Albion Park · Illawarra · NSW
Bold ideas.Clean lines.Proper work.
Four artists, one room on Tongarra Rd, and a drawing you sign off on before anything touches skin. Walk in for a look, or call and we will book you a sit-down.
- Google rating
- 5.0 from 92 reviews
- Where
- 155 Tongarra Rd, Albion Park
- Open
- Mon to Fri 10 to 5, Sat 10 to 4
Recent work
What comes out of the room
A cross-section of what the crew has been sitting on lately. Every photograph here is work done at this studio.
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Full colour back piece, built over multiple sittings. Phoenix, dragon and blossom, laid out to follow the spine. -
Black and grey Medusa with a Scorpio glyph. Soft greywash in the skin, hard blacks in the hair. -
Fine line tree of life over a colour band. Thin linework needs a steady pass and a light hand. -
Lilies down the spine in fine line and greywash, with red drawn through as a loose second layer. -
Panther through palm, black and grey. The leaves do the framing so the face keeps all the contrast.
Styles
What we actually do well
Rather than list every style that exists, here are the ones we can show you finished work in. If what you want is not on this list, ring us and ask. We will tell you straight if it is not our strength.
- 01 Black and grey tattoos Greywash, heavy blacks and the patience to build a gradient that still reads in ten years.
- 02 Colour and traditional tattoos Solid colour, bold outlines and the kind of saturation that still looks like something from across a room.
- 03 Fine line tattoos Thin, precise linework, and a straight answer about how small a design can go before it stops being readable.
- 04 Script and lettering tattoos Names, dates and quotes, set and spaced so they read cleanly at arm's length and stay that way.
The studio
Licensed, clean, and not precious about it
- Licensed in NSW
- Southside Tattoo holds NSW operator licence number 011131. Body art tattooing in this state is licensed through NSW Police, and a studio that will not tell you its number is telling you something.
- Single-use needles, every time
- Needles come out of a sealed single-use pack in front of you and go straight into a sharps container afterwards. Anything that penetrates the skin is sterile before it is used, and the premises is registered with Shellharbour City Council as required.
- You see the drawing first
- Nothing goes on skin until you have seen the design and the stencil is sitting where you want it. If the placement is not right, we move it. That is a normal part of the appointment, not an imposition.
The crew
Four artists, one room
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Adam Paterson
Artist and owner
Works across colour, black and grey and cover-ups, and takes on a lot of the studio's larger multi session pieces.
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Glenn Phipps
Artist
Colour and black and grey work, including large scale pieces and portrait style subjects.
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Skye Gallagher
Artist
Fine line, botanical and illustrative work, and black and grey animal and portrait pieces.
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Brad
Artist
Clean, precise linework across a wide range of subjects, and the artist most often named in the studio's reviews.
What people say afterwards
His attention to detail is outstanding and the new premises looks and feels bright, inviting and had a good vibe.
Sarah SimpsonIf you're looking for crisp, clean immaculate ink, Brad is your guy.
Amber BatesJust got my full leg piece done at South Side Tattoo and couldn't be happier with the result.
jayden peckBeen going to southside for years. Always clean environment, friendly and professional service.
skippy mogilinAbsolutely amazing service, I must say Brad is incredibly skilled, talented and knowledgeable.
Michael BerthalyEverything from booking/design & consultation, the quality of workmanship and the pride they take in their work is amazing.
Peter FletcherBrad absolutely smashed it! Couldn't be happier with how the tattoos turned out.
L.HFirst tattoo experience here staff was very nice and was really happy with how it turned out.
Ajai RegalWhere people come from
Ten minutes from most of the Illawarra
- Albion Park
- Albion Park Rail
- Shellharbour
- Oak Flats
- Shell Cove
- Warilla
- Barrack Heights
- Flinders
- Lake Illawarra
- Windang
- Dapto
- Horsley
- Kiama
- Wollongong
We are a single studio on Tongarra Rd, not a chain, so there is no branch nearer to you than this one. Most of our customers drive in from around Shellharbour and the lake, and a fair few come down from Wollongong or up from Kiama for a particular artist.
Common questions
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a booking or can I just walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome at Southside Tattoo, but a booking means one of our artists is set aside for you rather than fitted in around the day. You can book by phone on <a href="tel:+61242578288">(02) 4257 8288</a>, in person at 155 Tongarra Rd, or by DM on Instagram @southside.tattoo. For anything larger or more detailed, booking ahead is the better bet.
How does the custom design process work?
You talk through the idea with your artist first, covering style, size and where it is going on your body. They then draw up the design ahead of your appointment, and there is usually a chance to see it and talk through any changes before the needle starts. Every artist works a little differently, so ask them directly what their process looks like.
Do you do cover-ups?
Yes, cover-up work is something our artists do regularly. Bring in a photo of the existing tattoo, or come and show us in person, so your artist can talk you through what will and will not work over the top of it.
Can I bring someone with me?
Bringing a support person along is fine, especially for a first tattoo or a longer session. Keep in mind the studio is a working space, so check with us on the day if you are planning on bringing more than one or two people.
Tell us what you are thinking about
Send through the idea, roughly where on your body it is going and how big you are picturing it. If you have reference images, mention them and we will ask you to bring them in. For anything urgent, ring the shop.
- Ring the shop
- (02) 4257 8288
- Open
- Mon to Fri 10:00 to 5:00pm
Sat 10:00 to 4:00pm, Sun closed