Tattoo magazines were few, the Internet was still learning to walk, and tattoo photos that did surface were typically flat and featured poorly inked, head-banging youth or old-school aficionados whose once discernible, pectoral sailor maiden had since turned into a smudgey, re-entry club stamp.

But times have changed. Sure, there are still photographs of inked-up subjects flaunting their aggression and nonconformist allegiance (rock stars are great at this), tatted sirens who drip sexuality like a racehorse drips piss, and tattoo enthusiasts of yesteryear.

But tattoo photos today often embrace a beauty and a reverence for the art of tattoos, and the individual who carries them, that was lost in previous years. Although the ink is on the surface, tattoos are not skin deep, and are most-likely backed by emotions. Tattoo photographers today have become increasingly advanced in capturing this energy on film, but some are clearly ahead of their game.

Whether taking shots of those in the spotlight or unknown folks around the world, check out the work of the top twenty tattoo photographers working in the business today.

Lionel Deluy: Lionel has photographed many inked celebs, including Angelina Jolie, Blink 182, the Jackass crew, The Game, and Kat Von D. His work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Premiere, and Vogue. Check out his inspiring bio on his webpage. www.lioneldeluy.com

Christian Holzknecht: Among Christian’s clients are The Stray Cats, the Playboy bunnies, The Monroes, and the good-natured fellas at West Coast Customs. www.holzknecht.at

Angela Boatwright: Photographer Angela Boatwright has been featured in Vice, Vibe, Revolver, SPIN and Inked magazine. She has done layouts for Nikki Sixx, Avenged Sevenfold and Sepultura, among countless other bands. www.angelaboatwright.com

Craig Burton: Craig Burton is a well known photog amid the metal scene, and does a lot of work in the tattoo arena where he made an international name for himself; covering worldwide tattoo conventions and shooting photos for several international tattoo mags. His clients include Kat Von D, Marilyn Manson, and Iron Maiden. www.craigburtonphotography.com

Jeff Davidson: Jeff Davidson specializes in combining the beauty of the female body with the creativity of tattoo art in his photos. www.thefemalecanvas.com

William DeMichele: After years of shooting tattooed enthusiasts, photographer William DeMichele opened his portfolio to over 80,000 images of tattooed men and women worldwide. http://tattoos.com/gallery/proteus

Justice Howard: Justice specializes in glamour photographs and celebrities pictures, and is a long time photographer of Dave Navarro. http://justicehoward.com

E. William Blochinger: William started out shooting covers for tattoo magazines such as Tattoo Savage, Tattoo Flesh and Skin Art, then turned his lens to Rock ‘n Roll - first by shooting concerts and then shooting the musicians. www.vanishingtattoo.com

Patricia Steur: Tattoos and Rock ‘n Roll play an important role in Patricia’s work. She has shot for numerous magazines including Playboy and Cosmopolitan, and has authored many books. Rock stars, the famous and perhaps soon to be… have all fallen under her lens. www.patriciasteur.com

Lithium Picnic: Houston photographer and Lithium Picnic associate Philip Warner has shot the Deftones, Lenny Kravitz and Marilyn Manson among his many layouts. www.lithiumpicnic.com

Tatsumi Takuya: Tatsumi photographs Horihito tattoo art in black and white. www.tema.co.jp

Jan Seeger: Jan is catching steam as one of the most expressive tattoo photographers in the business and captures beautiful, descriptive shots. http://janseeger.com

Lani Lee: Photographer Lani Lee has snapped hip-hop artist Malice getting tattooed by Chris Garver of Miami Ink, and sports tattoos sticked by Chris Garver and Ami James. http://lanileephotography.com

Peter DaSilva: Peter DaSilva strives to give viewers an unfettered view of counterculture lives and aesthetics through his photography. www.dasilvaphoto.com

Dale Rio: Dale is known for trotting around the globe on various tattoo magazine jobs, and shooting live, promo and press photos for a million different bands. www.dalerio.com

Michael McGowan: Michael’s work has appeared in galleries and shows all over the world, and seeks to celebrate all things about the female form. www.femmefete.com

Charles Gatewood: Charles specializes in fetish videos and books, and has been documenting the deviant worlds of tattooing, body piercing and other underground delights since 1964. www.charlesgatewood.com

Robin Perine: Tattoos, music, sports, fashion, and lifestyle photography are all a part of Robin’s repertoire and her clients include Green Day, Slash and Marilyn Manson. www.robinperine.com

Ina Saltz: Photographer Ina Saltz’s book: “Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh” is the first book devoted entirely to typographic tattoos, and explores the ideas and emotions behind the ink commitment. www.bodytypebook.com

Michael Glatt: Michael began shooting photography as a teenager and carries his camera everywhere. www.lifesdisciple.com

Many of these incredible photographers are available for hire, so be sure to check out their websites for more information.

Lucien Pellat-Finet offers cashmere sweaters and diamond watches brandishing tattoo skulls in NYC for $1,200-$3,500.

The exploitation of a counter-culture, when its monetary value is discovered, is painfully inevitable - but, the sole blame is not always on the hoitey-toiteys. Legendary tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy said of designer Christian Audigier, “This guy is at ground zero of everything that’s wrong with contemporary civilization. However, if he wants to make a lot of money with my art, and it’s not overtly negative, then what the hell.”

The oh-so-trendy Ed Hardy is not alone in his thinking. Check out the top five clothing designers fashioning tattoos as couture in our inked up modern society.

Sailor Jerry

Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins (1911-1973) is considered among many as the reigning American tattoo artist of his time. His artwork epitomizes the old-world sailor tattoo: winking maidens with shapely thighs and pert knockers, ships on the bounding main, skulls, red roses and taunting women embracing serpents - respectively. In 1999, protégés and tattoo legends Don Ed Hardy and Mike Malone partnered with a Philadelphia clothing company to establish Sailor Jerry Ltd., producing clothing and other items such as ash trays and shot glasses. The company also makes batches of 92-proof spiced rum featuring a Sailor Jerry hula girl on the label. www.sailorjerry.com

Christian Audigier

THE MAN behind modern day, tattoo-inspired consumerism. Christian Audigier acted as chief designer for Von Dutch in 2002 - creating the edgy style that turned the company into a pop-fashion phenomenon. He was granted the exclusive rights to the designs of iconic tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy and launched Ed Hardy, one of the hottest labels in the world. Thousands of celebrities don his gear, including Britney Spears (what!), Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Marilyn Manson, Madonna, and countless athletes. He often premieres his latest “underground” lines at the annual Mercedes Benz fashion week. www.christianaudigier.com, www.donedhardy.com

Sleeves, Inc.

Based in LA, Sleeves Inc. was conceived by Christien Tinsley, Oscar-nominated make-up artist (2005, The Passion of the Christ). Sleeves Inc. came onto the fashion scene in 2003 and the buzz was far reaching. Brad Pitt selected pieces to wear in a 15-page layout of L’Uomo Vogue.

Sleeves’ PR boasts: “Want to look like you’re punk rawk without jeopardizing your chances at that cushy white-collar job? Visit Sleeves for the ultimate in instant cool: a line of shirts designed to look as though you’ve been ferociously tattooed. Running from $80 to $100 bucks - they’re a small price to pay for looking cool without actually having to go under the needle.” www.sleevesclothing.com

Inkslingers USA

Inkslingers owner Mike Jezkiah has a chain of tattoo studios in Michigan, inking the likes of Brad Pitt, Eminem, Kid Rock and the Dixie Chicks, and has screened his original designs onto tees, denim and leather jackets. Sporting stitched back-pockets and wrinkled fabric, this clothing line goes for the vintage-look. Accessories and sneakers will soon be added to the collection. www.myspace.com/inkslingersusa

Vato

LA-based designer Rodney Rodriguez started his tattoo-inspired Vato line by giving away his shirts at clubs to generate word-of-mouth business. Now Rodriguez, 32, sells his garments in some of LA’s hippest shops - Madison, Fred Segal and Traffic - as well as stores in New York, Hawaii and Tokyo. His pieces can be seen on the chests of Jennifer Lopez, Pink and Christina Aguilera, and he has established a Vato line for children with many of the same graphics…just smaller. www.vatoclothing.com

Check out more tattoo industry products and gear here.

The following 25 women, in no particular order, are some of the most sought-after tattoo artists in the world, holding it down at some of the most popular tattoo parlors across the globe. And when you see their work, you’ll want to get shaded all over again. From style to sex appeal and straight-up talent, check out the varying appeal of the 25 hottest female tattoo artists.

Jen Beirola: Jen is the owner of Grinn and Barrett Tattoo in Omaha.

Nadine Bryant: Nadine is the owner of Skinks Professional Tattoo Studio in New Zealand. www.skinks.co.nz

Julie Becker: Julie works at MacDougal Tattoo in NYC. www.juliebeckerink.com

Laura Satana: Laura is located in Paris, France, but does international tattoo work. www.laurasatana.com

Kat Von D: Kat owns High Voltage Tattoo in Los Angeles and is the star of LA Ink on TLC. www.highvoltagetattoo.com

Heather Sinn: Heather works at Avalon Tattoo in San Diego.

Michelle Myles: Michelle co-owns world famous Fun City Tattoos in NYC and Dare Devil Tattoo on the Lower East Side. http://funcitytattoo.com

Anna Paige: Anna manages No Ka Oi Tiki Tattoo in Philadelphia and Skin Deep Tattoo in Waikiki. www.bodygraphics.com

Eva Huber: Eva works at Off the Map Tattoo in Massachusetts. www.offthemaptattoo.com

Ryoki: Ryoki is a self-taught artist who owns Al-Haut tattoo studio in Osaka, Japan. www.al-haut.com

Hannah Aitchison: Hannah is mainly based in Chicago at Deluxe Tattoo, but also works for High Voltage Tattoo in LA (and LA Ink). www.hannahaitchison.com

Kim Saigh: Kim co-owns Cherry Bomb Tattoo in Chicago and also works for High Voltage Tattoo in LA (and LA Ink). www.kimsaigh.com

Miss Heidi: Heidi owns Miss Heidi’s Tattoo and Body Piercing in Orlando. http://missheidistattoo.com

Nikki Pettis: Nikki also works for Grinn and Barrett Tattoo.

Andrea Ottlewski: Born in Germany, Andrea works at Slave to the Needle in Seattle. www.slavetotheneedle.com

Liz Gruesome: Liz works for Smokin’ Guns Tattoo in North Carolina. www.sgtattoo.com

Stephanie Tamez: Stephanie owns New York Adorned tattoo parlor in Manhattan and New York Adorned 2 in Brooklyn. www.stephanietamez.com

Morag Sangster: Morag is the sole female artist at Tribe Tattoo studios in Glasgow, UK. www.tribetattoo.co.uk

Christy Brooker: Christy works at ArtCore Studios in Seattle. www.christybrooker.com

Megan Hoogland: Megan works for Cactus Tattoo in Minnesota. http://meganhoogland.com

Stacy Sharp: Stacy works at Ink Alternative in New York. www.sharptattoos.com

Briana Sargent: Briana works at Flat’s Tattooing in Connecticut. www.brianatattoos.com

Margaret Moose: Marg works for Ace Custom Tattoo in North Carolina. www.moosetattoo.net

Saira Hunjan: Saira works at The Family Business Tattoo in London, and is the personal tattoo artist for Kate Moss. www.thefamilybusinesstattoo.com

Caroline Evans: Caroline is a guest artist for Anna Paige and No Ka Oi Tiki Tattoo. www.tattoosbycaroline.com

For more modern females in the tattoo industry, check out the Top Ten Hottest Female Tattoos in Hollywood here.

From her expanding personal ink style to her graphic canvas paintings, coveted slip-on shoe fashions, extreme sports gear designs, and new steel artistry, Taylor overlaps the tattoo industry with fashion, art, and lifestyle - all while keeping her cool, looking good, and never, under any circumstances, stopping the parTAY.

I say, she could take Kat Von D in a fist fight – after a few TAYquila shots – but no liquor is needed for this feisty SoCal artist to out-smart Hollywood starlets in the talent arena. Get to know artist, fashion designer, tattoo collector and tattoo artist: Taylor Reeve, and make sure to listen to all this Taylor Says.

Q: What are the current trends that now tie together the tattoo and art industries?

A: Tattoos are just another form of art, so of course they’re tied together. The difference I see lately is that tattoo images on clothing are now being worn by soccer moms and your average Joes … with diamonds and shit. Usually it’s those moms that give me dirty looks too, and hold their daughters close, probably saying: “Please don’t ever do that to your body.”

Q: How are tattoos represented in your artwork?

A: I like to paint girls or figures with tattoos - it’s just an extra thing for someone to look at. Usually people don’t notice them right away, either. So when they do it’s just an extra treat for someone to enjoy.

Q: How is your artwork represented in body ink?

A: I like to work with lines, so a lot of my tattoos are just line-work. I’m saving the rest of my back to incorporate a lot of my paintings into one piece that should be pretty sick. I love all of my tattoos but my favorites are the portraits of my family members I have been getting on my left arm.

People usually assume they’re my kids or they’ve passed on or something. My responses to those questions are: Hell no how old do you think I am? And, no they’re still alive … I’m just a family gal I guess. People trip on the portraits because they’re really well done and realistic looking … thanks to Mike Suarez.

Q: What other body art do you have planned?

A: I plan on finishing off my left arm and adding more to my ribcage and back. I came to the conclusion that I’m going to be heavily tatted … sorry Mom and Dad. Piercings are finished for the moment.

Q: Do you feel your tattoos have enhanced your reputation in the art and fashion communities?

A: I think my tattoos have given me an extra edge. It’s funny when people first hear about me because they assume I’m a dude (having the name Taylor apparently makes you male). Then when a tatted up blondie shows up, I think it’s a nice surprise for everyone.

Q: What opportunities have come your way via recognition of/responses to your tattoos?

A: I’ve had some pretty amazing opportunities come my way so far. I’ve hooked up with several companies that are into the tats. One in particular being Tattoed Steel. They have been using my images to laser onto their steel products, such as cuffs, dog tags, rings, etc.

I’ve gotten to work with some big names in the industry as well. I’m totally name dropping, but it’s the likings of Jesse Rooke, Brad Pitt, Ryan Sheckler, Carey Hart, Sunny Garcia, Ellen Degeneres, Troy Lee, and some more. Ok I’ll stop. Keep an eye out literally in 2009 - I have a collection coming out with Dragon Optical!

Q: Have you been denied any industry opportunities due to your tattoos?

A: Hell no. And if I was to be denied because of them, it’s their loss.

Q: As a tattoo collector, do you see yourself being more receptive to other industry figures also with tattoos, as contrasted with people without tattoos?

A: I definitely notice and appreciate ink - especially good ink. It doesn’t steer me clear from people who don’t have them. It seems everybody these days has something - it’s more of a surprise when they don’t. People who do judge should go someplace else, because this ain’t the industry for that bullshit.

Q: How do you feel about extreme piercings?

A: I don’t know how I feel about piercings to tell you the truth. Sometimes when people get a lot of piercings on their face it’s kind of distracting. I’m talking like heavy piercings, like 12 eyebrow rings or something. Me painting people a lot, I notice features and what not, and there’s some real beauty in them, so when there’s a bunch of metal hanging everywhere, it’s kind of hard to see around them. I also don’t really understand the whole ribbon/piercing deal that I’ve been seeing lately. It’s weird to me to be honest. But if that’s something someone wants to do then go right ahead, it’s just not for me.

I have my nose, Marilyn Monroe, belly button, and ears pierced. I don’t plan on getting anymore, I feel like what I have is enough for my likings.

Q: Rumor has it you’re learning to be a tattoo artist?

A: Tis true. I finally got sick of designing a tattoo for someone, to just have some tattoo artist butcher the design and make it their own. That’s when I realized: shit, instead of drawing things up for people, I should just do it all myself. I never realized what an art in itself tattooing really is. There’s so much to know it’s crazy and somewhat overwhelming.

Q: Can you give us a taste of your entertainment and fashion/art industry involvement?

A: I’m blessed to be working with some amazing people and companies such as Dragon, Redbull, Tatttoed Steel, Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, Wahoos, and Jesse Rooke.

Dragon will debut in 2009- I can’t wait it’s going to be awesome. Tattooed Steel is also amazing. Seeing my designs on products like theirs is a trip for me, I love it. Getting to rock my own gear is something else too. Jesse Rooke has opened up a whole other world for me by letting me paint on his custom motorcycles. I’ve always appreciated motorcycles and never thought I would be able to do something like that.

Last year at the X Games I painted on motocross boots belonging to Jeremy McGrath (pictured), Twitch, and Taka. They rocked them while competing and were all over ESPN. Sheckler loves the paint added to his Redbull hats as well. I’m also currently working on my own clothing line which will include tees, hoodies, and hats - should be pretty sic!

Q: So, what’s next?

A: My next step is building up TaylorSays as a brand and clothing line. Tattoos will also be a fun extra spice in my life.

Check out Taylor Reeve’s amazing art, apparel and jewelry designs, extreme sport stylings, and much more at TaylorSays.com and MySpace.com/canvasbytaylor.

Professional photos by Rich Van Every and Collin Erie

Kat Von D of Miami Ink

She’s the queen of portraits, and quite possibly one of the most talented artists alive today. She did her first tattoo at age 14 and started working as a tattoo artist at the young age of 16. Just take a look at her work…it’s absolutely phenomenal.

Miami Ink’s Kat Von D is the one who sees the realism behind the ink and uses her skill to successfully make that realism stand out. Her amazing photo gallery is saturated with portraits of others, far surpassing other artists at the ripe young age of 24. All the way from California, Kat Von D’s love for realism comes through strong when she is tattooing lifelike portraits.

Not only does the young artist come to Miami Ink saturated with her unique brilliance, Miami Ink’s Kat Von D also juggles a heavy touring schedule, as well as her own clothing line. Check out her work here: www.katvond.net.

So what does it take to get the word out about your artwork?

Alive and booming in the 21st century, thousands of tattoo artists across the world are making their mark in their clients’ skin, and technology has pulled through to the aid of their work.

With the help of Myspace.com, Rankmytattoos.com, inkednation.com, inkedmag.com, and bmezine.com, artists are getting the word out on their work in more ways than one. Many artists even have their own personal websites set up to sell flash and other works of art as well.

But throughout this technological wave, most artists still believe that good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth is the best way to promote themselves.

Julie Becker, an artist out of Los Angeles, Calif. says when she relocated to New York for a period of time MySpace was a key factor in her clientele.

“I’ve been using MySpace for about two years now,” she says. “When I moved to New York I basically got all my clients through MySpace,” she says.

Although she has done a lot of networking through the web, some print work and a cover of a tattoo magazine as well, word of mouth comes out as her best form of advertising.

“I don’t want to separate myself completely but I’m a bit underground,” she says. “I have a good rapport to clients and they have a good loyalty to me. They’ll promote for me.”

Michael Norris, an artist out of San Marcos, Texas, believes the best way to promote tattoo art is to “just be good at it.”

“If it’s good, it’ll be recognized,” he says.

Although he has been working on a website to promote his artwork for awhile, his clients promote him more than anyone else, and also bring their friends to him as well.

Norris eventually would like to see his work displayed in publications all throughout the world, and works at it by sending examples of his art out to various magazines.

“It’s all changing and still changing,” he says. “We’re going to be a heavily tattooed culture and there’s no turning back. Hopefully the public will educate themselves and only choose quality stuff. I’d like to see higher standards with more emphasis on the spiritual aspect and less of the hip/cool aspect.

Casper Geist in Tampa, Florida doesn’t believe in the traditional methods of promotion such as magazines and newspapers, but prefers to use the Internet as his primary source of networking. Going to conventions and passing out business cards, guest spots, networking through his website and just basically talking to people is what he feels works best.

“Sending your pictures into magazines is not a good idea,” he says. “If you’re good or halfway decent it’s like putting a gem into a pile of shit. They just want to fill pages so what happens is your work shows up in the magazine two years later when it’s not even comparable to the work you’re doing now.”

As far as his own work is concerned he feels it depends on who is being asked.
“The people I tattoo think it’s the best,” he says. “If you ask an artist they’ll say there’s a lot to be improved. I agree with the artist because I’m constantly changing every day.”

Christy Booker has been working as a tattoo artist out of Seattle, WA for over seven years, and has worked extensively to promote her work through various websites, conventions and advertisements.

“I have my own website, I’m on MySpace, Ink Nation, tattooartist.org,” she says. “I go to conventions, and try to make it to Inkslingers Ball every year. I always bring cards when I go to concerts.”

But overall she believes word of mouth is her best bet, especially since you will usually find her with someone she has already tattooed.

“Most of the time people talk about the expression that I get on images of people that I do,” she says. “Things like the life in the eyes, the direction to photo realism, that usually impresses people, and that’s promotion in itself,” she says.

Fred Giovannitti doesn’t like the word “tattoo.”

“It brings a stereotype to mind,” he says. “There’s a huge difference between tattoos and skin art. Tattoos you get by a tattoo technician. Skin art you get by an artist.”

Giovannitti believes “skin art” is not always meant to be a tattoo, and can be just as beautiful whether on a canvas or skin.

“You wouldn’t see a Harley logo on a canvas,” he explains.

For the past 14 years the Las Vegas tattoo artist has taken pride into putting custom work onto his clients’ skin with the strong belief that putting love into his work is what makes it shine.

The time and dedication he puts into his work is visible on his back where a large, evil face he designed stares out from his skin. The detailed piece took about eleven four-hour sessions tocomplete and has stood among the top three ranked tattoos on rankmytattoos.com for the past few months.

“What I wanted was a big, evil face, something that can be seen from across the street,” Giovannitti says. “I didn’t want a bunch of little things. I’m sure a lot of back pieces tell a wonderful story, but from 10 feet away you wouldn’t know what’s going on.”

Giovannitti also wanted something the artist would take great pleasure in doing. The artist working on this piece, Luc Vietek, worked on Giovannitti’s back every Sunday for weeks.

“It became such a chore,” he says. “I’d look depressed and people would ask what the matter was. I’d say well Sunday is coming. I can’t say I sat through without a twitch. Usually I’m very responsive.”

Giovannitti started tattooing in 1992, after he realized he didn’t want to see other people producing his artwork on his friends’ skin.

“I’ve seen a lot of poor work resulting from people trying to reproduce my stuff,” he says.

He always knew he wanted to be an artist, and has always refused to do flash. The artist got started in the industry so he could do his own artwork and he takes pride in his custom designs.

“I notice a lot of other artists seem to be stuck in an adolescent lifestyle,” he says. “It seems that the important thing to them is what they’re wearing, how cool their car is, and they want to live like a rock star. I might have a big ego where my artwork is concerned, but I’m definitely not a rock star.”

Just looking at him, it’s hard to suspect he is a tattoo artist.

Giovannitti comes to work daily in a collared shirt, tucked in to his pants. He will often wear a tie as well. First impressions are important to him, and he’ll do his best to make a good one.

“When I’m in the shop, everyone around me is in t-shirts and ripped jeans,” he says. “I’m not trying to assume the image of the tattoo shop.”

Besides his clothing style, his artistic technique shows originality in his ability to put ideas on paper.

“Sketching a design only takes about five minutes for me. I’ve never had a customer come in and have an idea and me not be able to put it on paper,” he says.

Throughout his experience in the artistic field over the years, he has seen custom art transform from being practically nonexistent to playing a huge role in tattoo shops across the nation. He feels many of the changes in the industry have been for the better.

His passion for custom art comes alive in his clients, where he continues to put love into his work on a daily basis.

“I feel like I’m the richest man in the world,” he says.

“I have everything I could’ve ever asked for. Even if my hands were cut off I could still do artwork.”

Photos by Jeremy Sullivan

Artist Tom Berg is one of those, as he has combined the buzz of his tattoo machine to the scratch of his pencil and the wisp of his paintbrush. Today, he not only etches his artwork into the skin of San Pedro customers but he has unexpectedly fallen into the film industry by drawing tattoos for movies and television.

“I see a lot of people struggle in the industry and I don’t envy it,” Berg says. “I’m pretty un-Hollywood so it’s good for me because I can get in, just do my thing and get out.”

His first piece was a set of devilish horns for the movie, Red Dragon in 2002, a prequel to Silence on the Lambs and since, his highly acclaimed work and positive attitude has brought much more work his way.

Through working on Red Dragon, Berg met producer/director, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, After The Sunset). Berg said they got along really well and when Ratner got the call to work on the hit Fox show “Prison Break”, he asked Berg to come along for the ride.

“He’s the type of guy that when he sees something, he knows it will work,” Berg says. “I didn’t realize that he was so particular and I respect that.”

Berg was called relatively early in the process, entering “Prison Break” during the casting stages. For this tattoo, make-up artist Mike Mekash sent Berg the dimensions and measurements of the main actor, Wentworth Miller and told Berg to draw a tattoo covering the full torso, back and both arms. That was - the largest tattoo they had ever done for television.

“The great thing about working with Tom is he’s a tattoo artist so he knows how to wrap stencils around someone’s body, Mekash says. “We knew it was a lot of work but after getting Tom we realized it would be a breeze.”

Mapping out the tattoo was the first challenge for the crew. The second continues to be the four and a half hour application of the tattoo for every episode. Mike Mekash gets up at 5 am to apply the 13 huge pieces of water transfer tattoo on Millers glue coated skin. He admits that the tattoo for “Prison Break” is the toughest and longest running job he’s ever had to do.

“He puts that thing on brilliantly and it’s not easy,” Berg says. “I put on real stencils for tattooing and when you get into the curvature of the body it’s so difficult to put those on.”

Mekash says Miller is fine with wearing the prosthetic tattoo and sometimes wears it home to avoid another early morning on the set. A few touch ups and they are done.

“If the actor doesn’t feel comfortable wearing it home that’s okay,” Mekash says. “You wouldn’t expect a guy to go home in a full Planet of the Apes monkey suit, so you can’t expect it with a tattoo.”

In “Prison Break”, the blue print of the prison is hidden within the tattoo on the torso of the main character, Michael Scofield. Because his brother was framed for murdering the vice presidents brother, Scofield committed a crime to get into jail and masterminds a scheme to break his brother out.

Although Berg admits he doesn’t watch the show, “Prison Break” is currently his only on-going project and he is proud to continue working on season two.

“It’s cool because I’d have to say that because it [his tattoo] has such a definite part in the story, it makes me proud to see it up there.”

Ratner continues to include Berg in his projects with “X-Men 3: The Last Stand.” For this project Berg designed tattoos for many of the mutants as part of an elaborate makeup department. Tons of tattoos, prosthetics, creative makeup and hair designs will be seen in this installment of the X-Men trilogy.

His most challenging piece was for the mutant, Callisto (Dania Ramirez). His original design was a facial tattoo but once they tried it out on the petite actress, Berg said it ended up looking “like a silly Batman mask”. After flying out to Canada and spending hours with the makeup department head, Kris Evans and Ramirez, he came up with a decorative rod iron design for the side of her face.

“I wanted something strong but not too tribally because that looks guyish,” Berg says. “I wanted it unique, not like a typical street fighter look.”

Berg also designed Callisto’s arm band and the omega symbol on her chest. Also displaying Bergs challenging artwork will be Maxwell Jordan aka Quill (Ken Leung) with a huge Asian architectural piece that flows from his chin onto his throat.

The last character to flaunt Bergs designs already has many real tattoos herself. Actress Omahyra Mota plays Philippa Sontag aka Arclight and will sport Berg’s work on the side of her dainty neck

“Brett sent me some pictures and then we went to dinner and I just drew designs on some napkins,” Berg jokes. “I know it sounds cheesy.”

Berg’s talent keeps him busy. His projects also include designing tattoos for “The Reaping,” starring Hilary Swank. Berg looks forward to watching his creations come to life on the big screen. “I’m not gonna quit tattooing, ever, unless I lose an arm or something.”

But if the enterprising 62-year-old ever did decide to begin quilt making, she would create ominous demons, commemorative eagles, oriental-designed cherry blossoms or creepy, crawly insects akin to her style detailed in her extensive portfolio.

“I’m too adventurous to stay working in one style of work,” she explains. “Lots of artists get stuck working in just one style.”

Shanghai Kate might indeed have the most interesting resume of any male or female tattoo artist in the country. She’s worked plenty of side jobs from a graphic designer, art gallery promoter to an influential columnist. The revered artist and entrepreneur of 35 years keeps herself in perpetual motion by promoting her work and meeting fans at tattoo conventions throughout the country.

“Fate just plucked me — fate has been extremely kind,” she admits. “I’ve never been girly. I’ve worked really hard whether working on the farm or for the government.”

While her original works appear in all major tattoo magazines, she also enjoys repairing old, faded and often sloppy prison-like designs by drawing over the lights and darks of skin and ink, using the former ink as means of shading to conceal unwanted work. She’s even covered a tattoo of a client’s ex-girlfriend with a deadly grim reaper.

Her notable clients include Howard Stern, the lead guitarist of Pearl Jam, Casey Affleck, Summer Phoenix, CEOs of fancy companies and many SoHo models. But she is not one to play favorites; all her other clients are just as important to her. “Everyone is a celebrity to me when they see me,” she adds.

Shanghai Kate’s career began with her admiration for the famous tattoo artist and pioneer Sailor Jerry. She apprenticed with him before his death in the early 70s. Sailor Jerry, also known as Norman Collins, is particularly known for creating distinctive pin-ups and bold animal designs. He took Shanghai Kate under his wing because of her passion and eagerness to work long hours despite being young and a woman at the time.

She was so inspired by his commitment and innovation to the practice, she soon became a serious tattoo artist herself. She tattooed Sailor Jerry’s eyeball on her right arm so she can fondly remind herself of him.

“Sailor Jerry embraced me. He built machines for me,” she says. “He enjoyed being warm around me.”

Shanghai Kate has been an audacious migrant ever since abandoning her farmhouse roots in Utah during the 60s. She took a backpack and eventually breezed through every state and major city in the United States during the next few decades. She’s tattooed in many various places; from bars in Spain and Norway to Chinatowns in Honolulu and Philadelphia — part of the reason she was nicknamed “Shanghai Kate.”

She even recently put up her popular Buffalo, N.Y. shop, Seven Seas Tattoos, for sale because she simply doesn’t want to settle down.

Her plans include spending her winters in Arizona and somewhere cooler in the summer. But she’s ready to take on quite a few side trips. She wants to see as many blue glaciers, redwood trees and jagged sierras as she can.

“I’m never going to settle down because we have one shot here,” she says. “Too many people get stuck in one place.”

]]> http://mag.rankmytattoos.com/artist-kate-hellenbrand/feed http://mag.rankmytattoos.com/artist-thomas-pendelton.html http://mag.rankmytattoos.com/artist-thomas-pendelton.html#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:50:59 +0000 Angela Generoso http://mag.rankmytattoos.com/?p=19 Thomas Pendelton talks about the life on “Inked” he left behind and the new family atmosphere he embraces.

Hundreds of miles away from the illuminating Las Vegas atmosphere surrounding Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company, Thomas Pendelton’s eyes light up. He grabs his wife’s hand, flashes a huge smile and explains an idea he and his business partner had a while back.

“Anthony and I had an idea to sell holes,” the artist laughs. “You know, like holes in the ground.”

“It makes no sense, so don’t even ask,” his wife Monica responds with a smile.

“Golf courses need holes,” Pendelton explains. “What about swimming pools? You need a hole if you’re building a swimming pool. I also thought it would be pretty cool to be a bounty hunter…”

Ideas like these set 35-year-old artist and entrepreneur Thomas Pendelton apart from his peers. Now that he is no longer tattooing, he is now using his creativity to start up his own clothing line, “Ministry of Ink.” He is also the proud father of 3-month-old twin girls as well as his 9-year-old son.

“My life is now 100 percent family-oriented and business,” Pendelton says. “Where I am today is exactly where I want to be.”

Today Pendelton is moving forward in his life with no desire to return to Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company in Las Vegas as well as the crew of A&E’s reality TV show “Inked.” After numerous arguments with co-owner Carey Hart as well as others in the shop, he decided it was time to sever all ties and move forward.

Pendelton describes his former lifestyle on “Inked” as an all-around wild time. Throughout the club promotion and the show’s chaos, running a shop in a party-like atmosphere proved to be extremely difficult.

Working as the front man for the business, the stress he was put under by others in the shop became overwhelming. Eventually the problems escalated to a point where he and Monica broke up.

“I think I didn’t handle that stress well,” Pendelton says. “We were working together, living together, we had a reality show, and a new relationship. It was all so much at once that it was rough for us.”

Unknowingly, the breakup served as a conduit for a severe change in his life.

“When I lost Monica, it reality checked me,” Pendelton says. “After we broke up I really didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care about Hart and Huntington, and I was just hanging out with friends, partying like a rock star.”

When the couple finally started talking again over time, Pendelton decided it was time to leave his life in Vegas behind and move forward with Monica. A structured family life was in clear view ahead, and the bright lights were becoming a blur.

“The people who worked there before are completely different now,” Pendelton says of his former co-workers. “They’re all rock-starred out now. If a family life is what we want, we can’t be in that environment.”

Now that Pendelton is moving on from tattooing, his art is coming through in other mediums. He feels he is getting through to a broader audience through his clothing line instead of tattooing a few people each day.

“If I was going to stay in the tattoo industry I would open my own shop,” he says. “You can only go so far, make so many tattoos for a person in a day. It was really just a natural progression for me to leave there. I know what it’s like to own a shop now, and babysitting an artists is not an easy thing to do.”

He credits “Inked” for helping him leave the tattoo industry immediately. The clothing line has been picked up by Hot Topic, and they have gained over 1500 people on their email list.

The inspiration behind his clothing line’s name, “Ministry of Ink” comes from Pendelton’s ordainment as a

minister. He describes the style of clothing to be one that puts creativity as a higher power, and feels that with all the negativity in the world, those who are creative offset the balance.

“You see guys that have all that negative shit on them; they’re probably really negative people. You look at mine, and you’ll see they’re all positive,” Pendelton says.

The word “Disciple” is displayed clearly on his fingers, as well as the words “True Love.” The space on his right hand displays a Tibetan prayer, and a portrait of Jesus takes up the space on the left side of his neck.

“Ministry of Ink” shirts have many obscure designs including angels holding guns. Pendelton says it’s because there is so much death in mainstream religion that they decided to put it out in the open.

“People might get offended, but it’s what’s really going on in the world,” Pendelton says. “It may seem dark but it’s really light-hearted. It sends positive messages in almost a sarcastic tone. If you look through it all you’ll see the positivity.”

“Everything I do revolves around some type of ink, whether it’s tattoos or t-shirts,” Pendelton says. “I have spent so many years making other people successful, so this is my work and my idea. In a sense it’s my ministry and what I believe is good art. I’m not drawing for anyone else anymore.”

Many of Pendelton’s own tattoos carry specific meaning. This is especially true of the portrait of Jesus displayed on his neck. “When I was a kid I used to carry around a picture of Jesus in my sock,” Pendelton says. “I don’t know why I did, but I did.”

As a child, Pendelton grew up poor. He recalls moving around from place to place, living off of welfare, and continuously being evicted.

“We lived in Reno for awhile, in this shithole town called Fernley,” Pendelton says. “We had these dirty junkyard dogs and a go-cart with no motor. So in the morning the dogs would pull us to school in the go-cart and my brother would tie them to the bike rack. You can’t get more white trash than that.”

Pendelton started doing artwork for a living at 17, and started tattooing when he was 21. Although he loved

working as an artist in this medium for as long as he did, he felt it was the right time in his life to move on from reality TV as well as the life he had in Vegas.

“It (“Inked”) made us all look like a bunch of knuckleheads,” he says. “Among artists there’s a lot of jealousy. I think a lot of people thought why are they filming these knuckleheads, when there are a lot of better artists out there.”

On the other hand, Pendelton feels the show did bring in hundreds of people
that wouldn’t normally enter a tattoo shop.

“I don’t think tattoo artists realize that there are still millions of people out there who think tattooing is just bikers and the scum of the earth. Hart and Huntington broke that mold in the way it looked and was run. People can hate on the show if they want, but it still broke that mold.”

As far as reactions from the public go, Pendelton doesn’t pay much attention to the negative feedback.

“I was in the hospital when the twins were born and this man walks up to me and says, ‘I fucking hate you. I hate your show and I hate you’ and I was like thanks for watching,” Pendelton laughs. “It’s just a weird reaction, ya know? That can really bum you out if you start to think about it.”

And he’s not thinking about it, since his life on the show is in the past, and his life as an artist, in whichever medium people view for him, is what he looks toward for the future.

“I walked away from everything, wanted nothing, and I wanted my name pulled
off of it,” Pendelton says. “When I walk away, I walk away and leave it all behind.”

Photos by Susan Goldman