Grant Lubbock is a New York City tattoo artist and owner of Red Baron Ink Tattoo & Piercing, a custom tattoo studio located in Manhattan’s West Village. Originally from Southern California, Grant has built his career around creating one-of-a-kind tattoos designed not only to make an impact today, but to hold their integrity for years to come.
Before moving to New York City in 2012, Grant spent much of his life throughout Southern California, including Orange County and Los Angeles. Growing up immersed in surfing, skateboarding, art, and Southern California culture helped shape the visual language that continues to influence his tattoo work today.
Grant’s fascination with tattooing began long before social media and smartphones made tattoo art instantly accessible. Magazines like Tattoo Magazine and Taboo Magazine introduced him to the culture, artistry, and permanence of tattooing and helped turn an early fascination into a lifelong career.
Tattoos Designed for the Long Haul
Grant has a simple philosophy when it comes to tattooing: a great tattoo shouldn’t just look good when you leave the studio—it should be designed with the future in mind.
He jokingly describes his work as “laser-proof” and has been known to tell clients, “This tattoo will make it to the grave with you.” Behind the humor is a serious commitment to longevity. Placement, composition, contrast, line weight, color, skin tone, and how a design will settle into the skin over time are all considered when creating a piece.
While Grant is known for bold, highly saturated and visually striking tattoos, his portfolio is intentionally diverse. His work spans color tattoos, black and grey, fine-line tattooing, illustrative work, custom lettering, large-scale pieces, and detailed custom designs. Rather than being confined to a single tattoo style, Grant adapts his approach to the artwork, placement, and individual client.
Custom Tattooing in New York City
Modern and contemporary art, museum collections, graffiti, underground street art, travel, architecture, and the visual culture of New York City all influence Grant’s work.
For Grant, however, inspiration is only the starting point. Every tattoo is created specifically for the person wearing it. Reference images can help establish a direction, but the goal is never to reproduce someone else’s tattoo. Grant works collaboratively with his clients to develop original artwork that considers their ideas, body, placement, skin tone, and how the tattoo will ultimately live and move on the body.
His ability to move between styles also makes him particularly well suited for larger custom projects, sleeves, leg sleeves, and tattoos that require multiple existing pieces to be brought together into one cohesive composition.
Clients also know Grant for his approachable personality and gentle application. Whether someone is getting their first tattoo or beginning a large-scale, multi-session project, he believes the experience of getting tattooed should receive just as much consideration as the artwork itself.
Book a Tattoo with Grant Lubbock in NYC
Grant tattoos at Red Baron Ink Tattoo & Piercing, located at 238 W 14th Street in Manhattan’s West Village, New York City, working with both local NYC clients and visitors from around the world.
Clients interested in working with Grant can submit their tattoo concept, placement, approximate size, and reference images through Red Baron Ink to begin the consultation and booking process.
GRANT’s Work