I have been a client of Rich for years. Besides being a very talented tattoo artist, I have always been treated well and felt welcomed in his shop. It's an inclusive environment that is not hyper masculine like other shops have been. Very easy to work with and always a pleasure. Be prepared to be complimented on your colored ink, if you get a piece done here. Highly recommended.👍🏼👍🏼 Read Less

Have been using Rich as my go-to artist for years. Besides being a great artist, he's professional, flexible, creative, and an all-around good hang. The shop is clean and always decorated with an ever-changing theme, and there are often after-hours charity events. Never a bad experience. I bartend, and whenever my customers ask about my tattoos, I send them to Rich every time. Read Less

Rich who’s the owner of the place is one of the nicest and coolest dudes I’ve ever met. I’ve been getting tattooed by him for 10years now. I’ve followed him around shop to shop until he opened his own. The shop doesn’t have the intimidating vibe some other “top tattoo shops” have, it’s a very welcoming and inclusive place and the music selection is always on point. The staff is great and very good people, I can’t stress enough how cool this place is. Read Less

They gave me the best tattoo I've ever received. Amazing artists, who are in it to create high quality art over anything else. Dope music playing in the background, great atmosphere and overall a great little shop. I can personally vouch for Carlos, but am certain that if his work is anything to go by, everyone there is extremely capable and a pleasure to work with. Read Less

Made an appointment with Rich for their project fierce tattoo fundraiser and I have only great things to say about Wild Wind! Rich was fast, clean, completely professional and did my tattoo exactly as I wanted it. The shop was so comfortable to be in and everyone was friendly—no attitude, just kind people creating art. Will be back again soon for sure! Read Less

Carlos is absolutely amazing. His work is impeccable and he makes you feel so comfortable. Me, my boyfriend, and my brother have all been tattooed by him and I can't recommended him enough! His artistic talents are unparalleled and his line work and color are unreal. Read Less

I came in for my first tattoo and it was a great experience. Chris was very helpful and thorough even though it was a small and simple tattoo. He answered all of my silly questions and made me feel comfortable with the process. The place is very clean and I loved the decor too. I would definitely recommend it! Read Less

My gal pal and I decided to get some small tattoos done. She had been to Chris a few times before and had a great experience. We easily made an appointment online via the website and Chris replied to us ASAP. He had our designs ready when we came in and was uber professional. Not only that he is easy to talk to, asks what you want, if you like his ideas and really receptive to any feedback. FINALLY, he is gentle with the needle and a nice wiper (haha). Highly recommend Chris.. he did an amazing job on my veggies! Read Less

I've been going to Wild Wind for somewhere between 1-2 years now and I am beyond happy with the service I have received. A friend referred me to Chris and it has been a pure delight to work with him. He makes me feel incredibly comfortable and I genuinely look forward to my appointments, not only for the tattoo, but to be in his company. Besides Chris being a lovely person, I have been nothing but thrilled with the work he has done. I've had gotten a few tattoos from him, but most notably he was able to fix one for me and after years I am FINALLY happy with it. I had no idea what it would end up looking like when he was done, but I trusted him to take care of it and he did an amazing job. Chris really is an amazing artist and so so comfortable to work with, which I think is very important. I have not worked with the other artists, but it's very clear they are all crazy talented as well. Highly recommend. Will be going again and again. 10/10. A+ Read Less

Carlos was amazing very professional I recommend using him as a tattoo artist. From the moment you walk in to schedule your appointment to the time you leave his chair always welcoming and creates unique and awesome designs. The tattoo was painless and his work came out looking like a real lion on my arm do not hesitate to use him as your next tattoo artist schedule a tattoo with him you will not regret it. Read Less

My girlfriend and I both went in for tattoos last weekend and could not be happier with our experience!She had Chris and I had Rich.  Both of them were absolutely wonderful and gave each of us exactly what we were looking for. Her tattoo was a touch up and an addition to an older tattoo that she had grown less than happy with from a different artist (obviously.) She didn't know exactly what she wanted but had a pretty good idea of what she wanted to accomplish with it. Chris has an inherent propensity for passion and collaboration which left her not only happy with the addition to her old tattoo, but also genuinely excited about the touch-ups he made to her old tattoo. Her tat was based on a Hufflepuff theme and Chris is a self proclaimed Harry Potter enthusiast. His enthusiasm shown through for an exciting and fulfilling session and result. My tattoo was my first one and I was very worried. I had Rich, who was incredibly patient and assuring. He answered all of my questions (even the dumb ones and ones I asked more times than was appropriate,) and he put me at ease even though I was sure I would be a wreck throughout the whole process. His calm rationale and obvious professionalism left me with both a tattoo which I am proud of and an experience I will always look back on with happiness. Thanks again to the incredible guys at Wild Wind. I recommend this shop and these artists without reservation and hope to be back again as soon as inspiration strikes! Read Less

Carlos is an amazing tattoo artist!! He did a Frida piece on my arm and I get stopped daily from people telling me how beautiful it is. He is brilliant with portrait work and with colors. The shop is great as well, very clean and professional. My whole experience exceeded expectations. HIGHLY recommend Carlos Montilla and Wild Wind!!!! Read Less

I absolutely love this place. My preferred artist (Carlos) is a stellar guy with some amazing ideas. He's taken my vague ideas for my sleeve and worked with my imagery to make some gorgeous pieces. I'm so excited to have him in the Windy City! Read Less

I had the absolute best experience at Wild Wind. I brought an idea to Rich for a larger piece and he was able to bring it to life. The shop is super clean (as it should be!) and the artists are very down to earth, professional, yet fun. Rich's line work is impeccable and his knowledge of how designs lay/move with the body is second to none. I love my new piece and can't wait to go back again. Read Less

I had a great experience at Wild Wind Tattoo. My artist was Carlos who was great to work with on my ideas. When walking in for my 4 hour session, they made me feel at home right away. I recommend Carlos and Rich to anyone that's looking to get work done. I assure you that you will be back for more ink. Convenient location and parking Great music Fantastic customer service One of the cleanest shops I've been in Read Less

I had an outstanding experience at Wildwind with Chris Candejas. I was recommended by a friend, and was thoroughly impressed with his demeanor, bedside manner, and his artistic intuition. He treated my friend (who was getting his first tattoo) and I with great respect and care. I will definitely be coming back to this shop and artist as well as referring people here every chance I get! Read Less

I've been going to Rich to get tattooed for about 7 years now and have always been extremely happy with how every single one of my tattoos has turned out. I'll usually come in with a basic idea, and Rich is able to turn that into something that turns out to be extremely awesome. Chris and Carlos are also very talented artists, and always impressed with the tattoos that they do as well. The shop also has some great decor, tunes, and just an all around great vibe, as it doesn't feel like your typical tattoo shop. And with that lazer light backdrop for your post tattoo photos, you can't go wrong. Read Less

Wild Wind Tattoo is an absolute MUST VISIT for the tattoo enthusiast and artists alike. The artists here are actual artists - not some google image print out pretenders posing as tattoo artists because they have a stencil producer :P I've been going here since they've opened and have had both my legs done by Chris. He does spectacular work and goes the extra 2 miles to ensure the piece is unique and specially designed just for you. I'm always extremely impressed by the designs he comes up with when I give him a detailed email of what I want. It's like he took the image right out of my mind and threw it on a sheet of paper for me to approve - I always approve :) Get some work done here - you definitely WILL NOT REGRET IT! Read Less

I love this place! I've been going to Rich for the past two years and he has always made me feel extremely comfortable with each piece I get done. He emphasizes the importance of it being on my body, and will only make recommendations to ensure that the art looks great years down the road. The physical space of the shop is open and very welcoming. I appreciate the fact that Rich uses Wild Wind not just for tattooing, but for a community space to display all types of art. Read Less

Chris was wonderful. These were my first tattoos, I knew what I wanted, but unsure of placements. He was kind, patient and informative. Place was clean and had a positive vibe. I couldn't be happier. Will be going back. Read Less

My husband and I had an amazing experience at Wild Wind. Carlos did a 6 hour session on my husband and a 6 hour session on myself in 2 days.he drew put out designs, tweaked them the way we wanted them and got it done. We flew all the way from Boston to have work done by him. The shop is great, clean, and professional. Highly recommended! Read Less

Just had my first session with Carlos and I had such a great experience! His work is phenomenonal and crisp! The shop is clean and everyone is encouraging and nice. I absolutely love my piece so far and I'm super excited for my next sessions. Thanks guys! Read Less

I have had two sessions with chris for a sleeve. So far chris has been professional and a great artist to work with. I came with a concept and some idea of what I wanted and he made it reality and has exceeded my expectations with the design so far. I am very excited to continue work with him. Everyone else at the shop has been nice and encouraging. Everything is very clean and the atmosphere is great for tattooing. I love that they play good music and maintain a positive attitude. I have several more ideas for tats and will continue to take them to wild wind in the future! Thanks guys. Read Less

I have had two sessions with chris for a sleeve. So far chris has been professional and a great artist to work with. I came with a concept and some idea of what I wanted and he made it reality and has exceeded my expectations with the design so far. I am very excited to continue work with him. Everyone else at the shop has been nice and encouraging. Everything is very clean and the atmosphere is great for tattooing. I love that they play good music and maintain a positive attitude. I have several more ideas for tats and will continue to take them to wild wind in the future! Thanks guys. Read Less

Everyone at Wild Wind are super welcoming and provide a safe, clean and professional atmosphere for their clients. I've gone to Rich several times and I have yet to leave disappointed. So happy that I've found a shop that feels like "home" after relocating from Nashville. 😊 Read Less

My best friend and I were looking to get tattoos on a trip to Chicago. After researching quite a few shops. I decided to email Wild Wind and one other shop. After exchanging emails with Rich from Wild Wind I found him extremely professional and kind. I requested he do both tattoos since his work was quite impressive. Rich was SO clean, I know this should be a given while tattooing, but it is really not. The entire shop looks very sterile and spotless. He wiped down his table, the chair, the table the client lays on, all of his equipment in between the two of us. I really appreciated that. The outcome of my tattoo is absolutely gorgeous and could not be more perfect than what I had pictured in my own mind. Rich's lines are impeccable and his eye for detail is immaculate. He is very calm and pretty quiet, but it is just the presence you want when going through a sometimes painful experience. I really want to take my fiance here so he can experience the beauty that is Wild Wind Tattoo. Read Less

I had been tossing around a few first-tattoo ideas for a while and Wild Wind was recommended to me by a friend and co-worker. After the nightclub bombing in Orlando, Wild Wind did a benefit where the proceeds went to victims' families. I knew this was the perfect time for my first tattoo, and I'm so happy I chose Wild Wind. Rich does great work and answered a lot of questions for me before my appointment as well. I've had many people stop and tell me how much they admire my tattoo, including an older couple who stated that, in general, they don't like tattoos. :) The color is gorgeous! I love looking at it every day. I'll most likely be coming back for more soon. Great place, and great for a first-timer like I was. Thanks, guys! Read Less

I live nearby Wild Wind and knew that when I was ready for my next tattoo that this was the place I wanted to check out. The decor is awesome and very welcoming, and later coming to find out all of the art is either from Rich and Chris' personal collection, or their own paintings and illustrations. Rich is the artist that I worked with, starting with some ideas that he helped to work through with me and then scheduling an appointment. He was awesome the whole way through. He gave me very honest opinions about watercolor tattoos and that adding a little bit of shading will make a huge difference (he was right). He is also just a really nice guy to hang out with for a few hours, which makes the whole process even more enjoyable. The tattoo I got is probably 3"x5" on my forearm and he finished it all in about 1.5 hours. The work itself is beautiful. The shading and line work is awesome and I get so many compliments daily about how it looks like it was literally painted on my arm. Anyway, I have already recommended this place to a bunch of friends and I know I'll be back for sure. Read Less

Went here for my first time last weekend and it definitely won't be my last. I got a small tattoo for the Orlando benefit from Chris and he was wonderful. His customer service is the best I've ever had in a tattoo shop. He's easy to talk to and asks how you're doing through the whole process. I also appreciate his keen eye for detail and his artistic ability. Read Less

My husband and I both got our first tattoos here. We were a bit nervous but Chris was excellent. He took his time and made us feel so comfortable. The place was sooooo clean and bright not like other tattoo shops I've seenI would highly reccommend!!! Read Less

The artists at Wild Wind Tattoo are extremely well-versed in the art of tattoo and have years of experience. They are very personable and kind making you feel right at home in their spotless, clean shop. I cannot wait to get my next tattoo from Rich! Read Less

Even though I have a few tattoos I always feel like such a nOOb when I go into any tattoo shop, but Chris made me feel so welcomed the moment I walked in. He was kind, did a great job (and didn't seem put off by my simple request) and was fun to be around. My tattoo is healing nicely and I'll definitely be back next time. The shop is unique and well designed, and of course, clean. The best part was the little "party bag" they give you at the end, complete with healing lotion and guide, and some awesome pins. Thanks, Chris!! Read Less

Rich came highly recommended to me by a good friend, is the first and only artist to tattoo me, and I have no plans to change it up. I have seen him once every year for the last three years to get a yearly tattoo and that rule is the only reason keeping me from having Rich tattoo me all the time. He is a friendly dude and honest with his assessment of customer ideas - which I appreciate as a relative newbie to tattoos. Yet to get tattooed in the new place, but excited to come in this spring. Read Less

Been getting all my tattoos from Rich for quite some time. Very professional, clean and of course talented. Every time I have an idea for a tattoo he comes through with an amazing design that's almost better than my original idea. I highly recommend this place and of course Rich! Read Less

I went to see Rich at Wild Wind on the recommendation of a friend who has the most beautiful and colorful sleeves I've ever seen. Rich brought my idea to life above and beyond my expectations. The lines are impeccable and the color is spot on. Additionally, he was a calming presence for this tattoo newb. The shop is clean and comfortable and the art installation on the back wall (which will be changed regularly) is really sweet. Great experience for my first tattoo . . . it will not be my last. I'll definitely return to Rich and Wild Wind. Read Less

I went to see Rich at Wild Wind on the recommendation of a friend who has the most beautiful and colorful sleeves I've ever seen. Rich brought my idea to life above and beyond my expectations. The lines are impeccable and the color is spot on. Additionally, he was a calming presence for this tattoo newb. The shop is clean and comfortable and the art installation on the back wall (which will be changed regularly) is really sweet. Great experience for my first tattoo . . . it will not be my last. I'll definitely return to Rich and Wild Wind.P.S. The laser photo backdrop is a fantastic touch! Read Less

A few months ago I decided to finally start working on getting my sleeve done.  It has been a long time since I got a tattoo and now that I'm older I wanted to be careful about what I get.  I went in to a local tattoo shop that had decent reviews and talked to Rich.  When I showed him a pictured of what I wanted he explained to me that if this were made into a tattoo, after a few years it would blend together and I would not be happy with it any longer.  He could have said sure and made some money but he showed integrity by telling me that.  I talked to him about what was looking for.  I really like the hand sketched look and I showed him something I liked.  He went in the back and sketched up my samurai.  It looked great once it was all done;  even better healed.  I have gotten a ton of complements on how clean the lines are.  A few months later I contacted Rich again and he told me he opened his own shop and if I was still intersted he could do it at his new shop.  He did such a great job that even though it was further from my house I went by so he could  measure out where I want it and for him to make the next one look like it goes with the first. We set another appt and when I came in he had the new addition sketched up for me.  I told him what I wanted tweeked and he went back and made the changes.  He put the outline on my arm and I knew it would be perfect!  It looks great and I am already getting complements on it.  Too bad it's getting colder and I will have to cover up soon! Read Less

Rich is an awesome guy. He really knows how to bring an idea to life. I came to him with a really vague idea and he turned it into a beautiful piece of art. Rich is most definitely the friendliest tattoo artist I've ever been to. We were talking about how delicious coconut flavored everything is as he was drinking some coconut flavored sparkling water. As I'm about to leave that night, he goes, "wait one sec" and comes back with my very own can of sparkling coconut water. Right on. Read Less