Sat in the centre of the bustling, alternative city of Edinburgh, a tattoo studio serves the needs of tattoo lovers near and far – this is Semper Tattoo.

This carefully considered studio, built by David Corden to reflect the history of the area, is home to a diverse roster of tattoo artists including the colour realism expert himself.

We chatted with Anna, studio manager at Semper Tattoo, about the studio’s relaxed vibes, those essential products the team order from Killer Ink, and the wildest tattoos they’ve ever done!

What’s your name, and what’s your role at Semper Tattoo?

My name is Anna, and I am the studio manager.  

When was Semper Tattoo opened, and by who?

Semper was opened in August 2015 by artist/owner David Corden.  

Which artists work there currently and what styles do they specialise in?

David Corden: Realism, portraits of people and animals and the occasional pin up girl (Gil Elvgren’s work is his favourite to tattoo).

Joanne Baker: Watercolour, abstract brushwork. Especially enjoys tattooing mythological creatures and animals.

Keira Kirkpatrick: Colour realism, flora and fauna.

Hurricane Dana: Illustrative fineline/dotwork. Especially enjoys tattooing New Zealand birds and flowers, cats, scenery and lady faces.

Poppy Luna: Fantasy blackwork, nature, gothic, witchy. Especially enjoys tattooing dragons.

Calum Cochrane: Neo-traditional/ornamental.

Mika Munro: Neo-romantic style lady faces.

Lara Thompson-Edwards: Lara has a few preferred styles, and they are basically the opposite of each other! She loves doing bright, colourful illustrative tattoos that are influenced by western traditional and Japanese tattooing, as well as cartoons and other fun references she picks up along the way. She also loves tattooing portraits, either minimal linework (maybe with a fun colour fade) or black and grey (ideally from her favourite movies or tv series).

Aly Thompson-Edwards: Aly would describe his style as a modern/whimsical take on western traditional tattooing.  

Erica McLure (junior artist): Illustrative blackwork, still exploring styles but she loves tattooing cats!

Do you feature any guest artists alongside the regular artists that make up the team at Semper Tattoo?

Our regular guest artists include:

How do you manage to keep the space organised with so many artists working in such different styles?

Each of our resident artists has their own station, where they display artwork that reflects their individual styles and preferences. The stations are from TatSoul, the hydraulic tattoo chairs are from Plinth, all purchased through Killer Ink back when we first opened the studio.

What is the atmosphere and environment of Semper Tattoo studio?

Semper is located in the Edinburgh’s Grassmarket, a marketplace since 1477. In the past, the square was also used for public executions.

We are lucky enough to have a spectacular view of Edinburgh castle, which sits atop an extinct volcano.

The building is over 450 years old, one of the oldest in the Grassmarket. So far as we’ve been able to ascertain it was a grain store and, somewhat more recently, the Bank of Glasgow. The bank’s stone crest is visible above the shopfront and the solid oak shutters are also still present. David has made every effort to reflect the historic nature of the building in the design and decoration of the studio.

The studio is an open plan, which helps to foster a collaborative creative environment.  All of our artists work in very different styles, and clients may come in for a fine line tattoo but are also able to watch a realism, neo-traditional, or watercolour tattoo being done. This also allows for the artists to observe and learn from one another.

We try to maintain a calming environment and always have tea and coffee available.

Do you run any special promotions, themed days or fundraisers throughout the year?

We have done two charity events for The Cats Protection in the past. Lara, Aly, Joanne and Calum recently hosted a charity flash day benefitting UNFPA. Erica recently hosted a flash day benefitting the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

How often do you place an order with Killer Ink, and what are some of your most ordered products?

We place an order every 2-3 weeks. Most of the artists order cartridges. We frequently order Vaseline, tongue depressors, razors, cleaning supplies, ink caps, micropore tape, gloves, grip wrap, etc. With the exception of David (who is sponsored), many of the artists also order Dermalize and Hustle Butter products. Joanne particularly likes Hive caps and also orders cartridge trays.

How is your studio decorated?

David put a lot of work into restoring the original period features of the building (moulding, ceiling rose, and other decorative details), giving the studio a Georgian feel. This is also reflected in the lighting fixtures, cast iron radiators, hardware, and signage he selected. The walls are decorated with artwork that was gifted to the studio by friends, current and former resident artists, and guest artists. Our tattoo chairs from Plinth are a burgundy colour that blends in nicely with the deep red colour of the walls.

What is the tattoo scene like in Edinburgh, and what sets you apart from the rest?

There are quite a lot of tattoo studios in Edinburgh, and we’ve found it to be a friendly and supportive community. When we feel an artist from another studio is best suited to a client’s project, we are happy to recommend them. We are also aware that clients have been recommended to us by other studios and are very grateful for this collaborative community spirit.

We always do our best to provide a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment for our clients. We try to achieve this using a combination of a comfortable and visually appealing space to be tattooed in, good music, tea, coffee and sweets, and (hopefully mostly entertaining) chat from other artists and staff.

What do you look for in a new tattoo artist to join, guest spot or apprentice at your studio?

We look for artists with a unique style, enthusiasm for their craft, and who fit in well with the team.

What aftercare advice and products do you have for clients?

Most of our artists recommend Dermalize unless the client has an adhesive allergy. We also use Hustle Butter.

What are some of the more unusual or unique tattoo requests your artists have ever received?

David: Bishop Brennan kicking Father Ted in the rear end.

Joanne: A panda dressed as Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, clown girl with goldfish in bags floating away on balloons, T-Rex dressed as a fairy, duckling in a raincoat, seal with a frog hat, sexy ghost in suspenders, a Simpsons version of Mulder and Scully. Joanne gets a lot of unique and unusual requests, but these stand out!

Keira: All of her tattoos are unique as flowers have certain meanings to her clients, and often represent life events and destinations.

Poppy: A magical sleeve involving a narwahl but including farm animals.

Dana: A kiwi bird poking his head out of some ferns. This client got married at the Wellington Zoo and when they were doing wedding photos behind the scenes, a cheeky kiwi bird poked his beak out the back of the enclosure and tapped him on the shoulder. Dana loves hearing the stories behind clients’ tattoos!

Calum: A taco UFO abducting a burrito.

Mika: The face of Danny Devito (as Frank from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) stacked 3 times in a hot pink gradient.

Lara: ‘I scream, you scream, we all scream because life is hard and then we die’ in comic sans. This was a flash design she made. For custom requests, a really cute bird sitting on a severed penis, and a garter of some hotdogs chasing some donuts in a sexy and very consensual way.

Aly: A frog getting psychotherapy from a heron, a wizard snoozing on some huge boobs, and the creature from the black lagoon wearing tartan trousers, playing banjo on a tree stump.

Erica: A cockroach on a rocket.

If your tattoo artists were superheroes, what would their powers be based on their tattooing skills?

David: Professor X, mainly because he’s bald, but also because he can convince people that he’s someone else.

Poppy: Reading the planets.

Mika: Shapeshifter like Mystique as she spends so much time studying lady faces.

Joanne: Taking seemingly straightforward things and turning them into a technicolour fever dream.

Calum: Putting people at ease.

Dana: Being resilient and not caring about what other people think.

Lara: Something like Lila Pitts from Umbrella Academy. She can absorb whatever powers are possessed by people nearby, and that’s basically what tattooing is - learning from the people around you.

Aly: Super speed.

Will the team be at any conventions this year?

Calgary Tattoo & Arts Festival and Big North Tattoo Show in Newcastle!

Huge thanks to Anna for painting a picture of this lovely studio and the tattoo scene in Edinburgh in general! Find the studio on Instagram or Facebook, and share your Semper Tattoo originals with us!