Have you ever wondered what the meaning is behind a person's tattoo? Well, you're in luck. Here is a handy guide to help you learn the traditional meaning, or meanings, behind a huge assortment of different tattoos. Of course, everyone has their own personal meanings attached to ...read more
Tattoo Shops have fought long and hard to insure government agencies and the general public that they are safe and sanitary. And most shops have done a great job of doing that. However, it takes one bad apple to throw a dark cloud over a shop and in this case, although it had ...read more
One of the best bonding experience a couple can ever have is to get tattoos together, it's even better if they get romantically-themed tattoos. Here is a gallery of some of our favorite couples tattoos and other romantic ink. A king and his queen. 'Til death do us part. Really ...read more
It's a well known fact that getting a tattoo hurts. For the most part, all of these places listed below are extremely painful and you should definitely be aware of that before you go in to get these areas inked. A lot of the pain comes from a lack of cushion of muscle or fat ...read more
In many major religions, the sacred texts discuss tattooing in the context of when they were written. Many people may be familiar with the Jewish and Islamic faith's opinion of tattooing, however, what does the Bible say about tattoos? Would God approve of tattooing today? Let's ...read more
Photos by Cassie Zhang and Double Kill Media We sat down with Mikhail Andersson, the owner of First Class Tattoo, to talk about Moscow, “drunk” tattoos and what it takes to succeed in New York City. What did you do before you starting tattooing professionally? I studied graphic ...read more
When did you decide to pursue tattooing professionally and what was your first shop experience like? I was a late starter in tattooing however, I was lucky enough to be introduced into tattooing by a friend who then introduced me to other artists and it developed that way. I ...read more
How did growing up in New Zealand make an impact on you as an artist? I grew up in South Auckland, a part of New Zealand that you could say was rough around the edges. This has made a huge impact on me as an artist, but also kept me humble. Where we came from, people like me ...read more
What first got you into tattooing? I quit my job at a TV studio and decided to live for myself. When I returned home, I decided to order a tattoo machine from China. Next morning, while surfing internet, I realised that Chinese machines are not worth ordering. And by that ...read more
Imagine what it would be like to be the one and only tattoo artist in your entire country. Pretty cool, right? Well, in 1925 Scottish tattoo artist Prince Vallar could lay claim to that title. ScotlandsPeople, a genealogy website run by Scotland's government, has named Vallar the ...read more
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-Healed! Get tattooed at 10 different shops and you are bound to get at least five different sets of instructions on how to care for your new ink. And out of those five, we’re pretty sure all of them each have some merit. So that being said we took the advice of ...read more
This year, we started posting viral tattoo memes on our Instagram. And you guys loved them! We're looking back at the best and funniest tattoo memes for artists and collectors. Take a look at some of our favorite memes from 2018 in the gallery below and let us know your thoughts ...read more
I want to preface this argument by saying that I consider myself to be an extremely tolerant and open minded individual when it comes to dating preferences. I've dated men, women and people who identify outside the conventional gender binary. I've dated people that are slightly ...read more
Last summer, the tattoo world was totally obsessed with the foam tattoo reveal craze. Well, get ready because this trend has evolved and it's all thanks to a tattoo artist named Alex Rodriguez. Take a look at the hilarious viral Instagram video in the gallery below and let us ...read more
We've seen plenty of terrible and insulting celebrity portrait tattoos over the years, however, this may be the worst of them all. Take a looking at a shocking portrait tattoo of the lovely Angelina Jolie in the gallery below and let us know your thoughts, opinions and questions ...read more
While a select few tattoos are freehanded onto a client, 9 times out of 10 an artist uses a stencil as a guide for their design. An artist named Alejandro Mazkre of Miami, Florida decided to film a stencil reveal for his Instagram and the short clip has since gone viral ...read more
While tattoo shops can be serious and quiet, most times, artists like having fun while creating permanent art on their clients. Usually, this just means casual banter or rocking out to a playlist. However, sometimes, artists and their coworkers go the extra mile and prank other ...read more
The most common question that people ask laser tattoo removal technicians is, "how many sessions it will take" to remove a tattoo. And unfortunately, the answer isn't as simple as most people would like to hear. Laser tattoo removal is a complex process that a technician must ...read more
Every year, more and more people shock us with terrible head, face and neck tattoos. And 2018 was no exception. We saw some shockingly bad job stoppers over the last 12 months and it's time we reviewed the worst of the worst. Take a look at the gallery below to see naughty, ...read more
We seen plenty of amazing tattoos every single day, however, it takes something extra special to create an entire article in homage to a single piece. But, the tattoo you're about to see truly knocked our socks off and is honestly one in a million. Take a look at one hell of a ...read more
These days, there are thousands of gorgeous tattooed women out there and because of social media, we can take a look at each and everyone one of them. Today's subject happens to be a tattooed beauty from Germany, who continuously gains attention for her beauty on each platform of ...read more
While all pain is relative, some spots on the body hurt universally no matter what. And if you ask anyone who's had their nipples tattooed, they would likely all agree that spot hurts like hell. Nipples, whether they belong to a man or a woman, are extremely sensitive. Someone ...read more
For our latest issue of INKED Magazine (on stands now), we featured Ryan Ashley and Arlo DiCristina on the cover. This was Ashley's second cover and DiCristina's first—and it made major waves in the tattoo industry. And we couldn't have predicted how artists from around the world ...read more
We've heard plenty of crazy client stories at INKED, from fans bringing severed heads to celebrity tattoo artists to a slew of penis tattoos. However, what you're about to read may be the wildest and grossest client story we've ever heard. This story comes from an artist named ...read more
As an artist, cancelation from a client is unfortunately a regular part of the job. And when it comes to tattoo etiquette, it is imperative that the client notifies the artist as soon as possible, so that they can fill your slot and get paid for the day. However, sometimes things ...read more
Las Vegas is the home of many beautiful women; however, none are quite as magical as those created by Kurtis Rykovich who pulls his inspiration from fairy tales, horror, comics and the furthest depths of his imagination. However, while his Damsels are the focus of his career as ...read more
2018 is coming to an end and that means, we need to start looking ahead. 2019 is full of possibilities and we know for certain that there will be plenty of amazing tattoos that have yet to be inked in the coming year. And while we cannot predict the future of the exact tattoos ...read more
With 2018 coming to a close, it's time to look back at the celebrities we lost this year. From musicians to actors to models, 2018 was a year that marked the end of many prolific star's lives. Take a look back at the celebrities who passed on this year in the gallery below and ...read more
While there were plenty of beautiful and tasteful tattoos done in 2018, these are not them. These tattoos are rude, crude and down right dirty. They're for tattoo collectors with a sick sense of humor and we're totally on board. Take a look at some of the best (or worst) tattoos ...read more
While there are many tattoo reality shows currently on the air, from Ink Master to Black Ink Crew to How Far is Tattoo Far—at one point, there were dozens of programs airing at one time. Throughout the mid 2000s, tattoo reality shows were all the rage and there were a variety of ...read more
This year, hundreds and hundreds of artists from around the world created beautiful and amazing tattoo designs. And for many of them, we shared their incredible work with our fans on our Instagram, @inkedmag. Every year, we evaluate the most liked tattoos and it's time to share ...read more
In 2018, a tattooer can't just be an artist on skin, they need to find other ways to stand out and promote their brand across multiple industries. This is why many artists have branched out to create clothing lines, aftercare products or YouTube empires to take their careers to ...read more
Henna is commonly associated with temporary tattoos and for the most part, it is an extremely safe practice that can be done on children as young as three years old. However, not all henna is created equal. Some henna contains deadly chemicals that can cause severe and permanent ...read more
You may recognize Arlo DiCristina from his stunning tattoo portfolio, but what do you really know about the talented tattoo artist? Well, it's time we let Arlo himself tell you a few fascinating facts about himself. Take a look at 10 facts about Arlo DiCristina and if you want ...read more
Ryan Ashley Malarkey first emerged into the public eye on season 8 of Ink Master, going on to become the first female winner in the show's history. She made her debut post-show on the cover of INKED and has since gone on to tackle a number of other ventures in ...read more
He's finally here, Kat Von D's baby boy has been born! After months and months of anticipation, Von D is finally a proud mama! Take a look at the gallery below to see the first pictures of her son and share the love for the tattooed mama in the comments section on Facebook. For ...read more
What's better than a tattoo that perfectly executes a given style? Well, that would of course be a tattoo that effortlessly combines two or more style into an epic mixed-style piece. We've found eight artists, who hail from every corner of the globe, that are helping to promote ...read more
Scleral tattooing is the process of injecting ink into the white part of the eyeball and it has become a growing sensation among body modification enthusiasts around the world. Unlike ordinary tattoo, tattoo pigment is injected between two layers of the sclera and it spreads ...read more
When it comes to leading artistic innovators in the industry today, Ryan Ashley Malarkey and Arlo DiCristina are at the head of the pack. Despite only working in the industry for less than ten years each, they’ve helped to revolutionize their respected styles through meticulous ...read more
There are plenty of beautiful, dainty and elegant tattoos out there, however, now's not the time for flowers and lady heads. Instead, today we'll be going through some of the nastiest, grossest and most foul tattoos even creates by artists in the industry. From bloody tampons to ...read more
While there is plenty of crossover between the two subcultures, it's important to recognize the distinctive differences between tattoo enthusiasts and body mods. Tattoo enthusiasts collect tattoos and primarily, they express their individuality through their skin. However, body ...read more
When it comes to popular tattoo trends of the last several years, there are two things that stand out against the crowd. First and foremost, designs are becoming smaller and artists are finessing their technique in order to pack an insane amount of detail into a tiny canvas. ...read more
When it comes to portraying themselves on social media, some tattooers make a point to show their face while others prefer to remain anonymous. And as someone who has frequently many tattoo conventions in their days at INKED Magazine, it is always refreshing and exciting to put a ...read more
While the classic teen movies may only show the jocks and popular kids getting laid, we all know that nerds can have a naughty side. Just because someone is obsessed with Star Wars, Pokémon or comic books, that doesn't mean that they don't love getting down and dirty. In fact, ...read more
In the past, we've told you about your astrological sign regarding micro tattoos, terrible tattoos and even booty tattoos. Now it's time to see the tattoo your sign should get as a back tattoo. Take a look at our tattoo horoscope in the gallery below and let us know your thoughts ...read more
Across all genres of tattooing, artists put their own spin on the female face. Female faces are considered to be one of the most captivating subjects in the art world and there are numerous reasons why they are so frequently replicated. First off, a female face is extremely ...read more
While many artists take inspiration from nature, music or life experience, other times they find a focus from fellow artists. Art movements begin when artists become inspired by each other and the exchange of creativity is especially magical when it crosses between distinctive ...read more
There are a handful of tried and true symbols that have been appropriated throughout tattoo genres for hundreds of years. For example, an artist can interpret a rose into every single style under the sun—from neo-traditional to realism to black-and-grey. Another common tattoo ...read more
Like in every industry, tattoo artists have developed their language based on a set of shared experiences. Over time, these shared experienced have been celebrated and discussed through a variety of distinct mediums—from tattoo magazines to chatrooms and now on social media. And ...read more
Breakups can be extremely difficult and many people cope with their emotions with tattoos. However, there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to get tattooed after a tough breakup. Take a look at 12 of the best and worst breakup tattoos we found online in the list ...read more
