Thestral
Will and his family all love the Harry Potter series of books and movies, so whenever someone approaches him for Wizarding World-themed work he gets this small-child-on-Christmas-morning look of excitement in his eyes and you can see the wheels start turning. Rachel certainly appreciates his enthusiasm, as when she arrived for her consultation, Will was dressed in full Harry Potter regalia, and a love affair of tattoo and literature was born.
This Thestral is an excellent starting point for a non-humanoid Harry Potter sleeve, highlighting the symbolism and animals more than the characters themselves. Bold, high contrast black and grey images will be combined with powerful, flowing colors in the finished work, creating a rush of energy and excitement packed with detail. Engaging and powerful artwork, striking from a distance, but with a level of tight detail that holds up under close scrutiny are hallmarks of the artwork of Will Wood.
Lighthouse Tattoo is located at 328 N. Cumberland st, a block off the Lebanon, TN square. Open seven days a week, our number is 615 784-4500 and our email address is info@lighthousetattoo.net. In-person inquiries about tattoo work is preferred, with calls and emails being returned within 48 hours. We hope to see you soon!
Professor Minerva Mcgonagall
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: If you don’t like Harry Potter, we can’t be friends! This Professor Minerva Mcgonagall was started a few months ago and only finished recently due to it’s rather sensitive location (the side of the knee). Still, she looks absolutely fantastic! This particular award-winning piece is special for another reason: It’s on Will’s daughter Christa!
You're a Wizard!
This August 3rd, in observation of the birthday of Harry Potter, we will be hosting a fan appreciation day. Stay logged in to lighthousetattoo.net and we will be posting photos of the trophies soon! We will be tattooing until about 7pm, party starts after that. Don’t be late!
Harry Potter Portrait Tattoo
Kaitlyn got this young Harry Potter portrait at our HP Fan Appreciation Day/ Anniversary party. She subsequently won best portrait in the tattoo contest later that day! Thanks Kaitlyn (sorry if I’m spelling your name wrong) for sitting so well and being a great canvas!
Horror Sleeve Tattoo
Dustin loves horror movies. It’s a fondness he shares with his wife and something that brings them closer together. The first subject of this sleeve is Freddy Kreuger and he wasn’t disappointed! Will Wood has developed a reputation for being one of the very best realism artists in the state/region and he has certainly earned it with this piece! With plans to add Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, you’ll want to stay logged in to lighthousetattoo.net for updates on this amazing work of art!
John F. Kennedy Portrait Tattoo
One of the great leaders of the 20th century, John F. Kennedy captured much of America’s heart with a polarizing political doctrine and a winning smile. His assassination was most likely a result of his strong and progressive leadership. Ask anyone who was alive at the time and they can tell you where they were on the day John F. Kennedy died. Tony came down all the way from Chicago to get this portrait from Will Wood, our resident realism artist. He was absolutely thrilled with the amazing result of his 8 hour session!
Healed Lion Tattoo
Kenneth got this nicely healed lion tattoo from artist Will Wood here at Lighthouse Tattoo in about five hours. A combination of light touch and efficient movement produces a finished product that heals perfectly in most cases. It’s become a rare occasion for Will to do a touch-up on a body part that doesn’t bend or move much. Visit Lighthouse Tattoo between the hours of noon and 10pm and see what all the fuss is about!
It’s called a ‘Walk-In’ for a reason.
We get a ton, and I mean a TON of calls about walk-ins. The term ‘walk-in’ means different things to different people, however, and we’d like to take some time to clear some things up here.
To tattoo shops the world over, ‘walk-in’ doesn’t mean that you can walk in and get tattooed immediately. It means you can get tattooed sometime THAT DAY. A walk-in may need to schedule an appointment for several hours after the time they come in. So it looks like this: A prospective client comes into the shop with a tattoo idea that can be drawn and tattooed that day, usually something small, and if the artist has time that day a walk-in appt in scheduled. That client will usually leave the shop for a time and either catch a quick movie, grab a bite to eat, maybe just go walk around the malls for a couple of hours, then return to get their tattoo once that artist has finished what they are working on and gotten their tattoo ready.
Another scenario is one where the artist can knock out a super-tiny, quick piece out without much preparation time at all. In this scenario, if the artist isn’t already working on another client, the walk-in may be able to get tattooed immediately. This usually only happens at Lighthouse Tattoo in the event of a last-minute cancellation or if the client is willing to be tattooed by an apprentice.
Disclaimer for stupid people: If you call Lighthouse Tattoo and ask if we have time to do a walk-in, the answer will always be ‘yes’. This is because there is no possible way of knowing whether or not we will have the time to do a piece when we don’t have concrete answers to a lot of questions about the tattoo: size, color or black and grey, style of tattoo, subject matter, you know, things that require forethought, something that isn’t present with a walk-in tattoo. We have no way of knowing if the prospective client is just ‘window shopping’ or is serious, we don’t even know if they’ll show up! We also don’t know if all of our scheduled appointments will show up either, sometimes people can’t make it and we have extra time on our hands. Sometimes we get done early or an artist may be willing to stay late to fit someone in. Many times, if the client is nice and they want something small that doesn’t require prep work, they can get tattooed at the end of the night if they’re willing to leave a deposit and come back later that evening.
All of that being said, we want people to understand that it’s called a ‘Walk-In’ not a ‘Call-In’ for a reason. Tattoo shops don’t really take calls for walk-ins seriously, as it shows a lack of understanding about the process and a general lack of consideration for tattoo artists and what we do. But if you DO call us about a walk-in, we’ll tell you to come in! Then when you do and still can’t get tattooed because you have no understanding of how this works, you’ll leave pissed off and write us a 1-star review to try and destroy our business because that’s the only power you can wield in the world (behind a keyboard), and we’ll copy that shit into the Knucklehead of the Month or just clown you directly on the review reply itself, all when you could have just thought ahead a little bit and scheduled an appointment or booked something once you came in. You just ruined your best chance to get a great, affordable tattoo for one of the best places around all because you couldn’t plan a little in advance or understand that we can only do one tattoo at a time and there are other people in the world besides yourself that want bodyart? Sheesh. All that frustration so easily avoided.
If you want to get tattooed as a walk-in, please don’t call, please walk in and we’ll do our best to take care of you!
The Eyes Have It
We’ve done tons of eye tattoos over the years (tattoos OF eyes, not ON eyes, thanks). They’re called the windows to the soul. They’re the very tool we use to see the artwork we produce. Eye’s captivate the viewer and we have an eye expert on hand to make the most beautiful eye tattoos you will ever see. Stay logged in to lighthousetattoo.net for updates and healed photos from our realism art Will Wood.
Frida Kahlo Portrait Tattoo
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾiða ˈkalo]; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954[1]) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society.[2] Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.[3] She is known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.[4]-per Wikipedia.
This is the reason so many people are talking about Lighthouse Tattoo. Don’t wait! Schedule your appointment today by calling 615 784-4500 or visiting the shop just a block off the Lebanon square. You won’t be disappointed!
...But We Won't Do That
Here at Lighthouse Tattoo, we pride ourselves on being able to provide our customers the widest range of services around. From piercings to tattoos, we strive to give our customers the best quality of work they can get. With that comes a lot of stuff we just won’t do.
We do not offer anything to our customers that will harm them directly or indirectly. That means different things in our different areas of expertise. Here is a run-down of the most common services we refuse and why we refuse them.
PIERCING STUFF WE WON’T DO:
Snake eyes tongue piercing
-Because: It’s horrible for your oral health. It can be argued that any and all oral piercings are bad for your mouth, but some are definitely worse than others. From the added risk of breaking teeth while chewing to the fusion of the two independent muscles in your tongue, this one may be cute…but it’s a bad idea.
Dahlia piercing
- Because: They will not stay in for any real length of time. They have such a small amount of skin (that is constantly expanding and contracting) between the jewelry and your teeth that any chewing endeavor with these bad boys could end VERY badly. (That means it could be bloody and painful, if you caught that.)
Pierce you when you are about to go to the beach
- Because: Sun damage and bacteria from the ocean complicate the healing of any piercing. This is the same reason that we have you avoid tanning or sunbathing for a protracted length of time after attaining a piercing.
Put a dermal in the divet of your clavicle
Because: Dermals need a static, flat surface on which to rest so that they can anchor parallel to your skin. Putting one in a place that moves as much as the dip of a clavicle, a finger, or on the back of a neck puts the piercing at greater risk of rejection than dermals already face. Since these are our most expensive piercings, we want to do anything we can to ensure their longevity and ease of healing.
Smiley piercing
-Because: They cause serious damage to your gums and they will work their way out of your mouth after a few weeks. The skin pierced to give this piercing is so thin and mobile that the heavy jewelry tears itself out of the skin before it has time to properly heal.
Sexually explicit piercings on minor clients
-Because: …….ew?
Earlobe piercings on children under six years
-Because: Though safer and less traumatizing than getting pierced with a gun, ear piercings done in a tattoo shop take longer to do. This means that any child under a certain age runs a higher risk of not being able to sit for the piercing without crying or having a meltdown. We want children who come to our shop to feel safe and comfortable, not traumatized. (We don’t offer piercing for infants because we need our clients to be able to care for the piercings mostly without parental assistance!)
Let a parent send a minor with a written note of permission to attain a piercing
-Other than the fact that notes of this nature are often forged, parents or legal guardians need to be present when their child is pierced. This is required by the health department and it keeps our piercers and clients safe from potential misunderstandings about conduct or aftercare of the piercing.
TATTOO STUFF WE WON’T DO:
Hand, neck, or face tattoos on young or otherwise inexperienced clients
-Because: In this part of the country, very visible tattoos can be the difference between having gainful employment and not. We will not do any of these tattoos unless the person is already heavily tattooed (they know what it’s like to be tattooed visibly and how poorly people can treat them because of it) , independently wealthy (if you’re a wealthy business owner, you aren’t worried about getting hired any time soon), or a convicted felon (most jobs that will hire a person with a record don’t care about visible tattoos).
Hate speech/slurs
-Because: A lot of artists will do these tattoos as kind of a “stupid brand” on a person, to let people know they’re an asshole before they have to bother speaking to them. We do not do these for a couple of reasons, the first being that people bring their buddies to their tattoo shop to get work done and we don’t want to be the shop that will put a swastika on anyone who asks. The second (and arguably most important) reason is that people change. When you’re forty, you might not feel the same way about these things as you do when you’re twenty. We don’t want to make a permanent, regrettable mark on someone that will make everyone they meet on their journey through life treat them poorly. Some people consider these a way to make money as future cover-ups, but we’d rather just not do them.
Exact renditions of poorly done drawings
-Because:If a person sees a portrait done by a skilled tattoo artist, the immediate response is awe. If the work is completely accurate and representative of the photo reference, it is a testament to the artist’s skill and hard work. If that same artist does an exact rendering of a portrait drawn by a thirteen-year-old and uses the same level of skill to execute it, the best that piece will ever look is like it was done by a child. Instead of awe, any audience who isn’t the wearer will see that tattoo and think “wow…that artist has no idea how to do a portrait.”
Significant others’ names who are not married
-Because: These are our number one subject matter for cover-ups. At least three times a week, we do large-scale work over names of ex girlfriends, best friends, and even fiances. That’s not to say that we don’t also do plenty of ex spouse cover-ups but the way we see it, if you’re getting a divorce, you’ve got much bigger things to worry about than covering up a tattoo.
“Tiny tattoos” with a significant amount of detail
-Because: Instagram and Pinterest are often where people find images of these tattoos. That’s a fine way to get an idea for a tattoo, but when looking for work you wish to replicate exactly, keep in mind that Instagram and Pinterest are big, fat liars. The same way that they’ll show you an image of Kylie Jenner in corset and Spanx where they STILL photoshop her waist smaller, these sources will show you photos of fresh tattoos that will look atrocious when they’re healed. A good rule of thumb is that if you want a photorealistic tattoo of a single object or image, it probably needs to be at least the size of the palm of your hand.
Reworks of homemade or prison tattoos
-Because: We want to give you the best version of any tattoo you get. Having to go back over the work of inexperienced “artists” is a great way to ensure that at least 50% of your tattoo’s potential to be great is already gone. If you want something done right, get it done professionally the first time.
Exact replications of large-scale work
-Because: It just looks lazy on our part. If you bring us an idea for a half sleeve and we do the exact same half sleeve as the girl in your reference photo has, we’ve taken the easy way out and everyone is going to know it. We give you a tattoo that is as unique as you are, every time.
If you’re new to the Nashville area or are just looking for a fresh scene, check us out at Lighthouse Tattoo. We think our discretion sets us apart from a lot of the others around, and we think you’ll feel the same way.
Wolf Portrait
Realistic animal portraits have never gone out of style. From wolves, snakes, and bears, to eagles, owls, and doves, to marine wildlife like the textured octopus or smooth sharks and dolphins, people can never get enough of the stuff. If this sounds like you, Lighthouse Tattoo may be the place you’ve been looking for! Fill out an appointment request form by clicking the ‘set an appointment’ tab on this website, or call or come by the shop any day between the hours of noon and 10pm to speak with an artist and set up your next visit!
The CryptKeeper
This healed (and slightly hairy) portrait of the Cryptkeeper from Tales from the Crypt is why so many people come to Lighthouse Tattoo. Awesome detail, a fun experience, all at an affordable price, that’s what people are talking about when they call us ‘the best’, we think maybe they’re on to something.
Valkyrie
Chase has been getting tattooed by Will for more than 10 years now. This depiction of Athena is one of the more recent pieces he’s gotten, part of a Greek mythology-themed sleeve. You can schedule an appointment by clicking the ‘set an appointment’ tab on this website, calling the shop, or visiting during our business hours of noon-10pm seven days a week!
Tyrion Lannister Portrait
With the popularity of Games of Thrones and the subsequent House of Dragons spinoff, GOT tattoo are a foregone conclusion. Here’s an up-close shot of this Tyrion Lannister, part of a complete GOT leg sleeve on Katie. If you like this piece and are interested in getting something from our artist Will anytime this year, we’d strongly recommend you go ahead and set something up, time’s running out in his schedule already!
Hercules
The story of Hercules slaying the Nemean Lion for his impenetrable skin is an ancient one. We can all appreciate the courage and strength it would take to face such an intimidating foe. But that’s kind of silly, right? The Nemean Lion isn’t real, and we’ve all faced more substantial foes in our own lives. The moral of this story? You should be proud of yourself for what you’ve been able to sustain and overcome. Don’t get down on the setbacks you’ve faced, so many people refer to a setback as a failure, but it’s not a failure if you simply don’t give up. Persevere. The mental fortitude to push forward when the outcome is uncertain, that’s the true strength of Hercules. And it’s the true strength of you.
Viking Portrait
Vikings are all the rage lately. Methinks it may be a response to the recent attacks on masculinity in this country and other parts of the world, but as an apolitical business, we certainly don’t take that stance officially, it’s just an observation. What do you think? We’ve done a lot of Spartan and Viking-themed tattoos over just the last couple of years and that trend is showing no signs of slowing down, maybe that’s a sign of pushback? Who knows, we just think this tattoo is totally rad.
Consistency in execution is of the utmost importance, especially in tattooing. If you have an artist that can do well but occasionally kicks out a stinker, then you really run the risk of getting that stinker. Don’t do that to yourself. Find someone with a portfolio of high-level and highly consistent work, and get what you want. It’s certainly better than saving a few bucks to fan the stink off that turd you just got for cheap!