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Tangerines on Branch Color tattoo by Story Wilkes at Dark Water in Berkeley | Bay Area Fine Line Tattoo Expert in Illustrative tattoos.
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Story

Whimsical, personal, illustrative, tattoos with Story

Story radiates kindness, a trait that translates into her tattoos, which are thoughtfully crafted with her client’s design requests at the forefront of importance. Her portfolio is proof of years of her hard work honing her skills in illustration and it is decorated with vintage-style artwork, lovely botanicals, and underlying themes of life, death, and rebirth. Horror and occult themed projects tend to spark inspiration for her as well. Story excels at fine-line tattoos, however she welcomes requests for bolder-style blackwork as well.

Once in her chair, it’s likely that she’ll chat about movies (she’s seen a lot!), share photos of her cat and want to see yours, exchange cooking recipes, and the tattoo session will fly by. Ask her what it was like to grow up in Colorado and what places and activities she loves the most in Oakland. Or feel at ease during a quiet session with her. Her client’s comfort is a top priority and she warmly welcomes all skin and body types to work with her. Fond memories of the tattooing experience are what accompany Story’s art on skin as do confidence and beauty accentuated.

  • I've gotten a few fine line pieces from Story and every session has been absolutely wonderful. She does an incredible job of checking in every step of the way and making the experience as warm and comfortable as possible.

    ★★★★★
    Alex

  • I’ve had 2 pieces done by Story and both have been wonderful experiences. She is a fantastic artist and it felt like a truly open and collaborative experience both times. She also has a super gentle touch and really cares about her clients experience.

    ★★★★★
    Julia

  • Story is both a wonderful person and tattoo artist! Highly recommend

    ★★★★★
    Tess

  • Story is AMAZING! After so many lacking experiences with several tattoo artists here in the Bay Area, Story has undoubtedly hit the ball out the park. So far, she is the only tattoo artist I completely trust, and has made all my sessions super welcoming and comforting. - I could not recommend her enough.

    ★★★★★

    Adrien

  • Story is my fav tattoo artist ever, her line work is beautiful and she’s great at multiple different styles - would highly recommend

    ★★★★★

    Jamie

See more of Story’s work on

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