TATOOS

Henna is a paste which has been used for centuries to create tatoos (artwork) on the body. The paste when applied to the skin, temporarily etches on to the deeper skin layers and develops into an orange-greenish or black stain. Henna can be applied anywhere on the body and superb delicate patterns can be created.

Henna has a rich history in the Middle Eastern and Indian cultures. It has always been used by women to create exquisite art designs on their hands and feet during special ceremonies like weddings, anniversaries etc.
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To find the art work that you want there are many options. You may wait till the last minute and go to the studio and see something on the all and it is just the thing you are looking for, that is the way most people find their next tatoos. That would explain the large amount of flash that most shops have hanging around huh! There is nothing wrong with getting flash work on your body. You can always make subtle changes to the wall hangings to personalize it for you.
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If you have a tatoo that you currently have, consider getting it cover-up. Years ago, artists had stock designs that they used to cover offending tatoos. They usually had heavy fields of black. Today the only way to cover a tatoo is not with a large dark mess, but you do need a skilled artist. Cover-up work is demanding and exacting so you will also pay more for a cover-up piece then you would for just a normal tatoo.
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I have an orthopaedic surgery on my knee, basically i have a medal knee to replace the knee I had, my guestions is is it safe for me to get a tatoo without taking any medication?

You haven’t stated where you thought you’d be inked - what part of your anatomy. After surgery, your body always has sensitive spots or dead spots because the surgery severes nerves. Since the inking is only in the upper layers of the flesh, this shouldn’t cause any problem for you. Only you can decide what your pain threshold is and if you should take something for it. Many people sleep through tatoos, others are nervous and feel faint and sick, it’s an individual “thang”.
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For a tatooist to apply a really beautiful work of art, an unwavering knowledge of colour and shading are vital to the trade. How can one expect an exceptional tatoo from someone who doesn’t know the basic functions of a colour wheel? Improper use of pigments can transform what was a good outline, into something very unpleasing to the eye.

The first step in giving the outline life, is shading. Different artists use different techniques and needle combinations to achieve this.

The colour black is, in reality, the absence of all colour, and on the opposite end of the scale, we have white, which is the presence of all colour. Mixing black and white together forms gray, and is represented by a scale determining value.

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What if you have a tattoo that you really don’t want to live with?

Tatoos can be removed, but the procedures are expensive and don’t always produce very good results. There are several different procedures to choose from. Each procedure works best in particular circumstances (depending on the size and location of the tatoo, for instance). If you are considering tatoo removal, do some research. A plastic surgeon or a dermatologist (skin doctor) should be able to help you.

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The island of New Zealand is famous for the tatooing practices of its indigenous people, the Maori. It is believed that the practice of “Moko” or tatooing was brought to New Zealand by the Polynesians who migrated there. Moko facial tatoos are still being worn by today’s Maori who strive to preserve their heritage. While Polynesian tatoos were used primarily for denotation of communal and family rank, the Maori escalated this practice to a fine art. In 1910 noted moko historian James Cowan wrote “the term for a face devoid of moko is papa-tea, which may be interpreted as bare-boards, In other words a face with no decoration.” Westerners have been aware of the importance of moko to the Maori culture since first recorded by Sydney Parkinson, artist for James Cook on his first voyage in 1769. Parkinson brought back no less than three recorded examples of moko tatooing. These examples extolled both linear, and curvilinear elements.

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The technique with which the pigments are brought underneath the skin has not undergone any significant change during the course of history. There are, however, depending on the state of development and degree of inventiveness, great variations in the quality. And then there are the craft aspects: the application of the correct amount of pigment; correct penetration, not too deep, without leaving scars, damaging muscles, rupturing arteries or chipping the bones. Even primitive cultures whose practices involve the piercing of the cheeks - a technique used sometimes with Maori facial tatooing - have developed astonishing tatooing techniques.

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I’m looking for some tribal art tatoos that have some meaning to them. I already have a tatoo on my arm and am looking for a second tatoo, however I would like this one to have some more meaning to my life and myself.

Tribal art is the distinct black tatoo that can signify anything you want. If you are referring to tribe as in Indian - they are two different things. First you must understand that ink is as the old saying goes “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. What may grab someone elses’ eye may not appeal to you at all. All tatoo shops have “flash” and “tribal” designs. If you live near a shop - just go in and browse their walls - ask to see a portfolio of their artists. You may find something in there that you can’t live without.

I need some info on tribal tatoos. Strangely enough, being on an island and with islands nearby that exhibit tribal tatoos, there is very little info on tribal tatoos. Do you happen to have some or any idea where I can obtain some info?

Tribals do not necessarily denote anything pertaining to a tribe or culture. The name was given to define heavy, black inkings from colored inkings. Most tatoo shops carry a brand of flash that is filled with different tribal patterns.

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Yes. It hurts. A tatoo is a process involving a needle (or in most cases, a grouping of needles) puncturing your skin. Your skin is laced with a network of nerves that will be traumatized by the perforations involved. On the other hand it is not that bad. Many people have said it feels like a bee sting. This is inaccurate. Bees leave a toxin in your skin that makes for intense discomfort for a good 15 minutes. A tatoo does not do this. A tatoo is most accurately described sensationally as “someone scratching a sunburn”. A sort of irritating pain.

There are many factors that contribute to the amount of pain involved in a tatoo. The two primary catalysts are the artist performing the tatoo and the area of the body one is getting tatooed on. Certain artists are considered “soft” while others are named “heavy handed”. This is a reference to the combination of the speed of the tatooists machine, the depth of the “needle hang”, and the willingness of the artist to hit and re-hit an area of flesh. A person looking for an artist should not necessarily look for the softest artist around necessarily. Many times these tatooists run too soft and do not give very permanent tatoos.

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