Best Tattoo Artists in the World 2019

The art of emblazoning a human body is as old as any other occupation humankind is known to. However, in the last few decades, it has spiraled to such a height of popularity that modern-day population is on the verge of becoming a slave to it. Whether young or old, every person today tames a dream of posing a tattoo. If you too have one and want to get your body inked, here are the best tattoo artists in the world making waves in 2018 with their skills.

Carolyn Blaine (USA)

Her journey to the world of tattoo started during the high-school days when she used to draw tattoos for her friends. Eventually, she turned her hobby into a lucrative profession as she grew up, and works at MayDay Tattoo Co. in Chicago. Today, she has an envious list of esteem clients with Angelina Jolie on the top. Her Instagram and Facebook accounts are flooded with images of tattoos. Many of her tattoo works have earned her several awards. She is one of the exponents of watercolor style that is in vogue today. Her style of tattooing with watercolor is quite famous with the young generation, and that's what has added to her popularity.

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Inal Bersekov (Canada)

He is a Belgium by birth but has settled down in Toronto, Canada. Being a tattoo artist by profession, he travels to other places such as Las Vegas, Korea, and even to his hometown intermittently. He is known for his black-and-gray style of tattooing that requires him using a single needle for body art. He creates realistic tattoos in black and gray. Some of his famous tattoo works are portraits of sports and film personalities like Muhammad Ali, Will Smith, Justin Bieber, and Drake's Sade tattoo.

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Horishow (Japan)

If you are in Japan and are impressed by Japanese mythology, then you must see Horishow. This Japanese tattoo artist is famous for inking traditional Japanese figures in bold colors. You can find him at Amitabha Tattoo located in Fukuoka, Japan. The intricate design of his tattoo with distinct outline has earned him an unfathomable reputation in the world of tattoo art.

Rob Kelly (Hong Kong)

He is a British by birth who moved to Hong Kong with his family in 1994. Rob was inclined towards drawing from his early age. The growing popularity of tattoos had Rob Kelly ventured into the profession of tattooing in 2005. After five years, he opened up a custom tattoo studio - BLACKOUT in 2010 in Hong Kong. He treats every artwork as a teamwork between him and his client. He has mastered different styles of tattooing and takes inspiration for creating unique and custom tattoos from his surroundings.


Lauren Winzer (Australia)

She is one of the tattoo artists whose work is fancied by the Hollywood stars. She has even drawn tattoos on the bodies of celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Hayley Williams, Katy Perry, and Melanie Martinez. Her uniqueness is her tattoo art that is a cartoonist, comical, and whimsical. She is known in the world of tattoo for inking delicate letters on a body. She works with Hunter & Fox Tattoo Studio in Sydney, Australia.

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Valerie Vargas (England)

She started tattooing in 2007 in London, and started her career at Frith Street Tattoo in Soho. After building a loyal clientele, she started her own tattoo studio by the name Modern Classic Tattoo in 2014 with her husband, Steward Robson. Her style of tattooing is western traditional. Her tattoo works are figurative with fine black and grey line and a blend of Japanese style. A documentary on her was filmed by Vice in 2012.

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Daniel DiMattia (Belgium)

If somebody has a deep penchant for blackwork tattoo, then it has to be Daniel DiMattia. His style of tattooing is in plain black ink and is a fine example of body art. Though the blackwork tattoos emphasize shapes and patterns, his works are usually in figurative forms. He is in the tattoo industry for last 20 years and owns a tattoo shop named Calypso Tattoo in Belgium.

Alex Muller (South Africa)

He has been drawing all his life, and is a major in fine arts. He learned the body art from his friends who were tattoo artists, and is known for his hand poking technique. You can find him at The Body Architects in Cape Town, South Africa. Alex uses the traditional style of tattooing.

Pick any one of these tattoo artists according to the tattoo you wish to flaunt and be a part of the amazing body art industry.

Most Expensive Tattoo in The World

Anything that is expensive in the world grabs instant attention. Whether it is a smartphone, bag, wedding dress, automobile, pen, or a wristwatch, the rich have stunned by donning costly gadgets or apparels. Strangely, nobody ever thought about possessing the most expensive tattoo in the world. This jaw-dropping idea was conceived and implemented by a famous diamond retail chain of South Africa -  Shimansky.

Tattoo as a medium of promotion 

We all are aware of the innovative methods companies adopt for promoting their brands. But Shimansky has taken it a few steps further by using a tattoo as a medium for promoting its products. They wanted to use the popularity of tattoos as a medium for promoting their products to high-end customers. For which, Shimansky used real diamonds to encrust on a model's body with an intention of gaining the attention of high-end customers. The retailer used not just a few pieces of diamonds, but 612  0.5 cut diamonds to stick on a model's body to create the world's expensive tattoo that costs around 924,000 dollars, a few margins shy from one million dollars. No wonder, the world is gasping at the unique method of promoting a brand.

What makes Shimansky use diamonds for a tattoo

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Shimansky used a ball as a medium of promotion. They encrusted 2640 dark and 6620 white diamond stones on the ball. The ball weighed a whopping 2.2 kgs, and its price inflated to a jaw-dropping 1.7 million US dollars thus, making it the most expensive football in the world. Perhaps, the encrusting of a ball with diamond stones led to the making a tattoo out of diamond stones.

Model for the diamond tattoo

Tattoos have been embraced by all the cultures around the world. Whether young, old, educated, uneducated, rich or poor, everyone aspires to get his or her body inked with a tattoo. This also motivated Shimansky to encash the popularity of tattoos. For a diamond tattoo, the retailer hired a popular South African model named Minki van der Westhuizen.

It took around eight hours to lay over 612 pieces of cut diamonds on the model's body. To stick the diamond stones on her skin, the tattoo artists used water-based cement.  All the 612 diamonds pieces were laid over on the model's skin one by one. The encrusting of diamonds on her body gave Miniki van der Westhuizen a tough time to lie on her back. But the tattoo design came out impressive. Even the outline of the tattoo became an inspiring botanical example. Though the tattoo was temporary, it became the most expensive tattoo in the world.

If you are interested in spending close to 1 million dollars for a tattoo, you can get diamonds encrusted on your body or buy them at any eight stores of the South African diamond retail chain, and in other four locations set up by the retailer internationally. 

Wolf Tattoo Meanings

The wolf is a carnivore and mystical animal. Its length, strong jaws, sharp teeth, exceptional intelligence, and outstanding speed make them the perfect predator. They usually hunt in packs and are loyal to their family. Their attributes and traits are often glorified in movies, literature, and scriptures. They share strong emotional attachments with their community. Their natural instincts and strong intuition have made them popular in the tattoo industry. People are using them to ink their bodies since they symbolize strength, loyalty, keen senses, attachment, romantic love, and perseverance.

Let's see what different wolf tattoos mean.

Celtic Wolf Tattoo

Celtic wolves have a deep connection with Scotland, Wales, and Ireland as well as Brittany. The Celts considered wolves as a sacred animal, a guide, and a powerful helper. In fact, they claim themselves to be the descendant of wolves. For them, wolves are a positive symbol. Celtic wolves are the protectors of the fairyland. Celtic wolf tattoos represent strong bonding with nature.

Eagle and Wolf Tattoo

Eagles and wolves are two powerful predators known for speed, keen senses, and an ability to overpower opponents. When both these strong animals are used in a tattoo design, they represent power and freedom. They are also considered as a patriotic tattoo design due to being commonly found in the United States.

Feather and Wolf Tattoo

There are many ways to ink a wolf with a feather tattoo. It also depends on the tattoo artists how he or she combines both in the tattoo design. It is one of the coolest wolf tattoo designs that bring out the essence of the Native American culture. It represents both the beauty and harness of nature.

Howling Wolf Tattoo

A howling wolf with the moon at the backdrop is considered to be a signal of something bad. As there is a deep connection between the dark and a wolf, this tattoo design symbolizes dark things. However, you can take it positively if you consider yourself a free spirit, and strong-headed with a deep inclination towards the wild.

Japanese Wolf Tattoo

The Japanese considered wolves as a symbol of Shinto gods and divine messengers. This Japanese-styled tattoo symbolizes respect for kinship with celestial forces. It is also considered as a symbol of protector in some Japanese myths that say humans used to call a wolf to protect them from harm.

Rose and Wolf Tattoo

If you are devoted and loyal to your partner, then the best way to express it, is by using a rose and wolf tattoo. This unique combination of rose and a wolf in a tattoo symbolizes romantic love. Since wolves are known to be chaste, your partner will appreciate this unique tattoo design.

Werewolf Tattoo

Werewolves are the most misunderstood creatures since ancient Greece. They are often looked at as evil and feared animal, which is why they are used in several horror movies. If you are a fan of the horror genre, and lore, and a fantasy enthusiast, the werewolf tattoo design is best for you.

Wolf Headdress Tattoo

A tattoo design with wolf's head worn as a cap symbolizes the deep connection with Native American culture, tradition, and mythology. The native Americans consider wolves as a spirit guide, and the protector of souls.

Wolf Paw Tattoo

Since wolves are seen a guide by the native Americans, a wolf-paw tattoo symbolizes moving forward in life or receiving guidance. Many use this tattoo design in memory of their ancestors.

Wolves are powerful symbols in native American, Greece, and Japanese cultures. When used as a tattoo, they express strong spiritual, romantic, and personality traits. Wolf tattoos have become a conventional tattoo. They deliver powerful meanings and can be inked either in single or along with various elements and symbols.

Most Tattooed Senior Citizen (Male) in the World

There is something about a tattoo that the bearer gets hooked on it regardless of the age. Some even get so attached to the body art that they take their fondness to the level of obsession. Their liking for emblazoning their body earns them a weird recognition, and they eventually become a known-person in the world. That's what exactly happened with Charles Chuck Helmke, an American citizen living in Florida, Melbourne. Despite getting his body inked for the first time when pursuing a career, today he holds the record for being the most tattooed senior citizen (male) in the world. At the time of recording, which was on December 9, 2016, he had 97.5% of his body tattooed. He has also added another record to his kitty by tattooing most skulls on his body. The only parts of his body that hasn't been inked are, the face and toes.

First Tattoo

Chuck was in the U.S. Army when he got his first tattoo in 1959. He inked his body for the first time just because his army colleagues were emblazoning their bodies. For almost 40 years, Chuck didn't go under the needle again, and finally got his second tattoo in 2000. From there on, he went on a spree of inking his body for 16 continuous years until he eventually got recognition by the Guinness World Record as the most tattooed senior citizen (male) at the end of 2016. The fact that he continued with his obsession for tattoos for 16 long years is, in itself, a commendable feat. And when one pursues his liking so ardently, he or she has to become famous in the world.

Like-minded partner

Chuck met his life partner, Charlotte Guttenberg in 2006 at a tattoo parlor. Incidentally, Charlotte too holds a world record of the most tattooed senior citizen (female) in the world. She has tattoos on 91.5% of her body.

How they both met is an interesting tale. Being from the same town, Charlotte once went to a tattoo parlor to get a body suit. As the procedure was lengthy, the owner of the parlor called and requested Chuck if he could talk her through the entire process of tattooing just to divert her attention from the pain. Chuck having inked his body knew how painful and tiring the entire process is, instantly agreed and talked to her holding her hand for 2 hours while the artist for busy with inking.

Romantic meeting 

Thereafter, they met in a car park. Chuck happily recounts their meeting in the car park and with a child-like expression says that he told himself of not being a spring chicken anymore, and opportunity doesn't come often. So let's be bold and do what has to be done. He walked towards her with coffees, sat on the ground, and gave her one big Hollywood kiss right in the middle of the parking. His boldness and charming demeanor caught fancy of Charlotte. That romantic fling struck a chord, and they started living together thereafter.

Chuck has retired from U.S. Army and moonlighting as a writer. He and Charlotte are proud of their body art, and don't shy away from flaunting it. The couple has appeared in several interviews on national as well as world television. 

Most Tattooed Woman in The World

Fascination may strike you at any age. That's what happened with Charlotte Guttenberg, a native of Florida, Melbourne. Little did she know that getting a pink butterfly inked on her chest at the age of 57 will delight her so much that after a few years, her name would be mentioned in the Guinness Records as the most tattooed senior citizen (female) in the world. This recognition came in 2015 after 10 years of treating her body like a canvas, and getting 91.5% of her it inked. But she didn't rest on her laurels despite that, and continued with her fascination of body art. Now at 69, she has 98.75% of her body emblazoned so she is called as the most tattooed woman in the world.

About Charlotte 

Charlotte is a woman of multiple personalities. She is a fitness enthusiast,  certified personal trainer, life coach, and a professional writer. She is enjoying a peaceful life at the sleepy town of Florida, Melbourne with her life-partner Chuck Helmke, who also holds a record for the most tattooed senior citizen (male) in the world.

Beginning of fascination with tattoos

Unlike Chuck, Charlotte's first husband was against women getting tattooed despite having tattoos himself. So she couldn't have a tattoo until he was alive.

After a few years of her husband's death, she decided to give herself a gift on her birthday by getting inked. She got struck with that tattoo and decided to get a full body suit. Luckily, she met Chuck during the preparation for an event. As they both shared the same thoughts and liking, they soon developed an understanding and got connected to each other.

Chuck helped her and stood by her throughout the inking process since he knew how painful it is when the needle pierces the body. Together they share two records for having the most human skulls tattooed on the body and most feathers tattooed on the body. Chuck has 376 skulls on his body, and Charlotte 216 feathers on her body.

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Age-defying feat

Charlotte is the only woman in the world who is covered with tattoos from the head to toe despite being a senior citizen. She enjoys the attention, both positive and negative, that she gets in her home town, and is proud of her achievements. For her, tattoos are the best medium to express oneself, and show others to be different. She considers her body as a canvas and is ever-ready to flaunt her body mural to anyone interested.

Her Aspirations

Charlotte has received negative comments from others for her obsession with tattoos. She knows people still look at her differently despite her record-breaking achievement. Maybe, they think that a senior citizen of her age is good enough to take care of grandchildren, and not inking the body. There is a huge difference the way people look at tattooed people. And that's what she hopes to change. She wants to develop a mutual respect among people from both the world.

According to her, tattoos are beautiful, ancient art form, and people should respect those decorating their bodies with this art form.

The World's Most Tattooed Person - Lucky Diamond Rich

Inspiration may come from the weirdest of things and at any age. And when it does, it may provoke one to do something that can make him or her a noticeable person. The same thing happened with Lucky Diamond Rich. At a young age, he read something that he thought of following the suit without any knowledge that one day it would make him known throughout the world. That information was about men and women who emblazoned their bodies with tattoos the most. And when he got his first tattoo of a juggling club on his hip, he liked it so much that he didn't stop with that and got his entire body tattooed.

Today, he holds the Guinness World Record as the world's most tattooed person. He took over this title from Tom Leppard and still remains unbeatable since 2006.

Early Life

Lucky Diamond Rich was born in New Zealand in 1971 and his name was Gerogry Paul McLaren. He is more famous as Lucky Rich, and is the only person in the world who is 100 percent tattooed. There is no area of his body left that he didn't get inked. He didn't even spare the most intimate parts of his body. He has gone to such an extent that he got inked on the most delicate parts of the body such as insides of eyelids, mouths, ears, and foreskin. To have his entire body inked, he invested 1000 hours and made 100 of artists rich.

By profession, Lucky Rich is a performance artist and street performer. He entertains people with his juggling skills and sword swallowing tricks. Though he is a New Zealander, he performs his entertaining stunts in Australia. He has performed for many years in Australia in the circus and freak show scene. He also spent a short span of his career in music when he became a member of an Australian Drum & Bass Act. Besides performing in Australia, he also travels to other parts of the world for his street performance.

From Gregory Paul McLaren to Richy Rich

Though his birth name is Gregory Paul McLaren, it was his love for the famous cartoon character Richy Rich that instigated him to adapt it when he was 18. He changed that too later to Lucky Rich. The reason he sorted out for using 'Lucky' in his name was his feelings that by calling himself and believing in that word makes him lucky.

He even had a story behind changing his middle name. It was after two years of changing his name to Lucky Rich, one of his friends called him 'rough diamond.' That word struck him, and he started calling himself Lucky Diamond Rich.

A staunch believe of Karma

He was mostly fascinated with black color initially and had his entire body inked in the same color. Over the years, he started experimenting with white color and had multi-layered tattoos.

His entire face is inked with the word “Om,” a sacred and spiritual word in Hindu religion. He also inscribed the word “karma” on his body since he believes in karma, and attributes what he is today to it. He says, if I do something good, then good will happen to me; and if bad, then I will face the same.

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Most Tattooed Countries in the World

The tattoo culture that has started in Polynesia has spread so wide and far that there is only a handful of countries left where it is not practiced. Such countries are mostly followers of Islam since tattooing in their culture is unacceptable. But in countries where there is no restriction for flaunting tattoos, people have taken emblazoning with designs to extreme obsession. Here are the four most tattooed countries in the world.

The United Kingdom

Tattoos that started in the early 19th century in UK have grown so big that the country has secured first position when it comes to getting inked. Here, you can find one out of three people with a tattoo. The Brits love all kinds of designs and colour for inking their bodies. They have tattoos in geometric shapes as well as realistic tattoos. Just like the shape, design, and colour, the Brits have no inhibition on body parts as well. They get tatooted on the inner part of their arms, and the most intimate body part – hip.

The statistic stated that tattoos would grow even bigger in the coming years. Perhaps, by 2025 one can see almost all people in UK with a tattoo. The Brits’ obsession with tattoo design is worth of admiration. Every year, 20 million designs are decorated on male and female bodies. The tattoo-friendly culture in UK has given it a rare distinction.

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New Zealand & Australia

The two cricketing nations have taken liking to tattoos immensely. Perhaps, being a neighbor to each other may have sparked the interest to emblazon. Since two of the many ethnicities found in New Zealand are the native Maori and the Polynesian, the tattoo cultures got picked up. Here, you can find one out of five being tattooed. What’s interesting about this figure is that New Zealand women are way ahead than male. They share 22% of total tattoos whereas men 17%. When compared the tattooed population, the Maori native and Pacific Islander contribute 47% and other ethnicities 15%.

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In Australia, it is tough to guess whether people here are obsessed with tattoos for a short time, or a long time. For not only the tattoo industry, but also the tattoo removal industry is growing simultaneously. Maybe, Australians regret their decisions after getting inked and hence, look for removing tattoos. Tattoo removal surgery in Sydney, Melbourne, and Gold Coast is on the rise. But now, you can see one out of seven with a tattoo in Australia.

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Thailand

Thailand has a fabulous culture and is ever ready to embrace other cultures from all over the world. No wonder, it attracts millions of tourists every year and keeps adding to its number. There is so much to learn from Thailand's culture, that tourists get attracted to it and take away with them a permanent souvenir in the form of a tattoo. Unlike other countries, Thailand people prefer to get inked with meaningful tattoos.

Besides these four most tattooed countries in the world, there are other tattoo-friendly countries waiting to join the list. In coming years, you will get to read about those countries for sure.

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Travel Tattoos with Meanings

Every traveling must have some interesting stories and memories to bask on.  While photographs and videos are the best ways for remembrance, we cannot carry them with us for 24x7. That’s where tattoos win over them since they became a part of our body and remain forever. People who are obsessed with traveling embellish their bodies with impressive wanderlust tattoos for this reason. Here are a few travel tattoos with meanings that travelers around the world submitted on request.

Aeroplane Tattoo

This tattoo of a flying aeroplane speaks the mind of the bearer to embark on a journey of discovery.

Earth & Compass Tattoo

The earth is a big continent, and one can easily lose his or her way. If so, this compass will help to navigate.

Merging passion with career

The bearer of this tattoo works in travel and says she grew up traveling. She got inked on her ribs before she headed for a backpacking trip to South America for six months.

Wear what you believe

The reason for getting inked with the word “GO” on the forearm is to show solidarity  with one's belief. That's what the bearer of this tattoo has done. For him, it serves as a motto, mantra, and inspiration. It reminds him of whatever he does; it is for some reason.

No matter how tough life gets, or how bad the day is at work, he has to bear it for the luxury of the traveling and to witness all the “firsts” life has stored in.


Home is where the heart is

This traveler has lived away from his home country for 10 years, and believes home is where the heart is. That’s why he printed the picture of a globe with the title on his back.

Thai Tattoo

Traveling doesn’t just need money, but good luck and protection against disease and evil as well. So for luck and protection, she got a tattoo with bamboo on a trip in Thailand, which is a Thai tradition.

Coordinates Tattoo

The coordinates of Hawaii on the side of her ribs reminds her about the beautiful two months she spent there. For her, the tattoo is about finding herself, in case she is lost.

Latitude and Longitude Tattoo

This tattoo on a biceps that shows latitude and longitude with a map reminds the wearer where he comes from and where he is going.

When souls meet

It’s amazing how traveling brings two souls from a different background together. The submitter of this image says she went to a Contiki Trip (Europe) in 2013 where she met her Australian friend and soul sister. A year later, she visited her again in Australia and they both decided to turn their friendship for life with this tattoo. Since they are from different continents, for one the tattoo represents Sun and for another, the moon.

Symbolizing one’s nature

When the heart longs for “wild,” what’s a better way to remind one by inscribing the word “Wild” on the forearm?

Tattoo signifying love

When you love something, why not get it tattooed and have it on you for lifelong. The wearer of this “Palm” tree tattoo has done exactly that. He just loves palm trees and got it inked in Sri Lanka for free from a French Guy living in Thailand.

Aren't these tats enough to incite you to pack bags and dash out? So next time you embark on a trip, get it inked about something special of that place as a remembrance for eternal.