If you’re searching for a top-rated tattoo studio in Colchester, you want artists who stay ahead of the game - not ones stuck using outdated techniques or tools.

That’s exactly why the team at Devlin Ink Tattoos attended the UKTTA Tattoo Convention in Birmingham - one of the largest professional tattoo industry events in the UK. Artists from all over the country travel hours just for this 2-day event.

Here’s what we learned, and why it directly improves the tattoos we create for our clients!

What is the UKTTA Tattoo Convention?

At the UKTTA Tattoo Convention, some of the most talented tattoo artists from across the UK and beyond come together to showcase their work, exchange knowledge, and push the boundaries of tattooing. During the event, there are hundreds of artists tattooing live on their clients or the public. Alongside this, there is live music featuring an array of musicians, DJ’s and bands. You can also experience fire and burlesque shows during the event, buy merchandise from various traders selling clothes, home decorations and other arts. If you’re brave enough, you can participate in the live public competitions - one of them being a chilli-eating contest that rewards the brave survivor with £100!

Our artists at Devlin Ink Tattoos travelled from Colchester all the way to Birmingham to attend this prestigious event and participate in tattoo competitions of their category!

Why Events Like This Matter for Our Clients

From a client perspective, you might be wondering—why does this matter to me?

The answer is simple: it directly improves the quality of your tattoo.

By attending conventions like UKTTA, we:

Stay updated with the latest tattoo techniques
Learn from world-class artists
Discover new tools and technologies
Refine our approach to large-scale and detailed work

This means when you book with Devlin Ink Tattoos, you’re not just getting a tattoo—you’re getting work influenced by the highest standards in the industry.

We didn’t just attend—we came to work.

Harry completed a large-scale Billie Eilish portrait tattoo, taking a total of 17 hours across two full days. The focus was on achieving ultra-smooth black and grey realism, pushing contrast, depth, and fine detail to create a piece that holds impact both up close and at a distance.

Check out his design!

At the same time, Vicky took on a full-day session, creating a bold custom design featuring peonies combined with monster mouths—blending organic floral structure with more surreal, aggressive elements. The piece required strong composition, clean linework, and smooth shading to balance both softness and intensity in one design.

What do you think about this cool design?

Both pieces reflect exactly what we stand for at Devlin Ink Tattoos—high-level execution, attention to detail, and committing the time needed to do tattoos properly.

Highlights From Our Experience

This year’s convention was packed with standout moments! From watching live tattoo sessions by some of the world's best realism artists to connecting with leading suppliers, it reinforced exactly where the industry is heading.

Key highlights included:

Connecting with current suppliers and sustaining better deals for our studio. Our main supplier was present at the event. We managed to talk to the main managers and organisers of the company, creating a better relationship and sustaining additional deals and discounts for our studio. Our goal as a studio is to become fully sponsored, and let us tell you, we are heading in the right direction!
Connecting and creating friendships with leading artists in the industry. During the event, we met hundreds of other artists. We shared knowledge, experiences and ideas. One of the best ways to improve as an artist is to ask someone better than you how to do it. Our artists have learnt so much over the two days, helping to improve their technique, tattoos and designs for you!
Building confidence! It is very nerve-wracking to create a piece of art, put it in front of hundreds of people, other artists and judges who examine closely the detail and level of work produced against other tattoos in your category. However, we are proud of the designs and the level of detail we produced, which was clearly reflected in the positive reactions on the judges’ faces as well as the agreeing nods from people in the crowd.
We experienced exposure to new styles blending realism with fine line precision
Learnt about innovations in tattoo machines and needle configuration.