Shawn Huffman was born in Maryland in November 1977. He is a tattoo artist and painter living and working in Marquette, Mich., a quiet college town nestled in the scenic Upper Peninsula. He learned some of his fundamental skills through Art Instruction Schools and in the summer of 2002, he moved to Dayton, Ohio to further his training with a tattoo apprenticeship. After building his portfolio at the New Breed Tattoo shops in Dayton and Richmond, Ind., he moved back to his home in Marquette to open The Inkwell Tattoo with two partners in the spring of 2012.

His work varies from toothy monsters to beautiful muses featuring watercolor, acrylic, or simply pencil and ink. Huffman’s influences stem from 1980’s horror films, strange cartoons, comic books and album artwork. He learned how to manipulate letters and spray paint graffiti while living in Ohio, and this practice transitioned into large indoor acrylic murals on blank walls. Huffman’s tattoo designs can be as simple as script lettering or as intricate as a fully detailed sleeve. Although tattooing is his primary source of income, he enjoys occasional commission work for creating flyers for music events or custom paintings, and he also dabbles in photography in his down time. Huffman enjoys working alongside local artists or by himself in a secluded area of the local library or neighborhood coffee shop.