A Fort Collins native, Austin Rand specializes in illustrative black & grey and color Neo-Traditional tattooing. His work is known for clean and precise linework, smooth grey shading, high contrast, bold color, and thoughtful use of texture and stippling depending on the piece.

Austin especially enjoys tattooing florals, botanicals, animals, and other organic imagery. He also has a strong interest in sci-fi and fantasy subject matter, including custom robots, dragons, wizards, and other imaginative designs, and would like to continue growing that side of his portfolio.

One of the most important parts of Austin’s design process is how the artwork lives on the body. He makes intentional decisions based on anatomy and placement, allowing the natural flow of the body to become part of the design. He also puts a strong emphasis on how his tattoos are applied, heal, and age over time.

Austin would like to continue taking on more large-scale custom work, including sleeves, leg pieces, and back pieces, while still being happy to work on smaller projects. His approach is collaborative and laid-back, and consultations are an important part of his process. He likes to understand what his clients do and do not like, while also building enough trust and creative freedom to use his skill set to create something custom for them.

Austin has been tattooing since 2019 and joined Black Oak Tattoo in 2022. Outside of tattooing and drawing, he also enjoys oil painting and frequently paints local landscapes.

For Austin, the best work comes from collaboration, trust, creative freedom, and a shared excitement about the final design.