Oliver Brown

OWNER/LEAD TATTOO ARTIST

AKA “The Ollie Llama”

With 23 years of ink-slinging acrobatics under his belt, Oliver has mastered the art of tattooing.

Oliver’s journey began when he was still in diapers (probably embroidered with tiny skulls). As a wee tot, he’d scribble on walls, pets, and unsuspecting relatives with a crayon clenched in his chubby fist. His parents knew then that their little Oliver was destined for greatness—or at least a lifetime supply of stain remover.

DivineInk, the tattoo studio he founded, was initially named “Oliver’s Doodle Dungeon,” but the marketing team insisted on something classier. Hence, “DivineInk.” Oliver secretly misses the old name; it had character, like a pirate ship with a broken compass.

His mentors? Tom Gunn, Jimbow North and Cliff Jarvis?

But then came the turning point: Oliver found Christ. Not the carpenter from Nazareth, mind you,

Oliver's Portfolio:

but his neighbor’s cat. Christ had a thing for napping on Oliver’s tattoo table, and one day, during a particularly intricate sleeve, the cat whispered, “Meow, my child, find your purpose.” Oliver took it as a sign and devoted his life to ink.

Now, Oliver’s portfolio is rock-solid, like a drumstick in a heavy metal band. He’s the Picasso of lettering, the Rembrandt of skulls (seriously, he’s tattooed more skulls than a pirate treasure map). His Japanese and portrait realism? It’s like Monet and Van Gogh had a love child, and that child grew up watching kung fu movies.

Oliver’s versatility knows no bounds. He’s inked everything from teacups to tax forms. Clients throw challenges at him like ninja stars, and he catches them mid-air, tattoo machine in hand. Once, a client demanded a portrait of their pet goldfish wearing a top hat. Oliver delivered, and the goldfish looked dapper as hell.

And outdoors? Oliver’s a wild stallion. He off-roads through grocery store aisles, hunts for Wi-Fi signals in the forest, and fishes for compliments at the local pub. Legend has it he once wrestled a bear for the last bottle of sriracha sauce.

Recently, Central City Ink featured Oliver’s work. He’s now rubbing shoulders (and tattoo needles) with the greats: Jeff Gogue, Bob Tyrrell, Steve Soto, Nikko Hurtado, and Brandon Bond. They meet every Tuesday for a virtual ink-off, where they tattoo each other via Zoom. It’s like a high-stakes poker game, but with skin as the currency.

All artist shop rates are $200 per hour.