Tattoo style
Custom Tattoos in Lakewood, CO
Original tattoo concepts developed with a Synergy Body Art artist around your references, placement, size, and long-term wear.
Start Your ConsultationA custom tattoo is drawn for you. Instead of choosing a finished design, you bring an idea and references, and the artist builds a composition that fits your placement, your scale, and the way you want the piece to read.
Custom work starts as a conversation rather than a drawing. The artist asks what the piece is for, what you're drawn to in your references, and where it's going on the body before anything gets sketched.
From there the design is built specifically for that placement — the flow of a forearm, the curve of a ribcage, the space left between existing tattoos. Two clients can bring the same reference and walk out with completely different tattoos.
Design & placement
Design and placement considerations
Placement shapes the design more than most people expect. A composition that works vertically on a forearm often needs re-drawing to sit properly on a thigh or across a chest.
Scale decides how much detail survives. If your reference is dense, the artist may suggest either going larger or simplifying, so the tattoo still reads clearly once it's settled and healed.
Existing tattoos matter too. Custom work frequently has to sit alongside older pieces, which affects spacing, contrast, and whether background elements are needed to tie things together.
Is it the right fit?
Is custom work right for your idea?
- The idea is personal and you want it drawn rather than picked.
- You're combining several references into one piece.
- The tattoo needs to fit a specific body area or existing work.
- You want a larger project planned across sessions.
- You have a concept but no clear image of the final design yet.
Working together
Working with a Synergy Body Art artist.
Bring what you have — screenshots, sketches, a written description. During the consultation you and the artist agree on subject, style, size, and placement, and they'll tell you honestly whether your references will hold up as a tattoo.
Custom consultations run out of the Lakewood studio at Colorado Mills Mall (inside Phenix Salon Suites), which is an easy trip from Golden, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, and West Denver as well as Lakewood itself.
Once you're booked, the appointment prep guide and tattoo aftercare guide cover the rest.
Related work
Work from the studio.
Answers
Custom Tattoos FAQ
What makes a tattoo custom?
A custom tattoo is drawn for you instead of picked from a sheet of existing designs. Your artist builds the composition around your references, the shape of the placement and the size the detail needs. That is why custom tattoos flow with the body and look like one piece, rather than a stock image placed on the skin.
What references should I bring?
Bring five to ten images that show what you like, such as the subject, mood, line weight, level of shading and colour or black and grey. Notes on what you don't want help too. Add a photo of the placement area, especially if there are existing tattoos nearby. Clear references make the consultation faster and the final design more accurate.
Can an artist combine multiple ideas into one tattoo?
Often, yes. Combining several meaningful elements is one of the main reasons people choose custom work. Bring references for each element and tell your artist which one matters most. They will build the composition around that focal point so the finished tattoo reads as one design rather than a collage.
How does placement affect the design?
A lot. The same idea has to be redrawn to flow with a forearm, ribcage, calf or back. Placement also affects how much fine detail will hold up over time, how the tattoo moves with your body and how visible it is day to day. Your artist will suggest sizing and orientation that suit the area you choose.
Do I need a finished idea before booking a consultation?
No. A rough concept, a few reference images and a placement idea are enough to get started. The consultation exists to turn a loose idea into a clear plan covering style, size, placement and number of sessions, so you don't need a finished drawing before you book.
Consultation