Meet Keegan Blair

Meet Keegan Blair

keegan: tattoo awards, survivor tactics & vb economics

Every studio has one bloke who somehow:

  • wins major tattoo awards,
  • plays questionable indoor cricket,
  • and answers interview questions like he’s on Australian Survivor.

At Youngbloods, that’s Keegan.

 

first things first: Who would you rather be stuck on a island with jackson or steve?

"Hard to say – I’d need Steve for the fishing and Jackson for the sex. Put it this way, if we were on Survivor and it was early on in the game I’d form an alliance with Steve to keep me fed but I’d be telling Jackson he’s my number 1 before blindsiding them both at tribal council."

how did tattooing start?

Keegan came from a Fine Art background and was halfway through a Masters in Architecture before realising it wasn’t for him.

After some time labouring, an apprenticeship opportunity came up at Sinister Ink in 2015. He took it, apprenticed under Jackson May, worked alongside Khail Aitken, and has been tattooing full-time since 2017.

Safe to say it worked out better than architecture.

 

what’s his tattoo style?

Keegan’s deliberately avoided boxing himself into one style, but he leans heavily into:

  • bold lines
  • vibrant colour
  • high contrast tattoos that stay readable

Basically: tattoos that still look good in 10 years instead of turning into blurry soup.

 

casual award flex

Over the years Keegan’s picked up multiple style-based awards, but his biggest achievements came recently with:

No big deal.

outside tattooing?

While Steve’s fishing and Jackson’s at Fitstop, Keegan spends his Thursdays:

“Opening the bowling and batting for the Stuart Macgill Kidnappers in C Grade indoor cricket.”

We did not ask follow-up questions.

 

green grass or unlimited vb?

Keegan refused to choose.

“Why not both?”

Correct answer.

 

why does he rate hens teeth needles?

According to Keegan:

  • Consistent performance
  • Great ink flow
  • Precision-made
  • Reliable every session

Which is exactly what you want when someone’s permanently marking your skin.

 

favourite machines?

  • Eruhiga Rotary for small - mid groupings (3RL, 5RL, 7RL)
  • Custom Mark Sender Coil for larger groupings (9RL, 14RL)

A healthy balance of modern technology and old-school punishment.

 

youngbloods: how it started

Keegan, Steve and Jackson bought the studio together back in 2016 after working at Sinister Ink.

The name “Youngbloods” made sense at the time.

Now they’re considering changing it to:

“Middle-AgedBloods.”

Fair.

We asked Keegan to explain the logo, which he responded 

"Not too sure how it relates to the studio, But I think it consists of two letters L AND Y and a Number 3" which represents Love Your 3 " Steve, Keegan and Jackson"

advice for apprentices?

Keegan’s biggest advice:

“Think critically.”

Not every tattoo on Instagram is a masterpiece, and learning to properly analyse tattoos — both your own and others’ — is one of the most important skills you can develop.

 

Award-winning tattooer.
Indoor cricket operator.
Potential Survivor psychopath.

Keegan’s somehow making it all work.