Toby Linwood
Tattoo interests and specialties: large scale tattoos, neo tribal, traditional tribal, black work, fine lines, micro tattoos, dot work, mandala, floral, ornamental, illustrative, script, single needle, cover up tattoos.
Books closed.
Toby participates in most Walk-in Wednesday’s September- May.
Toby’s in progress tattoo clients:
If you have a tattoo started by Toby and you want to get on his calendar (at any point) for him to finish it, fill out this form:
This form is to get a comprehensive list of Toby’s in progress clients so we have updated info so Nisha can contact you!
To schedule a tattoo touch up or for a question about an upcoming tattoo appointment with Toby, text Nisha at: 415-370-1298
Nisha, Toby’s wife and the other owner of the tattoo shop, runs the shop and Toby’s tattoo schedule. Nisha is the point of contact for Toby’s clients.
Toby Linwood (he/him) is a BIPOC (Black & Indigenous Person of Color) tattoo shop owner and licensed tattoo artist at Tattoo 34 in Portland, OR. Toby has been tattooing since 2010. He started his tattoo career in the Bay Area and then moved with his family to continue his profession in Portland. Toby started his passion for art in Southern Oregon, as a graffiti artist when he was a teen. Between that art form and this one he has taught art to children, done graphic and interior design, painted, drew, sculpted, carved, and etched, among so many other art-related endeavors. He has had his sculptures featured at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada, at the "Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest Award Show" and on the "Queen Latifah Show".
Toby said he enjoys tattooing because, "I love working with and creating artwork with other people. I've created artwork in many other forms but this one is more lasting and personal." Toby is comfortable doing most styles of tattooing and can be very adaptive however he is narrowing down his tattoo focus to encompass the styles and content he finds most fulfilling to tattoo: large scale neo-tribal that stems from Toby’s Afro-Indigenous roots, floral, ornamental work, traditional tribal, black work or a mix of those styles. Toby is also known for his script, lettering work and cover up/rework ability. Toby's passion and dedication to his art shows in every tattoo he creates.
Toby stays busy between his art, this business, his family and participating in his own, as well as his wife's tribal ceremonies. Toby is striving for a healthy work/life balance and focusing his tattoo schedule to prioritize his personal and professional goals.
Things to know about scheduling w/Toby.
Toby only tattoos on weekdays (Monday-Friday), during the day time. His tattoo sessions start in the morning.
Toby tattoos on walk-in Wednesday most weeks September- May. No appointment is necessary for walk-in day’s. Walk in’s are first come, first served (with an appropriate walk-in concept-see the walk in page for examples). 1-2 hr tattoos only. Walk in day’s start at noon and requires patience. Last call is generally around 6pm.
Toby’s tattoo sessions ( Tues, Thurs. and Fri) are goal oriented appointments (not time based) and include:
His focus on you and your project - Toby only does one session per day
Collaborative design time
Confirming the perfect placement
Drawing directly on your skin (see below for Toby’s tattoo process)
Tattoo time (needle to skin)
Touch up if applicable, on tattoo(s) from past sessions
Any other time that you need (to make decisions, take pain breaks, stretch, eat, etc.)
These appointment times vary in length depending on the design, decisions, drawing time on your skin, breaks and the tattoo process. When using the scheduling link (sent by Nisha) to book an appointment with Toby the time indicated is only a place holder for the appointment and not an accurate representation of the session length.
Monday’s are reserved for previous clients: tattoo touch up’s and shorter tattoo appointments (3 hours or less) with established clients who have a lower tolerance for longer sessions. For one of these types of appointments, text Nisha: 415-370-1298
Payments are per session and expected: half for the deposit (to hold the date), and the other half the day of your tattoo appointment.
Toby’s tattoo process:
He will freehand, meaning drawing the "stencil" right on to your skin (see examples below) instead of applying a pre-drawn and printed stencil. Toby uses markers to draw the concept straight on your skin. This process happens in real time. Toby likes having that collaborative design time with you, the ability to make the placement perfect for the location on your body, and the confirmation you love the placement and design before tattooing.
Toby wants the content he will be tattooing to be fresh. He has his own creative process and the way he creates best is in the zone and under pressure, which is why he draws the design on you, the day of and can easily loose track of time. Toby puts a lot of care in to every piece and prefers full days where he can focus on your tattoo only and get in to a flow state with the design and process.
If you have a specific out time on appointment day, please let Nisha know when you schedule and tell Toby the day of. For best results schedule your appointment when you can come in with an open day, an open mind and with trust and patience.
Touch up’s: If your project is a multi session tattoo project Toby will generally touch up as he goes (during the next appointment). Once a piece is totally complete and healed (at least 4 weeks) and if it needs a short touch up please contact Nisha by text (415-370-1298) to schedule. For Toby’s tattoos a “free touch up” is within the first year of completion of the whole project and generally takes 2 hours or less.
Walk-in’s consist of pre drawn tattoo flash options as well as small/short custom tattoo requests. In general walk in tattoos are small or simple and take 2 hours or less. Walk in day’s require patience! Walk in’s are not for clients who want to continue on a large piece or start a big project. Toby participates in most of the tattoo shop’s walk in Wednesday September-May. If you come in for a walk in tattoo and after healing think a touch up is needed, you can come back in on a Wednesday that Toby is working and get it done.
Drawn on and then tattooed, before and after pics:
FAQ’s about scheduling with Toby.
-
The short answer is Toby is only one person and he can’t increase production without sacrificing the quality of the tattoos he does, his personal health and quality time with his family.
We have implemented a weekly walk-in day (for tattoos that are 2 hours or less) so tattoo clients can get in quicker for small pieces.
As a new client, it does take a long time to get in. Priority for “in progress” tattoo appointments is given to clients with already started tattoos. Toby is an artist and he prefers finishing started work, so his artwork is complete.
Once you do get in, you will also benefit from being able to schedule multiple sessions (4 weeks a part, if desired) to finish a large piece.
When Covid hit in 2020 we started a waitlist for Toby to keep track of people who wanted to work with him while we were shut down and through our slow reopening. We are still honoring the promise we made to those people who have been waiting. We are working through Toby’s clients who have tattoos in progress and who signed up on his waitlist in 2020/21. Once everyone from that list has the opportunity to schedule a tattoo appointment, Toby will finally open up for new tattoo project proposals.
-
The online calendar only allows scheduling 2- 3 months out. More days will open as we go.
A few days each month are blocked out for reschedules and flexibility. Those can become available as we get closer to them.
We want anyone who is sick to change their appointment date and be able to reasonably rebook.
If you can’t find an available date right now, check back periodically at the link, more days continue to open.
Toby doesn’t tattoo in Portland most of June-August to prepare for and participate in Tribal ceremony so those dates will always be unavailable.
-
We added this question (it is not a required question) to some of Toby’s client forms because prioritizing Indigenous/Native, Black and other POC (People of Color) tattoo clients is important to us.
Toby is one of only a few Indigenous and/or Black tattoo artists in Portland, OR.
If it is important to a client to have a cultural connection and understanding of identity with their tattoo artist as an Indigenous, Black, or a Person of Color, we want to recognize that and prioritize those tattoo clients.
What clients are saying about Toby and the tattoo shop:
I absolutely LOVED working with Toby Linwood on this flash tattoo that he originally designed for Chuck Palahniuk’s book “Consider This’. Every step of the process (from the consultation to the finished product) was a pleasant experience. He was professional, precise, and easy to talk to. The tattoo has healed wonderfully. The pricing was incredibly reasonable. I would absolutely recommend Tattoo 34 to anyone.
— Sarah 8/21 (google)
“So grateful for Toby and the experience. I felt safe, emotionally supported, and seen and my tattoo, which he designed and created, was the perfect visual representation of my journey of reclamation of my Native heritage. This experience was truly a gift.”
— Molly W. 2/21 (yelp)
“I had a fantastic experience at Tattoo 34. Toby is amazing. Actually, Toby is a bad ass! Went in for a consultation to update a tired, faded and old tattoo I had on my shoulder. After the consultation, I sent him a few ideas about what I was thinking. On the day of my appointment, we talked about the design, he pulled up a couple of examples and he created a masterpiece half sleeve cover-up. His work is amazing! Even his staff was engaged in the process. The vibe in his shop was so relaxed and super chill it was hard to believe I spend the day there. Toby is great and the experience in his shop was truly amazing!”
— J.P. 4/24 (yelp)
“Absolutely amazing experience. Toby is a beautiful human. I will never forget this piece, the stories we shared, and we will definitely be seeing him again in the good fight!”
— July H.
“Went in yesterday for touch up. Great experience!
My tattoo was near perfect, but Toby made a couple suggestions on how to improve and make the colors really pop. I accepted. Here is a man that stands by his work and knows his art reflects on him. None of that “there you go, it’s done. Gimme my money” Even after he’s done Toby looks at how his work can be improved.
Thank you for a great tattoo and human experience.”
— Dan P. 11/18 (yelp)
“Toby is great to work with, super patient and focused on helping the client to feel comfortable with the art they are choosing. I really appreciate how he talked to me through the process.”
— Tina A. 10/20 (square)
“Toby had so much patience with my ton of ideas. With his talent and creativity he captured what I was looking for. Looking forward to our next session.”
— Katrina J. 1/22 (square)
“I now have two pieces completed by Toby. I work as a touch/energy therapist. From my experience with my work I can vouch for Toby’s wonderful care of his clients. He is a gentle and loving spirit with an amazing ability to transform an artistic concept into a stunning and unique tattoo. His touch is caring and light and you can see his passion for his work shine. I trust his ability to craft a tattoo in the spirit of what I imagine and I would encourage you to give him as much creative freedom as you can with your piece. Every time I have given him freedom to express his artistic creativity with my tattoos he has blown my mind and left me extremely happy.”
— Adam C. (facebook)
“I got my first tattoo, and I am extremely happy to say that I did not leave disappointed. Toby first spoke to me while I babbled in my nervousness and I showed him a quick sketch I’d done of an idea I’d like to have tattooed. He looked at my tattoo, listened to my idea, and hashed out more about the piece I was hoping to get. Within minutes, he had a good idea of what I’d wanted.
Toby took my idea and did a freehand sketch before tattooing. He made sure that I was comfortable with the idea, and liked the design before he put ink in skin. I felt that he was extremely accommodating and professional throughout the process as well - he would check in to make sure that I was doing ok, and that the tattoo was looking the way I wanted it to.
The end result is stunning, and better than anything I could have hoped for. Toby executed my idea brilliantly and he knew how to draw a straight line really well! I’m especially awed at the fact that what I’d asked was an equal sign (meaning straight edges and straight lines throughout) and how he did all that freehand!
I love my tattoo, and love the fact that this shop is minority-owned and is a safe space for all. It is listed on Gay PDX’s site as one of the inclusive tattoo shops around Portland, and comes highly recommended for anyone who wants to get good tattoos while being treated fairly. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and can’t wait to get another tattoo!”
— Julie L.
“Toby was very thoughtful and considerate. He helped replicate my sister’s writing. I look forward to working with Toby again because of the delivery of the piece, his kindness and professionalism. It’s a plus that Tattoo 34 is Black and Indigenous owned and share some of the same values as me!”
— T. Morrison 11/21 (instagram post)
Great vibe in the shop, Toby was my artist and he was fantastic to work with. He gave me some advice on changing the design a little
to add more shading and I'm so glad I went with it because it looks better than I imagined. I will definitely be coming back.
— Mason R. 2/23 (google)
