Tattoo artist Jeffrey Wallich has been tattooing for 29 years. He finally opened his own shop, South Milwaukee Tattoo, at the end of April.
The shop is located at 1218 Milwaukee Ave. in the city of South Milwaukee.
Which styles do the artists specialize in?
Currently, the shop only has Wallich and tattoo artist Emmers Herrera working there. Wallich specializes in black and gray realism portraits, but he is also open to tattoo other styles, such as 3D, fine line and traditional styles.
Herrera enjoys tattooing line work, specifically bold lines and stipple shading (shading using small dots). She said she would like to create more realism, color and neo-traditional tattoos, though.
Both artists tattoo custom designs, or pre-drawn designs, for the majority of their clients, according to Wallich. However, Herrera said she is thinking about running flash tattoo sales.
What are flash tattoo sales/days?
Flash tattoos and flash sheets are typically smaller designs an artist will tattoo on multiple people, usually for a lower price than a custom tattoo. Custom tattoos can be nonrepeatable for clients. Only one person gets inked when they claim a nonrepeatable, pre-drawn custom tattoo design.
Popular days to have flash tattoo sales tend to be holidays ― Valentine’s Day, Friday the 13th and Halloween are some of the most common ones.
How did the South Milwaukee Tattoo artists start their careers?
Wallich said he started tattooing based on a friend’s suggestion after he saw Wallich’s impressive drawing skills. In 1995, his friend offered to pay for the supplies needed for Jeff to be able to tattoo him, and Jeff accepted.
Before moving to Wisconsin, Wallich had been tattooing people at a shop in Orlando, Florida. He then worked at Zoe’s Vicious Circle LLC in Hales Corners before opening South Milwaukee Tattoo.
Herrera tattooed clients at shops in Bayview and Milwaukee before starting at South Milwaukee Tattoo.
Herrera said she’s always liked to draw and make art, particularly paintings. Like Wallich, she started pursuing her passion for art and tattooing by the suggestion from one of her friends.
Once Herrera had gotten a tattoo herself, the artist who inked her also urged her to try tattooing.
“(The tattoo artist) was a chef for seven years, so he was like, ‘Why don’t you just give it a shot,'” Herrera recalled. “Now, here I am two years later.”
Does South Milwaukee Tattoo have a minimum fee?
Yes, South Milwaukee has a minimum fee of $60 for any tattoos done there. Colloquially known as a “shop minimum,” these are minimum prices set for some smaller tattoos. The minimum prices cover the cost of both the supplies and labor for getting the tattoo.
Does South Milwaukee Tattoo have any social media profiles?
Not yet, but the pair hope to have a website, Facebook or Instagram dedicated to the shop by July 1, according to Wallich.
Currently, Herrera displays some of her finished products on her personal Instagram page.
