I had been searching on the web for hours and days looking for inspiration. I did find bits and pieces and some tattoo artists have really inspired me and made me realize just how detailed and professional tattoos can get. However i decided that i needed some real paper sources eg books , magazines.

I did already own a few tattoo magazines as i have been an enthusiast for a while now, but i needed some fresh ideas and inspiration. I went round every newsagents and supermarket i could think of in the area that i live in and bought all the different tattoo magazines i could find (another thing i learnt is that tattoo magazines are not cheap!).

These are the magazines that i bought. "tattoo collection" focused on close up images of tattoos on skin, it comprised of mainly smaller tattoos. The name of the artists and which shop they worked in was clearly labeled on each tattoo.

"tattoo life" focused on tattoo conventions in london and longbeach, it had interviews wish specific artists and shops and also had a section on asian tattooing in the 19th and 20th century.

"tattoo energy" icluded photos of many different tattoos again clearly labeled by the name of the artist and the shop they worked in, it also had interviews with specific artists. I found the labelling system very helpful as i could come across a piece i liked and find the artists or shop's website and research them in more detail.

"total tattoo" seemed to have the most high quality tattoos included. There is an extensive interview with an artist called Robert Hernandez who has inspired me to get further and further into the tattooing industry. I knew i enjoyed drawing tattoos and coming up with designs but i was unsure whether or not i wanted to persue it further and actually become a tattoo artist. His work and others featured within these magazines have made me want to become a full tattoo artist.

These are some examples of work by Robert Hernandez.