Walking Works of Art Will Abound

At a tattoo convention, expect the unconventional.

People will be walking around with “Last Suppers” on their backs, dragons on their chests, and rose tendrils running across their legs and arms. Accountants in ties and suits may suddenly strip and be covered from neck to ankle in splashes of neon.

Walking Picassos and Rembrandts will be among the crowd attending the 13th annual National Tattoo Assn. convention April 4-7 at the Hyatt Regency Alicante in Garden Grove.

“Tattooing has become a legitimate art form, and this convention is going to demonstrate that,” said Jack Rudy, a convention organizer. “Orange County is going to have a great experience with this.”

Tattooing has evolved from simple hearts with names sketched across them to portraits of real people and freehand artistry that allows tattooists to tap out just about anything on skin, said Rudy, who is considered a master of black and gray tattooing.

One popular tattoo genre now is photo reproduction, in which an artist takes a photograph of something and re-creates the image on somebody’s body with needle and ink.

More than 800 artists and thousands of tattoo fans are expected to attend the association’s big bash, the first to be held in Orange County, organizers say. Last year, nearly 4,000 people attended the convention in Philadelphia. As in the past, this year’s convention will honor the best among tattooists, including the industry’s tattooist and enthusiast of the year.

The Pennsylvania-based organization is considered the most prestigious and elite because membership is limited to 1,000, said Flo Makofske, the association’s secretary. More than 100 artists are on its waiting list.