Tattoos 01
Custom Tattoos
Original tattoo work planned around placement, scale, references, skin tone, and the way the piece will age.
Explore Tattoos
Everything American Ink does, in one place
Services We Offer
Every American Ink service in one place, with a straight answer about which one fits what you have in mind before you book anything.
What We Offer
Find the right service before you book.
Most people arrive at American Ink in Sherman Oaks knowing roughly what they want and not which service it falls under. A half-formed idea, an old piece that needs covering, a piercing you have been putting off, and a sleeve you have been planning for a year are four different conversations, and they start in four different places.
The sections below sort that out. Each one describes the situation you are in rather than the service in the abstract, then sends you to the page that covers the process, the people, and the pricing in full. If none of them quite fits, call (818) 907-6114 and the studio will tell you which one does.
Cover-Ups 02
Cover-Ups & Reworks
Old tattoos, blown lines, and unfinished pieces handled with a practical cover-up plan before the first pass.
Explore Cover-Ups Piercings 03
Piercings & Body Mods
Precise piercings, clean setup, and direct aftercare guidance from experienced American Ink piercers.
Explore Piercings Consultations 04
Design Consultations
Bring the tattoo idea, references, location, and rough size. An artist shapes it into custom work for your body.
Book a Consult Black & Grey Color Fine Line Traditional American Realism
A Look at the Work
Tattoos, piercings, cover-ups, and the studio.
Tattoo Artwork
Start here if the skin is clean.
This is the route for new work: nothing to cover, nothing to fix, just a piece you want made. Black and grey, color, fine line, traditional American, and realism are all in range, and the style you pick changes how the design gets built rather than whether it can be done at all.
Size decides the shape of the visit more than style does. A small piece can often happen the same day; a half-sleeve or a back piece is a design conversation first and a session later. The tattoos page walks through the full process from consultation to aftercare, and names which artist tends to take which kind of work.
Piercings & Body Mods
Start here if you came for jewelry, not ink.
Ear placements from lobes to helix, tragus, conch, and industrial, plus nostril, septum, lip, eyebrow, navel, and dermal work. Most piercings are quick enough to do the day you walk in, which makes this the one service where a same-day visit is usually the normal path rather than the exception.
Two things are worth knowing before you decide: every piercing here is done with a sterile single-use needle rather than a gun, and price depends as much on the jewelry as on the placement, so it is quoted at the studio. The piercings page covers the full menu, jewelry quality, and healing timelines.
Custom Designs
Start here if you have references but no design.
A rough sketch, a folder of saved images, a written idea, or a style you keep coming back to is enough to begin. The artist develops that material into a design drawn for your placement and scale, and will tell you honestly if a reference is not going to translate at the size or on the spot you have in mind.
The practical difference from booking straight in: you are paying for design time as well as session time, and the quote comes after the design conversation rather than before it. Tattoos start at the $150 shop minimum either way.
Tattoo Cover-Ups
Start here if there is already something there.
Old ink changes what is possible, so this route begins with an in-person look at the existing piece - how dark it is, how dense, how large, and where it sits. That assessment happens before any design work, because the old tattoo sets the constraints the new one has to work inside.
Expect to hear that the cover needs to go darker or larger than the original. That is the honest trade, and it is explained up front rather than promised around. The cover-ups page shows real before and after sequences and explains how to get started.
Consulting & Ideas
Start here if you are not sure yet.
A consultation covers the idea, placement, rough size, references, timing, and what you are willing to spend. Nothing is booked and nothing is drawn on you - the point is to find out whether what you are picturing is realistic at the size and location you want it.
You leave with a concrete next step rather than a vague maybe: a walk-in, a scheduled appointment, or a deeper design session with a named artist. The walk-ins page covers what suits a same-day visit if you would rather just come in and ask.
Service Pages
Go straight to the service you came for.
Each American Ink service has a dedicated page with the full process, the people who do the work, pricing context, and answers to the questions clients actually ask.
Custom tattoos
The custom tattoo process from consultation to design, session, and aftercare - plus who does what at the studio.
Open detailsPiercings
The full piercing menu, needle-only policy, jewelry quality, sterile setup, and aftercare basics.
Open detailsCover-ups
How honest assessments, design constraints, and realistic expectations turn an old tattoo into a new piece.
Open detailsWalk-ins
What works as a same-day walk-in, the studio's seven-day hours, and how to avoid a wasted trip.
Open detailsPricing
The $150 shop minimum, how custom quotes work, piercing pricing, and deposits - in plain language.
Page FAQ
Services Questions
Short answers for search snippets and real visitors.
What services does American Ink offer in Sherman Oaks?
American Ink offers custom tattoos, piercings and body mods, tattoo cover-ups, custom design work, and art consultations from its studio at 14159 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. Tattoo styles range across color, black and grey, traditional American, fine line, and realism. The shop accepts walk-ins seven days a week when an artist or piercer is available, and larger custom projects start with a consultation. Call (818) 907-6114 to ask which service fits your project.
What piercing services are available?
The piercers at American Ink handle ear piercings - lobe, helix, tragus, conch, and industrial - along with nostril, septum, lip, eyebrow, navel, and dermal placements. Every piercing is done with a sterile, single-use needle, never a piercing gun, and comes with jewelry guidance and clear aftercare instructions. Miguel, the owner, has more than 20 years of piercing experience, and Knives also takes piercing appointments. Pricing varies by piercing and jewelry and is quoted at the studio.
How much does work at American Ink cost?
Tattoos start at a $150 shop minimum, with final pricing based on size, placement, detail, and how long the session runs - custom work is quoted at a consultation rather than from a flat menu. Piercing prices vary by piercing and by jewelry, so they are quoted at the studio. Call (818) 907-6114 for a straight answer on cost before anything is booked, or read the pricing page for the full picture.
Can I just walk in, or do I need to book?
Walk-ins are welcome seven days a week - Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 10 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 7 PM - whenever an artist or piercer is available. Smaller tattoos and most piercings suit same-day work, while larger custom pieces and cover-ups should start with a consultation so the design can be developed properly. If you want a specific artist, calling (818) 907-6114 ahead of time or booking through their profile page is the safer route.
Book / Visit
Pick the service. Start the conversation.
Send the idea, placement, rough size, references, and timing - or call (818) 907-6114 - and the studio will point you toward the right artist or piercer.
(818) 907-6114 14159 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Monday-Saturday: 10 AM-10 PM Sunday: 10 AM-7 PM