Devlin Ink Takes Home First Place Newcomer at Dino Tattoo Convention

THE DINO TATTOO CONVENTION

Now, you might be thinking what even is a tattoo convention? Or you might not even know that tattoo artists can and do compete against each other for awards. Well, we do, and it is hard work!

Tattoo conventions bring together artists, collectors and enthusiasts from across the industry for a few days of live tattooing, competitions and community. Artists are requested or apply to attend, we set up booths and tattoo clients on-site, while entering finished and fresh pieces into judging categories. These can range from black and grey realism to oriental to colour and even fineline! What makes conventions great is their individual themes. Every convention has a different selling point - some pride themselves on choosing the top artists across the country, and some choose themes. As you can guess, the Dino Tattoo Convention, held in Sheffield, is a dinosaur-themed convention.

THE WINNING PIECE

Harry’s entry was a bold, technically ambitious concept: a dinosaur rendered in a mixed realism style, fused with Lego-inspired detailing. It’s the kind of idea that could easily fall flat in the wrong hands — blending two very different visual languages, hyper-realistic texture against clean, graphic block shapes, takes real control of technique. Judges and fellow artists alike were clearly won over, and it earned Harry the top newcomer spot against a strong field of competing artists from across the UK.

Our regular standing client not only allowed Harry full artistic freedom, but he also loved the piece. The winning piece was a lower arm half sleeve. And the sitting was not easy! Conventions are no joke. Clients sit for much longer hours, spamming a few days whilsts artist are attempting to create their best work for the competition. This whole lower arm half-sleeve took approximately 18 hours over 2 days….now that’s some commitment. However, the endless sitting and growing pains were all worth the results in the end.

Check out his piece below for yourself and see what you think!

Why This Matters

Conventions like Dino Tattoo Convention bring together some of the best emerging and established talent in the industry, judged by peers who know exactly what goes into a technically demanding piece. A First Place Newcomer award isn’t just a nice trophy for the studio wall — it’s independent recognition of the skill and craft happening day-to-day at Devlin Ink.

At Devlin Ink Studio in Colchester, Essex, we’ve always pushed for technical precision and creative ambition, whether that’s in fineline botanical work, micro-realism, or increasingly, colour realism pieces like this one. This win is a reflection of that standard across the whole team.

Booking With an Award-Winning Studio

If you’ve been considering a realism piece, a bold concept tattoo, or something that pushes past the ordinary, this is exactly the kind of work Harry specialises in. Get in touch to discuss your idea, or browse our portfolio to see more of his recent pieces.