Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part1 Last-modified: October 23, 1993 Posting-frequency: Monthly This is the 'other' half of the rec.arts.bodyart FAQ file that is posted on a monthly basis (in the latter half of the month) and includes information about everything but piercing that might concern bodyart. If you are a regular reader of r.a.b. and do not want to read this monthly posting, you may want to set a KILL command in your file for all four tattoo FAQ postings. The rec.arts.bodyart tattoo FAQ is broken up into four parts: Part 1/4: Introduction, and getting a tattoo Part 2/4: Artist list Part 3/4: How to care for a new tattoo Part 4/4: Miscellaneous information PURPOSE OF THIS FAQ: This FAQ serves to disseminate information on the most frequently asked questions about the basics of tattoos and tattooing (as well as other non-pierce bodyart). Tattooing and other forms of bodyart are currently experiencing a peaking in their cycle of popularity; however bodyart has been around for thousands of years in various forms. While their current popularity is helping to shed some of the rebel/underground images and stereotypes, most of the general population of developed countries still regard tattooing with some disdain, especially against those who are heavily inked. The purpose of this FAQ is *not* to raise these issues or to change such views, but to educate those who are interested in learning more about tattoos, whether they are considering getting one themselves or not. Regardless of motive, tattooing is a very personal choice. Access to information such as is available in this FAQ should help you make a wiser decision about getting inked, since the reversing process is not easy. I have tried to include the contributor's name and email address where possible, both for accountability reasons and for obtaining further information. Contributions, while welcome, may not always be added depending on whether they fit into the purpose of this FAQ. Comments submitted by individuals are copyrighted by the individual. You may disseminate this FAQ in its entirety through electronic means including diskettes, but must include this introductory section. Please obtain permission from me before disseminating this r.a.b. tattoo FAQ via print, especially to those uninitiated to the usenet format. You need not obtain special permission to quote parts of this FAQ for academic research purposes; however please email me (at teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu) with your topic, since the findings from your research may be something I might like to add to the FAQ. *IF YOU ARE A MEDIA REPORTER OR JOURNALIST, you are explicitly requested to email me prior to using material in this FAQ.* In the effort to keep this FAQ from becoming a promotional or political tool, please use your discretion about sharing Part II (the artist list) with tattoo professionals, as they might find offense in omissions or negative reviews of their operation (unfortunately, some artists don't have the health and well-being of the customer as their #1 priority). If, on the other hand, artists are interested in discussing technique, style, or the reasons they got into the field, I will gladly include this in the FAQ, as this type of information is sorely missing in general. This FAQ was originally compiled by Paul Davies (Synthetic Man) at pdavies@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca, with contributions from various people. The rights and privileges to maintain this tat FAQ was given to me by Paul Davies in Summer 1993. The compilation and revision of this FAQ is an ongoing learning process. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this FAQ, please send them to teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu. If I have *any* advice for those who decide to get inked, it is: To shop around, to ask a lot of questions, to not fret about the cost too much, to always ask to look at the artists' sample photos, and to get something that's custom, significant and meaningful. That thing's gonna be with you for a looong time. Oh--and "Think Ink!" WHAT THIS FILE CONTAINS: This file is structured as a traditional FAQ in the form of questions and answers. Questions answered in this file: Rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ Part 1/4: Getting a tattoo 0. Does it hurt? 1. Where do I find a good tattoo artist? 2. What should I look for in a tattoo artist? 2.1. How to look around in the shop 2.2. Asking to see their portfolio 2.3. What to look for in their portfolio 2.4. What kinds of questions to ask 2.5. What sorts of things to look for in a shop 3. How much does it cost to get a tattoo? 4. Can I get infectious diseases from tattoo needles? 4.1 Can my tattoos get infected? 4.2 Are there any medical conditions that will preclude me from getting a tattoo? 5. Tattoo Conventions: What are they all about? 5.1 What types of conventions are available? 5.2 Why would I want to attend? 5.3 What's the format? 5.4. What's the atmosphere? 5.5. What kind of tattoo contests are there? 5.6. Can I actually get a tattoo at a convention? 5.7. What else can I find at these conventions? 5.8. When and where are upcoming conventions? WHAT TO EXPECT IN UPCOMING REVISIONS: --List of artists (ongoing) --What kind of different "styles" are there? --What kind of colors are available? What are the inks made of? What is it about red ink that causes allergic reactions in some? --Where can I get good ideas for designs? Part of a bibliography. --How is "traditional" tattooing done--without the tattoo gun? --What is the history behind Japanese tattoos? How is it done? --What Polynesian islands were into tattooing? --What tat magazines can I look at for examples of artists' works? --Where can I access GIF files of tats? --Are there any tattoo museums I could visit? Have fun and "think ink!" -------------------------------------------------------------- GETTING A TATTOO 0. Does it hurt? ---------- This is the first question in this FAQ because it's usually the first question that people ask about tattooing. The answer is, quite simply, yes. Having needles pierce your skin *does* hurt. But what you *really* want to know is, "How MUCH does it hurt, and can I handle it?" It's really not nearly as bad as what you might imagine. Basically, there is the pain of the cluster of needles on the tattoo gun piercing your skin very rapidly. This sensation, however, doesn't feel like the poking pain of an injection--it's more of a constant vibration. You will be amazed at how quickly your body releases endorphins, or pain killers--so even if it hurts, the pain is dullened somewhat. The pain will also vary according to where on your body you get worked on. Skin right above bones (collarbone, anklebone, etc.) tend to be more painful than other areas. [My experience seems to be that it's less painful where you have less muscle/more "padding"--any comments?] Finally, remember that you are volunteering for the experience. The amount of pain will depend on your psychological attitude--so your mileage will vary. 1. How do I find a good tattoo artist? ---------- Looking for an artist can be as easy as checking the Yellow Pages, or as complex as checking references, magazine photos, and reading r.a.b. There are a number of ways to find good artists, including (but certainly not limited to): --Reading r.a.b. and this FAQ is a good start. It'll give you a base in which to start. If you live in an area where an artist is not listed in the FAQ, you might want to post a query, too. --Perusing tattoo magazines. While not all tattoo magazines are of the National Geographic quality the photos tend to speak for themselves. Some issues highlight specific artists' works; a good way see the type of work someone does. Use the photos in the magazines to compare with those of the artist you are interested in. These magazines have done a lot to show what is *possible*. --Attending a tattoo convention. Read the following section on tattoo conventions for more information. 2. What should I look for in a tattoo artist? ---------- You can approach this one of two ways. You can either go to a shop because someone recommended the artist to you, or you can go in cold. For obvious reasons, you will have a little more information with you if you already know something about the artist. This may make you feel more at ease when going into a shop for the first time. 2.1. How to look around in the shop------------- Don't let the shop intimidate you when you first walk in. You are after all, a potential customer. Consider it window shopping. The first thing you should do when you enter the shop, is to take a minute to look around. Chances are, you will encounter some flash (stock illustrations) stapled on the walls. These will most likely lean toward the traditional. Skull and crossbones, roses and the like. You might also see some signs ("No minors; we ID," "We have sanitary conditions" etc.). These signs will also be indicators of the personality of the shop owner. If the signs seem overly intimidating, patronizing or snobbish, they can be tip-offs of the shop's attitude. 2.2. Asking to see their portfolio-------------- Do not be impressed by the flash on the wall. These illustrations are usually purchased from other places and do not represent the work of your artist. Frankly, anyone with some experience can easily trace the outlines of these illustrations and fill in the colors. What you really need to look at is a book that contains a collection of photos of the artist's work. Go to the counter and ask to see one. If they tell you they don't have one, walk out immediately. You are visiting the shop to commission a piece of art to be permanently illustrated on your skin; for the artist to tell you s/he doesn't have samples in a portfolio is insulting. 2.3. What to look for in their portfolio------------- When you do look in their portfolio, there are a few things to keep in mind. Do you see any photos of pieces that you recognize in the flash (on the wall, or in a flash book)? If so, how is it rendered in tattoo format? Before anything else, check to see that the lines are clean. Are they well-defined? Straight where they should be; not shaky or blurry? Do the colors seem true? Are they bright? Proportionately correct? Look at the people in the book. This can be an indicator of the clientele in the shop (besides looking at the ambiance of the shop). Is there a fair mix of women and men in the book? Are they all sporting "biker" tats, or any one particular genre/style? Again, keep in mind that anyone can stencil an outline of an illustration onto your skin. The skill in the artistry comes in the shading, use of colors and other subtle things that set an artist apart from a simple tattooist. Do you see anything in the portfolio that is not in the flash? These are the custom pieces that the artists have done, and they should be their crowning glory. How do they look? Do you like what you see? If there is more than one artist working in the shop, and you see some photos you like, make sure to find out which artist did the work. 2.4. What kinds of questions to ask------------- Whenever you ask to see their collection of photos, the person in the shop will hopefully immediately recognize you as someone who knows a little more about tattoos--at least enough not to be satisfied by looking at just the flash. If the shop is not too busy or if the artist is not in the middle of working, they might stand on the other side of the counter to have a conversation with you. This is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions of the artist. Some reasonable questions to ask in your conversation: What is their favorite style? --If what *you* are looking to get done happens to be their specialty you are in luck; be it tribal, wildlife or whatever. Is there any one particular subject they like to do? --One artist, without hesitation, told me his favorite was skulls. I would've jumped for joy had that been what I wanted. How long has the shop been here? --This may be an indicator of the stability of their business. The tat industry in itself fluctuates, but continuity implies business acumen, responsible practices and that they are not a fly-by-night operation. How long have they been at the shop? --The shop may have been there for 20 years, but the artist may only have been there for a couple of months. If they have been there for what you consider a short period, ask them where they were before. How long have they been tattooing? --It might not matter so much that the artist has only been there for a short while, if they've been tattooing for several years. They might come from various backgrounds--anywhere from working on friends to having a fine arts degree. This type of information will give you more insight into the artist's attitude. Do they get to do much custom work? --This may depend on where the shop is located, but it also depends on how good of an artist they are, and whether they have their own style for which they are known for. Do they use apprentices at the shop? --It is often difficult for new artists to break into the business, and an apprenticeship is often a very good way to learn not only about tattooing itself, but also about the business of operating a shop. For an artist to take apprenticeships means they are interested in expanding the artform, in giving a new person a break (so to speak) and feeling confident enough about their own skills that they feel they can offer some insight and experience for the new person. This again goes back to the attitude of the artist and the shop. Don't let the looks of the artist intimidate you. Tattoo artists usually have a lot of tattoos themselves. The main thing is that you need to talk with them and get a feel for what they are like. As you talk with the artist and build a rapport, if you feel comfortable you may want to broach the subject of what you're interested in getting done. Bounce your idea off with the artist and see what they are willing to help you with. 2.5. What sorts of things to look for in a shop------------ Looking critically at the shop is as important as choosing your artist. Make sure the place is very clean, make sure the artist uses an autoclave or uses disposable needles (or both even). Don't be afraid to ask them, either. What does the shop look like? What is its ambiance? Does it look like a barber shop, a hair salon, dental office or an art gallery? If you are a nonsmoker, will cigarette smoke bother you? Look for used ashtrays as signs. Do the work areas offer you any privacy? Do they use shower curtains, private booths or shoulder-high room dividers? Try to go and visit and then come back some other day. Don't feel pressured into having to get one right then and there. Try and talk to some people that have experience with the artist (and not the groupies that you will find hanging around the shop). You should feel comfortable with the artist and you should like him/her. If you don't, then don't get a tattoo (or at least not there). Make sure the artist is willing to listen to you and respects what you want. Don't go to an artist that has an agenda of what he/she wants to do. The artist may make suggestions, but the final word is always yours. Finally, make sure you take their business card with you. If the artist you talk to does not have his/her own card, jot down the name on the back, and perhaps some notes to yourself about the shop and the artist. 3. How much does it cost to get a tattoo? ---------- This is an age-old debate, so the following is just a very basic ballpark. You usually pay for work either by the piece, or by the hour. The smaller pieces in the artist's flash book are "standard stock" material that usually don't take the artist too long to do. For these, you might find prices listed right next to the artwork. The artist may have a "minimum" charge that might vary depending on the artist. Larger (or custom) pieces will usually be charged by the hour. If you get a "stock" piece (probably about 2" x 2" in size), you will probably not pay more than $100 and sit no longer than an hour in the chair. Your mileage may vary. If you bring your own design , the artist may charge anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars an hour, depending on the artist. However, you may want to work with someone who charges $100 or so an hour; after all, you DO get what you pay for. Price negotiation should be up front and straightforward, a part of your initial discussion before work begins. Some shops take credit cards; many don't. Out-of-towners may be asked to put down a deposit. Be particularly wary of people willing to work "for cheap" or "for free." They are often artists just starting out, who are still developing their skills. Caveat emptor. 4. Can I get infectious diseases from tattoo needles? ---------- There has been some concern recently regarding transmittable diseases (particularly Hepatitis-B and AIDS [HIV]) and tattoo shops. Just as in a dentist's office, as long as the area is strictly sanitized, your chances for infection will be greatly reduced. Check out the shop thoroughly. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by a clean look. If the needles are not disposed of after each person, then it MUST be "autoclaved." Autoclaving is a process that pressurizes the instruments and kills any virus or bacteria that might transmit viruses or bacteria. My dentist has two autoclavers--one gas and one steam--both pressurizing down to 250fsw. He also has spore samples that he autoclaves and sends to a pathology lab to make sure the machines are working. Ask the artist how they clean their needles. If they don't say they autoclave, you are taking your risks. If they say they do, ask to see their machine. Other common-sense types of things include throwing out the ink after each customer. Make sure the artists have small wells for each ink color that they dispense from a larger container, and that these are thrown out after work on you is done. Compare the conditions of the shop to that of your dentist--does the artist wear gloves? Are the areas sprayed clean? Are they insured? According to the Navy Environmental Health Center Medical Corps in Norfolk, Virginia, each year, a few cases of Hep-B are reported in people who've gotten tattoos within the last two months, but they have not been able to trace the disease back to its source, nor attribute it directly to the tattoo. Becky Fenton (forsythe.stanford.edu) says: "I spoke with a disease infection specialist at Kaiser [Permanente--US West Coast health care system], and there have not been any incidents (as of 1990) of HIV being spread *to* a recipient of a tattoo. If you think about it, the tattooist is much more at risk, as s/he has to touch the customer's blood. 4.1 Can my tattoos get infected? Not as long as you take care of your new tat. Part III of this FAQ covers healing methods in depth. Some people have trouble healing tattoos with colors they are allergic to. If it gets infected and refuses to heal after a few days of using a topical antibiotic, you may want to check with a doctor. 4.2 Are there any medical conditions that will preclude me from getting a tattoo? If you have hemophilia. There is even a case of a man who was HIV positive who got a tattoo--if you are HIV+ however, you will want to inform the artist, since it's the artist that is at more risk than you. [In the case of the HIV+ man, he was John Baldetta, a former nursing assistant at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, who got a tat on his forearm that said "HIV Positive." He was suspended for three days without pay and told he could return if he covered up the tat. He refused and was subsequently fired, although he was not an RN and was not doing anything that would put patients at risk.] 5. Tattoo Conventions: What are they all about? If you want to meet others with tattoos, or would like to learn more about tattoos, tattoo conventions may be the quickest way to learn a *lot* and get exposed to things you normally wouldn't. The following was contributed by Jim Meyers (jmeyers@vax2.winona.msus.edu). 5.1. What types of conventions are available? Conventions and shows are international, national, regional and local in scope and are sponsored by different types of organizations. International and national gatherings are usually sponsored by groups such as National Tattoo Supply and the National Tattoo Tour (Dennis Dwyer and J.D. Crow), while regional and local shows are often sponsored by tattoo shops. 5.2. Why would I want to attend? In a recent news article, distributed at the Tattoo Tour convention in Chicago, Philadelphia Eddie said that "...the hoopla, the roar of the crowd, the smell of the antiseptic, the blinking lights, the stories around the bars, the smiling faces of my colleagues and friend--that is why I go to tattoo conventions. "Some people go to enter their tattoos and maybe win a small prize. Some go to show off what they have accomplished in their never- ending drive to be better in their chosen profession. Some go to tattoo and earn a few dollars. Some go to sell trinkets. The curious come to see what is going on. Some go to get away from everyday stress. Some go looking for romance, and on and on." Artists attend to enhance professional reputations, do work on old clients and develop new ones, exchange ideas with other artists, and see what's new in the world of tattooing. 5.3. What's the format? While local shows may be only for one day, regional events are 2 or 3 days long, and international and national conventions may last 4 days. For these larger conventions, the first two days are generally reserved for registrants with fees usually $35-$45. The last two days are open to the public for a single-day admission of around $10. 5.4. What's the atmosphere? The atmosphere tends to be more relaxed and less hurried in the first two days when they're closed to the public, allowing for more interaction (the first 2 days at a recent Chicago convention had about 700 registrants). Expect a mob scene when the doors open to the public, however. Fire marshals were called in during the March 1993 San Diego convention, when the crowd swelled to about 4,000 and people had to be turned away at the door! The convention floor is a continuous parade of people who want to "see, and be seen," which means many people dress (and undress) outrageously to show off their work. Expect to see LOTS of ink. Piercing has become a big part of the tattoo scene, so you'll also see a great variety of body pierces. Some conventions have booths where piercing supplies and services are available. The atmosphere is very comfortable--most people are very friendly, open-minded and accepting. Keep an open mind when you go; meet people, exchange stories and above all, have a great time! 5.5. What kind of tattoo contests are there? At the larger conventions, contests are held during the first two days and are limited to official registrants, while at the smaller ones, they're open to everyone. Categories may include: best black & gray, most unusual, best tribal, best portrait, most realistic, best overall-tattooed male, best overall-tattooed female, best chest-back piece, best traditional piece, and best small piece. Judging is done either by a panel of artists and experts, or by audience via ballot or applause. Artists and experts are better-equipped to base decisions on the rendering of the art, while audience-judged contests often turn into "popularity contests," heavily influenced by the name of the artist, and the contestants' personality/physical attractiveness. 5.6. Can I actually get a tattoo at a convention? Larger shows may have as many as 50 booths set up in the convention hall, where artists and shops from all over the world tattoo clients and sell trinkets, t-shirts, hats, post cards and tattoo memorabilia. Try to make arrangements with the artists several months ahead if you want them to work on you at the larger conventions, especially if they're well known. You should be able to get some work done even if you don't plan ahead, and some artists will also work out of their rooms to avoid the cost of renting booth space. Meet and see the work of famous artists. For example, seen at a recent Chicago convention were such notables as Dick Warsocki (Omaha), Kari Barba (Anaheim), Patty Kelley (San Diego), Jack Rudy (Anaheim), Hanky Panky (Amsterdam), Suzanne Fauser (Ann Arbor), Brian Everett (Albuquerque), and Marty Holcomb (Columbus, OH). Even the Horikawas from Tokyo were there, using the traditional Japanese tattooing method, where the work is done entirely by hand, using groups of sewing needles fastened to the end of an ebony or ivory handle. 5.8. What else can I find at these conventions? You can pick up books and magazines for your tattoo book library from various booths. In fact, both Hardy-Marks Publications (Honolulu) and Tattoo Archive (Berkeley), often have their own booths to disseminate literature and sell books and magazines. Photo studios are set up at larger conventions where people can have their tats photographed for archiving and possible publication. Convention sponsors may contract a video production group to produce a tape of the show, in which case they might set up a booth where registrants can have their work taped for possible inclusion. Seminars geared towards artists are also held at larger conventions, with topics such as "Creative Coloring", Care and Tuning your Machine", "Spit-Shading - Watercolor", "Tribal Tattooing", "Preventing Disease Transmission in Tattooing" 5.8. When and where are upcoming conventions? --Oct. 29-31: Ink-Credible Tattoo Convention, North Bergen, NJ, Days Inn Hotel. Info: Ink-Credible Tattoo, (201) 783-9633 --Oct. 30: Renaissance of Illustrated People, Lansing, MI, Holiday Inn West. Info: Magic Mike, Forever Perfect Tattoo, (517) 887-6966 --Oct. 30-31: Meeting of the Marked, Pittsburgh, PA, Sheraton Station Square. Info: (412) 531-5319 or Tim 941-1236 or Mike 381-2989 --November 13-14: Dream Illustration--Tattoo Extravaganza, Galesburg, IL, Continental Inn. Info: (309) 274-2877 --Nov. 18-21: Richmond Tattoo Arts Festival, Richmond, VA, Holiday Inn Exec Conference Ctr (804) 379-3800. Info: Red Dragon Tattoo Studio (804) 230-7908 --Dec. 2-5: Southern Comfort II Expo & Ball, New Orleans, Landmark Hotel, 2601 Severn Ave., Metarie, LA 1-800-277-7575. Info: Aces & Eights Tattooing, PO Box 22501, Memphis, TN 38122, (901) 324-7924 --Dec. 10-12: 3rd Int'l German Skin Art Show, Berlin. Info: Tattoo Weber 030-251-4553 FAX 030-251-8589 --*1994* --January 15-16: 8th Am-Jam Tattoo Exposition 1994, Schenectady, NY, Schenectady Atmory, Washington Ave. Info: (518) 346-0521 --February 11-13: Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Portland, ME, Ramada Inn. Info: Mad Hatter Assn, (207) 934-4090 --February 18-20: Easyriders Bike and Tattoo Show, Columbus, OH. Info: (818) 889-8740 --March 10-13: 1994 Nat'l Tattoo Assn Convention, San Francisco. Info: Nat'l Tattoo Supply, 465 Business Park Ln, Allentown, PA 18103, (215) 433-7191 --April 8-10: Down East Tattoo Show, Bangor, ME. Info: (207) 989-6017 --May 19-24 : 1994 Tattoo Tour, Philadelphia, PA - Hyatt Cherry Hill 2349 W. Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, 1-800-233-1234. Info: Tattoo Tour USA, 3210 S. Dodge Blvd. #10, Tucson, AZ 85713, (602) 750-8081 or (804) 867-8899 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Intro & Part 1/4. This section should be followed by rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 2/4 -- Lani Teshima-Miller (teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu) "Sea Hare" o/ /_/_/ UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our o|<0_0>------* libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant \=^-| |_| | nation." -Walter Cronkite [r.a.b. FAQer: "Think Ink!"] \_} \_} ****************************************************************************** Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part2 Last-modified: October 23, 1993 Posting-frequency: Monthly Part II includes the following information: 1. Who is a good/bad tattoo artist near me? 1.1 US West Coast: Washington, California 1.2 US Southwest: Arizona 1.3 US Midwest: Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois 1.4 US Southeast: Louisiana, Florida 1.5 US East Coast: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island 1.6 Pacific: Hawaii (US) 1.7 Canada: British Columbia, London 1.8 EUROPE/UK: London 1.9 EUROPE/POLAND 2. Where on my body should I get a tattoo? 1. Who is a good/bad tattoo artist near me? ---------- The following is a growing list of artists, most of whom come with a personal recommendation by readers of r.a.b. In some cases, artists have been posted here as a warning against visiting them. A posting on this FAQ does *not* constitute approval. It is YOUR responsibility to check out the artist and make sure s/he will do quality work. You may submit names to: teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu. Include the artist's name, address, phone number, hours, general prices (or pricing scheme--per hour rate, etc.), & specialization. I generally do not pull recommendations that are posted on r.a.b.. If you want to see an artist in this list, please email me directly. In order to avoid "politicizing" this list, please use some common sense by not submitting a "mediocre" artist and proclaim him/her as excellent, or submit a bad review as a way to bad-mouth someone. Good artists should also have some business sense--a clean, sanitary environment, straightforward fees, insurance coverage, etc. Fly-by-night operations will NOT be posted here (unless the artist has a reputation for doing this, and should be avoided), and postings by those with self-interests (i.e. your brother owns the shop) is highly discouraged. After all, if your brother is an excellent artist, someone else will probably recommend him, anyway. You can include other information, such as whether they've won some awards, travel the convention circuit, take credit cards, or what their policy is for out-of-town customers. Where possible, I will include the name and email address of the person who submitted the information about the artist/shop for accountability purposes, and so that you may email directly for more details. *I will not take recommendations from an anonymous ID*. 5.1 West Coast: WASHINGTON (state) --Dermagraphics of Seattle, 1516 Western Ave., Seattle, WA (206) 622 1535, by appointment only. This is Vyvyn Lazonga's shop. She specializes in combining bold primitive lines with colorful, flowing abstract geometrics--lines, bubbles, etc. "A fusion of primitive and modern tattooing" according to her card. The whole effect is very pleasing, and rather unique, and would work well for both men and women, I think. Also works out of San Francisco. (P.S. According to her card, her name is spelled "Vyvyn," not "VyVynn.") --Seattle Tattoo Emporium, 1106 East Pike St., Seattle. (206) 622 6895 CALIFORNIA Bay Area, California (South Bay): --Pinky Lum, Dragon Tattoo, San Jose: Top of file, stay away from Pinky Lum. He was good in his day, but I've seen some *horrible* work he's done. Word is out on the circuit that he's going blind and getting clumsy, botches tattoos and hurts people. I've heard this from several other artists. I've seen a couple of his recent pieces; they were blurry and badly done. This info is supported by others, including Karl Elvis MacRae (batman@cisco.com) and Becky Fenton (forsythe@stanford.edu). --Eddie Lum, Eddie's Skin Works, in Santa Clara 1207 El Camino Real (408) 554-8520 On the other hand, I highly recommend his brother, Eddie Lum. His forte, not surprisingly, is Oriental stuff. Very good with flowing lines, dragons,tigers, flowers. I have 2 pieces from him and am very pleased. Warning: if you're taking in a custom design, there's a language barrier, and you may have to explain it several times. --Robert Roberts, Mad Dog (His name is Robert Roberts--Mad Dog is the name of his tattooing enterprise.) Inconsistent. While some of it is truly outstanding, others aren't that great: It really depends on what you're getting. Robert is great w/ all- black, but you might want to go elsewhere if you want color. --Ed Hardy, Tattoo City on Columbus, 415-433-9437 The best in tattoo shop in SF (Actually, without a doubt the best in the state, and possibly the best in the country) "Tattoo City" on Columbus; the shop is owned by Ed Hardy, and the guys who work there (Freddy Corbin, Eddie Deutsch, Dan Higg) are simply great. You cannot go wrong with the three; Freddy and Eddie are the two best tattooists I've ever seen. --Erno Tattoo 252 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA 94117 (415)861-9206 Hours: Noon to 9pm. Appointments recommended. Shop is clean, businesslike. Autoclaving used. Artists: -Nalla: Specializes in blackwork and celtic designs, excellent artist. Also knowledgeable about piercings. -Patrick: Good at black & celtic, but specializes in high fantasy art. Excellent dragons, fairies, etc. Also excels at sci-fi art). -Jaime Trujillo: More traditional stuff. Good artist--ease & skill of a seasoned pro. San Jose: --Steve Cameron at Zap Illustrations. 1385 W. San Carlos, #202 (408) 287-4011 Mostly custom work; not for beginners. May try to talk you out of a tat, if he doesn't think it appropriate to the rest of your body-scheme. Very good free-hand work; likes bold, aggressive designs. He'll also put in vast amounts of design work for free, if the design excites him. Sacramento: --Ken Cameron, California Tattoo Company. 7946 Auburn Blvd., Sacramento-Citrus Heights CA 95610. (916)723-3559 Contributor: Tim Lu (tlu@sunstroke.sdsu.edu) This is in Sacramento not San Jose, they are kind of close together. Maybe Ken and Steve are the same person, but maybe not. Redwood City: --Redwood Tattoo, 846-M Jefferson Ave., Redwood City, CA (415) 369-6365, walk-ins welcome, but appts have priority. Closed Sun. & Mon, appts required for custom work. Cash only. Contributor: Rebecca Fenton (AS.RAF@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU). Artists: -Paco Dietz: Was at Picture Machine in San Francisco; specializes in fantasy art, custom designs. New shop w/ lots of new flash. Beautiful tribal and celtic designs, as well as some unusual Native American designs. -Karl: Apprentice, past experiences have been scratching out of his home. Specializes in Neo-Japanese style art. He does very nice custom work (my favorite of his is a butterfly with a tiger face peering out at you through the wing designs), and has experience in blackwork and fine line. Piercer: -Fashia Fontaine: Trained under Fakir Musafar Santa Barbara: --Pat Fish, Tattoo Santa Barbara Bar-none! I've seen some of her Celtic work (her specialty), and she's *really good*. (I read an interview where she said she thinks it's a genetic race-memory or something, and went into tattooing specifically to get into Celtic work.) Greater Los Angeles (Orange County, LA): --Skin Works, 313 East Balboa Blvd., Newport Beach CA, 92661, ph. 714-675-8905 (in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles) Contributor: Tim Lu (tlu@sunstroke.sdsu.edu). Artists: -Ardee Allen (owner): An excellent artist, always very professional. I feel it's important to support women in business--I've been going to her for about 5 years now and she has done my entire chest and about 3/4 of my back. Periodically attends conventions, and her work has appeared in a number of tattoo magazines. Specialties: Custom work, coverups, and colorwork, sumi (Japanese calligraphy) style grey work. -Lynda Tobbin: Talented artist who does very nice custom work. Piercer: -Val: Specializes in body piercing. --Good Time Charlies, Anaheim **I have been informed that Kari Barba now has her own shop (see below). Unless I get another recommendation for artists from this shop, I will delete this shop from the list for the next revision.** --Kari Barba's Twilight Fantasy Tattoo. 3024 W Ball Rd (at Beach), Anaheim, CA 92804. (714) 761-8288. Contributor: Tim Lu (tlu@sunstroke.sdsu.edu). Artist: Kari Barba Extremely well-known for her work with nature and wildlife. Her style is reminiscent of a watercolor-like quality, which sets her apart from many other artists. Funny thing is, this is the place where I got my first professional tattoo. That was before Keri worked there. It was just called Twilight Fantasy Tattoo; I wonder if she bought the place? San Diego: --Avalon Gallery, 1037 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA 92109 (in Pacific Beach) (619) 274-7635. Needles autoclaved & new ink used for each new client. Hours: Noon to 8pm. Appts preferred--walk-ins on Sat. only. Credit cards accepted. Artists: -Patti Kelley: Specializes in cover-ups, bright color work, moreso than minute designs. Award winner, booked a few months ahead. -Fip Buchanan (her husband): Graffiti art. More detail work than Patti. -Randy: -Steve: 5.2 Southwest ARIZONA --Jil, Skin Alive Tattoos, Prescott, Arizona. (602) 772-2387. Formerly of Bodygraphics, Reno. By appointment only. My *favorite* tattoo artist. Her forte is wildlife, but good with just about everything--would be very successful wildlife artist in another medium. Her tattoos have an incredible amount of life, and her detailing is incredible. 20 years' experience. She's a custom fineline specialist, and has won awards. Her style is what I think of as "fineline steel engraving" (as opposed to Kari Barba, who does incredible animals, but primarily with striking colorwork). I found her by pouncing on a total stranger and demanding to know who did his *incredible* tats. 5.3 Midwest: OHIO --Marty Holcomb, Marty's Artistic Tattooing, 3160 West Broad St., Columbus, OH Marty won several national "Best Tattoo Artist" awards in the 1991. --Dana Brunson, Designs by Dana, 4167 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH (513) 681-8871 --Tattoos by Woody. Toledo Tattoo, 2068 Airport Hwy, Toledo, OH 43609, (419) 382 8805. Contributor: Jean-Luc Reutter (reutter@igd.fhg.de) Needles autoclaved but I don't know about new ink for every customer. Good custom designs, by appointment only, very reasonable prices. Refuses to do fascist swastika shit. Clean and friendly atmosphere. MINNESOTA --Acme Tattoo Co., 1045 Arcade St., St. Paul, MN, (612) 771-0471 *Good* but expensive. Pre-designed tats are costly and other work is $200/hour (as of '92). --Tattoos by Yerkew, 3127 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN, (612) 825-6161 Steve Butterfield is real good, but the shop's owner, Dave "the fat guy" Yerkew leaves quite a bit to be desired. Steve around after about 6:00 pm . INDIANA --Jeannie Fritch, Personal Art Tattoos, 3453 Central Ave., Lake Station, IN, (219) 962-3600 --Roy Boy's Badlands, 3849 Broadway, Gary, IN 46409, (219) 884-4965. Needles autoclaved. I got an all-black, tribal piece (a very even dark gray)--Design was reproduced on my skin quite accurately. Flash is stereotypical and old-looking, though some nice Celtic designs. Felt vaguely sleazy--badly painted signs in the front, water-damaged ceiling panels inside. Actual work areas were spotless, but the building doesn't inspire confidence. Good enough, but not really anything special, what with Guy Aitchison a few miles away. MICHIGAN --Suzanne, Creative Tattoos, 307 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104 Contributor: Jean-Luc Reutter (reutter@igd.fhg.de) Needles autoclaved but I don't know about new ink for every customer. Artist: -Suzanne: BS & MA of Fine Art. Great custom designs, preferably black only or celtic. Skilled artist however she sometimes lacks motivation with smaller pieces and the results may vary in quality. Cash only, usually no receipt. Usually by appointment only, very rarely walk-ins. Sometimes guest artists. Nice friendly atmosphere. Piercer: -Barbara Lance "Zaphod" Bailey (lrb@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca) says: "She really doesn't specialize in Celtic stuff. she used to, but she doesn't any more--says her old eyes aren't good enough for it. I was in her shop yesterday and she seemed pretty disinterested in doing some Celtic stuff on me. Maybe Celtic-inspired, but it's going to take some work from me to get a design she's willing to do, and I'm willing to wear...sigh. But she does specialize in being good :) I saw a wizard she did yesterday and it was so very nice. ILLINOIS --Guy Aitcheson, Guilty + Innocent Productions, 3105 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60657, (312) 404-6955 tattoos, 404-6963 merchandise $1 catalogue available by mail. Contributor: Phredd Groves (phredd@casbah.acns.nwu.edu) --Tatu Tattoo, 1754 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL, (312) 772-TATU Contributor: Phredd Groves (phredd@casbah.acns.nwu.edu) --Body Basics Precision Tattooing and Body Piercings 613 W. Briar, Chicago, IL, 60657. (312) 404-5838, (a block south of Belmont, just west of Broadway), Tues.-Sat. 2 to 10pm Contributor: Phredd Groves (phredd@casbah.acns.nwu.edu) Run by Mad Jack and Anna, Jack does the tattoos and both do piercings (both by appointment only). I can personally recommend these guys as far as piercing and professionalism goes. --I'm No Angel Production, 2606 W. Farmington Rd., Peoria, IL 61604. (309) 673 4930. Contributor: Steven Park (nudnik@bucs1.bradley.edu) Wanda Harper is the owner/artist. Open Noon to 8pm everyday. New needles and ink for each new customer. Appointment required. Specializes in Celtic and Native American designs, as well as piercings. Learned from Jim Hawk (Galesburg), who occasionally stops by for a visit, and people in town who know him may come in for a special tat. Wanda looks out for her customers and won't do work that won't turn out--It's all in the reputation. 5.4 Southeast: FLORIDA Orlando: From: --Ancient Art, (407) 855-TATU Lance R. Bailey (lrb@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca) says he was happy with Mike. Caroline Emmons (cemmons@garnet.acns.fsu.edu) says: "Ancient Art" inked several of my friends, who were all quite satisfied. I think the main guy is supposed to be kind of an asshole, but he has a new assistant who I hear has less of an attitude NORTH CAROLINA Carrboro: --Choice Peach Tattoo, 304-E W. Weaver St. Carrboro, NC 27516. (919) 932-9888 is excellent. They do 100% original work, NO flash. By appointment only. TENNESSEE Memphis: --Rocky's. 400 South Highland, Memphis, TN Hours: 3pm to Midnight. Appointment preferred, especially around military payday (good side trip from Graceland!). Place owned by Rocky, but I only know about Kevin, who did 2 chest pieces on my husband. Kevin is trained as a scientific illustrator for medical companies, so his wildlife is *incredible*! Not quite so colorful as Patti Kelly (San Diego) or watercolory like Kari Barba (Anaheim), but his "realistic renderings" look like they came straight out of a natural history museum. He used the stippling method (small dots) for shading the leathery feel of a dinosaur, as well as the furry feel of a saber tooth tiger. One word of warning: My husband said he saw a poster of Hitler in the back room, and that Rocky wore a "W.A.R." (White Aryan Nation?) tat on his knuckles--but that he thought Kevin just worked there and wasn't part of "all that." 5.5 East Coast: MARYLAND --Main Street Tattoo Studio, Starlite Plaza, Rt 40, Pulaski Hwy, Edgewood, MD, (410) 676-TAT2 (8282) They also have an Elkton, MD shop (410) 398-1202. He's done some very spectacular work and just completed an excellent cover-up of 2 small pieces (which were quite dark; red, green, blue, purple) I had for over 10 years. The cover up is a tiger lily (magenta, black, pink w/ yellow tipped petals) w/ delicate curving tribal thru the lily that is quite breathtaking and required his exceptional artistic talent. NEW HAMPSHIRE --The Tattoo Shop, 109 Daniel Street, Portsmouth NH 03801 (603)436-0805. Contributor: Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com ) Artists: Hobo, Tattoo George Prices start at $40; average is $100. In business since '76, are clean, use sterile instruments and do good solid work. --Sign of the Wolf, Wiers Beach NH, (603)366-2557 Contributor: Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com ) Artists: Dave Sr., Dave Jr., several apprentices. Friendly and laid back, would make you feel comfortable if you were anxious. So clean, you could eat off the floor. Dave Jr. has won a few awards. Price range: $100 to $350; average is $260 for a fairly large piece. They specialize in wildlife and American Indian art. --Juli Moon Designs Inc., Route 1, PO Box 1403, Seabrook NH 03874 (603)474-2250. Contributor: Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com ) What can you say about Juli Moon except, "When?" She is booked a month in advance, and is truly award winning. --Brothers Too, South Broadway, Salem NH, Exit 1 Off Rt. 93 Licensed and Board of Health Approved. Contributor: Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com) Tattoo Frank scared me. Asked if he'd been vaccinated for Hep A and B, he said, "I only got hepatitis once and that was from a customer." His brother, "Bennies Tattoos" is just down the street and has the same kind of attitude. --Bill's Tattoo Palace, Broadway , Derry NH, (603)437-8813 Contributor: Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com) Nice guy, but I set up an appointment and he didn't show! I called back, and got someone who thought he was doing me a favor by talking to me. Some of the work is really good but there seems to be a lot of new people in the shop trying out the profession. NEW JERSEY --Ernie White, Tattoo Factory, 94 Main Street, Butler, NJ., (201) 838-7828 NEW YORK --Great Southern Tattoo Co.. 9403 Baltimore Blvd. (Rt. 1), College Park, MD 20740. (301) 474-8820. Contributor: Kirsten Herzog (kherzog@skidmore.edu) Located right off the Washington Beltway (495), right up the street from the Univ. of Maryland College Park Campus. Operated by a family (Charley, Sandy, and Dee Parsons); very relaxed atmosphere. They've also done some of the best work I've seen in the area. --Bruce Bart Tattooing. Main Street, Tannersville, NY 12485. (518) 589 - 5069. Second shop at: 274 Lark Street, Albany, NY 12210 (518) 432-1905. Hours: M-F Noon-8pm, S/Su 11am-6pm. Cost: $120 an hour. $5 disposable (and autoclaved) needles, new ink for each customer. Contributor: Kirsten Herzog (kherzog@skidmore.edu) Artists: Bruce Bart and Bruce Kaplan Specializes in Japanese , modern primitive, colorwork, Celtic styles. Prefers appointments, but will accept walk-ins if not busy... Lark Street location looked like a dentist's office. Very friendly and totally receptive. Impressed by the ready art and sketches they had in the waiting room, Seemed very professional. --Spaulding & Rodgers Sells tattoo guns, needles and ink. The few artists that have worked on me (Cliff Raven, Kevin Brady, Phil Payton) usually do a lot of custom work on their needles if not the gun itself. Needles continually dull from use or sterilizing and have to be resharpened and soldered into the appropriate groups and configurations. --C&C Tattoo, 307 Congress St., Troy, NY 12180, (518)272-0576 Ask for Sue Daves (apprentice). She did my full back piece, and it came out awesome! RHODE ISLAND --Electric Ink Tattoo, 153 Waterman Ave, E. Providence, RI (401)435 3393. Needles autoclaved (required by law in RI). New needles/ink for every customer. Cash only; walk-ins welcome. Artists: -Chris Borge: All-around great tattoo artist. Specializes in tribal; probably the best in the shop. -Skott Greene: Great for those who like to customize to a greater extent. Doing them since Dec '92, he's already very adept; the one to see about great custom designs. (Trained as an airbrush artist) -Don L.: Graffiti art & modern methods, the one to see for all the off-the-wall, weird imagery. (Trained as commercial & graffiti artist). --Artistic Tattooing, 405 Atwell Ave., Providence RI, 02909 (401)861-7373 All needles are brand new and autoclaved, artists wear gloves, and ink is individual. Artists: Rusty, Dean II Pricing is done by the piece, but may be hourly for large pieces. I found pricing to be very reasonable and am very happy with my tats (backpiece by Rusty, earpiece by Dean II). They do everything from tribal to coverup. They do not participate in any tat conventions. 5.5 Pacific HAWAII --China Sea Tattoo, 1033 Smith, Honolulu, Hawaii, (808) 553-1603 The oldest tattoo studio in the US with a grand tradition. In Chinatown area near Downtown Honolulu. Suggest going during the day (hours: Noon-11pm) to avoid seedy nightlife scene. Artists: Mike Malone, Scotty and Kandy. All are excellent. Mike is very active in the tat world, and attends (I think they all do, rotating. I know Kandy was at the Chicago tat convention recently), and has served as a judge at tat conventions. Kandy only works there on Tuesdays, (also works at Dragon Tattoo in Wahiawa on Mondays), specializes in Hawaiian-style designs and has 10 years' experience. --Skin Deep Tattooing, 2128 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu (808) 924-7460. If in Waikiki, you may want to stop by , as it's right on the main strip. The place is run by Winona Martin and several of her workers. Advertises heavily; may be pricey due to Waikiki location. 5.6 Canada: BRITISH COLUMBIA --Sailor Cam, the Dutchman Tattoos, 630 12th St., New Westminster, BC, Canada, (604)522-5156 LONDON (Canada): --Blue Dragon Tattoo, 253 Wellington London, 519-434-4706 The busiest shop in town, does a lot of flash work. I have found them either pretty grumpy/opinionated or at times friendly. --Tattoos Unlimited, 847 Dufferrin, 519-672-8025 Al Newcombe has been tattooing in London for a looong time. His work is mostly flash, he can create stencils from your artwork. His work tends to have a '50s feel to it--the stuff you see on ex-seamen. --Tattoos by Gypsy , 519-453-0822 Tony is pretty young and is a design artist. I've created some really nice work with him starting with my rough sketches. but his work is pretty uneven it can be really good or really bad. --George Lewis, Tattoo Art (est. 1980), 244 King St. S., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 1R4, (519) 576-8054 Artists: George Lewis, Ken Lewis, Todd Evans (I have experience only with George--cannot commend on the other two). "Sterile conditions", "lifetime guarantee" (which I assume means I can return to touch up color fades, etc.) by appointment only. Does exotic piercings. Visa and Mastercard accepted. Mine are very well done--lines are even and seem to connect properly and all of my friends are amazed at the fine detail and how bright the colors are! ONTARIO --Tattoo Art by George Lewis. 244 King St. S., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 1R4 (519) 576-8054. Visa & Mastercard accepted. According to their card: Ultra modern; sterile conditions; modern designs--fine line; specializing in cover-up work; custom work; lifetime guarantee. Appointments only. Also does pierces. Contributor: Judy Carr (jcarr4@mach1.wlu.ca) Although I don't know much about 'good' or 'bad' tattoos, I believe mine are very well done! All my friends are amazed at the fine detail and how bright the colors are! Artists: George Lewis, Ken Lewis, Todd Evans. 5.7 EUROPE/UK London --Lal Hardy, 157 Sydney Road, Muswell Hill, London N10 2NL. Tel: 081-444 8779 Gifs of a thunderbird back piece available from 141.214.4.135. --Dennis Cockel, Walkers' Court London W1 (a small side street in Soho) Tattooed myself and a girlfriend about four years ago and we are both very satisfied. ---Mark and Andy, Kensington Market, London W8. Their designs were drawn by several artists over many years, they claim to do award winning custom work and my opinion is they are good. The parlor is on the basement of the market building, it doesn't have any name (as I remember) and is not listed on yellow pages. --Saint's Parlor, Portobello Road, London Warning: He had some photos of the tattoos he had done that at first looked ordinary, but if you look at them more closely, you can see he has *redrawn* parts of the design on the photo afterwards by pen. At least I wouldn't trust on a tattooist who does that. --Terry's Tattoo Studio, 23 Ghisholm Street, Glasgow G1 5HA, U.K. Tel (041) 552 5740. Three artists in 1992: Terry, Stuart, and Steven--Quite popular. The ready-made designs were nice and my boyfriend is very satisfied with his tattoo. I think in this parlor a first timer can feel comfortable in, since it looks a lot like an ordinary shop with show window and quite large, light waiting room for customers. 5.7 EUROPE/POLAND [The following is a particularly interesting addition to our FAQ. It didn't dawn on me until I corresponded with Ulf a few times, that the concept of tattooing in Poland is in its infancy. I'm very excited that we can disseminate information internationally this way, although I can't vouch for how advanced his equipment or techniques are. --Lani] --(Acid Shop) Studio Tattoo. ul. Ogrodowa 20, 61-820 Poznan, Poland Phone: 522-851. Hours: 11:00am-9:00pm. Needles sterilized via pressurized steamer (120C). Contributor: Ulf Nagel (ulfn@dhhalden.no) Artist: Slawek Slavomir Slawek has been tattooing for about three years, since Poland and Russia were introduced to a free market economy. The only other person in Poland who has been tattooing longer (6 years) is in Gdansk. Slawek is yet to refine a specialization. Charges very low rates, "because zloty (their money) is damned cheap, and inflation is still somewhat strong. Otherwise he charges people with plenty money more, than of polacks with less money." Economically, the Poles "have more freedom to do just about nothing.... You see, until two years ago, the inflation could be enormous, and money became was worth less and less. Today the monthly wages of the factory workers are what I can earn in TWO days!!!!! That says about everything, except this: 30% unemployment in the worst areas." 6. Where on my body should I get a tattoo? ---------- Duh--This may seem VERY trivial, since the answer can be "anywhere you please!" The ONLY places you cannot technically get permanent tattoos are your hair, teeth and nails (even the cornea used to be tattooed years ago for medical purposes). However for the sake of this FAQ, the following is a short list of areas to get inked: --Head: The "head" in this case refers mostly to the area where your hair grows. Obviously, you'll need to shave the area for the tat to be most visible. If you need to hide your tat, you can grow your hair out. Areas more commonly inked are the sides of the head (above the ears), and above the nape of the neck in the back. There are people who have their entire heads inked. --Sides of neck (nape): --Back of neck: I've seen some tribal pieces as well as bats done on the back of the neck. You'll need to keep your hair short or tied up to keep it visible. --Face: Various areas possible. Facial tattoos could fall into the cosmetic, prison, or standard categories. Cosmetic would include darkening of eyebrows, eyelining, liplining, etc. Prison tattoos (which are actually in their own category) often include the tat of a single tear near the eye to signify time served. Getting a regular tat on the face is serious business and crosses a portal because people will never look at you the same way. You might see people with extensive facial tats working in a circus, for example. --Upper chest: One of the more standard areas for tattoos, for both men and women. Allows lots of flat area in which to get a fairly large piece. One of the areas where you can choose to get symmetrically inked on both sides. --Breasts (women): Used to be trendy to get a small tat on the breast. Women (particularly larger breasted ones) need to be careful about eventual sagging of the skin in the area. Do not get a tat that will look silly when it starts to stretch. --Nipples: Usually, the artist leaves the nipples alone--the omission of ink tends not to be so noticeable. There HAS been work done with tattooing a facsimile of a nipple onto a breast during reconstructive surgery for those who have lost their nipples, though--for aesthetic and self-esteem purposes. --Rib cage: This area can be rather painful because of all the ribs you work over. However it offers a fairly large area, and can be incorporated into a major back piece, wrapping around toward the front. --Stomach/Abdomen: Some people choose not to get work done on their stomachs for a couple of reasons. The area is difficult to work on because there is no solid backing to hold the skin steady. It is a sensitive area that may feel uncomfortable. Finally, the tat may look horrible after your metabolism slows down and you develop a --er-- "beer gut." --Genitals: Said the matron nurse, "Did you see the patient in #409? His penis has a tattoo that says 'SWAN' on it!" "Oh no it didn't," says the second, younger nurse. "It said "SASKACHEWAN'!" All kidding aside, people DO get inked in their genital area. The prospect may sound very painful, but a friend of mine said it wasn't any worse than any other sight. However, do consider that there *will* probably be some blurring in the area because of --er-- shall we say, the amount of movement the skin experiences (kind of like hands)? A recent thread in r.a.b. discussed whether penises are flaccid or erect during tattooing--some are, some aren't (however how one can *maintain* one during the process is a wonder to me). Note however, that many artists refuse to do genitals. I have even heard of LESS incidences of female genital tattoos, although a woman profiled in _Modern Primitives_ did have an inner labia tat (it looked very blurred). --Thighs: A rather popular area for women to get larger pieces (often extending from the hip area). Shows well with a bathing suit but easily concealable in modest shorts. The entire area of skin around your thighs is bigger than your back, so you can get quite a bit of work done. --Calves: A nice area to get a standard size (2" x 2"). However if you have very hairy legs, it may cut down on the visibility somewhat. --Ankles: The current trend-spot. I think you have to have an ankle tat before you can go to the Eileen Ford Agency with your modeling portfolio. :) You can either get a spot piece on the inner or outer ankle, or get something that goes around in a band. Vines and other vegetation seem popular (pumpkins, anyone?) --Feet: I've seen some incredible footwork (pun intended) in some of the tat magazines. Easily concealable with shoes. Probably don't have as much wear and tear as hands so you might get less blurring and color loss. This however, is the TOPS of your feet. You will have trouble retaining a tattoo on the bottom of your feet. --Armpits: Usually reserved for those who want to get full coverage around the arm and chest area, and need the armpits filled. Probably not strongly recommended for the highly ticklish. --Upper arms: One of the most common areas for men, although I have seen some nice on women as well. If you decide to get a piece done on your upper arm, consider how much sun it's going to get. Will you be able to put sunblock on it regularly? Otherwise, expect some color loss and blurring. If you want some serious work done, and you want to show it off, you may want to consider getting a "sleeve"--full tat coverage throughout your upper arm. --Inner arms: A more unusual location than the outer upper arm area, this area is often not easily visible. Be careful if your genes are prone to "bat wing" flab, however. --Forearms: Popeye sported his anchor on his forearm. Probably not as popular as the upper arm but common just the same. You can have your upper arm "sleeve" extend down for the long sleeve effect. For an example, check out the heavy metal video disc jockey on MTV (who also has a nose pierce, BTW). --Wrists: Janis Joplin had a dainty tat on her wrist...easily concealable with a watch. --Hands (fingers and palms): This usenet receives frequent queries about fingers, palms and hands in general. Some artists don't do hands because the ink will have a tendency to blur or fade easily. Consider that you probably move your hands the most out of your entire body. A friend of mine had a multi-colored tat on his finger by Ed Hardy (who apparently cringed upon hearing about where my friend wanted it), that is only several years old and is now barely noticeable. Some people want to substitute their wedding bands with tat bands. The palm side of your hand doesn't retain ink well--if you can find an artist who will do it, you can expect it to be a rather basic line, and that it will not last too long. Perhaps just matching tats someplace else would be okay? There *IS* a photo of a tattoo on a palm in Sandi Feldman's book on Japanese tattooing. This seems to be an exception. --Shoulder blades: The back shoulder blade area is another popular spot for women, who can show off the work with a bathing suit or tank top, but cover it up with regular clothes. If this is the case, be particularly careful with sun because you're not gonna be wearing that unless it's warm and sunny. It's a "safe" place--but may get in the way later on if you decide to commit yourself to a large back piece. --Back: You can get any part of your back done, or find yourself an artist you really like, and save your money for a "back piece" that encompasses your entire back. Expect to pay several thousand dollars for a full back piece (not to mention many tat sessions). --Buttocks: Again, beware of potential sagging in the area. Rumor is that George Schultz has a tiger on his, and Cher has a bunch of flowers on hers (I wish she'd stop getting the silly small things and get some serious big custom pieces done on her bod! Has anyone seen that "necklace with three charms" that she has on her arm? Yeeech!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 2/4. This section should be followed by rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 3/4. -- Lani Teshima-Miller (teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu) "Sea Hare" o/ /_/_/ UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our o|<0_0>------* libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant \=^-| |_| | nation." -Walter Cronkite [r.a.b. FAQer: "Think Ink!"] \_} \_} ****************************************************************************** Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part3 Last-modified: October 23, 1993 Posting-frequency: Monthly This section includes the following information: 1. Is using a sauna or steamroom bad for tattoos? 2. Is sunlight bad for tattoos? 3. How do I care for my new tattoo? 3.1 Suggested Method #1: The Minimal Moisturizer Method 3.2 Suggested Method #2: The Pat-with-Listerine Method 3.3 Suggested Method #3: The Wait-24-Hours-to-Take-Off- Dressing Method 3.4 Suggested Method #4: The Coconut-Oil-Itch-Relief Method 3.5 Suggested Method #5: The Huck Spalding Method 4. How does weight gain/loss affect a tattoo? 5. Can a tattoo be removed? 5.1. Get it reworked--cover-up 5.2. Get it reworked--touch-up 5.3. Get it removed--Tissue Expansion 5.4. Get it removed--Sal Abration 5.5. Get it removed--Staged Excision 5.6. Get it removed--medical lasers 1. Is using a sauna or steamroom bad for tattoos? ---------- Once it is healed, there is very little that will screw up a tattoo. The one exception is prolonged exposure to sunlight. (the other is scarring, but that is patently obvious). 2. Is sunlight bad for tattoos? ---------- Well, unfortunately it is. The newer inks are better at resisting fading but whatever you do, if you spend lots of time in bright sunlight your tats will fade (over a lifetime not over a week). The best is to try and keep them out of bright sunlight. No one wants to become a cave dweller just to keep their tats looking good, just use your common sense. {Think of your tat as an investment--slather on that sunblock so it doesn't turn into a dark blob. Like I say, "There's no such thing as a healthy tan!" Take it from a Hawaii local! I've seen my share of melanoma here, and they're not even from surfers or beach bunnies!} 3. How do I care for my new tattoo? ---------- The artist that did your tattoo will have something very definite to say about the care of your new tattoo, and it is probably a good idea to listen to him/her. Many shops will actually have an information sheet listing care instructions. This section lists a series of treatments to give you an idea of the breadth of suggestions being offered. The suggestions have been given "titles" using some unique facet of the method, and is thus named only for the sake of convenience. These methods are NOT actually called these. Each set of instructions is followed by commentary. Special thanks to Lance Bailey (zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca) for this section. 3.1 Suggested Method #1: The Minimal Moisturizer Method From Ancient Art Tattoo, (Orlando, Fla) Ancient Art puts a heap of vaseline on the new tattoo and then bandages up the whole thing, they give you these instructions: Tattoo Care Instructions: 1. Remove bandaid in 18 hrs. 2. Wash tattoo immediately, with soap and water When washing off the tattoo, there should be old ink and some body fluids. At this state there is little that can harm the tattoo. 3. When skin feels like normal wet skin, pat dry. 4. Put nothing on the tattoo for 3 days. 5. From the 4th day, apply the *tiniest* amount of lotion possible once a day to keep it from drying out completely, and gently work it in. (Mike suggests a drop for a 1 inch by 4 inch piece). 6. Do not get the tattoo wet; moisture is your enemy. 7. Do not permit sun on tattoo. 8. Do not get the tattoo wet; moisture is your enemy. 9. Scabbing may or may not occur. Scabbing is normal. do not pick scab. 10. Do not get the tattoo wet; moisture is your enemy. His strongest advice: "MOISTURE IS THE TATTOO'S ENEMY". On using Vaseline: Neosporin is Vaseline-based, and it doesn't hurt. On using Neosporin: Not really neccessary, but it doesn't hurt. Strong warning: Never let the shower directly hit the tattoo. This procedure is how I healed the four I got at Ancient Art and they seem to be the slowest to heal. After 2.5 weeks, they still have scabs. sigh. Lance Bailey says: I used to go to great lengths to keep my tattoos moist while healing. But now, looking at the ink I healed then, and other art which is not much older but healed without all the moisture, I see that the ones where I kept it real moist to prevent any scabs are a lot fainter--grey where the others are still black. I quite literally drew a lot of the ink out of the piece. Yes, it is important to keep the tattoo from drying out, but a scab is part of the normal healing process, and trying to fool mother nature is risking trouble. Your mileage will of course vary. 3.2 Suggested Method #2: The Pat-with-Listerine Method From Tattoos Unlimited (London, Canada) 1. Change your bandage within two hours, wash hands before touching tattoo, 2. Clean tattoo with soap and water, pat with Listerine for a few minutes. 3. Apply Polysporin Ointment and bandage. Repeat this process 4 times a day until tattoo is healed. This is how I healed the first four or five tattoos. The theory is that by keeping it covered with ointment, you don't form a scab -- and no scab means no scab problems. UNFORTUNATELY, this method also draws out a lot of the ink and can result in a pretty pale tattoo. sigh. I would not recommend this method for a good final result, although it can heal up a tattoo in as little as a four days if you use Vitamin E and Polysporin.. 3.3 Suggested Method #3: The Wait-24-Hours-to-Take-Off-Dressing Method From Joker's Wild (London, Canada) 1. Remove bandage after 24 hours while you are showering. 2. Use a mild soap then pat dry 3. Allow tattoo to dry for 24 hours. 4. Apply supplied healing lotion four times a day. Please do not use anything else on tattoo then the supplied cream. 5. When using the healing cream, use it sparingly, you want to moisten your tattoo, not soak it. 6. Do not soak your tattoo in the bath for 2 weeks. 7. Do not swim in chlorinated water for 2 weeks 8. Do not tan your tattoo for 2 weeks 9. If your tattoo does happen to scab, do not pick. Roland at Joker's Wild (no longer there) also recommended protecting the new tattoo from the shower. Since all of mine are on the lower leg, he suggested putting a bag over it which is a bit of a pain, but probably worth it. This is how i healed the 3" X 6" piece on the front of my shin with the exception that I washed it gently at least twice a day to clean off old ointment. I am very pleased with the result. 3.4 Suggested Method #4: The Coconut-Oil-Itch-Relief Method From Blue Dragon Tattoos (London, Canada) For effortless healing of your new tattoo please follow these directions carefully. 1. VERY IMPORTANT. Leave sterile dressing covering tattooed area for a minimum of 2 hours. 2. If desired, dressing can remain on tattoo for a maximum of 24 hours. 3. After removing dressing (non-stick), gently wash tattooed area with soap, pat dry with a clean towel. 4. Apply Polysporin twice daily until healed. Usually 3 to 6 days. 5. Please refrain from picking or scratching tattoo during the healing process. Damaging the light scab formation will result in poor colors in your tattoo. If tattoo irritates, you may apply a slight smear of pure coconut oil. I have never tried this method; the owner of Blue Dragon and I don't seem to get along. Pity because one of my favorite artists now works there. 3.5 Suggested Method #5: The Huck Spalding Method From Huck Spalding's "Tattooing A to Z" 1. Bandage(*) should stay on for at least two hours. 2. Remove bandage, rinse gently with cold weather and blot dry. 3. Apply Bacitracin ointment four times a day and blot out the excess. 4. Keep tattoo fresh and open to the air. Do not bandage. 5. For the first week, avoid swimming or long soaking in the water. 6. For the first month, avoid too much exposure to the sun. 7. Do not pick or scratch scabs 8. Itching is relieved by slapping or alcohol. 9. Keep tattoo covered with loose clothing. * Bandaging Summary 1. After tattooing clean whole area with green soap and white paper towel. 2. Spray it with alcohol and hold a paper towel on it. 3. apply film of Bacitracin ointment. 4. Cover with bandage or Handi-Wrap and securely tape it on. I have yet to try this method, but have seen a few tattoos which have been bandaged with handi-wrap and they turned out just fine. (Huck writes that the handi-wrap stops people from peeling off the bandage in the first few hours to show friends.) 4. How does weight gain/loss affect a tattoo? ---------- Tattoos can definitely be affected by stretch marks. Whether you will or won't get stretch marks is apparently determined genetically, so placement is a consideration if you are planning on getting pregnant. I know for a fact that stretch marks can ruin a tattoo, because I have a very small tattoo that now looks more like a blob because of a large stretch mark running through the middle of it. Luckily, this was a home-brewed job (the kind done with India ink and a pin wrapped in thread) so I was never particularly attached to the artwork. :-} If your skin stretches from weight gain and then shrinks back up without losing its elasticity (the loss of elasticity is what results in stretch marks), then I would expect that there wouldn't be much distortion of the tattoo, maybe none at all. Or, put the tattoo someplace that won't get stretched so much, like the chest area above the breasts. My upper stomach didn't stretch much, either, but the lower abdominal skin did stretch quite a lot. (I've seen stretch marks on hips, thighs and arms as well--probably related to muscle gain from weight lifting as well as general fattening/thinning.) 5. Can a tattoo be removed? ---------- There are several methods for "removing" a tattoo, listed below. However with all of these methods, you either still end up with a tattoo (albeit a better-looking one), a scar, or a skinnier wallet. In other words, it is much easier to *get* a tattoo in the first place than to get rid of one. If you are considering getting a new tattoo, think carefully before you do--or you may end up re-reading this section. 5.1. Get it reworked--cover-up There are different ways to get cover-up work, depending on the situation. A name can be tastefully camouflaged with a small design, making the name impossible to read. If it's the entire thing you want covered, it could be covered with another design. It is easier to cover a lighter color with a darker color, although oftentimes the original work is done in a dark color. This means not just a good tattooist, but a really good artist; what they'll have to do is find a way to work the existing tattoo into a new design that will cover and disguise what's there. I have seen some brilliant coverup; there's a lot of it in one or two issues of 'Tattootime'. --Patti Kelley from Avalon (see entry under 5.1 US West Coast: California: San Diego) has won some awards for cover-up work. The main idea is to check with the individual artist. If they've done significant cover-up work, they should have before and after photos of it in their book. --The people at Tattoo City can do it (see their entry under 5.1 US West Coast: California: San Francisco). 5.2. Get it reworked--touch-up With the advances in technology, technique and the availability of úÿ(Continued from last message) new, brighter colors in the past few years, faded or blurred tattoos can look brighter and sharper than when they were new. 5.3. Get it removed--Tissue Expansion The tissue expansion method is where a balloon is inserted and inflated under the skin to slowly stretch the flesh. The tattoo is then cut out and the newly stretched skin covers its place. This is a popular method for removing smaller tattoos and leaves only a straight-line surgical scar. 5.4. Get it removed--Sal Abrasion Sal abrasion involves rubbing the image with salt and "sanding" it out. 5.5. Get it removed--Staged Excision The staged excision method actually cuts the image out, a small portion at a time. Both the sal abration and staged excision methods result in more scarring. Also, homemade tattoos can be more difficult to remove because while the concentration of ink may not be as great as in a professional tattoo, it often goes deeper into the skin (you may want to consider cover-up work in this case). 5.6. Get it removed--medical lasers There are a number of new laser methods for tattoo removal, although they tend to be costly and are usually not covered by medical insurance plans. Of the three forms of medical lasers currently available (the CO2 laser, the Q-stitched ruby laser and the Tatulazr), the new Tatulazr has been deemed one of the most effective ways to remove blue-black tattoos. According to Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick of Dermatology Associates of San Diego County (who is the clinical investigator for the Tatulazr), the Tatulazr delivers pulses of energy that are selectively absorbed by the pigment granules of the tattoo. He says that the Tatulazr's wavelength causes less absorption of the laser light by the normal skin, resulting in less risk of scarring. The longer wavelength allows more energy to reach the target tattoo pigment, resulting in greater removal success. In addition, the wavelength allows for deeper penetration into the skin, which means fewer treatments may be required for complete tattoo removal. For the name of a physicial in your area who uses the Tatulazr, call the Candela Laser Corp. at 1-800-733-8550 Ext. 444 (or write to them at 530 Boston Post Rd., Wayland, MA 01778). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 3/4. This section should be followed by rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 4/4. -- Lani Teshima-Miller (teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu) "Sea Hare" o/ /_/_/ UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our o|<0_0>------* libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant \=^-| |_| | nation." -Walter Cronkite [r.a.b. FAQer: "Think Ink!"] \_} \_} ****************************************************************************** Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part4 Last-modified: October 23, 1993 Posting-frequency: Monthly This section includes the following information: 1. Are there glow-in-the-dark tattoos? 2. Where can I get a Japanese "irezumi" tattoo? 3. When did tattooing start? 4. How does a modern tattoo gun work? 5. How long do I have to wait before I can donate blood? 6. Are there references about tattoos I could look up? 6.1. Tattoos in movies and videos 6.2. Newspaper articles about tattoos/bodyart 6.3. Magazine and journal articles about tattoos/bodyart 6.4. Books about tattoos/bodyart 6.5. Tattoo organizations 7. Non-tattoo bodyart 7.1. What is branding and how is it done? 7.2. What is scarring? 7.3. What are cuttings? 1. Are there glow in the dark tattoos? Quite simply, yes. --You generally get a quick test to see if you react to it... If you are not allergic, it is not a problem. --It does not always become invisible. Freddy (Corbin)tells the story of a woman who got a 6-inch spurting penis with the words "love it" on her forearm. The pigment never became invisible (oops.) --It sometimes does not take well. It comes out fairly regularly. Because of all of this, it isrecommended that you use it to highlight an existing tattoo, but you should not do it as the only pigment. You can get it at Lyle Tuttle's studio, Tattoo City, and the Blue Buddha. If you go to the BB, ask for Bill. 2. Where can I get Japanese "irezumi" tattoos? ---------- [Note: There is an issue of International Skin Art (November 1993) primarily devoted to irezumi, with some very good info (albeit some errors in the romanized spelling of Japanese words--argh. Hey Jonathan Shaw--I'm bilingual--why don't you hire ME for your next translation job? --Lani).] Japanese "irezumi" tattoos are often associated with laborers (primarily fire fighters and carpenters) and yakuza members, who stereotypically also lack the tips of one or two digits on their hands (to signify a failed order and to show loyalty--see the movie, _Black Rain_ with Michael Douglas for an example). An excellent book to to see examples of traditional Japanese bodysuits is _The Japanese tattoo_ by Sandi Fellman (New York : Abbeville Press, 1986. 112 p.). For those interested in getting work of this magnitude done however, the general answer is "ya can't gets one." This is not only because of the time or costs involved--there is a sense of the spiritual and of propriety with the artists, who do not advertise their services in the Yellow Pages. Your best bet as a "gaijin" (foreigner) is to find a Western artist who specializes in oriental artwork. As trends go, the young Japanese are now interested in tattoos of Elvis and Chevies, anyway--the grass is greener on the other side, I guess. 2.1 Kanji Characters One word of warning about getting Japanese or Chinese characters-- make sure that the artist who does this understands the importance of the shape and form of the letters. Unlike the roman alphabet, the essence of the Oriental characters is in the proper execution of form. The artist will have to know where the "brush strokes" of the calligraphy starts and ends (as stroke order also counts), as well as how angular some corners should be, etc. The worst thing would be to sport a Japanese kanji character that looks like some zygotes. How to tell if the characters are formed properly? It would help if you know how to read kanji or if you have Oriental friends--otherwise, go with a reputable artist who is known for it. 3. When did tattooing start? ---------- Paraphrased from the Globe and Mail (Toronto's National Newpaper): "A 4,000 year old man has been found in Italy near the Austrian border, (originally it was reported he was in Austria, but both countries now agree he is in Italy.) Carbon dating will take a few months, but artifacts found near him strongly suggest that he is over 4,000 years old....He is also tattooed...a small cross is behind one knee and above his kidneys there are a series of lines, about 15 cm long." Now I knew that the Egyptians tattooed each other, but that was only 3,000 years ago. I wonder how much further back this custom goes? From "Tattoo You" by Steve Wind (Off Duty Hawaii Magazine, October '92): "The first Western references to tattoos didn't come until 1771, when Captain cook brought the word to Europe after Seeing the artform in Tahiti. Tattoos were associated with the lower class and criminal elements in Britain and America until the early 1900s when, drawn by a sense of freedom, decadence and sexual liberation, upper classes began wearing them as well." 4. How does a modern tattoo gun work? I'd like to thank Fred Jewell (fredj@ksr.com), who did this entire section, except the diagram [thank you, thank you! :) --Lani]. The tattoo machine (gun, as a misnomer) is really a basic doorbell circuit (you know--you push a button and somewhere in the kitchen this little arm bangs the hell out of a bell thingie). For you techies out there it's a DC coil and spring point(s) machine. Both doorbell and tat machine were invented before household current was available. __ / \ \ / <--rabbit ear w/ a screw in it _/ /____ / /_/ \ | ( )---\ \ | --- ---\\ \ \/ /_____ \\ \ __ __ ( ) \ \\ \ / \ / \ <--mecha- ============================= nism ^ ------------ | | | <-contact armature (| |________________|---\___| points bar -> | | _/ \_||_/ \_ / <-This | | [XXXX]||[XXXX]__ __ \ whole coils (X)-> | | |XXXX|--|XXXX| \ / \ \ thing is | | |XXXX|--|XXXX| / \__/ | the base | | |XXXX|--|XXXX| / || / =========================== <-rubber =========================== bands ___| |___|__|__|__|__/ |___((_// / //\ |\- | // | ___________________| \// /___/ --- | |___| /XXXXX\ |XXXXX| |XXXXX| |XXXXX| <--sanitary tube |XXXXX| |XXXXX| |_____| \ / | | | | \_| <---needles It is essentially in 3 sections: The base, the mechanism, and the sanitary tube. The base really is the bulk of the metal; a rabbit ear with a screw in it, bent at 90 degrees to hold coils. In the front there's a round hole to hold the sanitary tube. Some people think the base looks like the handle of a gun. The base houses the mechanism, which consists of two coils of wire wrapped around an iron core. At the top of the mechanism is a set of silver contact "points" (like the end of a wire); one usually on a spring mechanism, the other either the end, or on the end of a screw. The spring connects to the base and a bar, which is connected to the needle arm (90 degrees offset). The needle arm is connected to the needles (which are soldered onto the bar), and moves up and down inside the sanitary tube. The coils connect to a DC power supply (between 6 - 12VDC), via a spring coiled U-cable. the U-cable is called a "clip cord," designed to move easily between machines but also stay in place and not fall out and spark all over the place. The springs hold the cable in/onto the machine. One side of the coils is connected to the power supply, the other end to the point on the screw on the bunny ear, which is insulated from the base. Through the points, the current flows via the coils and the base of the machine. This causes the coils to become electromagnetic. The electro-magnet pulls down the bar, which does two things: pulls down the needles, and opens the points. The points being open turn off the magnet. The spring assembly brings back the bar, which causes the needles to move up *AND* make contact with the points. This causes the whole cycle to happen again making the needles go up and down. Most machines have a large capacitor across the coils/points, which keeps the points from arcing and pitting, and wearing out so quickly. A capacitor is a device that holds energy kind of like a battery, but charges and discharges much faster (parts of a second rather than 3 or 4 hours). The capacitor charges while the points are open, so when they close, the difference in voltage across them is nill. The points are really an automatic switch controlled by the spring to turn the thing off and on quickly. In old cars where there were points there was a condenser (aka capacitor) for the same reason. The sanitary tube sucks up the ink in capillary fashion, and the needles load up as long as there's ink in the small portion of the tube. It's called "sanitary" because of the cutout at the bottom of the tube, which can be rinsed out. My understanding is that there are three layers of skin: Scaly layer, epidermis, and dermis. Tattoo machines are adjusted to penetrate into the dermis layer but NOT *through* it (below it is the fat layer of the body). When the needles go into the sanitary tube they have a layer of ink on and between them. The needles make little holes in the skin, and the ink is deposited into the holes. This is why the skin has to be stretched so blobs of ink don't stay. Otherwise, the skin will latch onto the needles, grab the ink from them and generally make a mess. Ink just put into the scaly layer would be replaced quickly and fade away. While ink into the epidermis will stay, my conjecture is that the dermis makes for more ink and perhaps a more vivid image. Machines are really of two types: Liners, and shaders. They are exactly the same, but are set up differently. The gap for a liner is around the thickness of a dime, and a shader is the thickness of a nickel. Liner needles are usually arranged on the bar in a circular pattern. Shader needles are usually straight (like a comb), although Spaulding & Rogers sells a 15-needle round shader. The needles are small sewing machine needles, usually made of stainless steel. Liners are in 1, 3, 4, 5, & 7-needle combinations, set in a round configuration. Note: There can really be any number of them but these seem to be most common. Shader needles are in a straight row and usually are in groups of 4, 6, 7, 9 needles. The sanitary tubes are designed especially for the combination of needles, so there's a special tube for each different number of needles in a needle bar assembly . There are two other types of machines. Spaulding & Rogers revolution (don't know of an artist that uses this one), which is a DC motor that turns a cam that raises and lowers the needle bar assembly through a sanitary tube. The other is something that I have never seen (even in pictures) but they are used in prison and are made of tape recorder motors, and for the life of me I don't know how they work. 5. How long do I have to wait before I can donate blood? -------- The standard question they always ask at blood banks is whether you've had a piercing or tattoo within the last 12 months. A lot of discussion has been made over r.a.b. about some centers allowing for exceptions and whatnot, but it looks like the general concensus is that you have to wait 12 months. I assume this is to wait out any incidence of hepatitis or HIV. Jonathan Allan (news@rchland.ibm.com) says the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN won't take you if you have had: 1. Sex with another male since 1977 (male to male); 2. Sex with someone from the subtropic islands or subsaharan Africa since 1977; 3. Sex for money or drugs EVER; 4. Sex with someone who had sex w/ one of the above EVER; 5. ANY piercing or tattoo in the last 12 months. 6. Are there references about tattoos I could look up? 6.1 Tattoos in movies/videos: This is not a comprehensive list, and does not include videos that are produced for tattoo conventions; but rather, easily accessible movies and videos where tattoos are used in some significant form. This wonderful movie bibliography was compiled by Carl Shapiro (carl@lvsun.COM) unless otherwise noted: Tattoos play minor, but sometimes interesting, roles in these movies: ``Blues Brothers". John Belushi, Dan Akroyd Contributor: Ray Hamel (hamel@primate.wisc.edu) The brothers have their names tatooed on their knuckles. ``Cape Fear'' (1991). Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte. A tattooed psychopath preys on a Southern lawyer and his family. ``Double Exposure'' (1987). Mark Hennessy, Scott King. 2 photographers turn sleuth after taking a picture of a tattooed blonde. ``Lethal Weapon" Mel Gibson Contributor: A.D.C.Elly (A.D.C.Elly@bnr.co.uk) The cops recognize that one of the men they're after is a "Special Forces" man because a little boy saw his tattoo (which matches the one Riggs got when he was Special Forces). ``Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders'' (1989). George Peppard, Ursula Andress. Odd tattoos on corpses lead a detective to a Los Angeles nightclub. ``Night of the Hunter'' (1991). Richard Chamberlain, Diana Scarwid. A crook's family is prey to a preacher who has ``LOVE'' and ``HATE'' knuckle tattoos. ``Night of the Hunter'' (1955). Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters Original (and much better) version of above. Mitchum is fantastic; very scary. ``Poison Ivy" has a scene about tattoos. Contributor: Abu (jdaley@scf.usc.edu) ``Raising Arizona". Nicholas Cage Contributor: Todd Liebenow (squonk@camelot.bradley.edu) Cage's character has a tatoo of a Woody Woodpecker head on his arm. At the end of the movie when he's fighting the lone biker of the apoclypse we find out that the biker has the same tatoo. However, we never find out what all this means. ``Sonny Boy'' * (1990). David Carradine, Paul L. Smith. A demented brute and his hairy tattooed wife lose control of their wild child, bred to kill. ``Tales from the Crypt" Contributor: Abu (jdaley@scf.usc.edu) There's an episode with Tia Carrera about a guy whose tattoo gets...under his skin. "Tattoo" Maude Adams, Bruce Dern A tattoo artist obsessed with a professional model abducts her and tattoos her entire body. ``Tattoo Chase'' (1989). F. Richards Ford, Michael Gregory. An heir has 60 days to find the treasure-map tattoo on one of his father's global girlfriends. ``The Jigsaw Murders'' (1989). Chad Everett, Michelle Johnson. A police detective and a doctor solve a gruesome mystery with a puzzle and tattoo as clues. ``The Phoenix'' (1992). Jamie Summers, E.Z. Rider. Tattoo master seeks perfect canvas. ``The Tattooed Stranger'' (1950). John Miles, Patricia White. A New York police detective tracks down a killer using a tattoo clue. They play major roles in these: ``Charles Gatewood's Tattoo San Francisco'' (1988). San Francisco, CA : Flash Video. 60 min. ``The Illustrated Man'' (1969). Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom. Wonderful adaptation of Ray Bradbury's novel about a man whose body tattoos depict actual events, all shown in flashback and flash- forward. ``Irezumi'' (Spirit of Tattoo) (1985). Masayo Utsonomiya, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Yuhsuke Takita, Masaki Kyomoto, Harue Kyo, Naomi Shiraishi, Taiji, Tonoyama. In this exquisitely beautiful Japanese film, a young woman consents to her lover's wish to have her tattooed, and fulfills the cycle of the tattoo master's life. ``Signatures of the soul, tattooing'' (1984). Peter Fonda. Producer Geoff Steven. New York, NY : Filmakers Library Peter Fonda explores the social history of tattooing, both primitive and modern, discussing its use as ornament, badge, and personal statement. Practitioners of the art from the Pacific islands, California, and Japan discuss the aesthetics of the art. 6.2 Newspaper Articles (these citations obtained primarily from the Newspaper Abstracts CD-ROM database): "In Amsterdam, Celebrating an Art That Gets Under Your Skin" by Mikelbank, Peter. Washington Post Dec 8, 1991 Sec: F p: 1 col: 3 A visit to the world's only tattoo museum in Amsterdam, where an active tatto parlor is in operation, is discussed. "With Him, We Figured They Were Real" by Marx, Andy. Los Angeles Times, Nov 24, 1991 Sec: CAL p: 31 col: 2 Tattoo artist Roy Zuckerman explains how he helped create the fake tattoos seen on Robert De Niro in the film 'Cape Fear.' "No Longer Just a Biker Thing, Tattoos Trendy Among Women" by Monroe, Douglas. Atlanta Constitution, Nov 8, 1991 Sec: F p: 1 col: 2 Paul Nelson of Painless Paul Nelson's Ace Tattoo Studio in Scottdale GA says about 80% of his customers are women, who are increasingly willing to pay the price and the pain to have tattoos permanently drawn into their skin. "Laws Require a Business License, but Little Else" by Monroe, Douglas. Atlanta Constitution, Nov 8, 1991 Sec: F p: 3 col: 5 Georgia's limited laws on tattoo artists prohibit tattooing anyone younger than 16 or tattooing within an inch of the eye, except by doctors, but in some parts of the state, only a license is required to open a tattoo parlor. "Practicing an Underground Art" by Lawson, Sarah. Boston Globe, Nov 2, 1991 p: 9 col: 4 A profile is given of Mike, a tattoo artist who practices his art underground in Massachusetts, where it is illegal. "Rose Tattoo Would've Worked" by Bombeck, Erma. Los Angeles Times, Aug 29, 1991 Sec: E p: 8 col: 4 Erma Bombeck discusses the popularity of temporary tattoos. [I just HAD to stick this one in here! :) --Lani] "The Million-Dollar Tattoo" by Wallace, D F. New York Times Book Review, May 5, 1991 Sec: 7 p: 20 col: 2 D. F. Wallace reviews the novel 'Laura's Skin' by J. F. Federspiel. Favorable book review. "Under Your Skin" by Eng, Lily. Los Angeles Times, Apr 3, 1991 Sec: E p: 1 col: 5 The work of tattoo artist KARI BARBA of Anaheim CA is featured. "Point Isn't Lost on Tattooers-War Hurts" by Zamichow, Nora. Los Angeles Times, Jan 23, 1991 Sec: A p: 3 col: 1 The work of tattoo artists is featured. "Wearing Their Hearts Under Their Sleeves" by Hedges, Chris. New York Times , Aug 21, 1990 Sec: B p: 3 col: 1 Tattoo artists do a thriving business in some 100 parlors in New York City, all of which operate underground since tattooing was banned in 1961 because of a Hepatitis B outbreak. "A Token of Love That's Skin-Deep" by Farley, Christopher John. USA TODAY, Feb 13, 1990 Sec: D p: 1 col: 2 Bob Shaw, president of the Nat'l Tattoo Assn, says that Valentine's Day brings an increase of young lovers who want love tattoos. Many celebrities, including Roseanne Barr, Brigitte Nielsen and Winona Ryder, have the tattoos. "Where the Guy Has No Green Teeth" by Levey, Bob. Washington Post, Jan 29, 1990 Sec: D p: 7 col: 1 Bob Levey comments on the possible health hazards posed by getting a tattoo. "Tattoo Me, Tattoo You" by Swisher, Kara. Washington Post, Nov 16, 1989 Sec: C p: 5 col: 1 Tattoos are featured. Tattooing may be a phenomenon of only transient psychological significance. "To Tattoo or Not to Tattoo" by White, Diane. Boston Globe, Jul 26, 1989 p: 53 col: 1 Diane White comments on the tattoo trend. "For Those with Tattoo Regret, Here's Hope" by Altman, Lawrence K. New York Times, Apr 28, 1989 Sec: A p: 15 col: 1 A new laser treatment reportedly removes tattoos almost painlessly, without leaving a scar. 6.3 Magazine and journal articles: "Marks of Distinction." _Soldiers_. April 01 1993 v 48 n 4 p 41 Tattoo, anyone? "Contemporary western tattoos" by Kojima, Hisaka _Aidea = Idea_. March 01 1993 v 41 n 237 p 96 "Made in the Marquesas: Typee, Tattooing, and Melville's Critique of the Literary Marketplace" by Evelev, John. _The Arizona quarterly_. Wint 1992 v 48 n 4 p 19 "You may never meet Lydia the Tattooed Lady, so here's Mark Baudains, for whom almost no piece of skin is taboo to tattoo." _People weekly_. Dec 14 1992 v 38 n 24 p 74 "Tattoo Parlor" A photographic essay by Robyn Redman. _Salt_. Sep 01 1992 v 11 n 2 p 15 "Going To Extremes" by Fox, Marisa. _Option_. Sep 01, 1992 n 46 p 66 What is it about music that makes artists and fans walk on the wild side? Psychic TV's genesis P-orridge and others talk about body piercing, tattoos, and brands. Part one of a two-part series "Career-oriented Women with Tattoos" by Armstrong, Myrna L. _Image--the journal of nursing scholarship_. Wint 1991 v 23 n 4 p 215 "Memorial Decoration: Women, Tattooing, and the Meanings of Body Alteration" by Sanders, Clinton. _Michigan quarterly review_. Wint 1991 v 30 n 1 p 146 "Skin Pics." _The observer magazine : m._ Dec 08 1991 p 48 The vocabulary of the tattooist has come a long way since the days of love, hate, Mum or Dad engraved on the fingers. Matthew Gwyther meets some devotees. "Tattooing Behavior in Adolescence: A Comparison Study" by Farrow, James A., Schwartz, Richard H. , Vanderleeuw, Joop. _American journal of diseases of children_. Feb 01 1991 v 145 n 2 p 184 Delio, Michelle. "The Magical Mark: The Art of Tattoo." _Gnosis_, Spring 1993 n 27 p. 60. Did the first of all sacred arts use the human body as a canvas? "Trends: Tattoos go mainstream." _Newsweek_. Jan 07 1991 v 117 n 1 p 60 "Psychiatric Implications of Tattoos" by Raspa, Robert F., Cusack, John. _American family physician_. May 01 1990 v 41 n 5 p 1481 Tattoos may be acquired for a variety of reasons and may be markers for several psychiatric diagnoses. "Now Ear This; Noses are fine, and navels are cool, but for the likes of Axl Rose, Perry Farrell and Keith Richards, this is still the classic rock & roll pierce." _Rolling stone_. Aug 05 1993 n 662 p 59 "Nonmainstream body modification: genital piercing, burning, and cutting" by Myers, James. _Journal of contemporary ethnography_. Oct 01 1992 v 21 n 3 p 267 [James Myers is apparently an anthropologist on the US West Coast who has been doing significant research into body modification.] 6.4 Books (some of these books may no longer be in print--check your university library for a copy, or request an InterLibrary Loan): DeMichele, William. _The Illustrated Woman: Photographs by William DeMichele_. Pref. by Gorman, Shotsie. (Illus.). 128p. 09/1992. $65.00. (ISBN 0-9631708-0-5); Paper. $34.95. (ISBN 0-9631708-1-3). Proteus Press, Incorporated. Ebin, Victoria. The body decorated. [London ; New York] : Thames and Hudson, c1979. 93 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. Includes index. Bibliography: p. [94] LCCN#: GN418 .E24 Fellman, Sandi. _The Japanese tattoo_. Photographs and text by Sandi Fellman ; introduction by D.M. Thomas. New York : Abbeville Press, 1986. 112 p. : col. ill. ; 32 cm. LCCN#: GT2346.J3 F45 1986 _Heavily tattooed men and women_ Compiled and edited by Spider Webb ; introd. by Marcia Tucker. New York : McGraw-Hill, c1976. 100 p. : chiefly ill. ; 25 cm. McGraw-Hill paperbacks. Includes bibliographical references. LCCN#: GT2345 .H42 Heger, Franz, 1853-. _Ueber [i.e., uber] die Tatowirung bei den Sudsee-Insulanern_. [Wien, 1885] p.35-39. 27cm. Caption title. Photostat (positive) copy from Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien, Bd. 15, 1885. LCCN#: GN419.3 .H44 _Marks and meaning, anthropology of symbols_ Edited by O.P. Joshi. Jaipur : RBSA Publishers, c1992. viii, 190 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. LCCN #: GN419.3 .M27 1992 _Marks of civilization : artistic transformations of the human body_ Arnold Rubin, editor. Los Angeles, Calif. : Museum of Cultural History, University of California, Los Angeles, c1988. 279 p. : ill. ; 29 cm. Bibliography: p. 265-276. LCCN#: GT2343 .M37 1988 _Modern Primitives_. V. Vale and Andrea Juno, editors. Re/Search Publications, San Francisco, CA, c1989. [216] p. : ill. ; 28 cm. Index. #12 in the Re/Search series. If you are interested in bodyart as a whole beyond tattoos, this is the one book that you should have in your reference collection. The book is a collection of interviews and write-ups about a very wide spectrum, including the opener on Fakir Musafar (he is THE bodyart god, IMHO), sword swallowing, Polynesian tattoos, pierces, cuttings, etc. The section on body piercing complements Ardvark's FAQ, and has illustrations on exactly WHERE those darned genital pierces are supposed to go. Important note: This book is not for the faint-of-heart. Some of the information and text contained are very graphic--an assumption can be made that those wanting to read the book are already USED to small tattoos and nipple pierces. There is a graphic photo of a bifurcated penis, for example. You have been duly warned. If you (ahem) have trouble finding this book in your local bookstore, send an SASE to Re/Search Publications, 20 Romolo #B, San Francisco, CA 94133. Richter, Stefan, 1952-. _Tattoo_. London : Quartet, 1985. 158 p. : chiefly col. ill. ; 36 cm. Ill. on lining papers. "An art as old as humanity: a short history of tattooing in the Western world" / Stephan Oettermann: p. 11-17. Bibliography: p. 17. LCCN#: GN419.3 .R53 1985 Richie, Donald, 1924-. The Japanese tattoo / Donald Richie, text; Ian Buruma, photos. 1st ed. New York : Weatherhill, 1980. 115, [1] p. : ill. (some col.) ; 27 cm. Bibliography: p. 115-[116] LCCN#: GT2345 .R52 Robley, Horatio Gordon, 1840-. _Moko; or, Maori tattooing_. With 180 illustrations from drawings by the author and from photographs. [Auckland] : Southern Reprints, 1987. xxi, 216 p. ; ill. ; 27 cm. "Authorities consulted": p. [209]-212. LCCN#: GN667.N9 R7 1987 Sanders, Clinton. _Customizing the body : the art and culture of tattooing_. Philadelphia : Temple University Press, 1989. xi, 220 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 22 cm. Includes index. Bibliography: p. [195]-211. LCCN#: GT2345 .S26 1989 Scutt, R. W. B. Art, sex and symbol; the mystery of tattooing [by] R. W. B. Scutt and Christopher Gotch. South Brunswick, A. S. Barnes [1974] 205 p. illus. 29 cm. $15.00 Bibliography: p. 199-200. LCCN#: GT2345 .S38 c. 2 Steward, Samuel M. _Bad boys and tough tattoos : a social history of the tattoo with gangs, sailors, and street-corner punks, 1950-1965_. New York : Haworth Press, c1990. 204 p. ; 23 cm. Haworth series in gay & lesbian studies ; v. no. 3. Includes bibliographical references. LCCN #: GT5960.T36 S747 1990 _Tattoo, torture, mutilation, and adornment : the denaturalization of the body in culture and text_ Frances E. Mascia-Lees and Patricia Sharpe, editors. Albany : State University of New York Press, c1992. vii, 172 p. ; 24 cm. SUNY series, the body in culture, history, and religion. Includes bibliographical references. LCCN#: GT495 .T38 1992 _Tattootime_. Honolulu, Hawaii : Tattootime Publications, v. : ill. ; 28 cm. Began in 1982. Each volume has also a distinctive title. VanStone, James W. An early archaeological example of tattooing from northwestern Alaska / James W. VanStone and Charles V. Lucier. [Chicago] : Field Museum of Natural History, 1974. 9 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Fieldiana. Anthropology ; v. 66. no. 1 0071-4739. Publication - Field Museum of Natural History ; 1193. Caption title. Bibliography: p. 8-9. LCCN#: GN2 .F4 v.66 no.1 6.5 Tattoo organizations: Empire State Tattoo Club of America (ESTCA), PO Box 1374, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550, New-York 10550. PH: (914) 664-9894, Fax, (914) 668-5200. Founded: 1974, membership: 1000 International organization of tattoo artists and individuals with tattoos. Works to increase public awareness of tattoo art. Sponsors competitions and bestows awards. List of tattoo artists. Affiliated with Professional Tattoo Artists Guild. National Tattoo Association (NTA), 465 Business Park Ln., Allentown, PA 18103-9120, Pennsylvania 18103. (215) 433-7261 Fax, (215) 433-7294 Officer: Florence Makofske, Sec.-Treas. Founded: 1974, membership: 1000, budget: $46,000 AKA: National Tattoo Club of the World (changed 1984) Tattoo artists and enthusiasts. Promotes tattooing as a viable contemporary art form; seeks to upgrade standards and practices of tattooing. Offers advice on selecting a tattoo artist and studio. Holds seminars for tattoo artists to improve skills and learn better hygienic practices. Sponsors competitions and bestows awards; maintains charitable program for children; operates museum and biographical archives. Lists of members and tattoo studios. Publications: National Tattoo Association--Newsletter, bimonthly. Price included in membership dues. Circulation: 1000. Conventions: Annual (with exhibits). Professional Tattoo Artists Guild (PTAG), 27 Mt. Vernon Ave., PO Box 1374, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550. (914) 668-2300 Fax, (914) 668-5200. Officer: Joe Kaplan, Pres. Membership: 2000 Professional tattoo artists. Tattoo Club of America (TCA), c/o Spider Webb's Studio, Captains Cove Seaport, 1 Bastwick Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06605. PH: (203) 335- 3992 Officer: Joe O'Sullivan, Sec. Founded: 1970, membership: 45,000, budget: $25,000 Tattoo artists and individuals worldwide who have been tattooed. Seeks to promote the art of tattooing and make it more acceptable to the public. Bestows annual Mr. and Miss Tattoo awards; sponsors speakers' bureau; maintains hall of fame. Maintains library and museum of antique tattoo designs and memorabilia. Publications: Newsletter, quarterly. Conventions: Annual conference and symposium (with exhibits) - always March, New York City. 7. Non-tattoo bodyart 7.1 What is branding and how is it done? ---------- Branding is the process where you take something white hot (usually some piece of metal in some particular shape) and press it into your flesh so that it makes a serious burn and (later) a permanent scar. Branding is dangerous (all burns are prone to infection), but so is driving a car. Most of the branding I've read about fall into one of two categories: --Rite of passage --Punishment. Most of the rites of passage involved branding someone with a design on entry into puberty. A lot of tribal people have puberty initiation that involve something like scarification/tattooing. Most of the branding in Western cultures was done as a means of marking criminals. The French would brand a fleur de lis into the shoulder of the offender, and the mark was supposed to make the wearer into one of essentially an "untouchable" class. However, they also did this to Protestants, after a while, and with so many French Huguenots wearing fleur de lis brands, it lost a lot of its former meaning. The English branded people with marks, in different locations, depending on what they were accused of. Cutpurses and pickpockets were accorded the punishment of an "S" brand on the cheek, indicating "slave" and sent into a lifetime of indentured servitude. This punishment came into the laws in the reign of Henry VIII, and was abolished in the 18th Century, when they started getting heavily into transporting folks to the colonies. Based on my experience with burning my fingerprints off on an antique stove, and the fact that the pain lasted for weeks, you might not want to get into that. (Well, if you're into constant pain and self- generated endorphins, I don't know.) In full-scale branding, the iron is heated hot enough, and applied long enough, that the resulting wound is a third-degree burn, which destroys the nerve endings and doesn't hurt as much as more minor burns. However, areas that have been third-degree burned *never* regain sensitivity. It will make a silver scarred area, in the shape of the third-degree burn, due to destruction of the entire dermis layer of the skin (through to the underlying tissue). The surrounding skin, with years, will eventually fill in areas that haven't been too badly damaged. A word of warning---second and third degree burns are notorious for getting majorly infected. Third degree is slightly better, due to cauterization. Where it gets you is if the scab cracks. [Just remember that your skin is your first line of defense against infection.] The following is a synopsis of modern branding from the article, "Strike up the Brand, a Scar is Born, New Fad leaves its Mark on the Valley" from the Phoenix New Times: The article is on Steve Haworth, of HTC Body Piercing in Phoenix, who was interviewed at a branding demonstration at "El Rancho de los Muertos". Haworth said human branding is very different from cattle branding (which would just leave a big blob-scar with no definition) because the human body has more curves and fewer flat planes. To fit the topography, he uses small irons of stainless steel 1/16 to 1/32 inch thick. Brands tend to spread 2-3 times the width of the iron. The length of steel is rarely more than an inch long. Heated with a propane torch until red hot, it's tested on a piece of cardboard (1,800F is the preferred temp.) and held on the skin no longer than a second or two--and apparently produces quite a stench. Haworth said the keys to successful branding are: --The brander's skill at judging correct temperature --How long the steel is held to the skin, --Proper pressure --Placement --People's skin types (which differ greatly). While a local doctor didn't recommend getting brands, he did say, "On a more optomistic note, they can be removed by laser," although even the laser leaves a scar (why not do the brand with a laser in the first place? Star Wars branding!) Some history: Among Fakir's more painful discoveries were that wood burners, soldering irons, red-hot coat hangers and paper clips were far more apt to produce unsightly blisters and/or uneven scars than the small stainless steel strips used today. BTW the most famous brands that people remember were of the forehead brands that the followers of Charles Manson wore during the Helter Skelter trials. 7.2 What is scarring? ---------- Scarring is the making of marks on the body through the use of making cuts. The most famous use of such techniques can be seen in Africa. Small cuts are made in the skin and ash is rubbed into the cuts to make a raised bump scar. This can look really great. The unfortunate thing is that people with white skin can't really get these types of scars because they are formed by a substance called keloid. Races with dark skin have keliod and races with light skin do not. Often, these scars and the process is part of a religious or social ritual. Scarring can also be the result of self-mutilation due to psychological problems, although that is too deep and serious a subject we won't delve into it here. 7.3 What are cuttings? Cuttings are made by a razor blade or other very sharp instrument onto the skin. These are usually made in shapes of particular objects, and sometimes rubbed in with ink so that the scar of the cutting shows up like in tattooed lined. The person most known for this procedure at this time is Raelyn Gallina, a "San Francisco Bay Area jewelry maker and piercer whose specialty is women." The phenomenon of cutting seems to have grown out of the SM gay (particularly lesbian) community. Raelyn prefers that clients bring the particularly illustration they want done--she does not make random patternless cuts. For more information on Raelyn's personal philosophy on cuttings, please read _Modern Primitives_. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 4/4. -- Lani Teshima-Miller (teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.edu) "Sea Hare" o/ /_/_/ UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our o|<0_0>------* libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant \=^-| |_| | nation." -Walter Cronkite [r.a.b. FAQer: "Think Ink!"] \_} \_} ******************************************************************************