Optic Nerve Arts

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.
My partner and I have been dealing with our tattoo artists for over a year. We both chose our artists and ran the appointments through. We still have sessions coming to compete our very intricate tattoos.
You will rarely find tattoo artists as unique, professional and experienced 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 a 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). Optic is eat off of the floor clean. Everything is up to date with high standards and I am damn sure OSHA would give them 100%.
Trust me. It’s worth it.

I really liked the cleanliness and atmosphere of this place and it seems like it could be a place where good experiences are had. Ours wasn’t AWFUL but it was not what I expected especially for what we were charged. It’s taken me a while to get around to posting this we got our tattoos almost a year ago.
My mom and I made an appointment to get small matching tattoos which was something she was very excited about for a year or more and was also nervous about. We made an appointment with Rose for the next day at noon. So when we arrive the next day Rose informs us that she like to eat her lunch but she hasn’t gotten a chance to do yet so we of course agreed, however she had us wait for almost an hour. She then was a bit put off when I had to go get my ID which was in my car. She seemed like a nice enough person but her patients seem short and she rushed through our tattoos which as you will see were extremely small. This was upsetting to me only because it was very significant experience for me and my mom and Rose was telling me the whole time how she was getting on a plane directly after our tattoos and was in a hurry. Since I went first I did my best to be super sweet and charming to get her to relax for my mom’s tattoo which worked to an extent.
This was an extremely expensive tattoo costing me far more than the full length, color arm tattoo that goes all the way from my wrist, wraps around my arm and to my elbow (you will also see in the photo).
She did a little bit better with my mom and busted close by to ensure her experience would be good and even though the tattoo was rushed my mom still relaxed and had a good time.
I do want to say I did like the artist but it was obvious they weren’t her favorite tattoos to do, and she was in a hurry to get out of there.
In two weeks by the time my tattoo was almost healed, part of the ink had come off (with no scratching at all) and as you will see she didn’t complete part of my tattoo so it looks like it was done with a needle and ink. Like I said she did a LOT better with my moms but hers is also fading a bit.
I was however very happy with Rose for talking my mother out of getting tattoos on her hands which I was dreading and which rose explained to her would not heal or stay as good as one on her arm would. So super grateful to her for that and for doing exactly what we asked without deviating from the design (which is happened to me mid tattoo before!)
I would suggest these guys for their professionalism and cleanliness but you will definitely spend more than you will at some other places.

ONA has an amazing team of artists! I am truly lucky to have tattoo pieces from a number of artists at this shop! I can’t even count the amount of compliments I have received for the artwork done by Jeremy, D’Lacie, Pedro, and Tim! I’m looking forward to working with everyone at this shop because they are all in a league of their own! Extremely professional environment, attention to detail, you also will always feel welcome and at home with anyone here! They definitely go above and beyond each and every time! Thank you everyone and I am proud to have such amazing artwork from such great artists! Looking forward to my next visit!

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!

This review is for D’Lacie McBride. My husband and I have both received exceptional work from her and have been over the moon with how she has conceptualized our ideas and executed the concept well above our expectations.
I saw the work she had done previously via Instagram and knew instantly that she would be a perfect fit for my soft water colored floral work. I am still daily impressed/​complimented on her flawless work and am forever grateful for her talent and eternal imprint.

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.

I’ve been a long time customer at Optic Nerve now, 3+ pieces in a little over two years. The shop is impeccably clean and actually quite a nice place to hang out for a few hours while feeling the pain. Buffy will likely be the one to answer your call and she’ll get you set up with consultations/​appointments and put you at ease on the phone. All of the artists there are really great at what they do and I wouldn’t hesitate to get tattooed by any of them. This review is specifically for Jeremy Switzer though as I’m quite loyal to him now. I’ve previously gotten tattoos from various shops around the country and never had such a rewarding experience, even sometimes coming across disappointment before finding Optic Nerve Arts. Finding a tattooer I trust with my sensitive skin, who delivers beautiful work, AND can collaborate on a design without ego getting in the way is pretty much a dream come true for me, and I definitely found that here. I was able to give Jeremy a good idea of what I wanted each time (all very different concepts and styles) and he consistently drew me up something better than what I had in my head or could provide with source material. I wear his work proudly and will continue to go back for more. I only wish I could travel back in time and trade my first (not so great) tattoo experience for one at this shop. The next best thing, I suppose, is getting that first tattoo spiffed up and made all shiny and new by Jeremy. Time to make another appointment…

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.

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!

Okay I’ve been recommended by other Tattoo shop to check out Optic Nerve. I checked out their website looked at their work the artists their seemed like they could help me with the type of tattoo I wanted. I read some reviews on Unilocal mostly good a few not so good, but I’m usually try it before you knock it kind of person. I set up an appointment for a consultation with Jeremy showed him my idea he told me he’ll get back to me in a week or so. I waited patiently about 2 weeks sent him an email to just saying just checking on the progress seeing if we will be able to do the tattoo soon? If not just email mail me back and let me know. I read a couple reviews about them not following up with customers and lack of communication. I’m very disappointed that these past bad reviews on them are true. Why tell me you’ll be able to do the job and not get back to me for me just be up front and say you’re not interested or you don’t think you can so what I’m asking for plain and simple. I’m sure not all the artists their are like that? I’m just disappointed it’s been tough finding artists out in Portland who do the work I was hoping for. I’m writing this review to kind of help people not have to waste their time.

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!

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!

Meh — too much time spent complaining about personal issues; she got easily frustrated when you try to express your wishes. I wouldn’t trust her with any complex tattoos.

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…

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.

Tim was excellent– listened to my ideas and added his own thoughts and is clearly focused on his client and their wishes. Absolutely worth waiting for and I’m very happy with my tattoo. It’s great to have work done by someone who loves what they do and inspires trust and complete professionalism.
Thank you Tim!

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.

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.

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!

Onto day TWO of healing and it’s looking good :)
Shea did an AWESOME job! Stopped in here on a rainy visit to Oregon (
), and one of my goals was to go to this place because of the reviews on Unilocal.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 (
).
They had a cute selection of jewelry (
) 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…» (
) 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 (
)!!!