Black Spade Society
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A single tattoo chair lit by one overhead lamp in a dark, near-empty studio.
The

Black Spade

Society

A private tattoo studio built on bold design, clean execution, and artist-driven expression.

300 N Appleton St · Appleton, Wisconsin
I — The House

More than a tattoo space.

The Black Spade Society is a creative studio rooted in individuality, precision, and atmosphere. Three resident artists and one permanent guest, one room, no assembly line — the shop stays small on purpose so the work doesn't get rushed.

Every piece is drawn for the person wearing it. A first small piece, a cover-up you've been quiet about for years, a full sleeve built session by session — same drafting table, same standard.

Make it meaningful. Make it sharp. Make it yours.

II — Disciplines

What gets drawn here.

01Black & grey realismPortrait · Statuary · Wildlife
02Large-scale workBuilt over sessions
03Illustrative & pop cultureFilm · Comics · Animation
04Fine line & scriptBotanical · Lettering
05Cover‑ups & reworksConsult required
06Freehand & flashFlash days posted to IG
III — The Society

Four artists. One room.

Each artist keeps their own book and their own style. Find the hand whose work fits your idea, then go straight to them.

Books open and close independently. If an artist's DMs are quiet, they're heads-down in a session — leave the message and it gets answered.

IV — The Work

Work from the room.

A full back piece in black and grey realism: Medusa with snakes in her hair beside a laurelled marble bust, chariot horses across the lower back.
Medusa & marble · full back
A full back piece of a Buddha with hands in prayer, rendered in soft black and grey with magnolia blossoms.
Buddha · full back
A forearm sleeve: a woman’s face half-hidden behind a traditional Japanese mask, in black and grey.
Geisha & mask · forearm
Two classical marble faces carved into an upper arm in black and grey realism.
Marble faces · upper arm
A helmeted Spartan warrior in profile with a winged shield, on the thigh.
Spartan · thigh
A woman’s face in a feathered headdress, realism across the back of a hand.
Portrait · hand
A rose and a woman’s eyes and lips over handwritten script, across the shoulder blade.
Rose & script · shoulder
A bison head in black and grey realism on the shoulder.
Bison · shoulder
A horror-film portrait in black and grey realism on the upper arm.
Horror portrait · arm
A horror leg sleeve with a masked figure and a clawed glove, black and grey.
Horror sleeve · calf
A half sleeve of cartoon turtles over a New York street scene, black and grey with orange bandanas.
Turtles · half sleeve
An illustrative character over a honeycomb pattern on the upper arm.
Illustrative · upper arm
V — House Rules

How a piece gets made.

01 Inquiry

Send your idea, placement, and rough size to the artist whose work fits it. A photo of the spot tells us more than a paragraph will.

02 Consult

We talk through what will fit, what will age well, and what it costs. Honest answers, no upsell. Cover-ups always start here.

03 Deposit

A deposit holds your date and comes off the final price. Reschedules are fine with notice — no-shows forfeit it.

04 Session

Eat beforehand, hydrate, bring headphones. Written aftercare goes home with you, and touch-up questions are always free.

Walk-ins happen when a chair opens up. Flash days get posted to Instagram first — following the artists is the fastest way to catch one.

VI — The Inquiry

Tell us what you're after.

The more detail here, the faster an artist can tell you whether it fits, how long it'll take, and what it costs. Nothing is locked in until you've talked to them.

We need a name to put on the book.

Add an email we can reply to.

Tell us where it's going.

Give us a couple of sentences to work from.

We can't book anyone under 18 — no exceptions.

VII — Reference Board

Show us what you're drawn to.

Pin anything that helps — other tattoos, photographs, album art, a pattern off a rug. Images stay on your device until you send them.

Drag inspiration photos here

JPG, PNG, HEIC or WEBP · up to 8 images · resized for sending, so big phone photos are fine

0 of 8 references

Or paste a link

Instagram posts, Pinterest boards, anything with a URL. Often easier than saving the image first.

You'll get a chance to review everything before it goes anywhere.

Your inquiry is ready.

VIII — Rent a Space

Room to build your own book.

The Society isn't only a tattoo studio. We keep private studio rooms of different sizes for people who'd rather run their own thing than work someone else's counter — tattoo artists, barbers, stylists, and anyone else who does careful work one client at a time.

Space 01 — Largest · fits 1–4 artists

The Suite

The biggest room in the building, with its own door and enough floor for up to four artists working at once — or fewer stations plus a waiting nook and retail shelf. Suited to a small team, or to someone running more than one service out of one space.

1–4 artists Small team Retail space
Rates on request
Space 02 — Private room · fits 1–2 artists

The Room

A private, lockable room for one or two artists. Door closes, music is yours, clients get quiet — every space in the building is its own room; nothing is out on an open floor.

1–2 artists Tattoo Barber Stylist PMU Piercing Lash & brow Esthetics
Rates on request
  • Your own hours, your own booking, your own clients
  • Utilities and Wi-Fi included
  • Shared waiting area and street-front entrance
  • Common areas cleaned for you
  • Listed on the studio door and our socials
Ask about availability See the location

Spaces don't come open often. Worth asking before one is advertised.

IX — Current Tenants

Who's in the building.

The independents working out of the Society's rooms right now. Each runs their own book, their own hours, and their own pricing — reach them directly on Instagram to ask questions or get on their schedule.

Tenants come and go as rooms open up. If you'd like to be on this list, ask about a space.

X — Visit

Come find the room.

300 N Appleton St
Appleton, WI 54911

Hours

Appointment-first. Walk-ins subject to chair availability — check Instagram for the day.

Age

18+ with valid photo ID. No exceptions.