Divine Canvas

Truly can’t say enough good things about our experience here. Alice is an incredible artist and both me and my husband are thrilled with our tattoos.
Alice came recommended by a cool guy at the Clapham BrewDog, Ruben. We emailed her the day before our last day in London, hoping she might be able to book us. She answered promptly and agreed, which was awesome, considering she was coming in on her day off.
First off, she helped to refine and improve the design my husband brought in. Really took her time, made suggestions, and responded to our ideas. His tattoo came out sharp, gorgeous — hard to believe circles that perfect were tattooed by hand.
My tattoo was based on an old symbol. Alice was awesome and helped shrink it down to my wrist. She did the outline, and then with a single-​needle gun painstakingly did tons of superfine shading. It turned out better than I ever thought it could.
In addition to her really great work, Alice was just super nice and cool. We are so glad she made time for us, because we both got really gorgeous tattoos, and I’m not sure we’d have gotten nearly as good a result if we’d gone elsewhere.

I first met the Divine Canvas family at a convention two years ago. It was my first time getting tattooed at a convention and I was deeply uncomfortable with the idea.
From what I’d seen it involved a endless litany of mouth breathing gawkers — pink fingered interruptions and stupid questions taking their hair for a walk that day. Couple that with a general dislike of crowds, being stared at, the colour nine and non-​green straws and I was filled with dread.
Upon arrival it was hard not to get swept up and along into the bustling, joking, roving chaos that is a working family on the road — warm, open and inclusive, riddled with interesting characters and a constant supply of green tea. Put at ease, I was as comfortable as possible — especially at points when the crowd got a bit much. Not only did I walk away with superb ink, but between my tattooist and the rest of the Divine Canvas family — against all odds — I had a fantastic time.
Four months later, exhausted from an early morning flight, I would find myself outside Divine Canvas Custom Tattoo Studio in London. My welcome was warm and friendly and I was quickly given a place to nod my head a bit before ink began.
My previous experience of tattoo studios had been a mixed bag, so I was unsure what to expect, but just as they had done at their stall at the convention, the staff made the Divine Canvas a joy to be at. Relaxed and confident, there was the general air that if they could, they would break the very physics of tattooing in the effort to get you the marriage of your ideas and what would look best. If you had any ideas that is — «Uh, I like circles and pineapples — do something geometric, dot work and crazy with that» or «I’m going to play you this song — could you tattoo what you see when you hear it as long as it’s what I want you to see?»
Perhaps it is the upshot of Divine Canvas being a custom tattoo studio — that they seem to have far more patience than normal flash carrying studios. No question is stupid and your knowledge — or lack thereof — of the tattoo world at large is never belittled. Often registering you have only heard the name of this or that artist but have never seen their work — will garner an excited response and rush to show you.
Not only is Divine Canvas one of the friendliest tattoo studios I have ever happened across. It is a place where you get the sense that no matter how many they do in a week — tattooing is still fun — never a job — and each piece is met with that exhuberance. There is deep joy that runs throughout the studio — as they help you evolve into You. This carries over to their resident piercer and body modification specialist, Iestyn. His scarification pieces are particularly beautiful.
I have to say I do not know how other custom tattoo studios in London work as I have never felt the need to go anywhere else. At Divine Canvas, I felt comfortable enough to evolve forward; to get my palm, ear, throat and neck done — delicate and obvious areas that I am unsure I would have felt safe enough getting done elsewhere. And after seeing Laurent waltz through a line and brush stroke abstract on a close friend — I now think you can bring anything to this shop.
The door bares the legend,
«Ring Bell For Attention»
Do. Do ring that bell — for some of the finest custom tattoo work in London and perhaps anywhere else; from some of the kindest people you’re likely to meet in the discipline.