I can't say enough good things about Optic Nerve, and in particular, D'Lacie. My partner has been coming to D'Lacie for years now- she has been the only artist we've gone to since we've been together. Everybody at Optic Nerve is a true artist, but D'Lacie's just our girl. Since the first time my partner went in for her tattoos, D'Lacie has been knowledgeable, helpful, encouraging, and a pleasure to spend the time with. After observing the beautiful work she's done thus far, my mother (who's pretty anti tattoo) even came in for some ideas on a tattoo on herself. For somebody who didn't even want US getting tattoos, this is huge. My mom decided against getting the original tattoo she was interested in, but is still going to be likely coming back for a different idea she had (again, this is huge for my mother because she's NOT that kind of person). The most recent tattoo my partner had her do was a large scene on her back of chickadees in blossomed trees. My partner didn't know exactly what she wanted done per se, when she came in for the consultation- she simply shot an idea at D'Lacie to which D'Lacie responded with a free-hand, off-the-top-of-her-head drawing that is now on my partners back and is absolutely beautiful. I am 29 years old. I have never had a tattoo. I never really trusted the artists themselves because I've seen so many of my good friends get some really... well... some really regrettable tattoos (their confession, not my judgment). I've watched D'Lacie work so many times on my partner, that I finally decided to get a tattoo, and today I had it done. I had sent her the picture of what I wanted tattooed, and she asked if I minded if she got a little creative with it. Because I've seen what she can do, this made me very excited, and sure enough, I liked her personal touch to it even better than the original. She knew this was my first tattoo and was extra patient with me- she spent the whole time having a conversation with me and making the whole experience a whole lot more like sitting down for a conversation with a good friend. I'm a sentimental person, and when I make a decision about something as permanent as a tattoo, it's only after much thought. The decision to get a tattoo from D'Lacie took absolutely no deliberation or coaxing for me- the big question was would she still have a spot open for me now that her clientele is exploding off the books? She did! I feel really lucky that we found this girl. It was by chance, many years ago, as we had no idea who would be doing the tattoo on my partner- we just knew that Optic Nerve had a great reputation, and ever since the first time there's been nobody else. We've now had my sister-in-law (from Canada) come in for a tattoo as well. She's a busy girl, so if you're planning to make an appointment with her, be sure to call and practice patience ;) she's well worth a wait if she's booked up. The other artists there are very talented too! Everyone is very friendly, and actually each one of them is capable of intelligent conversation (hallelujah). I think it's incredibly important to LIKE your artist. This person is a very likeable person. Two hours go by and it feels like you just sat down. read more

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Great studio. Excellent artists. Shop banter is of high quality. Super clean and bright space. Spendy but you get what you pay for; rad tats. Tom Greyson does great work. I got on his books with about a 16 month wait and I'm very happy I waited it out... even though when I booked I kind of doubted I'd actually wait it out. In the end I'm really, really happy with my half sleeve. read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Went to Portland for a week and really wanted to commemorate the trip with a tattoo. I emailed Rose about a month in advance and she was super understanding and was able to book me some time during my visit. The shop was impeccably clean, and spacious. I gave Rose references of what I wanted in my email but I didn't see her design until the day of. It was worth the wait. She took my ideas and interpreted them beautifully into her final design. I was immediately in love. Throughout the process she was sweet, funny, and easy to talk to. Honestly an inspiration for a young artist like me. And now I'll always have a rose of my own to remember the City of Roses. read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Storefront - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Easily without question one of the best Tattoo shops in Portland and possibly one of the best around, period! This place produces art not just tattoos. They are clean, professional, friendly, detail oriented, and creative. The work I've seen come out of them on my own body as well as the happy strangers I see coming in and out is just unbelievable. I've had strangers walk up to me, other tattoo artists walk up to me, and friends walk up to me and closely examine the work I've gotten here all with agape jaws. Even to the point of other tattoo artists closely looking them over and going wow, I don't have any idea how he did that! Their portfolios speak for themselves. Also a very notable body jewelry display with staff who are more than willing and excited to help order custom jewelry. All at a price that in almost every case comes out to less than what you would spend at the average mall jewelry shop! I had a friend with generic glass plugs nearly cry when I told her my swirly stripey custom ones were the exact same price as hers. If you have any question as to the quality of this place one conversation with the staff and you're sold. read more

Optic Nerve Arts - By Tim Jordan @ Optic Nerve Arts - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm from San Diego and came here for a visit and wanted a donut tattoo.Well Rose more then delivered my tattoo turned out way better then I imagined!!! read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Thank you Rose for my amazing donut tattoo!!! - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I went to Rose a few years ago to get a tattoo covered up that I had for too many years. She covered it beautifully and vibrantly. I was so happy. I returned to her a few months ago to get yet another cover up (a big piece) and she nailed it again! Her color choices are artful and well done. She gave me my confidence back on parts of my body I was embarrassed about. I recommend her highly! read more

Rose was very professional and made me feel very comfortable as this was one tough spot to get tattooed after just getting off a plane from japan . Tired and jet lagged . Very helpful and super creative! I told her what I wanted and she came up with this beaut . read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Done by Rose ! - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I went in for a consult with Pedro after doing extensive research on portrait artists. I could not be happier with the outcome. He took the time to listen and offer suggestions on how the tattoo composition would look down the line. After 2 sessions Pedro did great work and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for realistic/portrait work. From consult to tattoo was a pretty large wait, but he is pretty booked - and now I understand why. Worth the wait! read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Pedro Dorsey artwork. A portrait of my late grandfather and a bulldog, which was his nickname "the bulldog". - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My friend Tim is a tattoo artist here and Gordon and I went up to Portland to visit and get some ink. I'll put it this way: I've got three tattoos and Tim has only done one of them. I don't think I want anyone else to ever ink me up but Tim!! Gordon and I gave him pictures of what we were looking for. Mine was an art nouveau motif and Gordon's was a pic of a monkey he found online. I think it was a company logo! After discussing what we wanted, Tim sent back a couple of sketches that were amazing. I had only had black and white up til this point and I decided to go with color for this one since Tim is particularly skilled with color. What a great decision. My tattoo is just incredibly beautiful. It took about three hours or so and hurt like the devil because he layered in a lot of colors and had to go over the same spot many times. To his credit, Tim worked quickly while I cursed at him and still created something exceptional. Gordon went for solid black and was done in less than a half hour. His also came out better than he was even hoping for. The shop itself was nice- I chilled on the couch after my ink was done waiting for Gordon and feeling like I just worked out. If you want to see the pics we gave him to see the "before," send me a message! If you're in Portland (or going to be), go see Tim. He's incredibly talented. He will work with you to come up with the perfect version of what you want. Not only that, but he's goofy and funny and a generally really nice guy. Don't tell him I said that, though. He likes to maintain the tough guy thing. If you want beautiful ink, go see Tim! Tell him I sent you! read more

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I just got my first tattoo here and it was an amazing experience, everything I was hoping for. Be warned -- the waiting list here can be long, but it's 100% worth it. Waiting a little for something as permanent as a tattoo is probably not a bad idea anyway. I selected DJ Auld, who's pretty new to ONA but fits right in with regard to talent and personality. We met several months back to talk about the concept. I was a bit apprehensive because his process is to only provide his proposal at the appointment. However when I saw what he had come up with, I was blown away -- it was EXACTLY what I was hoping for. I had provided several images to give the gist of what I was going for, and he used a computer program to layer and modify these to generate a custom design and stencil. I was going for a particular aesthetic (steampunk) and I have the impression he did some research on that as well. One of the first friends I showed the end result to said, "that's kinda steampunk", so, score. The process itself was also highly enjoyable. DJ was particularly gentle and was happy to answer questions about his technique and tools, which I found interesting. He's a cool conversationalist and in the lulls it was fun and relaxing to listen to his banter with Thom and Melissa. Due to the detail involved in my piece I was there for about 4 hours total and got to see a few other customers go in and out, so I think I got a pretty good view of how they operate. All the staff was consistently supportive and welcoming; I really felt at home. Great music, too. In short, I couldn't recommend ONA and DJ more. I'm not sure whether I want more tattoos in general, but you can bet that if I do, I'll be coming back here. Thanks everyone for giving me such an amazing experience! read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Steampunk astronomical clock/orrery by DJ Auld. - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The star that I did give is because the tattoo I got is beautiful and very well done. I'm not going to leave a name because I don't want this is hurt her clientele. But, I got a tattoo at this shop about a month ago. I came in sooo excited as it's something I'd wanted for awhile. I asked her to move the tattoo from the inside of my bicep to my forearm so she had to redraw it. This clearly annoyed my artist, but I tried to be very nice to her and apologize and thank her profusely. I didn't realize getting a tattoo moved was that big of a deal. But in all fairness, the original drawing would've been too big for my bicep anyways. After that, it was still really big and I asked her if she could make it smaller as this was my first visible tattoo and I didn't want a big piece. She informed me in a very rude way, that if I went any smaller it was going to look like a temporary tattoo. There were also a number of other rude comments she made, to the point where I ended up crying in the bathroom before she even tattooed me and I felt so embarrassed by this artist. I was just trying to be nice and make small talk and she clearly did not like me because I used an offensive term (that I didn't realize was a bad term to use at the time) to talk about my moms lower back tattoo, and the rest of the time was very rude to me. Honestly, it was the worst tattooing experience I've ever had. I thought for an entire month about wether I should post this or not because I hate giving bad reviews. But, I would honestly never go to this shop again and if my friends asked me about it I would tell them not to go there. Yes, my $300 tattoo is beautiful (which btw the tattooing took an hour if that, so I'm pretty sure I was overcharged as well), but I had the worst experience ever. I'm now stuck for life with a tattoo that is way bigger than what I wanted because the artist bullied me into getting something bigger when I told her I wanted something feminine and dainty. I will say she did ask me if I was sure I wanted it and that we could reschedule, but I felt so scared to tell her no because she'd been so rude to me and I felt like I was bullied into getting the bigger tattoo because she was acting like if I got the smaller tattoo it wouldn't be a "real tattoo." I felt like she felt entitled to treat people poorly just because she is a good artist, has a waitlist, and doesn't have to worry about her client base getting ruined because tattoo artists are in such high demand in Portland. At the end of the day, I'm a paying client and I should've got what I wanted on MY body. It's not her body and she put something on my body that I might end up regretting forever because it's not what I wanted. And yes I could've said no and walked out, but I was too nervous to upset her and didn't want to waste my $80 deposit. She's quite frankly one of the rudest people I've ever dealt with. I thought this was supposed to be a friendly shop, but it was not. The gal at the front desk was nice though! read more

I have been getting tattooed at Optic Nerve Arts for almost nine years and have always left the shop extremely happy with my new tattoo and the excellent customer service I received. Over this time I have had the pleasure of watching Tim Jordan's illustrations come to life in the form of two full sleeves, a chest piece, and some really fun tattoos on the top of my hands and feet. It's been exciting to watch the team grow larger, and to even see the shop switch into a new building through the years. From day one, Tim has always treated me with the utmost respect and has gone above and beyond to make sure that I would get everything that I wanted in my tattoo. This meant some detailed consultations and even Tim going as far as offering to redraw some of the stencils before my session if I wasn't 100 percent happy with them (which by the way, has never happened because they have always looked AMAZING!) Throughout the tattoo session, Tim is also very good at making his clients laugh, which can be a wonderful thing if you are trying to not think about needles in your skin. He also is awesome about getting his clients input during the session. For instance he will likely ask if you have a preference in your character's eye color or other small details that can make your tattoo much more personal and unique. Optic Nerve Arts is also great at accommodating out of town clients. From 2011-2014 I lived in Louisiana and would fly back to Portland twice a year on a very tight schedule. Tim always found a way to slip me in for a session, even if it meant staying late or coming into the shop early. He also was willing to do several consults through email. His emailed responses have always been prompt, professional and friendly. I also want to note that after spending what I am fairly certain is close to a hundred hours inside Optic Nerve, I have seen absolutely stunning tattoos from D'Lacie, Pedro, Jeremy and Rose. Their online portfolios are incredible, but still do not come close to seeing these wonderful art pieces in person. I also want to point out that all of these artists have highly professional and friendly attitudes towards their clients and any potential customer that walks through the front door. I would absolutely recommend this shop to anyone looking for an awesome and unique tattoo. Although some of the artists at Optic Nerve may have a long waiting list, it is very much worth the wait. I love all of the work that I have gotten done at this shop, and I have enjoyed every minute of the process from start to finish. read more

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Pedro Dorsey is my go-to guy for art. He's got a great eye for detail and some very creative ideas. He's been working on a shoulder-half sleeve for me and came up with some great art ideas. Take note: I had to book him 12 months in advance. If you're lucky enough to sit in his chair, you will not be disappointed. Very clean and health/safety conscious. Great artist, great shop. read more

This is a review of D'lacie, not the shop. I love Pedro, he is amazing and kind and professional. D'lacie on the other hand.... My girlfriend went to D'lacie with virgin skin and a simple idea. Instead of acknowledging her doubts and worries about having something permanently on her body she got scoffed at, treated like a kid, and bullied into a tattoo she wasn't 100% on. Then D'lacie proceeded to treat the tattoo like work that is beneath her. What an awful experience for a first timer!! It's a watercolor/ink splatter tattoo and she didn't give my girlfriend the colors she wanted, nor was she willing to turn two tiny ink splats into a heart but rather rolled her eyes. I don't care what any tattoo artist thinks of themselves, it's your clients fucking body and THEY have to live with it. She was a condescending jerk, which ruins her work - good or otherwise. I'll never recommend anyone else to go to her. Pedro is worth the wait!! read more

I've been getting tattooed for more than half my life (since before they were so popular) and have gotten pieces in a half a dozen sites. When I moved to Portland I was pretty excited to try out a new shop in this town full of art. Optic Nerve was right down the street from my house and has some fantastic reviews, so in my wife and I went. We had recently decided to leave Portland at the end of the month, which at the time was about three weeks away, so we didn't have too high of expectation when it came to getting an appointment. We told this to Jeremy on a sunny Saturday, who reported that it would be no problem to fit us in. We met with him for about a half an hour and it was very pleasant. We explained what we wanted and where we wanted them, and he gave us advice and suggestions. He told us that he would have drawings in about seven days, and we left the shop feeling pretty damn good. On Monday we realized that we were confused about what Jeremy meant by seven days - did he mean he'd finish the drawing and then we can set up an appointment or that we'd be able to come in the day he finished? - so my wife sent him an email asking him. Monday passed, Tuesday passed, Wednesday passed, Thursday passed, and nothing. On Friday morning I called the shop and was told that Jeremy was busy and would call me back within a couple of hours. The rest of Friday passed with no phone call. As did Saturday and Sunday. On Monday morning I sent him an email, asking what was going on and telling him that if he couldn't get it done it was no big deal but that he should at least let us know. I told him that we would be driving through Missoula, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Denver, so we could easily call and make appointments in one of those cities. It has been three weeks since that last email and neither my wife nor myself have heard a word from this guy. I don't know if he just didn't like us, but didn't have the courage to tell us in person? Did he get into some horrible accident and become paralyzed from the waist up? Did I dream the whole thing? I hate to be the first one to give Optic Nerve less than five stars, but it was by far the worst experience I've had in a tattoo shop. read more

My sister and I got rose shoulder cap tattoos at Optic Nerve from D'Lacie. First off, I am borderline psycho about researching tattoo artists when I have a project in mind. I find an artist who excels in my design area but also shows a ton of versatility. Once I stumbled upon D'Lacie's portfolio, I knew she'd be fantastic for the non matching rose shoulder caps we wanted so I emailed the shop. Buffy (the shop manager) got back to me quickly, assisted with the scheduling process effortlessly, and promptly transferred me over to D'Lacie to finalize the deposit and details. D'Lacie was amazing (and super thoughtful) at accommodating both my and my sister's tattoo over a weekend (we aren't from Portland). D'Lacie sent four rose stencils the night before our appointments. Morning of- we get to the shop and it's gorgeous (and clean). We finally get to meet Buffy and D'Lacie in person! D'Lacie talks with me and my sister about how we each want our roses- my sister wants a black outline and two roses; I want something that will go with an existing tattoo and the rose to be more of an illustrative style without outlining. I mentioned a ton of little details and D'Lacie wasn't writing it down. Even though she tattooed my sister's rose first, she remembered EVERYTHING I had mentioned hours before during my consult. Crazy. All in all, the two days we spent at Optic Nerve were a pure delight. Not only did we leave with beautiful tattoos, but we had a wonderful experience as well. D'Lacie was warm, collaborative, fun to talk to and, above all, an incredible artist. If you are considering getting a tattoo, D'Lacie is absolutely excellent choice! read more

Shea and Optic Nerve are super--even perhaps duper--awesome. I rook piercings in both ears done in the last couple weeks, and I'm really happy with both of them. The location is clean and neat, and did I mention clean? Shea went a-handwashin' a couple times, changed gloves and did a great job cleaning the piercing site. The piercings were both drama-free and simple, and are healing really well. I'm really happy with the entire experience. Shea is also very personable, and professional (and conversational!) in away where it turns off most of the "oh, shoving sharp bits of metal through parts of my body" anxiety. (Shea also provides/recommends sea salt for post-piercing soaks, which is awesome. I am pro-sea salt soaks. Also: written aftercare instructions.) The takeaway: Optic Nerve is a great place to get pierced, and Shea is a great person to get pierced by. (That's right: great enough to end a sentence with a preposition for. BAM.) read more

I will try to make this quick. We did months worth of research on Optic Nerve. We looked at reviews, we talked to people who had work done there, we looked at the artists portfolios, etc. You will rarely find tattoo artists as unique, professional and even a bit fun as you will at Optic. All of them have their special flare. This is not a one stop shop. These artists are serious. They will build you an amazing tattoo. They all have specific styles. You will not regret investing a little more time and a little more money at Optic. I love my artist Jeremy (has a amazing eye for flare color), and my partner loves his artist (can handle wildlife and scenic like a boss). Oh, and Optic is eat off of the floor clean. Don't worry. Everything is up to date with high standards and I am damn sure OSHA would give them 100%. Trust me. It's worth it. read more

I am surprised there aren't more reviews of one of Portland's most legit tattoo and piercing shops. They have a fiercely loyal clientele amongst the consistent stream of walk-in appointments.......and I know these people DO Yelp! Where ya at with the reviews?! Maybe I should shut up. I've been coming to this shop for about 8 years and I've been Yelping for a few months without yet writing a glowing review for the artists responsible for my 85% of my body modifications. SHAME ON ME. Onward. I started getting pierced here when I was 17 and able to convince my mom to sign for a vertical labret. Hah! This was back when Tracy owned the shop. I have not had anything pierced there since she left only because I kind of lost interest in making new scars. I have been getting tattooed here for five years though, and Tim Jordan is my artist. Amazing. He's done 32 hours of work on me and counting, and his attention to detail is incredible. Painful yes, but worth every penny and hour i've spent in there. The shop is impeccably clean. On top of their own original artwork, they display a rotating set of varied local artist's work. Usually bordering on the grotesquely weird and beautiful, which is right up my alley. Portfolios are available online, like any respectable shop. It's worth your time to go check it out if you're looking to get inked. read more

I called optic nerve to make an appointment for a consultation. When I arrived I saw one tattoo artist working on a customer he glanced up and saw me and then went right back to what he was doing without a "hello" or "someone will be right with you." I ended up standing there for another 20 minutes waiting for someone to come by I was on time for my appointment and the artist who was supposed to do my consultation was nowhere in sight finally he looks up and asked really annoyed tone of voice "do you need something" to which I replied yes I have an appointment for a consultation He told me it must be with dLacie and she was out to lunch so I had a seat and waited for another 15 minutes before she came back at that time she was about 40 minutes late for my consultation appointment During the consultation she didn't really ask me for any kind of references or questions or seem to even care about what I wanted but I was given lots of good reviews on the shop and felt like I had to put up with this rude behavior. I put in my deposit and waited for about a month and then the week of my appointment they called me to tell me they double booked and she wouldn't be able to take my appointment for another couple months Although when I saw her put in their appointment in the computer I noticed there was nobody else in that spot so leads me to believe that she just got a tattoo that she would rather do and wouldn't refund my deposit. I have never been treated so rudely in my life by a tattoo shop. If you're in an industry where you rely on customers to pay you for your services you need to learn manners and treat people with respect. If she didn't want to take the project you should have not taken my deposit or even take the appointment If I could give less stars I would... read more

One of the best tattoo shops in Portland hands down! My friend had a portrait done there by D'Lacie Mcbride and it came out beautifully! I had been wanting a Lucille Ball portrait as well for a long time. I didn't even think twice about where i should go when the time came! D'Lacie did an AMAZING job! It was a rough 5 hours in the chair, but the outcome is so much more amazing than i can describe! I'm so happy with the finished product, and I would recommend everyone and anyone to this shop! Everyone there is so awesome and outgoing, but their work speaks for itself! Amazing! read more

I decided to get a second set of piercing in my ears while I was visiting Portland, something I had wanted to do for a long time but just hadn't gotten around to. I looked up piercing parlors on Yelp and decided on Infinity Tattoo. Turns out they didn't actually pierce anymore, but directed us towards Optic Nerve Arts instead. Shea Lloyd was my piercing artist and I think she did an amazing job! She was very patient with me while I had a very stupid moment and thought that I could bring in my own earrings for her to use (I know, stupid, don't ask where my brain was that day). Once I got my brain back on track, she sat me in the piercing room and started to figure out the hole placement with me. She made her own temporary dye to mark my ears with and was really good about involving me in the whole process. Once we were both satisfied she got all of her tools out (which she sanitizes on-site with some fancy machine that they purchased). I didn't pay too much attention to this part because needles and such make me nervous, but I do know that A) It was fast and B) I didn't feel a thing. After it was done and the earrings were in place I felt the rush of blood to the area, but it never really hurt. read more

I took my girls (age 9 & 10) to get their ears pierced with Jeremy about 5 weeks ago. Excellent experience. Jeremy was so careful and concise, perfectly placed the marks and the girls didn't even shed a tear when he used a needle. Incredibly sterile and professional. Their ears were red for about an hour and then they have been absolutely perfect - no redness, pain or swelling, or any fluid leaking. They never even had to clean them. I was really amazed. We went the route of using a professional piercer vs. a gun (like Claire's) after doing reseach about the difference. Needles are much more sterile, precise and I think possibly less painful because the guns are so sudden and loud. Jeremy did a great job and I highly recommend him. read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Just finished my third Tim Jordan tattoo! Each time I leave more up to him artistically and each time they get better. Of course he's been very courteous and professional when I bring him exact plans, but it was sure fun to see what came of giving him just the basics of what I wanted. The shop is clean and well laid out, the other artists all seem cool, portfolios are always out in the front for perusing, and the jewelry selection is enviable. Win win win! read more

I went to see if D'Lacie could fix an existing tattoo. She first consulted with me, listened carefully to what I wanted, and drew a draft with sharpie directly on my skin so I could see exactly what it would look like (I was really apprehensive and she totally got it). Also, she is a fast tattoer, which is always nice, the facilities are extremely clean, the receptionist is very professional and friendly, the prices are reasonable....this is a very high quality place. Plus I love my tattoo!! :) read more

Clean, spacious shop. The artists are friendly as well as extremely skilled and professional. Melissa in particular is AMAZING! I've had her do a number of pieces and touch-ups for me. She is patient and knowledgeable, and the effort and time she puts into her work is exceptional. Not only that, but she is very easy to get along with and an absolute pleasure to be around. I HIGHLY recommend her. I could not be happier with my pieces. Her work is worth every cent. Best shop in town by far. read more

This review is for the lovely Rose. I emailed her what I was interested in and that I was out of town. She promptly emailed me back letting me know what she thought would and wouldn't work and I appreciated that she wanted to give me a piece that would truly look beautiful and flow together as a consecutive sleeve with the flow of my arm instead of just giving me what I said I wanted. With her input I sent her my arm measurements and upon arrival to the shop I was delighted to see what she had come up with. I traveled from New Mexico to see her at optics nerve and she would always contact me when tattooing somewhere close to me to make it convenient for me to finish this big undertaking. It's been over a year since we finished my tattoo and it's just lovely as ever. When we finished she told me to come see her for some touch ups and I still haven't and that's on me! I can't say enough wonderful things about rose not only is she so talented at what she does she's sweet and professional, easy to talk to and I'm happy to say after so many hours put into my arm I've come out with a beautiful sleeve, and a beautiful friend. If your considering getting a tattoo from her do it!! It's one of the best decisions you'll make and I can hardly wait to see her again! I've attached a few photos of my red floral sleeve with black background I took just yesterday. After all my sessions I took her advice and everything healed up normally and as I previously mentioned we both talked about doing touch ups after our last session to finalize and spiff it up and tho one day I hope to do that it's on me that I haven't! read more

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I've been to Optic Nerve three times now to get tattooed by D'Lacie. The first, a year and a half ago, I started my first large piece- a half-sleeve of an Chinese watercolor-style painting of a mountain scape (the second visit was to finish this piece). I'm somewhat heavily tattooed, but had never had the urge to return to a particular artist until I was tattooed by D'Lacie. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she made me feel comfortable and we had really good conversation the entire time. The finished piece was stunning and never fails to get compliments when I wear sleeveless blouses. So when I wanted to get another tattoo and get a few touch ups, I knew that I could trust my very high standards in her hands. I just finished with my touch up appointment and cannot wait until we get work started on my new piece. Everyone at Optic Nerve is so warm and friendly- a wonderful, clean, environment where conversation is had between artists, clients, and bystanders. I can't express my gratitude and satisfaction enough. read more

I have been a long time customer of Optic Nerve. I have gotten most of my piercings done here (the others were done by the old owner when she started elsewhere... I started in 1993 getting pierced by her and just followed her where ever she went, lol). Shea is my piercer, she is super knowledgeable and knows what she is doing. If I have problems, they are more than willing to talk to me about it. The shop is clean, organized, and tidy. The tattooing and piercing are completely separate and they wash their hands and wear gloves each time. If there is something you want and they don't have it, they will order it for you. No problem. Nothing but awesome things to say about Optic Nerve. read more

Just want to repeat that this is a great place to take kids. I took my five-year-old to have her ears pierced for the first time, and Shea was clean, fast, kind and clean. There've been no problems with the piercings. By no problems, I mean no redness, no swelling, no seepage, no pain. Nothing. We're still diligently doing the salt soaks, but this was as close to a surgical procedure as I could have hoped. And they're perfectly positioned. Beautiful jewelry, too. A++++ 10/10 would pierce again. read more

Onto day TWO of healing and it's looking good :) Shea did an AWESOME job! Stopped in here on a rainy visit to Oregon (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HhXjzL8-Bb57tD7jUMf_qQ?select=MBPPRVY9TJLmk6f8ctRKPQ), and one of my goals was to go to this place because of the reviews on yelp. I'm always really iffy on going to new places when it comes to tattoo's and piercings, since I stay pretty loyal to the ones I already have, but out of pure curiosity and the need to get my nostril pierced, I swung by this place to see what all the huff n' puff was (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HhXjzL8-Bb57tD7jUMf_qQ?select=Nv41U2evhUoqUueJzneEJA). They had a cute selection of jewelry (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HhXjzL8-Bb57tD7jUMf_qQ?select=RMy5TnZ7wU9YHC1r6Q0GvQ) and an awesome little lobby area where the buddies could sit in. Shea took me back and was SUPER easy and fun to talk to. Can I just EMPHASIZE HOW CLEAN this place is. I swear, between the five minutes that Shea and I started talking, she washed her hands and changed her clothes EACH TIME she touched me or something else. It was like..... IMMACULATELY clean. Weeeooohhhh!!!! *happy day for Mandy* Piercing went smoothly and on top of that, Shea was being awesomely educational, saying things like, "you probably already know...but I'll just say it again to be safe...." "I'm sure you've done sea salts soaks before...but here's some more tips...." (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HhXjzL8-Bb57tD7jUMf_qQ?select=-5boaZl9kqz4JH-kTRw-Nw) Which was AWESOME. I love a place that isn't afraid to educate their clients, because as human as we are, we forget. :) So OPTIC NERVE, you were awesome. High-Five-Star to you(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HhXjzL8-Bb57tD7jUMf_qQ?select=zjvXn1Xx1mG4iSxkW53ZgA)!!! read more

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I cannot say enough good things about this place! Jeremy (Smith?), one of the piercers there is supremely awesome. I went in today for my first "real" piercing and was truly impressed by his skills. I hadn't had any other piercings that eere done by a pro-I sadly was young and dumb and went to Claire's *shame*. So, I went today and got a real piercing and it looks awesome. I got a rook piercing in my right ear and even though it hurt, I know it was done the right way and safely. He also made me a custom earring for a previous piercing that I got at Claire's that was crooked & nearly impossible to find jewelry to fit. That, in and of itself, was awesome!! Prices were reasonable & work was stellar. Highly recommend!! Get your piercings done right, the first time-go here!! I will be back, definitely. Jeremy,.Thank you so much for all your help & advice for a "novice". read more

We love this beautiful place! It is not possible to say how we feel about D'Lacie through a written review. She is a shining example of grace and TALENT. We have gone to D'Lacie a couple of times now and every time is such a special experience. Truly what we want is not just a beautiful tattoo, but also a pleasant memory of actually getting tatted! She listens to your ideas, has very knowledgable feedback, and ultimately creates something that blows your mind. When it comes to tattoo day, you will walk into an open-layout, awesome, clean, bright shop. Then you realize you are nervous! But D'Lacie is so calm and kind, and makes you feel comfortable, excited and relaxed on your big day! The thing we really cherish about her as a tattoo artist is her gentle touch. I got my RIBS done (ouch!) and she rocked it with that tattoo gun. She takes care of her clients and makes it a safe place for them. For instance, every time you get back on your feet, she wants to make sure you feel stable (because you can definitely get lightheaded after a while!) I've had friends experience a no-fun tattoo day (judgey artist, uncomfortable vibe, want to get you out of there asap). She is none of these things. In fact, she spent an entire day with us, only took a twenty minute break, and stayed late for us. If you want an absolutely stunning tattoo from a tattoo master as well as a very enjoyable, relaxed experience, go see her. In addition, I got to see some very stunning tattoos from the other artists there as well. They are all nice and very talented, and you can tell they are passionate about their job and love working there. Back to my girl D'Lacie-- she definitely books up because, well duh, she is amazing. Be patient and polite with her time. They work really really hard as it is a very physical job. You will likely speak to Buffy when you call. She has the best phone presence, is very clear and is so so helpful! It's like a dream shop! You won't regret it! read more

Optic Nerve Arts - Camellia flowers from D'Lacie - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This review is for the amazingly talented D'Lacie. I found D'Lacie on Instagram and fell in love with her style of tattooing. I booked a consultation and she was very inviting, receptive, and seemed genuinely excited about my idea. I emailed her a few pictures for inspiration but I really wanted her to come up with her own design. After all, she is the artist :) A few days before my first tattoo appointment she emailed me a line drawing (I was pleasantly surprised too because a lot of artists won't send you copies of their drawings). It was BEAUTIFUL. The actual tattooing was really fun too. D'Lacie and Buffy are a joy. There were only women in the shop that day so we played girly music and it was a blast singing along together. Second session of tattooing was just as fun as the first. I'm still waiting for the perfect piece to go back to her for! read more

Optic Nerve Arts - black and pink camellias by D'Lacie - Tattoo Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I was gonna get tattooed here, but the artist I was planning on working with was very short with me over email and she seemed pretty rude in most of her emails. So I decided a couple months back that I would not get tattooed here because of how rude the artist was. Don't recommend! read more

This is a review for Rose as I cannot speak for any of the other tattoo artists here. I am going to write a pretty lengthy review because I know a lot of research should go into choosing a tattoo artist but if you would like a shortened version just scroll to the bottom. A year ago my friends and I wanted to get small matching tattoos and Rose courteously agreed to come in on her day off because that was a chunk of time that would work with us, so that was great. However, everything after that was pretty disappointing. First off, communication was sketchy, the first time I didn't get a response she insisted that she sent the email and it just must've gotten lost somehow. Then when I told her the tattoo idea she said she would have it drawn up and emailed the next week, that didn't happen. When we showed up to our appointment was the first time we saw a VERY rough outline of the tattoo. From that outline we had no idea what it was going to look like, it was a circle with a few lines in it, even I could have drawn that in about 20 seconds. Throughout the introduction and tattooing process (~20 min) Rose was at best curt and standoffish and at worst just rude. I tried to make polite conversation with her a couple of times but you could tell she had zero interest in speaking to me. Then when it came time to pay, she was a totally different person, so smiley and happy and willing to give advice. It was such a big difference in demeanor that it seemed totally artificial and we were all pretty surprised. As of now my little $80 tattoo is faded and I will probably get it touched up by another artist in the future. The tattoo itself looked nice but I feel that there are tons of other artists that could have done the same job but taken care of us MUCH better. TL;DR Poor communication, didn't get to see a sketch before our appointment, Rose was very uninterested and sometimes rude, my tattoo is now faded (one year later) and will need to be touched up by someone else. read more

Please note, this review is solely for D'Lacie McBride, and has no bearing on the other artists at Optic Nerve. Tattoos are a buyer-beware situation, so let my story be a reminder to make sure you are comfortable with your art and communication with your tattoo artist. I know plenty of people are happy with D'Lacie's work. This review isn't meant to discredit good work that she has done, but to give my own personal experience. As another disclaimer, D'Lacie (presumably having heard that I was disappointed) sent me an email a few weeks ago titled "An Apology" but I have yet to read it, because I have been so angry and so desperate to find a solution to this that I can't even begin to imagine what an apology for a permanent, life-long problem could look like. After waiting about 4 months for my consultation, I met with D'Lacie. The first and foremost thing I noted was that I wanted my tattoo to be elegant and understated, and showed D'Lacie a few images of a pattern I had seen in Morocco and asked her to base the tattoo around the pattern, but wanted the pattern to be incorporated into a leaf and branch on my forearm. I showed her an example of how this had been done with a Dutch pattern on someone else. We talked for a bit, she seemed a bit standoffish (i.e. does not smile, did not seem enthusiastic about the work, gives long pauses when you ask for alterations) but I went with her suggestions about placement and orientation for the sake of possible future art. She said she would draw something up and email me ahead of my appointment that was a few weeks out. She emailed me two days before the tattoo appointment a black and white image that wasn't what I wanted - it felt cartooney and like a coloring book pattern. After talking with my boyfriend (who has had great work by Jeremy on a full-leg piece) we wrote back and told her I wanted it to look more like a botanical print, with the pattern having shading and depth, and provided her a few more example images in the style that I was looking for. She wrote back with a "yeah, I know" attitude so I didn't feel like I needed to push the issue. On the day of the tattoo, I showed up and she had a black and white outline of the tattoo that looked pretty good - and this is the moment I think everything went wrong - I should have asked her to provide a mock-up of what she imagined the color would look like because I could have caught that we were still not on the same page, but I never thought I'd need to clarify again that I wanted the color to be shaded and that there would be dimensionality to the tattoo, especially with the "yeah, I know attitude" I got in response to asking for just that. Instead, we just verbally discussed which colors belonged to which parts of the tattoo and proceeded. What I got turned out exactly how I didn't want it. I suppose the best way to describe is like one of those adult coloring book pattern outlines that was just colored in with solid color. There is no shading to the color palette, no depth or dimensionality, is colored in at full saturation, and is far from looking like a botanical print or anything that could resemble elegant. In fairness, the pattern I gave as the initial inspiration is all one tone, but given that I reiterated in person and in email that I wanted it to have shading and dimensionality and more like a botanical print, I'm at a loss as to how I ended up with what I did. Now I'm stuck with a heavy, clunky, one-dimensional tattoo and I feel sick every time I see it. I've had to buy more long-sleeved clothing to hide my arm, my boyfriend and another tattoo artist are the only people I've let see it, I am now that self-conscious of my arm. I cry when I see it in the shower, I think about it when I try to go to sleep at night, I wake up thinking about it, and ultimately, I feel like I'm in a bad nightmare. I cancelled my future appointments with D'Lacie for more work I had scheduled with a note about how I was disappointed in the result and with my experience trying to communicate with her to their lovely staff member, Buffy, but the word "disappointed" can't even begin to describe how damaging and sickening this has felt. Buffy wrote a very genuine apology back noting that if I wanted to have it touched up or re-worked to let her know, but the damage has already been done. I consulted another trusted artist I've worked with in the past (Ren Sakurai of Albatross) to see if there is anything that can be done. Because it is already so dark and saturated, it can't be covered, the only way to add dimension would be to try to use white to lighten parts of the tattoo and to thin some of the cartoonish outlines, and selectively add some black to create shading. I'm now in the impossible process of deciding if I should save the thousands it will take to have the tattoo removed, knowing that I will probably never be fully rid of it, or try to have it fixed, knowing it might look messier. read more

I have mixed feelings about Optic Nerve... I like them but I'm frustrated too. I have 2 tattoos, both done by Pedro. The first was about 10 years ago; the second about 5 years ago. I know it's been awhile so take this as a merely a previous experience... things may have changed since. I think Pedro is a great artist and I'm 100% satisfied with the quality of the art. Pedro is also easy going and has a great personality, so that's a plus... He also stayed late to finish my second tattoo since I'd been waiting a year to get it completed... more on that below. My first tattoo was done impeccably with no concerns to note. It was my second tattoo experience that soured things. First, I went in to the shop to consult with Pedro about my idea... a custom arm band. No problems. We set an appointment which turned out to be a few months down the road... Pedro is that busy! Great. On the day of my first session he is an hour late to work, I'm his first client of the day and I'm scheduled for a 2 hour session. The receptionist assures me that Pedro is known to be late but that I'll get my two hours in... Nope. He shows up and we start.. things are good, until about an hour into it, this stoner dude walks by the shop and sticks his head in the door. Pedro notices him and abruptly ends my session, saying that he "had to help this guy" with his tattoo. So I'm kind of confused about why I was told I would get my 2 hours and then not get it... whatever, I'm paying by the hour so it's not like I was short changed... we set a follow up appointment which now is 6 months out. Business is good for Pedro. Six months passes and unfortunately, I had to cancel this appointment for good reason about a week and a half prior to it. The receptionist was super polite and understood my situation. She rescheduled me which was again 6 months out and said she would put me on a cancellation list in which if there was another customer to cancel I would be called to see if I could get some ink time in... Cool. Thanks. I never received a call in that 6 months... not one person cancelled? How long was this cancellation list? I don't know. So anyway, literally, a year to the day after my first session I get back in and get the rest of my tattoo done. I think it took 5 hours and we finished about a quarter to 11 pm. Pedro seemed concerned that I wasn't called in 6 months and he was awesome this second time around. I just wish I was treated like a regular here. It seemed like I was blown off a bit. I hope things have gotten a little tighter in the time that has passed. Also of note was Pedro increased his rate over the span of the year I waited to get my tattoo done, something I was surprised about when I paid up afterward. I guess that's my fault though for not agreeing on a rate at the consult appointment, if that's even possible. Pedro is a great artist and deserves all the accolades and business he draws to the shop but on this experience, I think he and the shop fell a little short. read more

I've gotten tattoos at a couple places in Portland, but always recommend Optic Nerve. I had a custom piece done by Pedro and he was absolutely brilliant. A great artist who really listened to what I was looking for and went out of his way to make sure I got a tattoo that I would love forever. It's been almost three years now and I still get compliments on it regularly. There was a six week wait at the time, but that was more than worth it for something that will be with me forever. read more

I had been wanting a very simple tattoo that I knew would only take a few minutes. I thought I'd get a shoulder shrug, a few minutes of work and... done. D'Lacie really took the time to make sure the image was absolutely perfect before applying it. She refused to accept the image that I said was good, and she improved it until it was impeccable. This was my first tattoo, and I can't believe how amazing it looks! read more