Art employs many different canvases. Some artists use music, others write poetry, still others use paint on a variety of media to convey their image or story. Still others use the human body as their backdrop and draw their pictures with a needle and ink. Yes, these are tattoo artists, and their work is becoming more prevalent. Many artists employ the basic stock images many people associate with tattoos that have been around since Grandpa got a heart tattooed on his bicep when he was in the armed forces. But tattoo artistry has taken on a new dimension in recent years.

One trend is that of tattooing a photograph of a person. Even women sport tattoos of their children or loved ones across a shoulder blade or lower back, and the skill required to render such a portrait with accuracy is impressive. Just as not everyone can sketch a portrait on paper with a pencil, it is definitely an acquired skill to draw a face with ink in a tattoo gun. A tattoo artist may spend days practicing on paper before placing the final artwork on a client’s skin, where using an eraser for a mistake is simply not an option.

Whether one considers a tattoo a piece of art might depend upon whether one has a tattoo of their own. Most tattoo wearers do consider them to be art that reflects something about themselves and their personality…which is what most forms of art do in one way or another.