Riding a wave of popularity these days, tattoos have been around for thousands of years. Evidence exists that in ancient Egypt, women were ritually tattooed, Roman slaves were marked with the words "tax paid," and cultures around the globe from Maori warriors, Tahitian emperors, and Inca elite to criminals, circus folks and the urbane hipster all sport body art in the form of the tattoo.

• Approaching the fascinating world of tattoo art from the perspective of design, The Tattoo Sourcebook offers basic instruction on designing a tattoo and hundreds of images to help you choose one that’s right for you.

• This stylish reference includes 500 traditional and modern tattoos from tribal, Asian, Aboriginal ta moko, and intricate Celtic knot work through dragons, mermaids, fairies and fantasy to motifs from the natural world.

• Each chapter offers many ideas on a wide cross-section of themes. The artwork is designed to let you create your own images or trace and enlarge one from the book.

• Along with health and safety tips for getting a tattoo, there is also information for creating designs using body paints and mehndi, for those who want to try out body art before choosing a permanent image.