Forest Hills Tattoo is a Queens tattoo studio built around custom artwork, direct communication, and the belief that good tattooing begins well before the machine turns on.
Founder Adrian Morales grew up in Queens in a family where drawing was treated as something useful, not just something to do in a sketchbook. His mother worked with fabrics and alterations, and Adrian spent a lot of time watching patterns change when they moved from a flat table onto a real person. Years later, after becoming absorbed in tattooing, that early lesson stayed with him: artwork designed for the body has to respect the body.
Adrian spent years learning in and around New York tattoo studios, gradually taking on larger custom work and developing a particular interest in composition. He liked the artistic side of the trade but also noticed how intimidating the process could feel for clients who did not already know tattoo culture. Some people arrived with a very specific design. Others had a meaningful idea but no idea how to explain it. He wanted a studio where both kinds of clients could have a straightforward conversation without feeling rushed.
Forest Hills was a natural place to build that studio. Adrian already knew the area and liked that it sits among so many distinct Queens neighborhoods while still feeling like a community of its own. He opened Forest Hills Tattoo around a simple principle: listen first, design carefully, and treat every tattoo as something that has to make sense on the person wearing it. That principle still guides the team today.
We focus on Sleeve Tattoos, Fineline Tattoos, Piercing, Realism Tattoos, Color Tattoos, and Cover Up Tattoos. Each service has its own page so you can see exactly what is involved before you call.
We are based around Forest Hills and serve New York, including Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Elmhurst, Rego Park, and Briarwood.
A client does not need tattoo vocabulary to explain a good idea. We ask questions, look at references, and make sure we understand what matters about the concept before deciding how to design it.
Skin is not paper or a phone screen. We make decisions about scale, contrast, detail, placement, and negative space with the realities of tattooing in mind.
If a cover up is too light, a fineline concept is too small, or a reference will not translate well as requested, we say so and explain what can be changed.
Whether the tattoo is a small personal symbol or a full sleeve, it deserves thoughtful preparation and attention from start to finish.
Meet the people who answer the phone and do the work on our Meet the Team page, or see how to join us on our Careers page.
Have an idea already? Tell us the style, placement, and approximate size and we will help you figure out the next step.
Free — no obligations