos are less taboo but still have an inherent edge, these shops are the hub for Stetson students wanting to fulfill their indie/underground desires.