Three days, eleven pieces, two trophies, and about forty hours of tattooing. Inkfest 2026 was our best convention yet — here is how it went down.
Friday: Setting Up Shop
Convention tattooing is street-shop work at double speed: you set up a sterile station in a noisy hall, meet clients you have never seen, and tattoo flash you drew for exactly this weekend. Marcus brought a sheet of traditional eagles and daggers; I brought geometric minis designed to finish in under two hours.
By Friday night we had four pieces done and a waitlist running down the side of the booth. The lesson, every year: price your flash clearly on the sheet and the line moves twice as fast.
Saturday: The Big Pieces
Saturday belonged to Marcus's Japanese back panel — a wind-bar and koi composition started at the shop and finished on the convention floor over two sittings. Convention judges love seeing large work completed live, and the crowd around the booth by hour five told us we had picked the right piece.
Sunday: Awards and Aftermath
Judging closed Sunday afternoon. Marcus took second place in Large Colour for the back panel, and my dotwork mandala picked up third in Small Blackwork. Nine convention awards on the studio shelf now — and two of them earned shoulder to shoulder with the best shops in the region.
What It Means for Clients
Conventions sharpen us. Working fast, working watched, and getting judged against top-tier artists keeps our everyday work honest. Several Inkfest clients have already booked follow-up sessions at the shop — if you got flash from us on the floor, mention it when you book and your touch-up check is on us.
Next Stop
We are back on the road in spring. Watch this space for the announcement — and if you want convention flash without the convention crowds, both award sheets are available at the shop at studio prices.
