There are many reasons why reality shows like L.A. Ink and Miami ink draw high ratings. They personalities featured are often captivating. Kat Von D started in Miami, struck a chord with viewers, and then moved on to Los Angeles with her own program. Kat was not only beautiful and gentle on the eyes, but she had a level of goofiness and charm that many found appealing. Her fans ended up being more than just guys, but women as well. After all, Kat is very talented at what she does. She is a highly skilled tattoo artist. with a specialty for bland and white photo-realist portraits. Kat has the uncanny ability to look at a photograph and translate it into body art. This goes well beyond merely copying a picture. Some of her customers have been moved to tears, once they have seen Kat’s final product.
This underscores a few things about television. L.A. Ink is a reality show more than anything. Still, it says something fundamental about body art and modification. It shows how personal tattoo designs truly are. When a tattoo design is executed extremely well, the personal connection is even more evident. Body art is an extreme choice because of the obvious permanency.
Sure, there are ways to remove ink with laser surgery, but it costs a large sum of money. Removing a tattoo becomes just as big a life changing decisions as getting one. All tattoos designs tell a story. It doesn’t matter if a person chooses tribal bands, black and white portraits, animals or ice cream cones. The choice to get any of those styles has a story behind it. Perhaps this is one reason why tattoo reality shows have been able to attract and retain viewers?
No matter the reason, tattoo designs by themselves are all different in terms of craftsmanship. A simple black star motif can be done relatively painlessly, where as a large, colorful and floral arm sleeve can take days of tracing, outlining and filling in. The long the time in the chair, the more physically painful the process becomes. Even that ends up as part of an over all body art story. A tattoo of a late loved one says a lot to begin with, but place that over an extremely sensitive area like the ribs, scalp or spine, and the design takes on even more personal meaning. The pain involved can be that intense.
For some people, that pain is worth every moment. Still, a tattoo would not be worth talking about if the designer had neither a clue nor drawing ability. The tattooing world has so many different genres and styles, and each artist has their own specialty, whether it is Japanese style folk art or Kat Von D’s skill with black and white photo realism. If you are ever considering a tattoo, this reality is something that needs to be taken into consideration. Never pick an artist just because you personally like them. Pick an artist because you know which designs they are good at. More importantly, pick an artist who’s skill set meets the look you want.
