Pacific Beach is home to numerous tattoo shops, but a new store with a unique atmosphere is putting its mark on the local industry. On Point Tattoo, located at 1020 Grand Ave., has done away with the dark ambience and intimidating décor that is sometimes associated with tattoo parlors, in favor of a more welcoming environment. Rather than generic art or tattoo “flare” samples on the walls, owner and artist Shane Ambort opted to hang framed pictures of the tattoos he has created. The facility features a bright, clean waiting area painted a cheerful shade of blue, with couches, a plasma TV, DVDs and an aquarium. “I take pride in this [area] as more of a comfortable living situation — it’s more like a living room,” Ambort said. “It’s relaxing, it makes people more comfortable … this is not intimidating.” Ambort’s shop has been open for less than two months, but he has been a tattoo artist for nearly two decades. He said he has always been artistically inclined. He won his first art contest in third grade, but he didn’t fully realize his passion until he picked up a tattoo machine at the age of 19 while he was in the Marine Corps. “I absolutely love tattooing,” Ambort said. “I love to tattoo more than painting, more than sculpting … more than ceramics, more than anything. Putting art in your skin, that’s one of the most spiritual things ever. You never get tired of it, you never get less than impressed.” Ambort prides himself on being a custom tattoo artist, working with customers to help them create a design and decide where the tattoo should go, based on the individual’s body type and shape, and their personality. “I like to … find out what kind of people they are, their likes, their dislikes, and I start to get these visions in my head of what would fit them perfectly, even if they’ve never thought of it before,” Ambort said. “So, when I come up with these drawings, they’re amazed. I’ve never had anyone go, ‘No, I don’t like that.’ They go, ‘Wow, I’ve never thought of that,’ and that’s exactly what I want.” Juli Wallace, a customer who went to On Point for her third tattoo, said she was impressed by the inviting environment and blown away by Ambort’s artistic prowess. “He takes your ideas and creates an artistic masterpiece on your body,” Wallace said. “It is amazing.”