I, personally, don't have tatts nor have I ever really cared to have any. One of my friends from out of town surprised me with a text that she was here getting a tattoo and told me to swing by to say hello, so I did. Located in DTLB off of Broadway and Linden, I was lucky to find a metered spot on Linden right around the corner. I was warmly greeted by one of the tattoo artists and she allowed me to visit with my friend. I only stayed 30 min and my friend sent me a pic of her tattoo and the artist did amazing work! I believe my friend said she was there from noon til the time she sent me the pic which was around 6pm (of course with breaks). read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

great experience with Ted and the team at Paper Crane. I was recommended to Paper Crane by a friend as I've been considering a special tattoo for many months and finally after meeting with Ted Hawkins he proved to me he's the one to do the work. Just got my "fishing fly" last week and it's healing nicely. Ted and I had a great time during the tattooing learning about one another and sharing our world views. He's an amazing artist . I recommend Paper Crane and will surely return. Ron Simmer read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Suzanne welcomed me and gave me the low down as a walk in. No pressure very nice and awesome person. I was just in the area for work and in a local hotel. Glad I stopped by for some epic color! THANK YOU! read more

Paper Crane Studio - LA 90's inspired colors :) - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Had a great experience at Paper Crane! Ted was absolutely awesome! Very detail oriented and even though I was nervous he was so nice and calm. Can't wait to get more work done here! read more

Working with Joy Shannon to turn a vague idea into amazing art was inspiring! She is patient and really takes time to understand her clients and what they are looking for! read more

100% highly recommend. From my first meeting with Mikey through two 4-hour sessions, I have LOVED the experience and will be returning. Mikey took time to listen to what I wanted and made the idea come to life to produce a tattoo better than I could have hoped for. During the sessions, we got to have engaging conversation amongst ourselves, the other artists, and customers that I loved being there and didn't want it to end. I will definitely be returning for my next tattoo! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Goldfish + Black/Grey Hands - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

I got my original tattoo done by the owner of Paper Crane Studio and the work itself came out great. I was really happy with the quality and trusted him enough that I planned to extend it into a full sleeve. Unfortunately, when I reached out to continue the project, communication completely fell apart. I followed up twice and never got a response, no scheduling, no explanation, just silence. Because of that, I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're expecting a multi-session piece or long-term project. The tattoo quality is good, but reliability and follow-through matter just as much, and getting ghosted mid-process is frustrating. Fine for a one-time appointment. Not dependable if you're planning something bigger. read more

I felt the urge to get a tattoo so I sent out some feeler messages, and Mikey got back to me right away. The next minute we were on a phone call talking about this piece, he was eager to bring this idea to life and excited to get it done. I walked in the same day, parking was easy, the vibe of the shop was warm and inviting. Mikey took the time to go over some suggestions and ideas, and got the job done. He was great to speak with and he really took the time to go over any questions I had. Will definitely be coming back here again. Mikey went above and beyond my expectations and I'm happy to show off this piece. read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Went in for my first tattoo with my best friends and Brooke was great with communicating with me on IG. Super fast to response and great first tattoos advice. She was super friendly and easy to talk to with concerns I had about it being my first tattoo. For sure will be going to her for my next one. Highly recommend! read more

Paper Crane Studio - No matter where, No matter what, No matter when - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

This shop is great. I sent an email to Suzanne through the studio's website. She got back to me immediately and scheduled a consultation to understand what I was looking for. During the consultation, we collaborated and landed on what would become my newest art. I would recommend Suzanne to people interested in getting their first tattoo. She has a gentle touch. I'm very pleased with the end result and will call on her again for my next one. read more

Paper Crane Studio - My newest tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Brooke is kind, relatable and very professional. I know I'm in good hands when I sit in her chair. We collaborate on the design of my tattoos and she makes sure the placement of the tattoo compliments my other tattoos. Friendly chatter amongst artists and clients plus the music playing in the shop helped me chill out and relax like I was at a friend's house. Check Brooke out at Paper Crane, you won't be disappointed. read more

Paper Crane Studio - Both tattoos done by Brooke. I've had several tattoos done by Brooke - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Mikey was wonderful! Great vibe, atmosphere, easy to talk to. Did exactly what I wanted ! 10/10 recommend and will be going back in the future. read more

Visiting California for the 1st time and decided to get a tattoo. Upon googling local Long Beach shops we noticed that this shop had 5 start rating, so we decided to call and we spoke to Ted who from the start was very friendly and helpful. We arrived and we were immediately greeted by the owner who was very welcoming and Ted came out and started helping us with our idea.. The shop was very clean and honestly awesome to look at. Ted was honestly amazing, So professional but very personable, Hospitable & just easy to talk to. It felt like we were talking to someone we had known for a long time. He was great to talk to and as tourists he gave us some great places to check out. Thank you Ted for sharing your talent and craft with us. read more

Mikey Vigilante is highly skilled and extremely nice. He was a pleasure to work with. 10/10

My brother wanted to gift me my very first tattoo! He found Paper Crane through Yelp. Paper Crane had really great reviews which is what caught his attention. He called and talked to Ted, who turned out to be exactly the guy we needed to do a black/grey realism tattoo that I've been wanting to get for a long time! He called in on a Friday hoping to do the tattoo the next day and Ted said he could accommodate us and reassured us that the vision we had in mind was totally doable! Ted is a super nice, fun guy! And when he found out it was my first tattoo, he made sure we were aware of all the tattoo 101 and explained every step! I'm glad I got Ted as my very first artist. He did justice to our fur babies toe beans and made the experience fun and easy! And Ted actually came in on his day off to do this piece. So thank you so much, Ted! Much appreciated! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Paws of two different huskies, combined to form a heart shape. - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

I love this place. Ruben is awesome with what he did with my tattoo. This was a refurbished tattoo that was 23 years old. Ruben knows how to do Trash Polka. I just want to add more to it read more

Paper Crane Studio - Ruben did a awesome job doing a reconstruction of my old 23 year old tattoo. I love how my trash polka tat turned out. - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I sat for the final session with artist Suzanne Schifflett today. She added color to an already brilliant piece of work. I am very happy with the work!! read more

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I can STRONGLY recommend this place!! I knew just about nothing about tattoos. I never had a tattoo, neither did my girlfriend. So I searched and investigated a number of tattoo parlors and artists for us to get a great tattoo from... our very first tattoo! Among several good candidates 'Paper Crane Tattoo' and its owner Mikey stood out prominently. After some online exchanges with him we arranged a consultation at his tattoo shop. The place was inviting, clean, and spacious and Mikey was attentive, pleasant, and easy to work with in terms of us figuring out the specifics of our tattoos. A week later Mikey created beautiful tattoos on our bodies! The whole experience was delightful and we were very happy with the outcome. read more

Amazing shop with super friendly artists and welcoming atmosphere. Joy was an absolute pleasure to work with and did fantastic work. Will be coming back for more work in the future! read more

Mikey is thee coolest guy, and an amazing artist. He was patient with me (this was my first tattoo) and helped me design my dream tattoo. With perfect execution! I will be recommending Paper Crane to everyone I know. read more

I had an exceptional experience with Laura Wangerin at Paper Crane. The studio is clean, friendly, welcoming, and unpretentious. Just great vibes and lots of personality in each artist's space. Laura herself is LOVELY- so talented, communicative, and kind. She worked with me to create a memorial tattoo that I will cherish for the rest of my life alongside the memory of my young friend. Laura had a preliminary sketch in several sizes and mirror images for me to check out when I arrived - we talked through the size, orientation, and placement, and she went on to quickly ink the most gorgeous rooster feather for me - more beautiful than I had imagined. I will absolutely return to Laura and Paper Crane! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Had not gotten tattooed in Long Beach since I moved here and was nervous to find a studio / artist that would work for me. I found Paper Crane Studio on Yelp and the reviews were so stellar I reached out and got connected with Ruben. Ruben not only worked to fit both myself and my best friends in the same appointment while they were visiting town, but he also had us laughing the entire process, making us feel comfortable in a new studio and helping us create a memory that will last just as long as the tattoos :) read more

Prior to deciding on having my first ever tattoo done here, I've visited/done a solid amount of research on other tattoo shops. I've always felt a bit intimidated when visiting other shops. None of them stood out to me. From the friendly individuals, to the overall positive atmosphere, you really can't lose here. I-for years- have been wanting to get something in memory of my first dog and best friend Cookie, so I decided to get her paw print done here. Joy did a phenomenal job; I was nearly in tears after seeing the end product, and her kind demeanor throughout the process made it all the more pleasant. Will definitely be coming back. I 100% recommend! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Don Sellers. He's the man. Talented af artist. Although he worked on a small piece, the detail he was able to put in this art I am so thankful for. I had a "butterfly" on my thumb that didn't look like one and was washed out, faded and just needed to basically be re-done. See before and after! THANK YOU DON! I'll be back to have you finish my leg sleeve!! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Before and after - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Made an appointment with Jesse, but he was busy finishing a beautiful tattoo. Luckily Suzanne stepped in & did an amazingly wonderful job of a very realistic paw print of my dog. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks Suzanne! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

I just finished my first sleeve with Justin Tauch and the experience has been nothing but amazing. Over the 9 months of working on sleeve, Justin has been nothing but professional. After our first consultation I felt like I was in good hands. Seeing the piece Justin created for me in person was incredible. He took everything I said I wanted in a tattoo, my reference photos, plus his own artistry to really create a piece I'm proud to have on my body. The actual tattoo sessions were chill. He was fine with talking or just sitting quietly. I really enjoyed watching him and the other artists talk, they are one big crazy family! Justin offered breaks whenever I needed and we even got coffee on occasion before the session started. He's a really cool dude and his work really speaks for itself. Working with Justin I really felt taken care of. Whenever he had a last minute opening he would message me to see if I wanted to move up my appointment dates and would always have the shop send a text to confirm my appointment days before. He always always open to answering my questions about tattoo care via email or a quick Instagram message. Thank you again, Justin for such amazing piece! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

The universe brought me here for my first tattoo under the creative mind of Jesse. Walked in and booked my session for the next day. This dude has died twice so I guess you can say he knows a thing or two . Jesse Iris : 1,000,000 stars for his work and professionalism !!! read more

Paper Crane Studio - By Jesse - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Hello, I must apologize for my delay in posting my review. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Joy at Paper Crane Studio. I had surgery the year prior and I was looking for someone to work with/not against the scar. You see, it wasn't to hide it or cover it up, but to honor it and treat it as such. I sent images of what I wanted and photos of the area I wanted to tattoo. Not only is Joy a tattoo artist, but a Reiki practitioner! She was extremely professional, patient and responsive. She is an art instructor and hand drew my artwork and we played with the image till it was what I wanted. My skin is my live artwork! I The session was empowering, relaxing and positive. Ladies, if you are scared or reluctant I would say to you...make the call and see how you feel after speaking to Joy. I would and will go back for sure! I am grateful and so pleased with my decision to choose Joy! She was aptly named, as she was a "Joy" to work with. Thanks so much Joy and Paper Crane! read more

Ted was great! Was very flexible to my needs and had a great vision for my tattoo. Very communicative and adjusted towards my comfortability. read more

Kudos to Ruben and Mikey. They did tattoos for me, my wife, my daughter and son. They're both great artists and total pros. read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

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If your looking for a legit artist to create a art piece that's gonna stick with you for life then Paper Crane Studio os for you. Shout out to Mikey, your my boy blue! read more

The best experience ever! I did a lot of research and review reading prior to deciding where to get my tattoo. I reached out to Paper Crane with a few preliminary questions and was met with very quick replies from the owner (which I highly appreciated). I was matched with Suzanne who has a lot of work available for viewing on the website. She was so very kind and the most gentle someone could possibly be. When I first visited the location to meet the artist to discuss what I wanted, I easily could see the professionalism in the studio and with Suzanne. The tattoo turned out amazing!! I am highly highly satisfied. Even though it was my first tattoo I was very comfortable throughout the whole process and I recommend this place to anybody. read more

Paper Crane Studio - Healed cherry blossoms down my leg - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Such an awesome studio! Got my first tattoo today -- everyone there was super friendly and answered my questions, gave recommendations and made sure my tattoo was exactly what/where I wanted it. Lindsey made me feel so comfortable and I had no anxiety or anything. She was really friendly, laid back and super nice -- she also did a fantastic job on my tattoo and it was actually really painless even though I didn't know what to expect. My tattoo is 100% what I wanted and I couldn't be happier with it. Thank you, Lindsey! So happy I got a recommendation for this place from a friend and went in. Highly recommended! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

This past Saturday was the day to continue building my sleeve! But let me start by saying I live out of the area (400 miles away), and because of this distance finding a professional tattoo studio was a priority. Equally, if not more important was finding a skilled & talented tattoo artist, Mikey Vigilante. This criteria was fulfilled last December when Mikey did a cover up piece for me and I was hooked. In July, I traveled down to consult about images I wanted to arrange into further building my arm sleeve. The design is a work in progress, emails, texts and phone calls were used to help finalizing Mikey's composition ideas. The process went smoothly. I am extremely happy for the plans of bringing it all together over a few future sessions. THIS SESSION: The 4-hour work applied is amazing! The rendered train is the ground work for some elements that will go below, to the right, and above it. My goal is to connect all my desired images together, flow as a surreal piece, and Mikey gave life to this steam locomotive. read more

Paper Crane Studio - Steam locomotive in progress - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

Great vibes, talented artists.... you'd be crazy not to consider this place. Jesse Iris did this beautiful piece on my back and I am totally in love with my art. Thanks, Jesse!! I can't wait to get back in and finish this piece. See you in 2 weeks Update: got it finished and it is AMAZING read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California

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PROS : separate waiting/reception space large, clean, brightly lit shop stylish decor and aesthetic welcoming atmosphere professional, talented artists CONS : street parking (but that's LB for you!) OVERALL : It has been years since my last tattoo and I've moved twice since so when it was time to find a new, reputable shop near me I noticed there were several to choose from. I browsed through a lot of reviews, pics (on IG and Yelp) and asked around. Paper Crane was the one I kept coming back to. The shop is so unlike all the other shops in town; it's welcoming, clean and bright. Everyone I encountered was friendly and professional. I stumbled upon Joy Shannon on Instagram (@triplegoddesstattoos) and fell in love with her aesthetic. Her style (botanical, blackwork, esoteric, pagan, witchy etc.) and vibe was in alignment with mine and I contacted her once I had a chance to finalize my ideas/concepts. The first tattoo I scheduled was a queen bee concept, one of her botanical pentacle designs AND (finally) adding the Roman numeral birth dates of my two youngest little monsters. Joy was able to take my initial bee design and seamlessly incorporate all the elements I wanted to add. The second piece I had Joy create is my new sleeve. After showing her my design and discussing my vision, she worked her magic and created an amazing piece of art. She understood what I'd wanted and I didn't have to change a thing. Both of my tattoo sessions were great experiences. Joy is multi-talented, patient, professional and easy to work with. She has a light hand and bonus points, she is also fast! I appreciate how she was able to get so much (excellent!) work done in a short amount of time. As a mom of 3, my free time is precious, ha. I can't wait until my next session to finish up my sleeve! read more

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I was a walk in on a random Saturday afternoon in December. I had a brief idea of what I wanted and I am glad I was connected with Jackie when I arrived. She went back, drew the design and I was very impressed! She gave me a brilliant tattoo that looks absolutely gorgeous. I am definitely going back to Jackie once the pandemic ends/quarantine is lifted! read more

First off, I just wanna say that I don't want to put anyone on blast but let's just say I had a terrible experience here. I emailed Paper Crane 1-2 months ago to schedule a tattoo consultation and was told to emailed this person who I shall not name. Anyways, I emailed him and was able to schedule an appointment for Sept. 21. When the day came, I was excited to get my tattoo done because I was looking forward to get it for a while now. However, when the time came, another girl showed up saying she had an appointment with the tattoo artist too at the same time. I was kind of confused so I was like what happened.... WELL apparently he double booked us.. and honestly, I was lowkey really mad because I'm a busy person who works 6 days a week and I got out off work that Saturday to get my tattoo done. He apologized and told me if I would like a diff artist and at that point, I was like hmmm... okay, fine. I waited this long.... it's just a simple tattoo so how can someone mess it up. BUT nope, wrong choice. Before I go on another rant, let me just say DON'T ever make your decision based on conveniency and when you're angry and trying to be nice. So I decided to go with this other tattoo artist and told her how I wanted simple roman numerals. What I want to complain about is the actual artwork and how she went about telling me this and that. After my tattoo was finished, I went to look at it and it looked fine or maybe I was quick to leave since my hours were about to be up for parking. So I went home and after waiting a few hours, I took off the bandage to look at the artwork and noticed that the letters were not aligned. I called Paper Crane the next day and explained how the tattoo wasn't even so I made another appointment with the tattoo artist. When that day came, I went to get my tattoo fixed and she was telling me it must've been the ink or blah blah. Okay, that's fine. But deep down I was worried she might mess up again... and guess what?? I feel like she did because I still lowkey didn't like my tattoo because it was not aligned evenly. At that point, I gave up. Yes, I know I'm picky but it's my fucking body and it's permanent. What made me even more mad was that she had the audacity to tell me that my body will go through changes and how I shouldn't be OCD about it or blah blah blah. WOW did she really just tell me that? Honestly, all I hear is excuses but whatevs. Lesson learned. I should've never made my decision right then and there. I should've thought it through further. That's my fault but I really thought roman numerals were easy to do. Guess not. Whoever is reading this, I'm sorry but that's not how we, as customers, want to be told or how we should be treated. It's either you can do the job or you can't. Be honest because I'm spending money on you do to the job right and the way I want it. I'm not happy with this tattoo but I guess I'll be content since it's not that noticeable. I'm a very detail oriented person so yes, it does bother me but what is done is done. I really wanted to give this place a one star but I'll be a little nice. This experience is just for me solely and does not mean others will experience it too. But just wanted to let everyone know. I would post pics of it but ehh it's too embarrassing and don't really want my tattoo out there if I ain't happy with it. This is not my first tattoo but my first tattoo here. And sadly, I will not come back. NO RAGRETS for leaving this review. read more

I got my first tattoo 2 days ago. I can't believe how beautiful it has come out to be. Mikey was very professional as well as friendly. I was able to explain him what I wanted my first tattoo to be, and he was able to deliver it. I would definitely recommend Mikey V to all my friends. read more

Great tattoo studio! Everyone is so professional and the whole studio is spotless. I've gotten 2 tattoos from Jesse Iris and I love them! He is AMAZING at creating custom pieces from the ideas and reference photos that I've brought to him. I can't wait for my next piece! The photo is a screenshot of my last tattoo from Jesse's IG page, make sure to check out his page! read more

Paper Crane Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Long Beach, California