Living Canvas: Your Total Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Body Modification, Paperback

Tattoos. Given their permanence, why is it that we sometimes put more thought into what we'll wear next Saturday night, or our next haircut? As a tattoo specialist and writer for About.com, Karen L. Hudson has talked to far too many people who regret their tattoos. After years of fielding questions and concerns about tattoo health, she realized the need for a book that would cover all the bases of body art--from planning and choosing an artist to how to take care of your new piercing or tattoo afterwards.

Living Canvas is a resource for body art enthusiasts, whether you're thinking about getting your first or fifth tattoo, planning for your next bod-mod, or regretting a negative experience. Transforming one's body into a living canvas should not be taken lightly, and Hudson covers the topics that too many people overlook. Encouraging readers to make safe, smart body art choices, Living Canvas is informative, preventative, and educational.

About author(s):Karen L. Hudson is the coauthor of Chick Ink: 40 Stories of Tattoos--and the Women Who Wear Them. She became fascinated with the world of body art at age twenty-three. In 1997, she began an apprenticeship where she learned not only about the art of tattooing, but also about sterilization and safety issues. Hudson quickly realized that too many people are uniformed before making the decision to permanently mark or alter their bodies, which informs much of her writing and advocacy today.

As the publisher of the popular website tattoo.about.com, Hudson serves the community with passion and understanding, always remembering what it was like to be completely new to the world of wearable art. She has been one the world's top body art safety and acceptance advocates since 1999. She lives with her husband and children in Indianapolis, Indiana.