Keith McCurdy has inked Justin Bieber on a private jet, Cara Delevingne at the Gansevoort hotel, and Katy Perry while traveling with her on tour. He gave Rihanna the tiny handgun tattoo that some speculated was a message to Chris Brown, her ex whom she’d accused of assault. Vogue has heralded the 37-year-old as “the best in the biz,” and The New York Times has described him as having “transformed the body-art industry.”
McCurdy’s signature style — hyperrealistic black-and-gray micro tattoos that require expert precision — has been widely replicated. Clients wait up to two months for an appointment at one of his two New York City shops, where tattoos can cost into the thousands of dollars. At Bang Bang Tattoo, “You’re not paying for the tattoo,” a former artist’s assistant said. “You’re paying for the brand.”
In an industry known for bold ink, edgy imagery, and an anarchist streak, McCurdy has branded himself as someone who does things differently — what he calls the “right…
This article was written by Melkorka Licea and originally published on www.businessinsider.com