The Greats: Tom Renshaw
Tom Renshaw is an admired artist in the industry and is revered as one of the best black and grey wash realism tattooist. He has 
been tattooing for about 15 years, all of which is in Michigan. He currently works at Eternal Tattoos in Clawson. Because he is so talented and sought out by people hoping to get tattooed by him, he only has to work occassionaly and charges top dollar for his work on your skin.
My best friend actually has a half sleeve done by him and it is gorgeous. His work has won countless awards and has been published in numerous tattoo magazines. If you have a tattoo by Tom Renshaw anywhere on your body, consider yourself very lucky.
The Greats: Kat Von D
I am sure that almost everyone that has any sort of connection to the tattoo industry or even a T.V. has heard of Kat Von D. 
She, in my opinion, is one of the best black and grey realism artists that the industry has ever seen. Her work has become exceedingly famous, especially contributed to her series L.A. Ink that is based around her tattoo shop, High Voltage Tattoos, and the customers that come in to get tattooed by her or her fellow tattooists.
Von D was originally born in Mexico, but made the move with her parents at age 4 to Los Angeles where she grew up with her sister and brother. She quit school at age 14 and made the decision to become a tattoo artist. Since age 16, she has been tattooing steadily and making a huge name for herself, not only in the industry but in makeup with Sephora and becoming an author.
Japanese Style Tattoos
Japanese style tattoos have been around for centuries and are some of the most symbolically complex works in the tattoo industry. Most Americans have taken bits and pieces of a Japanese tradition and butchered out pictures like the koi fish, dragons, tidal waves, kanji, and geisha, but the beauty is in the original form, Irezumi, a style that combines many pictures to form a mural across large areas of a person’s body. Each person dons their own unique personal or family story on their bodies for a multitude of reasons.
In Japan, even in modern times, tattoos are actually frowned upon; thought of as a symbol of crime and lower classes. As an act to portray a picture of modern government to the west, Japan outlawed any type of tattooing. It wasn’t until 1945 that it was legalized by occupational forces. Although tattooing still carries a stigma in Japan, the tradition is still carried on and welcomed with open arms in America. It would be a shame if such a beautiful art form was lost due to closed minded people.
Sailor Tattoos
Tattoos referring to sailing have been in the forefront of the industry and still have a significant impact on every generation. Anchors, water, 
boats and ships, the infamous banner text, and navy references are just a handful of images that are produced to signify sailing. Although all those design ideas are prominent, the swallow is probably the most prevalent amongst all sailor related tattoos.
A beautiful and colorful bird in nature and a revered symbol of hope as a tattoo, the swallow has been being reproduced with individual style and meaning for decades. The icon was originated on a ship “The Swallow” which underwent a mutiny where the 7 sailors that rebelled tattooed a swallow on their chest to identify each other. The birds themselves actually acted as a sign of hope and victory to sailors, signifying that there was land near. For every 5,000 aquatic miles that the men traveled one swallow would be tattooed on their chest.
Another very commonplace reference to sailing tattoos is the old school mater of the art, Sailor 
Jerry. He was a sailor himself at the young age of 19 and began to get tattooed while at sea. Being exposed to Southeast Asia, he trained in their particular style mixed with his bold and simplistic illustration. His artwork on paper and skin have been revered and some of the most beautiful tattoos and the epitome of sailing tattoos.
How A Tattoo is Done
Most people know that tattoos are permanent fixtures on a person’s body by injecting ink into their skin, but what else is involved? It all 
starts with an inspiring idea that you want to put on your body for the rest of your life, whatever that may be. Once you have come to terms with altering your appearance, you would seek out a reputable tattoo shop that is clean and experienced. Making an appointment with the artist of your choice is the easy part, it is the showing up part that most people have a hard time with.
Once you are in the seat and sweating because you are excited and nervous, the artist will draw up a design based on your specifications and use a transfer sheet to place a guideline sketch on the part of your body you want tattooed. You will then have to inspect the placement and art in the mirror and give your permission to start the process.
Tattoos are applied with what is commonly called a tattoo gun. It is basically a tube with multiple needles inside that is attached to a motor. The motor pushes the needles into the skin, making shallow punctures, up to 3,000 per minute, down to the dermis layer. The ink must go beyond the epidermis layer so the tattoo is not shed when your skin replenishes. Once the tattoo is done, the ink has permanently settled into the cells of the dermis layer, which essentially stays the same throughout a person’s life.
Tattoos: The History Behind Wearable Art
For thousands of years, humans have permanently marked their bodies with tattoos. The reasons for the markings are vast and vary depending on the time frame and/or the culture. Tattoos and their inspiration behind them are as unique as snowflakes and each carries a story along with the ink.
Iceman's Tattooed Hand
The earliest known examples of tattoos were the Egyptians, having being present on numerous female mummies that date as far back as 2000 B.C. It was only until “Iceman”, a frozen body found at the Italian-Austrian border in 1991, was discovered with patterns adorned across various parts of his body that presented evidence of tattoos existing much earlier. Scientists have carbon dated “Iceman” to around 5,200 years old. Read More
Tattoos have been uncovered in almost every race and ethnicity as a part of their cultural history that has carried over into modern society. The meaning behind permanently altering the appearance of your body varies depending on life experiences and personal views. Nowadays it is common to see a person walking around sporting their religious affiliations on their body or even their interests. For whatever the reason, tattoos have been a staple as far back as 5,000 years ago and has been a growing industry in society across the globe.
