Owner and tattooer
Meet the artist
Tattoos by John Kulikoff. I opened Poison Apple so I could tattoo the way I like to: one client, one room, and enough time to do it right.
I draw everything by hand first. You'll see a pencil sketch before you see a stencil, and we'll move things around until it sits right on your body.
20+ years tattooing. Based in Sebastopol, with clients from all over Sonoma County and the North Bay.
Bring me a story. I'll figure out how to draw it.
A lot of my clients come in with something personal: a name, a saint, an animal that means something to their family. My job is to turn that into a drawing that still holds up on skin forty years from now.
What I tattoo
Styles
Black and grey realism
Portraits, saints, animals and statues. Soft shading with strong contrast so it reads from across a room.
Japanese
Dragons, waves, wind bars and maple leaves. Large work planned to follow the muscle.
Color
Bright, saturated colors.
Linework and illustrative
Mandalas, lettering, and clean outlines, with room to add shading later.
Let's talk about your idea.
A consult is a conversation. There's no pressure to book on the spot.