Liquid Courage tattoo artist Chad Elsasser puts the finishing touches on a client's tattoo. (Andrea Barbe/The Gateway)
Devin Ferguson sits in an art-covered room, diligently doodling into a sketchbook he has set down on a leather lounge chair that looks like it belongs in the office of a prominent dentist. In a way, Ferguson's career is similar to that of a dentist: every day, he stands above clients who willingly experience pain to somehow better themselves. His focus, however, is not on dental work - it's on tattoos.
Ferguson is a tattoo artist and part owner of Liquid Courage, a local custom tattoo shop located in midtown Omaha. As one of eight tattoo artists in the shop, he draws designs by hand specifically for each of his clients, no matter how complex the designs may be.
Voted in KETV's 2008 A-list awards as the No. 1 spot for tattooing and piercing in the metro, Liquid Courage experienced a change of scenery. The shop recently moved to a new location near 75th and Pacific streets from their previous studio just south of 84th and Center streets. Ferguson described the move as "the next step to take" for the parlor; a natural progression for any small business looking for the opportunity to expand.
The shop's success comes from the ever-increasing popularity of tattoos and piercings, particularly among college students.
According to a 2003 survey conducted by and published in American Demographics, approximately 43 percent of 21-year-olds have at least one tattoo or body piercing.
Ferguson said he has noticed the local popularity of body art. He said Omaha is becoming "heavily tattooed." He credits the change in norms with the fact that tattoos and body piercings don't have the same social connotation that they had in years past.
"People are beginning to realize that tattoos are not just for bikers and hookers anymore," Ferguson said. "They're for everybody."
Liquid Courage has gained quite a following from local college students looking for custom tattoos at reasonable prices.
UNO junior Phil Manley has gotten four tattoos from the parlor. He said he chose the location after hearing about it from friends.
"People choose Liquid Courage because of reputation," Manley said. "All the people there are really nice and willing to work with you."
This focus on customer experience is one of the major goals for Liquid Courage. Ferguson said that every client who walks in gets to sit down with an artist while they bounce ideas off each other. It's a rare chance to work with an artist on a final design, as opposed to "walking in and picking a design off the wall," Ferguson said. "Everyone gets a tattoo to be original."
This dedication to custom tattooing is what led Ferguson and two fellow tattoo artists, Johnna McCreary and Jason Brown, to open Omaha's first-ever custom tattoo shop eight years ago. Since then, Liquid Courage has expanded to include eight tattoo artists and two body piercers.
For those considering tattoos, Ferguson said trends seem to be leaning towards the classics and away from the obscure. For college students, he said tattoos have been getting larger in size. He has noticed that many clients come to the parlor seeking traditional American and Japanese tattoos, ranging from simple words that carry meaning for the client to simple symbols like stars and anchors.
"Classic, simple motifs are coming back into popularity," he said. "People are looking for something timeless as opposed to era-specific."
Sophomore Jillian Endebrock's tattoo is one example. She chose to get the words "freedom," "beauty," "truth" and "love" wrapped around her ankle.
"They are four words that are really positive and beautiful, and words that should all be a part of an ideal world," Endebrock said.
While some opt for getting inked with traditional words, pictures or phrases, others opt for something a bit more obscure.
"I remember a guy who flat-out insisted on a Tasmanian devil with a jester hat on, holding a bong in one hand and a Bud Light in another," Ferguson said. "Almost nothing shocks me anymore."
In addition to personalizing tattoos, Liquid Courage attracts so many college students because of price. Ferguson said the price is based on one session per tattoo piece and on time spent for multiple session tattoos. There is a minimum price of $60 with multiple session tattoos at a rate of $100 per hour. For those looking to get inked, a deposit is required to hold an appointment, but that money does go towards the price of the tattoo.
On the other hand, Ferguson says the price of body piercings has become relatively inexpensive in comparison.
"Piercings are less expensive because there are more manufacturers out there making great jewelry," he said.
Ferguson continued to say that delicate facial piercings are most requested by females. Popular ones include nostril piercings and the Monroe, a stud on the left side above the upper lip that resembles the beauty mark on Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe's face. In contrast, males tend to do eyebrow piercings and other larger industrial piercings on the face.
While Liquid Courage has only been in business since 2000, Ferguson's dream is to be in the tattooing industry for the next 20 years.
"I'm obsessed with becoming the best tattooer and shop owner I can be," he wrote on the Liquid Courage Web site. "That way I don't have to get a real job."
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