Troy Schleich was granted an apprenticeship at Zealous Art Studio & Tattoo in May 2016 and has been a full-time tattoo artist ever since. His apprenticeship included the usual training: tracing and drawing traditional flash to learn how to draw a good tattoo.
However, while these training exercises helped him learn proper tattooing technique, he didn’t find his own artistic style this way. Troy says that he’s learned the most from working with and observing the work of his mentor, Richard Hughes. He has also learned a lot from watching videos of other talented black work tattoo artists.
Troy takes a lot of walk-ins, so a typical day often involves him waiting on the next client to arrive. He uses this down time to draw and come up with new tattoo ideas. A look at his workspace will give you an idea of his unique grunge punk style.
His specialty is black and grey work as well as pop punk tattoos. He’s done everything from edgy skulls and cartoon characters to colorful flowers and sports team mascots. If you’re interested in edgy black work or something that’s completely unique, Troy is a great choice for your next tattoo.
When Troy isn’t tattooing, you might find him with the Freeport BMX team where he is a competing member, coach, and passionate promoter of local BMX. Troy has loved biking ever since he was a kid and is always looking for ways to incorporate it into his everyday life. He bikes in all types of weather; not even snow can stop him!
To make an appointment with Troy:
· Call Zealous Art Studio & Tattoo at 815-616-5230
· Message the Schleich Tattoos Facebook page here
· He also accepts walk-ins
Follow Troy on social media to see examples of his work:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchleichTattoos