Kat Von D – Talented Tattooist, TV Celebrity and Trendsetter
Kat Von D, born in March, 1982 in Mexico, is arguably the most famous tattoo artist to have ever lived. Her incredible artistic skills and lovable rock and roll personality made her a big hit on the TV shows Miami Ink and LA Ink, and over the last few years, Kat Von D has continued to attract new audiences, and has contributed to significant changes in the perceptions of tattooists and the tattooed.
The Making of an Icon in the Tattoo Industry
For many of us, the first introduction we had to Kat Von D was through the TV series Miami Ink, which first aired in 2005. It was unusual to see a feisty female in what was normally a male dominated environment; however, Kat Von D’s artistic talent and unique personality quickly made her a big hit with both the high profile clients and the fans of the show.
Kat utterly excelled at black and grey portraiture tattoos, and her ability to create realistic replicas of celebrities, pets and loved ones quickly began to boost her reputation as an incredible tattoo artist. Her reluctance to use colour is a tribute to her Mexican roots; however, Kat’s skill with shading more than makes up for a lack of colour. Rather than reducing the depth of the ink, somehow, Kat Von D seems to magically give the tattoo more depth than colours ever could have provided.
One of the most immediately appealing things about Kat Von D is her dedication and passion for her work. Although most tattooists bear their own ink, Kat seemed to have a natural knack for making her own body a beautiful canvas.
Fans of the show loved to see Kat’s own tats, and they seemed fascinated with the beauty and history of individual tattoos and their unique significance, while remaining perplexed at the enigmatic delicacy of how each tattoo merged beautifully with it’s surrounding counterparts.
Moving on From Miami and Leading the Way in LA
Kat Von D and her fans were able to enjoy three seasons together at Miami Ink; however, as is often the way in creative industries, artistic temperaments got the better of Kat and the studio owner, and Kat was asked to leave the studio.
Rather than take this as a setback, Kat Von D used this opportunity to do things her own way. She quickly set to work creating a sister series, LA Ink, which would be filmed in her own studio, High Voltage Tattoo. Kat Von D got to work putting wheels in motion, and with a handpicked team of talented tattoo artists from across the America, Kat got to work on her own show.
LA Ink quickly became a huge success with audiences; not just in America, but around the world. The series has enjoyed celebrity clients and crazy stunts; including Kat setting the Guinness World record for the highest number of people tattooed by a single person in a 24 hour period. During that intense inking frenzy, Kat Von D produced more than 400 tattoos. The record has unfortunately been taken away from Kat Von D; however, the memory of her setting the record will never be lost on her dedicated fans.
The studio and casting site became inundated with requests for appointments at High Voltage Tattoo; it seemed the Kat Von D craze had truly begun.
Expressing Artwork Through Literature
Kat Von D has always been closely connected to her artwork. Kat keeps a tattoo journal, which is full of text entries and sketches of the tattoos she has created and the clients she has worked with. Each entry is a detailed individual experience, one that Kat Von Dee clearly takes very personally.
This connection between artwork and literature has led to Kat von D writing and publishing two books to date; with the potential for more books in the future.
‘High Voltage Tattoo’, Kat’s debut book, was released in January 2009. Although Kat refuses to label it an autobiography, it is an incredibly detailed look at her early years as a tattoo artist, and a closer look at her inspirations and her art.
The book includes several photos and images of her art and her personal tattoos. Fans have been quoted as saying that the book contains some of the best images of Kat Von D money can buy, and the book was popular with the folks at the New York Times; they ranked it as 6th on their bestseller list.
The New York Times also took kindly to Kat Von D’ second book, ‘The Tattoo Chronicles’; ranking it as 3rd in their ‘Hardcore Advice & Miscellaneous’ bestseller list.
The second book is an intensive personal look at the months of Kat’s life between the spring of 2008 and the summer of 2009. It contains a number of entries from her tattoo journal, and offers insights into her world, the experiences of her clients, and the significance of a design and it’s ability to affect the events of a day.
Creating a Rock n Roll Look for All with Sephora
Kat Von D has collaborated with Sephora to create a highly desirable make up range full of innovative products that reflect Kat’s rock n roll lifestyle and look.
The Kat Von D makeup range includes eye shadow palettes, liquid eyeliners, lipsticks and fragrances. One of the most popular products from the range has been the tattoo concealer, which Kat Von D herself used as part of the advertising shot for one of her fragrances.
Although Kat prefers to have ink on display, she understands the need for a product that gives people the opportunity to have the occasional ink free day.
Opening a Boutique and Owning an Active Online Profile
As well as handpicking her tattoo studio team, Kat Von D has launched a wonderful boutique next door to her studio; which is packed full of items that are handpicked by Kat herself. The boutique goes by the delightful name of ‘Wonderland’, and visitors enjoy just exploring the store to find out more about this incredible individual.
Kat Von D also maintains an active online profile, and her fans can keep up to date with her latest updates by subscribing to her Twitter feed, her FaceBook page, her official website and newsletter, her studio website, her fan website and more.