kat von d
Katherine von Drachenberg (born March 8, 1982), best known as Kat Von D, is an American tattoo artist, model, musician and television personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink, which premiered August 7, 2007, in the United States and ran for four seasons. Kat Von D was born in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico.[4][5] Her Seventh Day Adventist missionary parents, father René and mother Sylvia or Silvia Galeano, were born in Argentina, of German, Italian and Spanish descent, respectively. Von D has a sister, Karoline and a brother, Michael. She moved with her family to the Los Angeles area at age 4 and grew up in Colton, California. Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6. She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven.
Kat Von D credits her grandmother, Clara von Drachenberg, as an inspiration for her in music and art, and the Latino culture of Los Angeles as a major influence on her tattoo art and style. She began listening to the Ramones, Misfits and other punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.
Kat Von D credits her grandmother, Clara von Drachenberg, as an inspiration for her in music and art, and the Latino culture of Los Angeles as a major influence on her tattoo art and style. She began listening to the Ramones, Misfits and other punk rock bands at the age of 12. She got her first tattoo at 14 and quit school at 16 to become a tattoo artist.
Guy aitchinson
Guy Aitchison (born 1968) is a tattoo artist and a painter born in Michigan.Aitchison began painting album covers in 1985 and began tattooing in 1988. He has also released several books.He owns a studio called Hyper Space Studios with his wife, Michele Wortman, who is also a tattoo artist and painter. They were both on TLC's Tattoo Wars in 2007. He is the brother of former LA Ink TV personality, Hannah Aitchison. He was also a guest artist on LA Ink. He gave Rob Zombie his first tattoo in 1989 when he was 21.
dan smith
Dan Smith, aka Dan Under,(born 1980 in Middlesbrough, England) is a New Zealand tattooist and musician.
At the age of 6 he moved to Auckland, New Zealand. Spending his childhood captured by music, Dan played in many bands all the way up until his early twenties. In 2001, after an intensive visual tattoo education from Dean Parkin and Dan Andersen of Sacred Tattoo in Auckland, Dan began traveling playing music and pursuing his self-taught tattoo career, spending the most part of 2 years in Australia.
At the age of 6 he moved to Auckland, New Zealand. Spending his childhood captured by music, Dan played in many bands all the way up until his early twenties. In 2001, after an intensive visual tattoo education from Dean Parkin and Dan Andersen of Sacred Tattoo in Auckland, Dan began traveling playing music and pursuing his self-taught tattoo career, spending the most part of 2 years in Australia.
Hannah aitchison
Hannah Aitchison (born December 20, 1966) is an American tattoo artist from Chicago, Illinois. Hannah was based in Chicago at Deluxe Tattoo for many years, but recently relocated to Pittsburgh, PA to work from her private studio known as Curiosity Shop, where she works in various mediums. She continues to travel the world working at tattoo conventions and artist collectives, among others. She is well known for her appearance on Seasons 1-2 of the TLC reality television show LA Ink. And 3 Seasons as a Judge on Best Ink (Oxygen Network). She also studied classical singing and is an expert knitter.
bob tyrrell
Bob Tyrrell (born November 4th, 1962) is an American tattoo artist currently based in Warren, MichiganTyrrell was born in Detroit, Michigan and began tattooing in his thirties. He has been featured in LA Ink and London Ink and is best known for tattooing Kid Rock's back. In 2012 he participated as a jury member in the first Chaudesaigues Award, an award that recognizes the career and artwork of tattoo artists. Tyrrell also took part in the 2012 World Wide Tattoo Conference. In late 2012, he appeared on an episode of Ink Master as a special guest judge.
kim saigh
Kim Saigh (born 25 June 1973 in Westlake, Ohio[1]) is an American tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a featured tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show LA Ink.
She got her first tattoo at the age of 16. At the age of 18 she became an apprentice at one of her friend's tattoo studio. In 1994 she relocated to Chicago to work in Guy Aitchison's tattoo studio. She later opened the Cherry Bomb Tattoo Studio, and was then invited to Los Angeles to work as an artist in High Voltage Tattoos; the shop which is followed by the reality television show, LA Ink.
She got her first tattoo at the age of 16. At the age of 18 she became an apprentice at one of her friend's tattoo studio. In 1994 she relocated to Chicago to work in Guy Aitchison's tattoo studio. She later opened the Cherry Bomb Tattoo Studio, and was then invited to Los Angeles to work as an artist in High Voltage Tattoos; the shop which is followed by the reality television show, LA Ink.
mark mahoney
Mark Mahoney is a Boston born tattoo artist, considered the "founding father" of black and grey art with a single needle.
Many in the business consider Mahoney a living legend.] He currently owns and is the principal artist at the Shamrock Social Club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, CA. Mahoney started his work as a tattoo artist in Boston in 1977 (when tattooing there was illegal), where he was in the midst of the 1970s punk scene. He has stayed relevant and influential in the tattoo world ever since. He was a pivotal force during the 1980s black and grey movement, and has tattooed some of Hollywood's biggest names.
Mahoney has said he knew what he "wanted to do" with his life when he was fourteen and hanging around with this "little greaser gang" and stepped into Buddy Mott's Tattoo Spot in Newport, Rhode Island. He said he has always been attracted to the idea that tattoos are "art for the people", art for the everyday man or woman. His early inspirations included cars, choppers, and religious artifacts. He is most known for his black and grey work, and more specifically images of religious icons, old school collages, girls, bombs, and guns.
When Mahoney first became interested in tattoo art, it was during a time period "when you had to be an outlaw, or you had to be a real brave soul to get a tattoo." With today's ease of tattoo removal and creams to make the process less painful, some of that appeal is gone, he said.
Many in the business consider Mahoney a living legend.] He currently owns and is the principal artist at the Shamrock Social Club on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, CA. Mahoney started his work as a tattoo artist in Boston in 1977 (when tattooing there was illegal), where he was in the midst of the 1970s punk scene. He has stayed relevant and influential in the tattoo world ever since. He was a pivotal force during the 1980s black and grey movement, and has tattooed some of Hollywood's biggest names.
Mahoney has said he knew what he "wanted to do" with his life when he was fourteen and hanging around with this "little greaser gang" and stepped into Buddy Mott's Tattoo Spot in Newport, Rhode Island. He said he has always been attracted to the idea that tattoos are "art for the people", art for the everyday man or woman. His early inspirations included cars, choppers, and religious artifacts. He is most known for his black and grey work, and more specifically images of religious icons, old school collages, girls, bombs, and guns.
When Mahoney first became interested in tattoo art, it was during a time period "when you had to be an outlaw, or you had to be a real brave soul to get a tattoo." With today's ease of tattoo removal and creams to make the process less painful, some of that appeal is gone, he said.
Yoji harada
Yojiro "Yoji" Harada (原田洋二郎, Harada Yōjirō?) is a Japanese tattoo artist and musician who gained fame from his appearances in the TLC reality show Miami Ink. Yoji was born in Tokyo, Japan before moving to Chicago where he met and married his first wife Bonnie Minkus. In 1998 he moved to New York City, New York in order to pursue his dream of being a professional musician. He started hearing The Clash on the radio as his motivation and whereas he was progressing with making music in Japan, his dream was to be a success in the United States. Upon arriving in New York he joined a punk rock band called 'Big Deal' which lasted for several years before his relocation to Miami, Florida to tattoo for Ami James. Yoji stated that he worked for Ami for 5 years before requesting the role of apprentice upon his girlfriend Bridgette becoming pregnant. He said, “One night I found out my girlfriend(current wife) was pregnant. I had to start making some real money, you know, so I asked Ami James if I could apprentice and he said yes". Working at Love-Hate Tattoos under Ami James, the television show Miami Ink spawned and thrust Yoji into the public eye leading to huge fame in his native Japan. The show chronicled Yoji's progression from apprentice to official tattooist, as well as his marriage to Bridgette and the birth of his daughter Sydney (born 2005). The success of the show allowed Yoji to return to his real passion and regroup with his band 'Big Deal'.
Alongside fellow Miami Ink tattooist Darren Brass, Yoji has since developed the infant clothing company 'Ruthless and Toothless'.
Alongside fellow Miami Ink tattooist Darren Brass, Yoji has since developed the infant clothing company 'Ruthless and Toothless'.
Chris nunez
Chris Nunez is an American tattoo artist. He is the owner of Handcrafted Tattoo And Art Gallery, a tattoo shop located in Miami, Florida, and a judge on the Spike TV network's reality competition, Ink Master, in which tattoo artists compete in challenges assessing their tattoo and related artistic skills. Previously, Nunez was one of the featured tattoo artists on TLC's reality television program Miami Ink. Nunez, of Cuban descent, grew up in Miami, Florida. His father died when Nunez was young, and his first tattoos, at age 16, were of his parents' names.After being a graffiti artist, Nunez switched to tattooing, though even after opening a tattoo shop with friends continued to do part-time construction work. He was the owner of Handcrafted Tattoo And Art Gallery in Miami, Florida. He and Ami James later opened Love Hate Tattoos on Miami Beach.
He was a cast member of the TLC network's reality show Miami Ink, and later became a judge on the Spike network's reality competition, Ink Master, in which tattoo artists compete in challenges assessing their tattoo and related artistic skills.
He is a partner in the media corporation Ridgeline Empire, which operates the subsidiaries Ink Skins and Upset Gentlemen and an animation studio with two animated series in development as of 2014: Hoodbrats and Toothians.
He was a cast member of the TLC network's reality show Miami Ink, and later became a judge on the Spike network's reality competition, Ink Master, in which tattoo artists compete in challenges assessing their tattoo and related artistic skills.
He is a partner in the media corporation Ridgeline Empire, which operates the subsidiaries Ink Skins and Upset Gentlemen and an animation studio with two animated series in development as of 2014: Hoodbrats and Toothians.
corey miller
Corey Miller (born 1967) is a tattoo artist and television personality. He began tattooing at the age of 15. He is the owner of a tattoo shop in Upland, California called Six Feet Under. He was one of the core tattoo artists on the reality television show LA Ink.
Miller specializes in black and gray portraits and dragon art. This tattoo form is greatly influenced by traditional and classic styles. He is also known for his freehand work and his talent for drawing directly on the skin without any stencils. His clients have included celebrities, such as James Hetfield from the band Metallica, Jason Giambi, former Dream Theater member Mike Portnoy and Jesse James. Aside from creating art, Miller also plays the drums. Ludwig Drums released a new drum set in 2009 with Miller's flash designs.
Miller specializes in black and gray portraits and dragon art. This tattoo form is greatly influenced by traditional and classic styles. He is also known for his freehand work and his talent for drawing directly on the skin without any stencils. His clients have included celebrities, such as James Hetfield from the band Metallica, Jason Giambi, former Dream Theater member Mike Portnoy and Jesse James. Aside from creating art, Miller also plays the drums. Ludwig Drums released a new drum set in 2009 with Miller's flash designs.
ami james
Ami James (born April 6, 1972), is an Israeli-born tattoo artist.
His father, an American, converted to Judaism three years prior to moving to Israel, where he joined the Israeli army and met James' mother. James lived in both Israel and Egypt as a child, and spent much of his childhood without his father who left the family when James was four years old. Suffering from severe ADD, James explains that he was drawn into art and tattooing from a young age as his father had tattoos and was also a painter.
James moved to the United States aged 11 or 12, living with his father's parents before moving to Miami at the age of 12. He moved back to Israel in his teens and completed his military service in the Israel Defense Forces as a sniper. At the age of 15 he got his first tattoo, an experience which made him determined to become a tattoo artist himself. In 1992, he started his apprenticeship with tattoo artist Lou at Tattoos By Lou. He is the co-owner (with Chris Núñez) of the Miami Beach, Florida tattoo parlor Love Hate Tattoos, the subject of the TLC reality television program, Miami Ink. James also co-owns the DeVille clothing company with Núñez and Jesse Fleet, and the Miami nightclub Love Hate Lounge, with Núñez and two other close friends. He has also created designs for Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile phones. His wife, Jordan, gave birth to their first child, Shayli Haylen James on August 3, 2008. Their second child, a daughter named Nalia, was born May 8, 2012.
James has also recently invested in a jewelry line, Love Hate Choppers Jewelry, with Boston jeweler Larry Weymouth.
In 1996 he lived for a few months in Denmark, where he did tattoos.
He revealed on his blog that he was moving to New York and that his new show NY Ink planned to begin filming in March 2011. The show premiered on June 2, 2011. Season 2 of NY Ink premiered in December, 2011 and ran through March 1, 2012.
It has been announced that Ami James is opening a tattoo studio, 'Love Hate Social Club' in London, UK in November 2012. The tattoo studio will have a number of guest tattoo artists including, Darren Brass, Megan Massacre and Chris Núñez.
In 2013 James teamed up with PETA in an ad for their "Ink Not Mink" campaign]
James also co-founded Tattoodo, an online platform for getting a custom tattoo design, which launched on the 9th of May, 2013.
His father, an American, converted to Judaism three years prior to moving to Israel, where he joined the Israeli army and met James' mother. James lived in both Israel and Egypt as a child, and spent much of his childhood without his father who left the family when James was four years old. Suffering from severe ADD, James explains that he was drawn into art and tattooing from a young age as his father had tattoos and was also a painter.
James moved to the United States aged 11 or 12, living with his father's parents before moving to Miami at the age of 12. He moved back to Israel in his teens and completed his military service in the Israel Defense Forces as a sniper. At the age of 15 he got his first tattoo, an experience which made him determined to become a tattoo artist himself. In 1992, he started his apprenticeship with tattoo artist Lou at Tattoos By Lou. He is the co-owner (with Chris Núñez) of the Miami Beach, Florida tattoo parlor Love Hate Tattoos, the subject of the TLC reality television program, Miami Ink. James also co-owns the DeVille clothing company with Núñez and Jesse Fleet, and the Miami nightclub Love Hate Lounge, with Núñez and two other close friends. He has also created designs for Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile phones. His wife, Jordan, gave birth to their first child, Shayli Haylen James on August 3, 2008. Their second child, a daughter named Nalia, was born May 8, 2012.
James has also recently invested in a jewelry line, Love Hate Choppers Jewelry, with Boston jeweler Larry Weymouth.
In 1996 he lived for a few months in Denmark, where he did tattoos.
He revealed on his blog that he was moving to New York and that his new show NY Ink planned to begin filming in March 2011. The show premiered on June 2, 2011. Season 2 of NY Ink premiered in December, 2011 and ran through March 1, 2012.
It has been announced that Ami James is opening a tattoo studio, 'Love Hate Social Club' in London, UK in November 2012. The tattoo studio will have a number of guest tattoo artists including, Darren Brass, Megan Massacre and Chris Núñez.
In 2013 James teamed up with PETA in an ad for their "Ink Not Mink" campaign]
James also co-founded Tattoodo, an online platform for getting a custom tattoo design, which launched on the 9th of May, 2013.
don ed hardy
Don Ed Hardy is an American artist raised in Southern California. Hardy is best known for his tattoo work and his eponymous apparel and accessories brand Ed Hardy. Hardy was born in 1945 in Iowa, where he lived for a year before his family moved to California. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking. Hardy was a student of Sailor Jerry Collins and, through his association, was able to study tattooing in Japan in 1973 with the Japanese classical tattoo master Horihide. He became recognized for incorporating Japanese tattoo aesthetics and technique into his American style work. In 1982, Hardy and his wife formed Hardy Marks Publications. Under this marque, they began publishing the five-book series Tattootime. Hardy Marks has gone on to publish more than 25 books about alternative art, including catalogs of Hardy's work and that of Sailor Jerry Collins.
In 2000, he was appointed by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to the city's Cultural Arts Commission.
In February 2010, Marc Jacobs sued Hardy for infringing on the designs of one of his embroidered handbags.
Today, Hardy is retired from tattooing. He oversees and mentors the artists at his San Francisco studio, Tattoo City. Since the 1960s, he has concentrated heavily on non-tattoo based art forms, especially printmaking, drawing, and painting.
In 2000, he was appointed by Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown to the city's Cultural Arts Commission.
In February 2010, Marc Jacobs sued Hardy for infringing on the designs of one of his embroidered handbags.
Today, Hardy is retired from tattooing. He oversees and mentors the artists at his San Francisco studio, Tattoo City. Since the 1960s, he has concentrated heavily on non-tattoo based art forms, especially printmaking, drawing, and painting.
paul booth
Paul Booth (born ca. 1968) is an American tattoo artist who has worked for bands Slipknot, Mudvayne, Slayer, Pantera, Soulfly and Sepultura. Booth was an entrepreneur at a young age. He began his own sign making shop at the age of fifteen and subsequently learned airbrushing and Repo work. When he got his first tattoo, his daughter's name, his interest was piqued and he wanted to learn more about what there was to the medium. Booth has now been tattooing for over twenty years, and in that time he has worked on multiple celebrities and rock bands, including Fred Durst, Slayer, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Pantera, The Undertaker (of WWE fame), Superjoint Ritual, Lamb of God, Adrenaline Crew. Booth is widely considered a master of the art form.
chris garver
Chris Garver (born September 11, 1970) is a tattoo artist featured on the TLC reality television show Miami Ink.
Garver was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he attended The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Garver's mother was an artist and encouraged his interest in painting and drawing. He first experimented with tattooing at age 17, after selling his bass guitar in order to purchase his tattoo equipment. Garver attended the School of Visual Arts. He apprenticed for six months before tattooing, and repaired old tattoos that needed touch-ups, before he started tattooing clients on his own. In his early twenties, Garver moved to New York City where he became a full-time professional tattoo artist.
Garver was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he attended The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Garver's mother was an artist and encouraged his interest in painting and drawing. He first experimented with tattooing at age 17, after selling his bass guitar in order to purchase his tattoo equipment. Garver attended the School of Visual Arts. He apprenticed for six months before tattooing, and repaired old tattoos that needed touch-ups, before he started tattooing clients on his own. In his early twenties, Garver moved to New York City where he became a full-time professional tattoo artist.
Darren brass
Darren Brass is an American tattoo artist. He was featured in the reality television show Miami Ink. Darren Brass cites Chris Garver, Joe Vegas, Bob Roberts, and Ed Hardy as influences. In the year of 2010, Brass co-founded a children's clothing and product label called Ruthless & Toothless. Darren Brass has been in the tattoo business for about 13 years now. Brass moved from Waterbury, Connecticut to Miami so that he could possibly further his career as a tattoo artist. Brass uses his role in Miami Ink in the LoveHate Parlour to showcase his artwork and hopefully gain clientele. While working in the Miami Ink shop, he constantly is being messed with due to the fact that he has a nice attitude and charm that hides beneath his rough exterior. Darren Brass's whole name is Darren Collarado Brass. He was born in 1972, and began his career when one of his friends introduced him to tattooing. Brass suffers from diabetes and has to take due precaution while working. He is 5 foot 4 inches and is covered in bright and colorful tattoos. He is married and has a little dog that he is known to treat like his child. Brass received his first tattoo when he turned 18 years old. It has been said that his sweet demeanor makes a majority of first time clients more at ease and less nervous. Brass is commonly mistaken to be from the Latin decent, but he is actually half Irish and half Polish.