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The Making of Fort Collins Tattoo Artist Aiden Keller
- Aimee Heckel
- Oct 22
- 6 min read
“Tattooing completely changed my life. It taught me to stand for something I love.”
When Aiden Keller sat down for a dog-head tattoo from an artist named JD, he had no idea he was getting inked by someone who would soon be his boss.
Back then, Aiden was an uninspired CSU student with no plan. Burdened by core credits that didn’t excite him, he rarely went to class. Instead, he sat alone in his dorm room with a pen and paper in hand.
Little did he know, that doodling was foreshadowing his future. It was the beginning of everything.
Those little sketches – on the edges of his books and instead of notes in his binders – would ultimately point to a career as a Fort Collins tattoo artist. A casual hobby turned into equal parts obsession and profession. The kind of pursuit that reshapes who you are.
Tattooing didn’t just change Aiden’s career path; it changed his life, he says.
“I learned to work hard, to have a backbone. Most of my life, I've been someone who just stands around and doesn't do much,” he says. “But being in tattoo shops has taught me to stand for something that I love. To be passionate about that. To have confidence. I’m very grateful for that.”
Tattooing gave Aiden a service and therefore a purpose.
Today, you can spot Aiden’s work around Fort Collins. If you see one of his pieces, even from a distance, you’ll know it’s his. It’s bold, precise, and Aiden’s own unique style. His tattoos carry a rhythm and energy that make them instantly recognizable. They’re not just tattoos; they’re his voice in visual form.
At Solana Tattoo Company, a tattoo studio in Fort Collins known for its emphasis on artistry and collaboration, Aiden has grown from a hungry apprentice to a busy, full-fledged artist. In a short time, his distinct style and dedication to constant learning have earned him a place among the best tattoo artists in Fort Collins — not only because he chases perfection, but because he chases progress.
The Making of an Artist
“I’ve always been interested in art. It was something I enjoyed doing in my pastime. It started out as a hobby, but I fell in love with it.”
Aiden’s story begins in Boulder, where he prioritized drawing whenever possible: in class, after school, on anything he could find.
“In high school I took mostly art electives,” he says. “Even in my other classes, when I should’ve been taking notes, I was doodling and drawing skulls — stuff I still draw today.”
He made an art Instagram account back then, sharing sketches with friends and family.
“It wasn’t a huge following, just close friends and family, but I was constantly posting on that,” he says.
After graduation, Aiden enrolled in Colorado State University with an undeclared major. He needed to leave Boulder (and the bad habits he’d developed there) for a fresh start. What he really wanted was to study art, but college is expensive and he struggled defining what career he would pursue with an art degree. His first year, he was weighed down by mandatory core classes that meant nothing to him. He offset those classes with some foundational art classes as an excuse to spend more time making art.
The classroom never held his attention like a sketchbook did.
“I really just wanted to draw,” he says. “I didn’t go to classes. I just sat in my dorm room and drew.”
Toward the end of his first year, he decided to drop out.
“That whole year, I’d been getting tattooed,” he said. “I loved being in tattoo shops. It was enticing and interesting to me.”
The energy of tattoo shops excited him in a way that school never had. With no idea of what an apprenticeship would entail, how long it would take, or even how to get one, he made the decision: This was where he belonged. He pulled together a portfolio with some of his best artwork from college. He studied the work of Colorado tattoo artists and picked his favorite: a guy named Matt.
On the last day of his freshman year, Aiden walked into a tattoo shop where Matt worked. Matt was intimidating. Fully tattooed, face to feet. Unsure what to do, Aiden, booked a chest tattoo from Matt.
As he lay there on the bed getting tattooed, he brought it up: “How do I get an apprenticeship?”
Turned out Matt was an experienced tattoo mentor open to teaching a new apprentice. But only if they were serious. Tattoo shops get frequent requests from people who think they want apprenticeships – but bail when they realize how hard being a tattoo artist actually is.
The next day, Aiden returned to the shop and brought Matt his art portfolio. It was good enough to stop Matt in his tracks.
“If you’re serious, come back next year and prove it,” Matt said.
Aiden was serious. He returned home to work and save money so he could be an apprentice full time. After working hard in construction all day, he came home and drew. He spent his free time looking up other tattooers, studying their work, dissecting how they drew skulls and panther heads – you name it.
He sent Matt a flash sheet every single week for months.
By the fall, Matt agreed to take him on. It was clear Aiden cared about art and had the grit necessary to succeed.
“He was testing me, and I loved that,” Aiden says. “It was an opportunity to see what kind of art I could draw, what I wanted to do, and to help me get a little bit of an understanding of what I’d be doing artwise as an apprentice.”
Aiden moved back to Fort Collins, excited and serious, and began his apprenticeship at Solana Tattoo Company. A year and a half of hard work later, he graduated.
“I needed to pursue something I cared about, and I’m really glad I did that,” Aiden says. “My life is completely different now.”
Learning, Always
“The moment you stop learning is the moment you should quit tattooing.”
Tattooing came with a steep learning curve, but that’s exactly what Aiden loved about it.
“Tattooing is intimidating. It’s a beast you have to tame,” he says.
He learned to adapt on the spot, not overthink everything, to trust himself, to adapt. Even now, he studies other artists daily.
“I’m inspired by modern tattooers and plenty of older ones,” he says. “Nick Strong, Kate Stell, Randy Randerson, Chris Detmer — there are so many. I buy a lot of books.”
He’s especially fascinated by the ingenuity of tattoo history. He has most recently been studying books about Russian prison tattoos.
“Those guys made tattoos out of nothing: guitar strings, candle ash, soap,” Aiden says. “If they can do it like that, there’s no excuse for me not to keep getting better. That inspires and pushes me.”
Style and Substance
Aiden’s style is anchored in American traditional, but with his own spin. He also takes inspiration from Chicano black-and-grey, comic books, neo-traditional work, album colors.
“It’s growing and changing all the time,” he says. “I am constantly inspired.”
His innovation shows. His designs often feature skulls — one of his favorite subjects — layered with heavy contrast and bold composition. While Aiden’s approach is bold, his intention is thoughtful. Custom pieces start with a consultation, where ideas turn into sketches, and sketches into one-of-a-kind artwork. His main goal: that everyone he tattoos feels comfortable and leaves happy.
“I want them to have their own unique, special tattoo,” he says.
Outside the Studio
Favorite place to eat near Solana: sandwiches at Road 34, followed by a round of pool.
Hobbies outside of art: Riding his Harley, hanging out with his homeys, going to concerts, long walks. “I had more before I started tattooing,” he says.
Music: Metal, punk, rock, and rap.
Looking Forward
“I love tattooing. I am so passionate about it; it’s all I can think about, honestly.”
Aiden is the epitome of a growth mindset. He is always focused on getting better, taking on larger projects, and expanding his range. When he thinks about his future, he sees tattoo conventions and guest spots; tattooing is always at the center of all of his goals.
“I don’t see myself doing anything else,” he says. “Tattooing and drawing is what I have.”
Book with Fort Collins Tattoo Artist Aiden Keller
From a Boulder kid sketching skulls in class to one of the favorite tattoo artists in Fort Collins, Aiden Keller’s story is one of persistence, creativity, and self-discovery. His tattoos carry his voice: bold, confident, and unmistakably his.
Looking for a custom tattoo in Fort Collins? See more of his work and schedule your free tattoo consultation in Fort Collins here.
