Doncaster · About 30 minutes via the M18 and M1 · Appointment only
Black & Grey Realism Tattoo Artist, 30 Minutes from Doncaster
I'm Liam. I tattoo black and grey realism and nothing else, on my own, from a private one-room studio in Chapeltown, on the north edge of Sheffield. From Doncaster it's about 30 to 35 minutes: the M18 west, onto the M1 northbound, off at Junction 35 and two minutes into the village. Tickhill and Bawtry add about ten minutes. By train it's Doncaster to Sheffield, then two stops up the Barnsley line to Chapeltown station, a short walk from the door.
One artist, one client, one room. Prices are on this page. A 3-hour sitting is £270; an A4-size piece in a 6-hour day is £480.
Why People from Doncaster Make the Trip
Half an hour each way is a fair thing to weigh up, so here's what you're getting for it. The studio at 3A Station Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield S35 2XE is one private room, and it's appointment only. When you're booked in, you're the only client in the building for the whole sitting. No front desk, no other artists working next to you, no street door opening and closing all day, so the room stays warm.
The run is easy: motorway from the M18 to Junction 35, free parking on Station Road, and no city-centre traffic at either end. Most people coming from Doncaster book a full day or a sleeve sitting, so it's one trip for a finished piece rather than several evenings of driving for an hour's work each time. A full inner or outer arm in one 8-hour sitting is the booking that makes the most sense of the journey.
Plenty of my clients drive further than Doncaster. Most of my work comes by recommendation from people who've sat in the chair, and people travel from all over the country, and from Europe, to be tattooed here. The studio is rated 5.0 on Google from 64 reviews (read them here).
- About 30 to 35 minutes by car: M18 west, M1 north, off at Junction 35
- By train: Doncaster to Sheffield, then the Barnsley line two stops to Chapeltown
- Free parking on and around Station Road
- Tue–Thu 09:30–19:30, Fri 09:30–16:00, by appointment
What I Do, and What It Costs
One style: black and grey realism. Portraits of people and pets, wildlife, mythology, film and TV, memorial pieces, and themed sleeves done in a single sitting, plus realism cover-ups of old tattoos. No colour, no traditional, no fine-line, no lettering-only pieces. I'd rather do one thing properly.
I price by the length of the sitting, not by the design, so you know the number before you set off. The minimum is 3 hours, roughly an A5-size piece. Nobody has to ring up for a price.
- 3-hour sitting, about A5 size: £270
- 4-hour portrait session, one person or one pet: £350
- 6-hour full day, about A4, a forearm, upper arm, calf or thigh piece: £480
- 8-hour arm sleeve sitting, one full profile, inner or outer: £600
- 10-hour leg sleeve sitting, one full profile: £700
- Fully wrapped arm, inner and outer, across two 8-hour sittings: £1100
- Bigger projects of four or more full days: £400 a day
The deposit is paid online when you book and comes off the total. The balance is paid on the day, in cash or by bank transfer arranged with me. Before your date I send a mock-up of the design, so any small changes are sorted by message and we start tattooing as soon as you arrive. That matters more when you've driven half an hour to get here.
If you know the sitting you need, book it online. If you're not sure, send the idea, placement and a couple of reference photos through the quote form and I'll tell you. The full list is on the pricing page.
Around Doncaster
Doncaster town centre is about 30 minutes, and Bentley on the north side is much the same once you're on the A1(M) or the M18. Armthorpe joins the M18 at Junction 4, so add a few minutes. Conisbrough and Mexborough on the west side are a bit closer, around 25 to 30 minutes, either along the A630 to Rotherham and up the M1 from Junction 34, or across to Wath and down through Hoyland. Tickhill and Bawtry join the M18 at Junction 1 and are about 40 minutes. Thorne and Hatfield are the far end, about 40 to 45 minutes down the M18 from Junction 5 or 6. Wherever you start, the last bit is the same: off the M1 at Junction 35, two minutes to Station Road, and park for free.
I'll add a write-up of a piece for a Doncaster client here once there's one done with their say-so. Until then the work speaks for itself in the portfolio and the session films, which show real sittings from start to finish.
Questions People from Doncaster Ask
- How long does it take from Doncaster?
- About 30 to 35 minutes by car from the town centre. Take the M18 west, join the M1 northbound, leave at Junction 35 and the studio is two minutes from the roundabout. It's motorway nearly all the way, about 25 miles. Tickhill and Bawtry add roughly ten minutes. The address is 3A Station Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield S35 2XE.
- Is there parking?
- Yes, free parking on and around Station Road. No meters and no car park, and because Chapeltown is on the edge of Sheffield rather than in it, there's no city-centre traffic to get through at either end of the day.
- Can I get there by train?
- Yes, with one change. Take the train from Doncaster to Sheffield, or to Meadowhall if your train stops there, then the Barnsley line to Chapeltown. It's two stops from Sheffield and one from Meadowhall. Chapeltown station is a short walk from the studio. Allow about an hour door to door.
- Do you do walk-ins?
- No. The studio is private and appointment-only, so there's no front desk and nobody to see you without a booking. Book a sitting online, or send your idea through the quote form and I'll tell you which sitting it needs before you make the trip.
- Who will tattoo me?
- Me, Liam. I'm the only artist here. I look at your reference photos, draw the design, send you the mock-up, tattoo it and do the touch-up months later. No guest artists, no apprentices, no handover between sittings.
- How much is a full day?
- A 6-hour full day is £480, which covers an A4-size piece on the forearm, upper arm, calf or thigh. An 8-hour arm sleeve sitting is £600 and a 10-hour leg sleeve sitting is £700. The deposit is paid online when you book and comes off the total.
- Is it worth the drive for a small tattoo?
- Honestly, I'm not the right person for a small one. I don't do names, dates, small symbols or script on their own. The minimum sitting is 3 hours (£270), which is roughly an A5-size realism piece, and most people who make the trip from Doncaster book a full day or a sleeve sitting so it's one visit rather than several.
- Do you do colour?
- No, black and grey only. I'm colour-blind and can't read a lot of colour in the skin, so I don't offer work I can't judge properly. Black and grey is what I'm good at and it's the style that lasts best. No traditional, fine-line, geometric or lettering-only pieces either.
Coming from somewhere else?
Directions from Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley have their own pages, and the getting here section on the contact page has all four in one place with the map.
Booking from Doncaster
Pick a date on the live calendar and pay the deposit online. Half an hour down the M18 and M1, and the design is agreed before you set off.
Or have a look at the portfolio, the pricing or what a sitting here is like.