Settled Ink

Shawlands, Glasgow Tue–Fri 11:00–19:00 · Sat 10:00–18:00

(01 · Fine-line botanicals)

Isla Rennie

Single-needle lines and stippled shading, drawn from the plates of seventeenth-century herbals.

Style
Fine line, botanical
Works
Tuesday–Friday
Pieces
Usually one sitting, 2–5 h
Rate
£120 an hour
Book with Isla

(Healed work · 5 pieces)

Grape hyacinth tattoo, after Besler, 1613, on the inner forearm, healed 14 months
01Grape hyacinthafter Besler, 1613Inner forearmHealed 14 monthsIsla Rennie2 h 40 min
Pot marigold tattoo, after Besler, 1613, on the calf, healed 8 months
02Pot marigoldafter Besler, 1613CalfHealed 8 monthsIsla Rennie3 h
Primula tattoo, after Besler, 1613, on the upper arm, healed 2 years
03Primulaafter Besler, 1613Upper armHealed 2 yearsIsla Rennie2 h 20 min
Pepper branch tattoo, after Besler, 1613, on the spine, healed 11 months
04Pepper branchafter Besler, 1613SpineHealed 11 monthsIsla Rennie4 h 30 min
Bellflower tattoo, after Besler, 1613, on the outer forearm, healed 6 months
05Bellflowerafter Besler, 1613Outer forearmHealed 6 monthsIsla Rennie3 h 15 min

(Drawn first)

On paper

Every piece starts as a drawing on paper, sized to you at the consultation. These are the drawings behind the healed photos above.

Grape hyacinth, drawing on paper, after Besler, 1613
Grape hyacinth, after Besler, 1613
Pot marigold, drawing on paper, after Besler, 1613
Pot marigold, after Besler, 1613
Primula, drawing on paper, after Besler, 1613
Primula, after Besler, 1613
Pepper branch, drawing on paper, after Besler, 1613
Pepper branch, after Besler, 1613
Bellflower, drawing on paper, after Besler, 1613
Bellflower, after Besler, 1613

(How Isla works)

I draw from old herbals. Besler’s plates from 1613 are full of lines that sit well in skin, and nobody has worn most of them yet.

Fine line needs room to age, so I’ll often suggest going a little bigger than you planned. A hyacinth the size of a stamp turns into a smudge; at nine centimetres it stays a hyacinth.

Isla Rennie · Tattooing since 2012, opened Settled Ink in 2016

The drawing on thermal paper, before it goes onto skin.
The drawing on thermal paper, before it goes onto skin.
Transferring the stencil. It comes off and goes back on until the placement is right.
Transferring the stencil. It comes off and goes back on until the placement is right.

Book with Isla

Tuesday–Friday. Consultations are free and take 20 minutes. A £50 deposit holds your date and comes off the price.

Book a consultation