Shaun Horlock
Studio Owner
Shaun — also known as Openmind — is a fantasy tattoo artist based at Mystic Workshop in Muscliff, just outside Bournemouth. With over a decade in the craft and a long history of illustration and composition lead tattooing, Shaun specialises in large-scale blackwork fantasy tattoos enhanced with ethereal glow elements and textured with whip shading.
Whether it’s a celestial lady face, dragon-covered backpiece or mushroom-creature sleeve, Shaun builds each tattoo from scratch with a deep understanding of flow, anatomy and symbolism. His work feels like an artifact from another world — because it is.
He’s been working on a worldbuilding project for the last 4 years and uses it as the backbone for his artistic inspiration. Wanna know more?
Specialisation: Fantasy Illustration
AKA: Openmind
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I’m especially strong at:
Lady faces, dragons, snakes and fantasy character work
Whip-shaded blackwork with smooth transitions and lots of texture
Deep blacks with a dramatic sense of contrast
Flow-driven composition across large areas
Neon accents and atmospheric glow
Mushrooms, creatures, snakes and dragons
Custom sleeves and back pieces
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The sound of chewing
‘How much for a sleeve?’
Cold coffee (despite drinking it daily)
Tiny finger tattoos
Micro-realism
Tattooing stag parties and hen-do’s (never again.)
“I’ve been tattooing for over a decade now, and the further you progress in to your career, the more you realise you should be questioning your preconceptions.
Tattooing isn’t just about pretty pictures and surface level sentiment. It’s about creating a story on skin that’s engaging and timeless. That’s what I’ve learnt through trialling countless styles, booking approaches and design languages. Want to remember your loved ones? Scrap the pocket watch. What are their interests? Can we infuse their passions with my art style to create something jaw-droppingly unique?
Trends come and go, but the life of a tattoo follows you to the bitter grave. This is why I have found it so important to embed my personal identity within each piece. You aren’t collecting a series of pictures, you’re collecting an anthology of experience and craftsmanship. Reframing the body as a curated gallery of professional art has given me the confidence to truly explore what it means to be a Tattoo Artist, not just a tattooer.
When you book in with me, you’ll grab my entire attention. This is because the work I take on these days are something that I’m truly passionate about.’’
Shaun is currently hungry for:
Full back pieces or full sleeves
Character-driven fantasy tattoos
Dragons, monsters and snakes
Mythology based tattoos done in his style
Glowing or neon elements
Crystals, Mushrooms, Flora and Fauna
Ethereal lady faces
Weapons and armour
Gaming inspired designs from franchises such as Dark Souls, The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher, RuneScape, Warcraft etc.
Fantasy inspired designs from fantasy book series such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, ACOTAR, Game of Thrones etc.
…or anything that originates from his fantasy world.
What are you waiting for? Get in touch with Shaun to book your new favourite tattoo today.
Shaun’s Gallery
Last updated: July 2025
Shaun’s Prices
Shaun’s pricing structure is roughly as follows. However, sometimes it’s easier to quote by the piece.
There are things to consider with larger scale pieces - accurately quote without knowing crucial info such as height of the client, size of the limb and desired level of detail. Even then a quote will be an educational estimate. Don’t hesitate, he’s waiting to hear your ideas!
Shaun
£100/hr
£275/half day
£500/day
Shaun’s days are from 10:30am til 5:30pm. This leaves some time for set up and lunch, with roughly 6 hours of tattooing between.
He is willing to work up to an additional 2 hours per day session for £80/hr. Just let him know if you are interested in a longer session!
Looking to book multiple days in a row? If you’re brave enough, he can handle it.