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It is not surprising that many, many aspiring artists focus in on being tattoo artists. The idea of tattoo artistry is wildly appealing to many different people for many different reasons. Classic tattoo designs can be extremely complex and offer wide room for variation on a vast array of themes. Even more exciting for many is the idea of a living, breathing canvas for their tattoo designs. After all, if your art literally gets up and walks away when you are done creating it, who knows how many millions of people will encounter it over the course of its lifetime. Also, tattooing can be, for successful tattoo artists and tattoo parlor owners, an extremely profitable endeavor. There are many additional ways to make money when you are a tattoo artist, such as selling artwork and items from your portfolio as flash or allowing your tattoo designs to be used to decorate other items of clothing like belts and shirts.

Of course, there is a great deal of work involved in becoming a tattoo artist, and even if you are talented and devoted, the road can be hard. Tattoo artists can have formal or informal art backgrounds. This actually has less bearing on the success or failure of a tattoo artist than you might think since being able to draw or paint well does not always translate to being able to render images with a tattoo gun well. As a result, while your educational background can be important in helping you get a tattoo apprenticeship, it is not the only factor. Tattoo artists traditionally serve an apprenticeship under another tattoo artist with at least five years experience. During this apprenticeship, they will fill every role in a tattoo shop. Not only will they eventually get opportunities to tattoo, but they will also maintain the equipment, potentially manage the books, run errands, recruit new clients, interview potential clients and sweep the floors. In this manner, an apprenticeship prepares the budding tattoo artist for every aspect of running, owning or participating in a tattoo shop.

As the tattoo apprentice progresses, he or she will be allowed to practice tattooing. Once the tattoos reach a certain level of prowess, they may even be able to tattoo simple designs on clients, thereby earning extra money. However, many tattoo shops have so many applicant apprentices on hand that they may actually charge the apprentices a fee rather than paying them, so you should not rely on your apprentice wages to support you while you are in a tattoo apprenticeship unless you and the shop owner have agreed to a set wage. If you do so, be sure to get a signed contract since changing circumstances can alter a shop owner's willingness or even ability to pay you. This contract will generally span two or three years, and you and the owner will have the option of renewal when it runs out.

A tattoo apprentice will become intimately involved in the cleanliness and sanitation of the tattoo parlor. Tattoo shops must be very clean in order to attract business, pass health standards and avoid dangerous contaminations that can accompany any type of procedure that involves penetrating the body with needles. A well kept tattoo shop will have a clean floor and a well maintained autoclave that is in working order and used on a daily basis to keep all the equipment sterile and sanitary so that there is no danger of cross contamination between one person's blood and another person's body. Because tattooing is accompanied by bleeding, this is particularly vital to the safety and sanitation of any tattoo shop.

Should one wish to check the certifications of a tattoo shop, there are several options. There are no federal laws regulating tattoo shops, although many states govern them in various forms and fashions, largely by regulating the ages of the people who are being tattooed and in some instances by attempting to shape what types of tattoos the shop provides. However, if you want to check the reputation of a tattoo shop, the best way is to get personal and professional references. Large numbers of happy and repeat clients tend to indicate that the shop is in good working order and is well maintained and staffed. If you want further evidence, check with the Better Business Bureau in the area to see if anyone has filed complaints against the tattoo shop or its individual artists. If they have, find out if the case was resolved, since a complaint does not necessarily mean that the tattoo artist or the tattoo shop was actually in the wrong.

Tattoos can fade, blur and change for a variety of reasons. Over time, any tattoo will succumb, to some extent to the same factors that wear on your body itself. The sun can fade tattoos and make them appear blurry both because the sun can fade the ink and it can also wrinkle and weather skin, causing the media of the tattoo itself to change. You can certainly minimize the changes that your tattoo undergoes over the course of its lifetime by using sunscreen to protect it from sun fading, getting the tattoo in a place on your body that is not traditionally susceptible to stretching and using the newest and best in ink and needle technology. However, despite all of your efforts, even the best planned tattoo will ultimately experience some changes, and when that happens, you may decide to get a tattoo touch up.

Tattoo touch ups come in several forms. One type of touch up is really almost like getting a new tattoo. In this case, the touch up really involves covering up or changing the old tattoo. In the past, cover-ups were literally tattoos that covered up old tattoo designs. They tended to use dark inks that would go over the older, lighter ink and often people actually opted for solid bands or geometric shapes just to get rid of the old design. Now, however, a good cover-up tattoo can work far more like a tattoo touch up or a re-design. If you want to remove a name from your tattoo design or you really wish that you had gotten a more elaborate or ornate tattoo the first time around, you can work with a tattoo artist to actually incorporate the old tattoo design into your new tattoo. It is a touch up only in that you are brightening the old tattoo or in some other way using it in the new design rather than simply getting the new tattoo design somewhere else on your body. You should prepare for this type of tattoo touch up by looking for the perfect tattoo design as if you were preparing for a new tattoo, but then working with your tattoo artist to work the old tattoo design into the new tattoo design.

If you loved the way your tattoo used to look, but are disappointed that the colors are fading or blurring, then you will love the way that new tattoo ink technology stays over time. If you have been putting off getting your tattoo touched up because you are afraid it will just start to blur again, then now is the time to put those fears aside and start getting your tattoo touched up so that you can once again enjoy showing it off rather than dreading people's curious inspections when they are not quite sure what they are looking at. A variety of ink and inking techniques have come along in the past decade or so that enable tattoo artists to brighten up old tattoo designs and add more details or redefine old details using brighter inks and detail-oriented needle groupings. If your blues are fading, your reds running and your yellows non-existent, then there is no better time to get your tattoo touched up.

There are some things that you should do when getting a tattoo touched up. Remember, it can be more painful than your original tattoo because the artist will not be spending a lot of time in any one place on your tattoo. This means that your body will not get used to the pain of the needle in the same way that it would if you were getting a new tattoo. Just be prepared for this, and do not be alarmed if the sensation is slightly more unpleasant than you remember your original tattoo being. Also, when you are getting a tattoo touched up, the your tattoo artists experience is very important. Tattooed areas do not react to pigments the same way that pristine or virgin skin does. As a result, a tattoo artist needs to have some experience in touching up tattoos so that they can advise you about what is possible and what is wise when it comes to brightening and redefining your tattoos. Finally, you need to be very clear about what you are hoping to get out of your tattoo touch up. Many artists are unwilling to do touch ups on other artists work unless they are adding something of their own or the original artist is unavailable to do the work themselves. Make it very clear if you want to add detail or keep your design exactly the same so that once your tattoo touch up is completed, you have your perfect tattoo design back in place just the way you want it.

From Cracker Jacks box tattoos to party favor tattoos, temporary tattoos have been entertaining children of the world for many years. Temporary tattoos are a type of body art which doesn't result in the permanent physical pigmentation changes of the skin a traditional tattoo yields. Instead, they are applied to the skin with water and will last only a short amount of time (from one to ten days). The application of a temporary tattoo is very simple. The tattoo itself often comes on a sheet of paper and the person applying the tattoo simply places the sheet onto the skin and wets the back of the paper with water. After a short time (about thirty seconds), the image will be successfully transferred onto the skin. While most people wouldn't want to remove their temporary tattoo early, they can be taken off easily by rubbing the area with baby oil or cooking oil. Temporary tattoos are a great way for children and adults to express their fun and creative sides, without making a full commitment to a traditional and permanent tattoo.

The history of temporary tattoos dates back to as early as 1892. Experts believe some of the first temporary tattoos were prizes inside of Cracker Jacks boxes. Others feel the first temporary tattoos occurred in bubble gum packages. While it is unclear when temporary tattoos were introduced, it is clear the quality of the first batches weren't great. The ink was of poor quality and they almost always came off of the skin as soon as the area was touched or wetted. Today, temporary tattoos are almost always made of vegetable dyes and glue. This allows them to look very realistic and many times they can last for weeks! As time went one and marketing companies realized the incredible marketing power of temporary tattoos, companies started advertising via temporary tattoos. After all, if they could get a child to wear their logo on a temporary tattoo, they would get inexpensive advertising for the life of the tattoo. Baseball cards with baseball logo tattoos hit the market in the 1970s and were raging hits. Bionic Woman tattoos were popular in the late 1970s as well, being released to advertise the new television program. In the 1980s temporary tattoos were increasingly popular with almost every popular cartoon show coming out with their own temporary tattoo designs. Some of the most popular were Smurf tattoo designs and Pee Wee's Playhouse tattoos. As time went on, temporary tattoos were created with more innovation and lasting-ability in mind. Eventually temporary tattoos were created with the images of traditional tattoo designs. Instead of children wearing cartoon tattoos, they had the opportunity to wear temporary tattoos which actually looked like genuine tattoos adults might get at the local tattoo parlor. Tattoos of snakes, rose tattoos, barbed wire tattoos and dragon tattoos were extremely popular varieties. Of course, throughout the 1970's and 1980's there were a few scares where temporary tattoos were linked to LSD transfers. Parents shunned the tattoos for a short period of time, afraid their children would be contaminated with LSD products. While it's unsure if the LSD scare was urban myth or just small isolated cases, it put a shock throughout the world when it came to temporary tattoos.

However, today parents have nothing to fear when it comes to temporary tattoos. In fact, due to the sensitivity of a child's skin most temporary tattoo makers use hypoallergenic inks, oils and glues to create their modern temporary tattoos. Other forms of temporary tattoos include henna tattoos, also known as Mehndi tattoos. These tattoos are created by staining the skin with silver nitrate exposed to ultraviolet light. In fact, many cultures have been engaging in henna art for centuries and often use it as a wedding celebration ritual. Airbrushed temporary tattoos are also quite popular, with airbrushing stands present along all American beach boardwalks. Temporary tattoos have a long and rich history in America and throughout the entire world. They are a great deal of fun for children and adults. Those who don't want to commit to getting a permanent tattoo or those who are simply too young to get "real ink" often wear temporary tattoos to express their artistic and creative personalities. Temporary tattoos are inexpensive ways to show off fun art. They can be used during Halloween, for parties and as birthday favors for children. They are safe and effective methods of allowing children to step out of the box and be a little daring, in a temporary way!

The wolf (also known as the grey wolf, the gray wolf or the timber wolf) is the largest wild member of the Canidae family and an ice age survivor that originated around 300,000 years ago. Some DNA studies have found that the wolf may be an ancestor of the domestic dog. The wolf is very adaptable and can thrive in areas as diverse from the mountains to deserts to the urban areas. However, due to the loss of its natural habitats, the wolf's numbers are dwindling. Today, wolves are protected animals in some areas, but hunted for sport or extermination in others.

Wolves figure prominently in folklore. Many Chinese proverbs use the term "wolf" to describe any malicious person with a hidden agenda. "Wolf hearted" is used to describe someone who is so bad, they are impossible to tame. "Wolf heart; dog lungs" refers to an ungrateful person who later betrays someone who previously helped them. TheChristian Bible contains 13 references to wolves, usually as metaphors for greed and destructiveness. Jesus uses wolves to describe the dangers his followers would face should they follow him. The phrase "Wolf in sheep's clothing" refers to someone who seems benign but is really a danger. 

In the medieval Russian folktale Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf, the grey wolf is a benevolent character who uses his knowledge and magical powers to assist Ivan on his quest. In Japan, grain farmers once worshiped wolves at shrines, leaving food near their dens in hopes that they would protect their crops from wild boar and deer. Talismans and charms with wolf images were used to protect against fire, disease and other dangers. The Roman God of War, Mars held the wolf sacred and to spot one before a battle was an omen of victory.

Wolves also play a large part in some Native American tribes. In the Cardinal directions of the Plains Indians, the wolf represented the west, while for the Pawnee, it represented the southeast. According to the Pawnee creation myth, the wolf was the first creature to experience death. The Wolf Star (Sirius), enraged at not having been invited to attend a council on how the Earth should be made, sent a wolf to steal the whirlwind bag of The Storm that Comes out of the West, which contained the first humans. Upon being freed from the bag, the humans killed the wolf, thus bringing death into the world. The Pawnee, being both an agricultural and hunting people, associated the wolf with both corn and the bison; the "birth" and "death" of the Wolf Star was to them a reflection of the wolf's coming and going down the path of the Milky Way known as Wolf Road. Wolves however were not always portrayed positively in Native American cultures. The Netsilik Inuit and Takanaluk-arnaluk believed that the sea-woman Nuliayuk's home was guarded by wolves. The Naskapi's believed that the caribou afterlife is guarded by giant wolves, which kill careless hunters venturing too near. The Navajo people feared witches in wolf's clothing called "Mai-cob".

Wolf tattoos can symbolize many things, depending on the culture and intent of the tattoo wearer. Just as Christ was the Good Shepherd, the wolf can represent Satan. It can also represent ferocity, cunning, stealth, and cruelty. The pack nature of the wolf give it an association with loyalty, courage, fidelity and victory. Wolves are also associated with shape-shifting, fear of the night or darkness, as well as the shadow world. Wolf elements are often found in Native American themed tattoos.

In Native American legend and history, people have been befriended throughout time by something known as a totem spirit. While often the spirit of an animal guardian, this wasn't necessarily the case all of the time. Different men and women bore different totem spirits, some more coveted than others. But perhaps one of the most powerful and astounding totem spirits that could choose to serve as your guardian was the wolf. This belief in totem spirits, while perhaps referred to by other names, has permeated many other religions and walks of life, and the wolf has retained its power and significance among them too. One way that modern people pay tribute to their spirit totem, the Wolf, is by choosing to wear wolf tattoo designs.

But you don't have to believe in totem spirits to wear a wolf tattoo design. Conservationists and nature lovers are a few other people who might proudly bear the wolf emblem. Groups will often use the wolf as part of the symbols because wolves live in packs and communities with a clearly defined social order. Just think of the term, "Alpha Male."

The Popularity of the Wolf Tattoo Design

There are a multitude of reasons that the wolf tattoo design has become so popular in modern culture. But, for the most part, the modern movement towards near reverence of the wolf has been most influenced by Native American awareness and ecological preservation. Something about the primal beauty and glowing wisdom of a wolf in the wild has attracted human attention for as long as the two species have coincided.

The wolf is closely associated with the moon and the lunar cycle, and therefore has come to represent intuition and psychic ability.

If the wolf is recurrently coming to the forefront of your mind, it may be because the wolf spirit is trying to share a life lesson with you. It may be trying to teach you that all things in life have their order, even amongst seemingly chaotic times, and that you should accept your duty with both humility and strength.

Wolves in Myth and Legend

When it comes to the character of the wolf in myth and legend, there is a sharp geographical divide when it comes to interpretation. In European history, the wolf has been feared and reviled, hunted ruthlessly and portrayed as a cruel and cunning villain in many fairy tales and legends. However, when you shift over to the pre-Columbian American cultures, wolves are respected, revered and protected.

While there is no single reason as to why there is this general separation of opinion, many feel that it has something to do with the closeness of the humans and the animals. Europeans, who have largely lived in city type villages and communities, were far less likely to have actually witnessed a wolf in its natural environment. Instead, they and their livestock fell victim to animals who were simply struggling to maintain their normal lives as people first began to encroach upon their territory. However, in the Americas, the native tribes and peoples often lived in very close proximity with wolves, sharing not only their hunting grounds, but their very prey. The Native Americans quickly learned to share their land with the wolf, and began to try to mirror their better qualities.

In Europe, and countries that were European in ancestry or cultural influence, the wolf was the scheming bad guy of tales like "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Wolf and the 7 Kids", "The 3 Little Pigs." But, although the European tales warn of the wolf's ferocity, they also testify to its cunning and preternatural intelligence. While generally reviled throughout European myth and legend, even they have given the wolf a kind of grudging respect in their testimonies of fear.

Further east, where the towns and villages are smaller and the imaginations much larger, the wolf myths took on their most sinister form yet, in the form of the werewolves. Here, the bestial intelligence of the wolf was evilly married to the functional, social and mental capacities of a human who was bound by a curse to change into its animal form on the dawn of the full moon. Werewolves still heavily populate our horror movies and thrillers.

Farther away, in the early Americas, the wolf still carried with him his dignity, honor and status. To some point, these amazing creatures really had "adopted" the Native Americans, and stood guard over them in a nearly domesticated bond of fierce loyalty and protection. But it must be understood that wolves and "dogs" were worlds and worlds apart, and it was not deemed appropriate to mix their breeds. The wolf has a soul in the Nunamuite Eskimo's eyes: not so their sled dogs. The wolf is an integral part of many religious ceremonies; the dog would be rather unceremoniously kicked out of any ceremonial lodge.

According to Native American legend, the wolf had great powers given to him by the Great Spirit. It was even said that a wolf could change into a man in order to help a man that was in trouble. The Sioux word for wolf is Skunkmanitu Tonka, which in the English tongue would be rendered "the animal that looks like a dog but has a powerful spirit." This is a far cry from the ideas of the European werewolf.

Choosing a Wolf Tattoo Design
Does the eerie strain of the wolf howling at the moon send delightful shivers down your spine? Is he lurking through your house in pictures, figurines and decor? Has he crept into your dreams and waking thoughts? 

Then remember everything you can about your "own" wolf. Is it a lone wolf, or a member of a pack? Is he howling, or is he hunting? Is your wolf a pup or an alpha male? Is he a star wolf, like the Dog Star Sirius? 

Does your wolf hide from you in the shadows, is it a shadow wolf? Do you never see his eyes, but only his footprints? Is your wolf nursing her pups in the safety of their den?

Wolves come in many varieties and colors. There are grey wolves, white wolves, timber wolves, black wolves, red wolves and arctic wolves. They can be captured in the stark, angular designs of tribal tattoos and armbands; or they can be carefully interwoven and knotted in the Celtic form.

Pair your wolf with the moon, or a mountain. Add in a buffalo or deer. Capture the spirit of the wolf in your design, and learn to design your life to make yourself worthy of the call and mark of the wolf.

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