Being A Tattoo Artist : Life As A Tattoo Artist

The word “tattoo” is actually the combination of words from two different cultures. The Polynesian word to strike something, “ta”, and the Tahitian word meaning to mark something, “tatau” (Designboom, 2010). The form of body art known as tattooing has developed artistically, improved technically, and changed stylistically throughout the past two centuries. Not only has the public perception changed over the years, but the methods and machinery used to create these wonderful pieces of art has also changed drastically. Once viewed as only acceptable for sailors, criminals, and circus performers; tattoos, have taken a giant leap from their humble roots. However, they couldn’t have become as popular as they have without the inspirational

A Career in the tattoo industry has always been a fantasy of mine, I’ve had a lot of dreams for what I want to do when I’m all grown up and I can honestly say that a tattoo artist will always be one of them. Ever since I could remember I’ve had a talent for anything art wise. My favorite hobby has always been drawing. As a kid I enjoyed looking at and hearing about everyone’s tattoos. They’re just permanent drawings on someone’s body. Your body is like a temple for your soul, and I think that tattoos are just decorations. They tell the souls story, and make the body look like a beautiful book of life. It’s like a unique way of telling your story, through the art all over your temples walls. Every tattoo has a meaning and a story behind it.

The rising popularity of tattoos and body piercing is more than just the latest fashion craze. This type of body art has been a part of this world for thousands of years. Tattoos and piercings have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment (Smithsonian.com). In the later years (1940 – 2000) tattoos and piercings were more common among teenagers and young adults, but now, people of all ages are expressing themselves through body art. To try and understand this rise in the desire to permanently mark ones self, we must first determine the origin and history of tattoos and piercings.

According to Written on the Body by Jane Caplan, "Tattooing is one of many forms of irreversible forms of body alteration... and it is probably the oldest and most widespread [of these.]" Due to the age of tattooing as a whole, there are countless things one can learn

On the most basic level, tattoos acted as a badge of social and cultural differentiation that separated the tattooed from the non-tattooed. On a deeper level, however, social and cultural homogeneity did not unite the tattooed, for the subject matter and aesthetic style of the tattoos created a fault-line that divided the classes. (Caplan, 2000, 148)

Tattoos have been around throughout our history, from Egyptian times to the present day. Many people may say they know the history of tattoos, and where they originate from, but do they really? Does one know that there were reasons that some people had tattoos? There may be people who know the actual history of tattoos and body art and why one would decide to get one; however there are people who do not. To be able to understand the idea of tattoos, one should educate themselves to the history of tattoos. Although tattoos have been considered taboo and a stereotype, history reveals that this particular form of body art has been used for self expression, status and

Tattooing is the art of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, or legends by making pricks and inserting colored ink. The word itself has its origins in the South Pacific. The art had been referred to as pricking, scarring, or staining until explorer Captain James Cook encountered the indigenous peoples of Tahiti. (Wilkinson 6)

This essay describes the job of a tattoo parlor and the tattoo artist, and the interaction between the artist and the customer. The description is of a normal day where I visit Blue Moon Tattoo, watch a lady being tattooed, and receive a tattoo of my own. I describe the complete day in the parlor, from watching a woman find the perfect tattoo, to watching her getting the tattoo. Along with the description, the main point of this essay is to explain how people can actually be comfortable with a tattoo artist and be comfortable with needles being poked into their body. A small amount of interaction between the artist and the customer makes the tattoo have a bit of personality, and a memorable experience.

A tattoo is a puncture wound, made deep in your skin, that’s filled with ink. The tattoo is made by penetrating your skin with a needle and injecting ink into the area creating some sort of design of

A tattoo is a mark with an intricate design on the flesh by inserting pigment into the skin. In “Tattoos Gain Even More Visibility”, Trebay discusses how tattoos and body modifications are progressively becoming the norm in today’s society. Trebay is an author at the New York Times and writes mainly about fashion. He discusses the potential affects markings and piercings pose on everyday life.

There is always a lot of controversy when it comes to tattoos. Most people instantly have an opinion of them; they are either for or against tattoos. What is not realized is the fact that there is a ton of time and effort put into the sketching and placement of a tattoo. People tattoo themselves as a way of self-expression and liberation.

Qualified and well known tattoo artists are incredibly talented and hardworking. In addition to knowing just about all there is to know about art, they also have to understand advanced mechanics such as the way the tattoo gun works, and the different kinds of them that exist. Most people frown upon the men and women that choose to work as tattoo artists, because they are usually tattooed as well, and have qualifications to

Do tattoos identify a person and who they are? I myself have tattoos, many people have tattoos for all different reasons they may stand for something important in their lives could be cultural or religious people feel that tattoos are a symbol of art. Judging a person on his or her tattoos is like judging a book by its cover or judging a person based on their race.

What used to be the property of sailors, outlaw and rock star is now become a popular body decoration for many people. It’s not just anchors, skulls, and spider web anymore, people have found plenty ways to express themselves with their tattoo. You might be thinking to get your first one, but fear of the unknown can sometimes hold you back from it. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about the process how the human skin is transformed into a beautiful work of art.

Tattoos today are recognized as totally different than what they were pictured as in the past. “Tattooing is recognized by government agencies as both an art form and a profession and tattoo-related art work is the subject of museum, gallery and educational institution art shows across the United States.” [ (Levins,