(From top) Sameer Patange’s tattoos include everything from the still popular spiritual motifs to portraits of loved ones; Sameer tattoos actor Sanjay Dutt; Raja Pyne believes that tattoos are an extension of one’s personality

They may be skin deep but they spell style and attitude just as boldly as any designer label. Yes, they’ve been around for a bit but with each passing day, tattoos are metamorphosing into fine art.

As mindsets, designs and even the clientele evolves, tattoos are becoming a means of self-expression rather than just screaming a style statement. “For many, tattoos express an aspect of their personalities that they usually don’t show,” says Raja Pyne, tattoo artist at Javed Habib’s, Calcutta.

Getting a tattoo etched these days has become a well-thought out, and just as well-researched, decision than it used to be. From straight-out-of-the-catalogue designs that used to be the rage till a few years ago, tattoos are slowly becoming very personal and individually significant.

“Body art is no longer associated with a certain kind of lifestyle or group of people who are wild and Bohemian. Tattooing is being acknowledged as a serious art form,” says Pradeep Menon, who runs The Dark Arts Tattoo Studio in Bangalore.

The regulation dragon or butterfly is still easy to come by, but there’s a growing demand for — what Menon’s teacher and tattoo artist Sameer Patange calls — ‘memorial’ tattoos.

Kraayonz, Sameer’s studios in Mumbai, Goa and Delhi, often get clients who want to make their memories a very physical part of themselves. “I recently tattooed three men who had lost two of their friends in an accident. The boys who had passed away loved drinking Royal Stag whiskey. So each of the three surviving friends got a stag tattooed on their arms,” recounts Sameer, whose client list includes the who’s who of glam world — Sanjay Dutt, Urmila Matondkar, Ajay Devgun, Rohit Roy, Narayani Shastri.

Model: Dimpy; Body art: Raja Pyne Make-up: Prasun Das Subhendu Chaki

He adds that a lot of people now want portraits of their family, friends, religious figures and even their pets etched on their skin. “This kind of work is more challenging and creatively satisfying for us,” says Michael Cowasji, who runs Mike’s Body Art Studio in Delhi and Goa.

“And thanks to hotties like Saif Ali Khan, we have hordes of starry-eyed youngsters wanting the names of their lovers on their bodies — something we discourage. Tattoos are permanent but their relationships might not be,” says Neetu Singh, owner of Mapui Wella Professional Salon in Calcutta.

Not only are tattoos getting bigger and bolder, people are getting more innovative with where they want them. Think ankles, the rib-cage, behind the ear and other unmentionables.

Some of Pradeep Menon’s clients have had images of their pets tattooed on them; (above) Michael Cowasji’s personal favourites are spiritual tattoos

What’s more, thanks to the Internet sites and TV shows like Miami Ink that are dedicated to tattooing, awareness about the art has increased along with the demand. Raja, who often finds himself swamped with work, says: “Every good artist makes it a point to educate his client about the importance of hygiene and safety procedures that should be in place before getting a tattoo done. But it’s heartening when clients, of their own accord, ask to see the equipment and want to ensure that I am using new needles.’’

Business is booming and tattoo studios are raking in big bucks. Both Sameer and Neetu are thrilled at how the scenario has changed from three to four clients a week (some years ago) to three to four clients a day now. Says Sameer: “When I started tattooing about 12 years ago, it was considered nothing more than a hobby. My parents were embarrassed to tell people what I did for a living. Now it’s a lucrative profession.”

The designs for these tattoos done at Mapui Salon came from the clients themselves

Michael, who chose this profession instead of cashing in on his mechanical engineering training, agrees. He recently got richer by Rs 3 lakh for a full-back tattoo of a dragon-slayer and a dragon. It took him 31 hours spread over two months to do the job. “I have another one — a full-back Medusa — coming up that’ll cost between Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh,” he says, with a touch of satisfaction.

Tattoo don’t come cheap. Charges range from an expensive Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 per square inch and varies from artist to artist and depends on factors like size, colours and intricacy of the design. Sameer for his part charges upwards of Rs 2,500 based on designs and not on square inches. Some studios charge by the hour for bigger and more complex tattoos. Sameer usually takes anything between an hour to two for basic tattoos.

Tattooing is diversifying as well. Michael, for instance, also provides services like cosmetic corrections — making permanent eyebrows, lip-lining or camouflaging scars with tattoos.

“In fact, abroad they have moved into the next level and tattoo removal has become a hugely successful and paying business,” says Sameer. That doesn’t seem to be the priority in India right now though. As Sameer says, “Removal can wait. We’ve barely had our fill of tattooing yet!”