Authentic Art Studio

Actually did not get a tattoo here and very glad I didn’t. I walked in and the woman who greeted me (if you want to call it that) was a RUDE scary bitch.

While the staff I ran into here are all awesome, cordial, professional, and polite, this review in particular is for Hilmar. He did a great watercolor for me and I’m so happy with my tattoo. I showed him a picture of what I wanted and he worked with me carefully and patiently to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. I ended up with a beautiful, oil-​painting-​like tattoo on my rib cage that I absolutely love.

I hadn’t got a tattoo in Ann Arbor. My previous had been in Flint, on Dort Highway, so my perspective may be skewed. However, based on the other Unilocal reviews, it was difficult to choose a parlor. All seemed amiable, welcoming, clean and with good artists. I chose this place because it was on top. It’s conveniently located downtown with ample parking. The studio is on the second floor and is a very nice space. They answered all my questions, were able to print my tattoo and let me walk in on a Saturday. I was in and out within an hour. It’s a $ 100 shop minimum and you can pay cash, check or credit. The artists are quite accomplished and I think my non-​color 2 inch x 2 inch tattoo bored them. However of my 6, it was instantly my favorite. Highly recommend Jordan.

I got my first ever tattoo in a watercolor style recently. It barely hurt at all and the guy was super friendly throughout. It healed even faster than he thought it would and was very reasonably priced.

Absolutely love Authentic Art! I have been in and out of their shop for the past year and a half now. Corey has been working on an extensive cover up for me and I am thrilled with how it is turning out. Everyone in the shop is extremely friendly and every time I walk out their doors, I am nothing short of pleased! I recommend them to all of my friends (and family) when they are thinking about getting a tattoo.

Got my first tattoo here. My tattoo artist made the experience a positive and memorable one. They didn’t make me feel silly for my ‘first tattoo’ jitters and were super sweet and professional. They answered all of my questions and explained the whole process to me in detail and honestly. While I am not very familiar with the artists’ portfolios, I wholeheartedly recommend Authentic for your first tattoo. They definitely make it a positive, memorable experience.

Got my tattoo here last year… was bad. Ultimately had to go somewhere else to have it re worked on. Over priced as well.

Words cannot begin to explain the professionalism of the staff here nor the quality of the work the artists do. I went to Authentic Art after years of contemplating getting a tattoo, even getting quoted at Miami Ink. I was so comfortable with the laid back, easy going staff and blown away by the portfolios that I talked myself into getting not one, but two tattoos. I truly couldn’t be happier. Jordan was extremely helpful with all my needs and concerns and together, Hilmar and Jordan perfected the tattoos that I was interested in getting. I would HIGHLY recommend this shop for SO many reasons. I’ll most definitely be back.

This is my first time giving a review on Unilocal,but I couldn’t help myself. This place is awesome. I got my 8^th tattoo here, done by Cory, and it was my best tattoo experience yet. He did sort of a cover up — he helped me merge two tattoos that I was sort of dissatisfied with together in a beautiful way. Cory does amazing work — he tattooed me for six hours and we listened to great music, chatted, and he got some great work done. I would highly recommend this place, and Cory in particular, to anyone looking for a good tat.

I got my first tattoo today and couldn’t be happier with how the experience went! I worked with Jaison at the front desk and he was very informative, kind, and professional. He took the time to answer questions I had about the longevity and design of the tattoo and their process of using clean and safe products/​tools.
Rob was my tattoo artist. He customized my design and was able to create exactly what I was looking for. He was careful and clean with the equipment and work area. It quick, painless, and he kept me informed with how I should sit, etc during the process. I love my tattoo!
Authentic Art was accommodating of me even though I was a walk-​in, and I never felt as though they were rushing to get me out the door and onto their next customer. Their prices were fair, and I was even able to get a discount because my tattoo was simple enough; It was nice to know that the staff was looking out for me in that regard, and didn’t try to overcharge me.
If I ever get a tattoo, I will go back here, and I would recommend this place to friends and family!

This is one of the best tattoo shops in the Midwest in terms of professionalism, artist integrity, and cleanliness. Cory is a true artist and has a diverse array of style talents. In a world where so many shops are unwelcoming, Authentic Art is warm and receptive to ink seekers of any kind. The place is popular with students and UofM athletes and is ideal for a first tattoo. They approach tattooing with the care of a medical procedure. I’ve been there for a few pieces and am treated like a friend. If you want The best art piece look no further.

I got my fist tattoo today and it was so great ! Thanks to all of you! Great people ! I love it gracias Omar.

Just got my first tattoo yesterday, and it was a really great experience. Working with Jaison at the front desk was awesome. With setting up an appointment, hashing out specifics on the tattoo, and going over the aftercare procedures, he’s patient and knowledgeable with the product! He’s a pretty cool dude to talk to as well.
Hilmar did my tattoo, and it turned out awesome. He’s pretty cool, and the tunes he had on spotify were top notch as well!
Great people, great tattoo and atmosphere, at a great and fair price. When I get another tattoo, this is the place I’ll be heading!

After a session at Authentic Art, I typically find myself at a loss for words (a truly rare thing for me). All I can ever seem to say are things like, «Awesome!», «Amazing!», and «Perfect!». These gentlemen are true artists and professionals. Not only does Cory create beautiful works of art, he, Jaison, and Jordan are all warm, genuine, and enjoyable people. The itself studio is clean, comfortable, and classy. My husband and I have both had work done (new work as well as the some of the best-​darn cover-​ups I’ve ever seen) and we’ve recommended the studio to friends and family too — even my mother-​in-​law! We’ll never go anywhere else… these guys are the BEST, hands-​down.

I just got my first tattoo and couldn’t be happier. Cory (the artist) not only did awesome work, but was friendly and positive the entire time! You can tell that he really loves what he does. Jaison (at the front desk) worked with my friend Xin and I to make sure we’d be getting exactly what we wanted.
I brought a drawing a friend had done but I also felt like I wanted a little something extra – Cory had great ideas and ended up adding some shading that totally MADE the tattoo. Great artistic touch!
Overall, it was a clean, upbeat, fun experience. Both Jaison and Cory were patient, relaxed, and positive, and it eliminated the anxiety I felt over getting my first tattoo. For future tattoos, I can say that I will not be going anywhere else. I recommend Authentic Art to anyone considering a tattoo!

Top notch… being that it was only my second tattoo I was still a bit nervous. I walked in with no appointment, the first thing that struck me and had me thinking this was definitely the place for me; was the country music playing!
Jaison looked and said they had an opening in an hour and a half with Johnny… I agreed and we left. Within a half hour I got a call and they had a no show with Cory (who was the tattoo artist I had originally wanted.)
So we booked it back there as fast as we could.
Cory is awesome, he asked me what kind of music I wanted to listen to… I told him
I was digging the country, and so he put on Colt 4 which I had never heard of before but was awesome! (A more up to beat remake of popular country songs)
You can tell Cory really enjoys what he does, worked with me on my placement, he never seemed rushed or irritated.
We started and he hummed and sang along with the songs! The person I had come with me said you can tell he’s very detail oriented by how focused he was while tattooing me…
The best thing was he did the outline, and then he used a topical numbing cream. I never felt another thing!!! It was amazing!!!
The tattoo turned out beautifully… I was so incredibly pleased with Cory’s work.
The price was lower than I thought it would be for what And where I got the tattoo.
They also provide a free touch up :))
Besides the whole amazing experience I have to comment on how clean and up to date everything was in the shop.
Top of the line everything…
Bottom line is… I’ll never go anywhere else!

Very good tattoo experience. I talked to Jaison, the front desk area person, and he was super nice and helpful, as well as patient, over the phone.
So I went in for an arm piece, and my artist was Johnny. Let me just say, of all the tattoo artists I’ve gone to, he was the most gentle. Before we even started the process of inking on my tattoo, he was super patient with me about the placement of my tattoo, and presented me with many different options. I know it sounds silly, but I was super stoked when he asked me what kind of music I’d like to listen to. As someone sensitive to loud noises which create some anxiety with me, he changed the playlist to some nice, mellow music for me.
So about my tattoo… it’s looks pretty good, and it has healed well, but it definitely needs touched up, and a few areas do look a little misshapen. They have assured me that they offer free touch ups, so that was good to know.
Price wise, it was incredibly reasonable. They will work with you to get a price you can both agree on.
The only negative about this place is that it seems impossible to get in. I understand that they only really have two artists, but don’t advertise as walk-​ins welcome if they’re not really. Twice I’ve called to get in for a tattoo since my last one, and they’ve told me it’d be at least a week. Due to time constraints and my work schedule, I went to another shop and got my tattoo done, and it only took a matter of 15 minutes both times from start to finish to complete my tattoo, and I was able to call and get in same day. I called another time to get my fiancée in for a surprise birthday tattoo, which was a very tiny piece she wanted, and I was told that there was no room for another week. I guess I would have appreciated if they would have offered to take my info for any cancellations (explaining that we were both current clients and that the tattoo she wanted was a small, minimal piece and it was for her birthday), or to even talk directly to an artist myself to just be certain that it wouldn’t be an option. It’s too bad because we were clients, and our business was turned down like we were dispensable as clients… again we went to another place that was able to get her in and her tattoo took 20 minutes.
So, this is a great shop overall, but don’t expect to be treated like they care if you are a return client.

I walked into Authentic Art for the first time early in 2012. I had no tattoos at the time and only a vague idea of the process or what to expect. When I walked in, everyone was friendly and the place was brightly lit and clean.
The reason I chose Authentic Art was because of their reaction when they first saw what I had in mind. After checking out the usb-​drive I had brought that was full of designs and sample pictures, they were all very enthusiastic about my ideas and provided plenty of suggestions on how to make them into the best possible tattoo.
We set up a formal consultation to finalize everything. They were clear on what I should expect and how to prepare, and a few days later we got started.
Cory’s years of tattooing experience and willingness to make the ideas a reality were obvious and because of that, today I’m rocking a sleeve that I couldn’t be happier with. Needless to say I’ve been back many times.

Authentic Art is great. I went there for my third tattoo earlier this week and it was by far my favorite tattooing experience. I would definitely go back.
First off, these guys have a very clear idea of what they believe the process and experience of getting a tattoo should be. They definitely work with you, not just tell you what they want to do or what they think would look best (something I saw with previous tattoo artists, where I always felt like I had to be prepared to be ‘stern’ if I wanted something in particular). This is not to say they don’t give advice or their professional opinions, they just do it in a much more conversational manner. And I’m sure Cory (the artist) would *happily* draw it out a million times to get it right if he had to!
The people were great, and they knew their stuff. The place was clean, and the tattoo care product they sell (H2Ocean) is also good stuff.
Perhaps most importantly– the tattoo turned out really well. Granted it’s just script, it was very small and in a strange spot (across my heel, over the achilles). Cory did it perfectly, it was exactly what I wanted. On top of that, they charged me a very fair price.

This review is actually for my mother. She is a 52 year old suburban woman who got her first tattoo here recently and from what she has told me it was an extremely pleasant experience and the place was very clean and the staff was very friendly. Plus since she went through with it there that means she wasn’t intimidated and that means a lot to a first time tattoo getter.
The fact that my mom even got a tattoo is perplexing enough to me (trust me if you knew her.) but I thought I had to give this place mad props if my mom approves of it. haha. Plus now she can never get mad at me for getting more tattoos! :)