What started with henna, a persistent group of friends, and one very unexpected apprenticeship has brought tattoo artist Taylor Helman from Ontario, Canada, all the way to Roswell, Georgia.
Now joining Ink & Dagger as our newest resident artist, Taylor specializes in fine line, microrealism, black and grey, minimalism, florals, and pet portraits. Her work is delicate and highly detailed, often drawing inspiration from the animals, landscapes, flowers, and natural environments she has loved throughout her life.
For Taylor, joining Ink & Dagger is also the beginning of something entirely new: her first opportunity to live somewhere new, explore a different city, and continue developing her craft alongside a studio full of artists.
And, as it turns out, none of it was originally part of the plan.
An Unexpected Start in Tattooing
Before Taylor ever picked up a tattoo machine, she had already spent more than eight years working with henna and had always been artistic. But turning that creativity into a career wasn’t necessarily something she had planned for herself.
Her friends, however, had other ideas.
During COVID, Taylor’s friend Kaitlin won a contest for a free tattoo. Taylor came along for the appointment, and while talking with the tattoo artist, Kaitlin mentioned Taylor’s artwork and the fact that her friends had been encouraging her for years to do something more with it.
By coincidence, the artist happened to be looking for an apprentice.
A few weeks later, Kaitlin invited Taylor over for dinner and surprised her with the news that there was an apprenticeship opportunity waiting for her.
“I was so blindsided at the time,” Taylor remembers. “I was working at Bath & Body Works, and I remember sitting there with all my friends and I just started crying tears of happiness.”
All she had to do was take the next step.
Taylor eventually worked up the courage to email her portfolio to the artist.
“He just hired me on the spot.”
From there, an unexpected opportunity turned into a career.
From Ontario to Roswell
Taylor had always wanted to travel, discover new places, and experience what it was like to live somewhere different. Moving from Ontario to Georgia gave her the chance to finally do it.
As she searched for a studio in the Roswell area, one name kept coming up: Ink & Dagger.
“I believe hearing about Ink & Dagger from quite a few people around Roswell really pushed me, because it seemed like the best possible place I could find,” she says.
When Taylor walked into the studio, Ink & Dagger owner and artist Russ Abbott happened to be there. The two started talking, and the timing simply worked.
“It just happened to be the right day and time.”
Beyond finding a new studio, Taylor was looking for an environment where she could continue learning. Joining a team with a wide range of experienced resident artists was a major part of what drew her to Ink & Dagger.
“I wanted to learn from the best artists I possibly could.”
Now, she’s looking forward to learning something new every day while getting to know Roswell and Atlanta along the way.
“Like Using a Sharp Pencil on the Skin”
Taylor describes her tattoo style with a simple comparison: “like using a sharp pencil on the skin.”
Her work is fine, light, and intentionally delicate.
“People often see bold traditional work, which I love, but it’s not always what they want,” she explains.
For clients who gravitate toward subtle tattoos, intricate details, softer black and grey, or small-scale realism, Taylor’s approach offers something different.
Her favorites include microrealism, freehand florals, and pet portraits.
Working at such a small scale, however, requires more than simply shrinking a detailed drawing. Taylor has learned how important contrast, negative space, and visual tricks are when creating tattoos that remain readable without becoming overcrowded.
With something like animal fur, for example, tattooing every individual hair isn’t realistic or necessarily what will create the most convincing result. Instead, Taylor can use tiny dots and shading between areas of hair to create the illusion of texture.
“It’s like drawing in reverse because you can’t draw every blade of hair.”
That understanding has developed significantly since she began tattooing. Early in her career, Taylor says she had to teach herself how to move beyond creating a flat design and start thinking about the body itself.
Her work now considers how a tattoo flows with the skin, curves around the body, and uses open space to create detail without overwhelming a small composition.
Inspired by the Natural World
Spend a little time looking through Taylor’s portfolio and you’ll quickly notice recurring subjects: flowers, animals, wildlife, landscapes, and pets.
That connection to nature goes all the way back to the art she created in high school.
“I was always drawn to anything that included animals, nature, florals,” Taylor says. “I’m very in touch with nature as opposed to everyday objects, and it just brings me joy to do that organic subject matter.”
Travel has only strengthened that connection.
Taylor loves hiking in the Canadian Rockies, where mountain formations, rocks, forests, and tree lines have become sources of inspiration for her work.
“Seeing the shapes of the rocks and mountains and tree lines really inspires me and makes me want to do nature inspired pieces,” she says. “It brings me joy because it brings me back to the mountains. I really want to feel that connection to the art piece.”
Now that she’s living in Georgia, she’s excited to find new sources of inspiration closer to home, particularly through the outdoor spaces around Roswell and Atlanta.
Turning a Favorite Photo Into a Pet Portrait
Of all the subjects Taylor tattoos, pet portraits hold a particularly special place in her portfolio.
And while she jokes that her favorite part is making clients cry when they see the finished piece, the emotion behind those reactions really is what makes the experience meaningful to her.
“That’s the main thing I look forward to,” she says. “Once I put the white highlights in and the client looks down and they’re so excited, I love that part so much.”
Creating that reaction starts long before the tattoo itself.
Taylor doesn’t just want the clearest photograph of a pet. She wants the photograph that actually feels like them.
“Choose the photo that brings out their personality the most because I’m going to create that emotion in that exact moment on your skin,” she tells clients.
If the initial reference doesn’t capture enough personality, she’ll ask for more. And when there isn’t one perfect photograph, Taylor will learn more about the animal instead: whether that means incorporating a favorite toy, activity, or another small detail that makes the portrait more personal.
The goal isn’t simply to recreate what a pet looked like. It’s to capture something their person immediately recognizes.
A Tattoo Experience Where Clients Feel Heard
Taylor brings that same attention to the person sitting in her chair.
For a first time client, or anyone who may feel nervous about getting tattooed, Taylor wants her station to feel collaborative rather than intimidating.
“I’m listening to every word they say, and I’m going to find out why they want the tattoo and let them give me their whole story,” she says. “I’m all ears, and I really just want their tattoo experience to be something they look back on and feel heard.”
That means being willing to make changes, adjust a design, move a stencil, or slow things down when necessary.
“I never want someone to feel pressured to get exactly what I drew. I can always make tweaks!”
Taylor especially wants first time clients to understand that they’re allowed to speak up during the process. Tattooing may be her profession, but the finished piece belongs on someone else’s body.
“I am more than happy to move the stencil until your skin is raw,” she jokes.
More than anything, she wants clients to leave feeling like they were listened to, treated gently, and given the time they needed to feel confident about their tattoo.
What’s Next for Taylor
Joining Ink & Dagger marks a new chapter both personally and professionally for Taylor.
She’s excited to watch Roswell continue to grow, explore Atlanta, spend time outdoors, and continue learning from the artists around her.
And there are plenty of tattoos she’s ready to create along the way.
At the top of her list is a project that combines several of her favorite elements into one piece: a realistic owl surrounded by large scale florals, particularly peonies.
“I want to make a concept where my styles all merge together,” she says.
Microrealism, nature, florals, and intricate black and grey detail all in one?
Sounds pretty Taylor to us.
Taylor Helman is now booking at Ink & Dagger. If you’re looking for fine line work, microrealism, delicate florals, nature inspired tattoos, minimal designs, or a pet portrait that captures what makes your best friend them, submit a booking request to start planning your tattoo with Taylor.