CLINTON HILL — A new tattoo parlor is making its mark on Clinton Hill.
Brand-new house of ink All Wolves No Sheep, AWNS for short, opened up last week at 920 Fulton St., the former nail salon between Washington Avenue and St. James Place.
Tattoo artist and AWNS founder Joseph Grooney, a.k.a. JOSF, broke off from Bed-Stuy parlor Big Bang Ink along with fellow tattoo artists Samantha Park, Tig Quest and Sweet Ass Lew to form their own shop. Each of the artists specializes in particular tattoo forms, according to JOSF: Park is especially gifted at intricate designs, Tig Quest at color and Sweet Ass Lew at illustrative and traditional work.
Grooney, 31, was a muralist and graffiti artist in his hometown of San Francisco before making the switch to skin. Graffiti informs his style, he said.
"In graffiti, I’m known for my long, straight lines, my controlled linework and lettering, that’s my strong suit in tattooing, is lettering, and foundational, you know like, really solid lines," he said.
"I try to explain to people, how sensitive spray paint is to walls, and the depth and the power and all that, the drip and the control — it’s the same thing with tattooing."
Grooney moved to Brooklyn to co-parent his 6-year-old daughter, who was playing in the shop Monday. He hopes AWNS will be an inviting place for people interested in the process to hang out and relax. He enjoys when people come in for a consultation about ideas, whether or not a tattoo is in the near future, he said.
"I like doing those more than anything, people just come and talk," he said. "Even if they’re like 50/50 on an idea, I usually talk 'em out of it."
"A lot of guys are so pushy about it," he added, "and then someone’s like ‘I kinda like it.’ You kinda like it? You got this for the rest of your life, you kinda like it."
Tattooing costs $160 per hour, or an $80 minimum. The shop opens daily at noon.
"Come on in, come on check us out," Grooney said. "We don’t bite."
