Hi folks!

My name is Jerry Martin and I am the president and founder of Crazy Tattoo Designs and Insane Tattoo Products. If you have been on the Internet for awhile I am sure you have seen my tattoo brands and you may even be proudly wearing one of my incredible tattoo designs.  My collection of over 30,000 unique tattoos has been nominated to be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest tattoo collection in the world. If you would like to know more about this fabulous tattoo collection just click here… Tattoos

If you are new to tattoos, and are trying to make a decision to get one or not, please allow me to give you a few tips and guidelines that will help you make a quality decision. I will also give you some background on tattoos themselves, their history, and the tattoo industry.

Tattoo tips and guidelines: If this will be your first image I suggest you start by getting a flash tattoo or an airbrush tattoo. Both of them are temporary tattoos that will only last a few days.  During that time period you will get comfortable wearing the tattoo and know whether you really like the design and the colors. If you like it then you can proceed to get a permanent tattoo that you will be happy with for the rest of your life. If you don’t the temporary tattoo then keep experimenting until you find a good one. To see some really unique flash and airbrush tattoo designs visit my “Worlds Largest Tattoo Collection” at the link mentioned above.

Definition of a tattoo: A tattoo is a piece of body art that is created by etching various colors of ink into the skin. This process changes the pigment so the artwork will stand out. Tattoos on human beings are generally for decoration purposes only but the images may have special meaning to the individual wearing the tattoos. In the farming business animals are often tattooed (branded) for identification and proof of ownership.

In the tattoo industry tattoos are sometimes referred to as *Pieces* *Ink* *Tats* or *Work*.  The person applying the tattoo is called an *Artist* or *Tattooist*.

History of tattoos: Tattooing has been around since Neolithic times. The ancient body a man that was found in the Otz valley, in the Alps, had over 50 carbon tattoos. Some of them were just simple dots or lines but they were authentic tattoos. Known as *Ötzi the Iceman* he roamed the earth sometime during the fourth or fifth Millennium BC.

In the pre-christian era Celtic tribes were known to be elaborately tattooed with dark blue tattoo designs. These facts were found in Book V of Julius Ceasar’s Ballic Wars series written in 54 BC.

In Asia about ten thousand years ago  tattooing was practiced by the Japanese  Other cultures in that same time period tattooed themselves by rubbing ashes and colored dyes into cuts on their skin.

Tattooing as we know it in North America originated in Polynesia in the eighteenth century and was referred to as a tatau. European sailors traveling through the area adopted the practice and showed off the tataus in the West. The English eventually changed the name to tattoo.

In Polynesian areas a tattoo is called a tattaow or tattow and Tahitians call it a tatu. The Japanese words for tattoo are irezumi and Horimono.

Now that you know the history of tattoos it is time to choose one for yourself. Click here tattoos .

If you would like to learn how to be a tattoo artist click here learn how to tattoo videos .

Picture Tattoo Ideas

Here are some tattoo ideas that can make your tattoo stand out from the crowd.

Airbrush tattoos: An airbrush tattoo is a temporary tattoo that is painted on the skin using a CO@ sprayer. The tattoo artist places a stencil on your body then sprays a special formulated paint over the stencil. The process gives you a very realistic tattoo that looks very much like a permanent tattoo and the whole process only takes a few minutes to complete.

The Process: First the skin is cleaned with alcohol to make sure it is clean, then the stencil is placed on your body and the artist applies the first layer of paint. If your tattoo will have many colors the process must be repeated for each color. The more colors the more time it will take to finish the airbrush tattoo.  When the artist is finished he/she will remove any overspray then shake some talc powder on top of the tattoo design to make it dry faster. Airbrush tattoos usually last for one or two weeks depending on how much exposure they have to soap and water when you shower or go swimming so it is great way to get used to wearing a tattoo.

Airbrush tattoos are usually sold at beach resorts, carnivals, and other tourists areas that draw large crowds. You may even be able to find a local artist who holds airbrush tattoo home parties. Just check your local yellow pages under the tattoo section.

Tattoo Flash: A flash tattoo is a special piece of artwork that is inked onto to your body. The design is first printed or drawn on a piece of paper then reproduced by the artist to match the drawing. Flash tattoos do not take much time to apply and many tattoo artists specialize in and display them in their shop. They are also less expensive than a regular tattoo.

A good place to find many flash tattoo designs is in the “Worlds Largest Tattoo Collection” which is located here. http://www.howtotattoovideos.com/wltc/index.html.

Flash tattoo symbols and ideas:

Anchor: Many young sailors would get an anchor tattoo after their first crossing of the Atlantic ocean to show others they were no longer novice sailors.

Barbed Wire: The barbed wire flash tattoo originated in prisons and is usually worn as an armband.

Heart flash tattoos: It is believed that the idea of wearing a heart tattoo originated with servicemen in World War Two who wore them to remember their loved ones and what they were fighting for.

Dragon tattoo ideas: Dragons are popular in the Chinese culture and are often portrayed as having supernatural powers. Sometimes the dragon is a symbol of the four elements air, water, earth, and fire.