About myself
I originally started tattooing at 17 years old in my mom's Littleton, Colorado basement. Arguably the worst possible way to start, but a way that so many of us have. After countless bad tattoos on good friends, I decided that tattooing was what I wanted to do with my life. Anything worth doing is worth doing the right way, so I sought out an apprenticeship. As many in this industry can attest to, being a 17 year old hot-shot with no understanding of tattooing can make finding a good mentor difficult, to say the least.
I had received my first tattoo at 16 years old (one which my mom had signed off for) by Galen Seewald at Preying Mantis Tattoo in Lakewood, Colorado. He tattooed my older brother and I immediately approached him with my plan and desire to learn. I showed him some of my artwork and he gave me the brutal honesty that, quite bluntly, my artwork wasn't up to par and I should not be tattooing. He told me to consider art classes and that, after some time and progress, we could reconsider the idea.
I went home that night and approached my parents with the idea. Obviously hesitant at the idea of their 17 year old son dropping out of high school to pursue a long-shot career in the arts, it was met with some resistance. After much consideration, however, they understood my passion for what I wanted to do and started due process of allowing me to leave my high school education behind and enroll myself in college.
I then studied general arts at Arapahoe Community College which helped my understanding of artistic application immensely. After a short time in school, I became much more eager to tattoo. I went crawling back into Preying Mantis Tattoo and spoke to Galen again. This time I wanted to get tattooed. I had him start a cover-up sleeve on me and used the opportunity to watch everything he was doing whilst tattooing me. Each and every session, I persistently brought up the idea of apprenticing me again. He finally caved and asked to see my artwork again.
It was at that point, after seeing my efforts, that I had been given the opportunity to become an apprentice and learn to tattoo the right way.
Fast forward about a year and a half, and on March 13th, 2012 I was told that I had "graduated" my apprenticeship and could begin tattooing as a real artist.
I left Preying Mantis Tattoo to go pursue the dream at different shops around town. I worked at different Denver tattoo staples such as Sinfulltration Tattoo and De La Ink, but eventually found myself with a second opportunity to return to Preying Mantis Tattoo as a full-time tattooer.
Most of my Denver clientele was met through there, and I got to enjoy a great few years tattooing with my former mentor and the fantastic crew at his shop.
In the summer of 2016, opportunity came knocking once more.
I had come in contact with Laguna Tattoo Studio, located in the heart of Laguna Beach (right along the Pacific Coast Highway, of all places) in the beautiful County of Orange, California. I arranged a guest spot and spent two weeks tattooing and falling instantly in love with the Southern California beach town lifestyle. I had spent plenty of time in California prior, but nothing at all like this.
Upon returning to Denver, I received a message from Steve Crome, the owner of Laguna Tattoo. The message contained a job offering that I could not possibly refuse. I immediately accepted and planned for my move out.
On March 13th, 2017, exactly five years from the date that I left Preying Mantis Tattoo as a real tattooer, I left once again.
For the duration of 2017, I worked along the crew of Laguna Tattoo Studio until personal and professional circumstances led me to return to Denver. I was humbly and warmly welcomed by everybody that I had left behind.
My experiences thus far have been nothing short of humbling. I can truly say that I am living out my dream, and I look forward to many more years of creating permanent art for people all around the world. Not many people get to say that they love what they do, and I am one of those very fortunate few. I cannot thank all of my friends, family, clientele and peers for the constant support and help this whole time. Heres to the future.
"Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life."
Pricing/Scheduling
My pricing is firm and is as follows unless told directly or posted otherwise:
Minimum: $80
Hourly Rate: $150/hr
Minimum Deposit: $50 (NON REFUNDABLE)
Minimum Large-scale tattoo deposit: $150 (non refundable)
To book an appointment or for any inquiries regarding scheduling availability, an in-person consulation is required. To book a brief consultation online, please refer to the "book online" page and fill out the required form. You may also call me at Preying Mantis Tattoo for any questions or information. Phone number is posted below.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT BOOK ANY APPOINTMENTS OVER THE PHONE OR EMAIL WITHOUT THE NECESSARY CONSULTATION FIRST.
If you are out of town or unable to come in for a consultation, exceptions can be made and we can negotiate details and deposits over the phone. An electronic deposit MUST be left before appointment confirmation.
For further information, please fill out my contact form here.
Any phone calls or drop-ins can be directed to Preying Mantis Tattoo-Kipling:
850 Kipling Street
Lakewood, Colorado 80215
+1(303) 995-2329
As always, Walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please call ahead to ensure availability!
Where I'm located
I am currently located at Preying Mantis Tattoo-Kipling in the heart of Lakewood, Colorado. Please refer to the information below. While most of my time is spent in Denver, I frequently try to guest spot and make appearances at tattoo conventions in cities across the world. For travel information, updates and announcements, please click here.
Preying Mantis Tattoo-Kipling
850 Kipling Street
Lakewood, Colorado 80215
+1(303) 995-2329
Sponsors/special thanks
Listed below are my sponsors and special thank-you's to people or companies who have helped me along the way. If you have any sponsorship offerings or inquiries, please use my contact form here and I will respond to you in a timely manner. Thank you.
Special Thanks:
Which style do i prefer?
I prefer good tattoos. The statement "I don't really do that style" doesn't exist in my vocabulary. Nor do I believe that it should exist in any tattooer's. Please refer to my portfolio to get an idea of the diverse tattooing that I am capable of.
Why the "x"
The "X" in "Bradly X Anderson" is derivative from the "X" symbology in Straight Edge culture. Straight Edge, in short, is the representation of sobriety in the Hardcore music scene. Straight Edge is typically symbolized by three X's - a symbol that's formal meaning has been wildly argued. To me, the three staples of Straight Edge are no drinking, no drugs, and no tobacco. However, it is more of an umbrella term for the avoidance of any addictive of self-destructive behavior!
While it does go much deeper than that, its much easier to explain that I don't partake in those things rather than indulging in the whole philosophy of what it means to be Straight Edge.
Straight Edge, sobriety and generally healthy, clean living have become a massive part of who I am, and its only appropriate to represent that in my tattooing.
I should mention that I have absolutely zero judgment for anyone's preferential lifestyle choices. If you smoke, great. Drink? awesome (just don't drive!). Drugs are a bit of a grey area, but people are free to have their fun. Straight Edge is a choice, not a soapbox.
For more information on Straight Edge, click here or just find the grumpy older guy wearing the Judge shirt at your local hardcore venue. He'll tell you everything you need to know.