Tattoo You Alli Baker

Dan Lorenzo: I’m a big fan of Austin. Do you see yourself moving again or is Austin someplace you’ll stay a while?

- Dan Lorenzo

Alli Baker: I plan on staying in Austin, Texas. In fact I just bought a home in Austin. I have my private studio here as well, and I book all appointments through www.allibakertattoo.com

I see you at every convention I go to. What is your primary motivation to going to so many conventions as opposed to kicking back in Austin?

I’d say... I’m not much of a kick-back kind of girl. Ambition feeds my art and meeting new artists and clients is a great way to grow and adapt to new experiences. My studio here in Austin is appointment only, but I am addicted to the road and want to grow as an artist. Being around so much talent at an expo like the Villain Arts Tattoo Conventions puts me at a great advantage to learn new things from other talented artists, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to be there. It’s also tons of fun and I have a wide range of clientele all over, so I get to meet them and do amazing projects at the same time.

Do you worry that there are too many artists and too many shops now?

There are way more artists and shops than ever before, but I feel like quality talent will always outweigh quantity. A client can see the difference in work, and if they choose a less qualified shop or artist, that’s their choice. I just hope a person looks very carefully at the artist’s portfolio for the style they want; things like line work, shading, light value, color contrast, balance in the deign, beyond just the individual tattoos in the book.

How surprised were you when Rebel Ink named you in their top 20?