The human body has been a canvas for art for centuries, but some people have taken it to the extreme of modifying their bodies, making them some of the most tattooed people in the world.
As an artist, I have clients who have different goals for their tattoos, and understanding my client’s goals allows me to create a design that helps them achieve those goals.
In this article, we shine a spotlight on the most tattooed men. And who is the most tattooed woman in the world… and why she has so many?
The most tattooed man in the world – Lucky Diamond Rich
Lucky Diamond Rich is an Indigenous Australian performance artist and Guinness World Record holder for being the most tattooed man in the world.
Born Greg Paul McLaren in New Zealand, Rich has over 1000 tattoos and various piercings, as well as white ink all over his body. His friends call him a “diamond in the rough” and gave him the middle name “Lucky Diamond Rich”.
Collecting tattoos
Lucky joined the circus at age 16, juggling chainsaws, riding a 10-foot unicycle, and swallowing swords. After getting his first tattoo of a small juggling club on his lower back, he waited more than two years before getting tattooed again.
At 18, he continued to get more and more tattoos with the money he made as a street performer: he wanted his appearance to be a part of performance art.
Lucky Diamond Rich got his first full-body black tattoo at age 28, then added a layer of white ink on top, then added more layers of color. Now, his entire body is tattooed, from between his toes to his eyelids and ear holes, and even his gums. He’s also had his teeth replaced with silver veneers.
Lucky Diamond Rich, the most tattooed man in the world and one of the most distinctive looking people in the world, says he doesn’t regret any of his tattoos. Now that his whole body is covered, Lucky Diamond considers himself to have only one tattoo.
Despite his tattoos, he doesn’t see himself as different from others. As well as working as a performer, Lucky Diamond Rich also works as a support worker at an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre in Australia.
The world’s most tattooed woman – Charlotte Guttenberg
In 2015, 69-year-old Charlotte Guttenberg broke the Guinness World Records for being the most tattooed woman. Over 98.75% of her body is covered in tattoos, including the back of her head.
Most tattooed seniors
Gutenberg and his partner were also honored as the most tattooed seniors in the male and female categories.
Charlotte Guttenberg got her first tattoo on her 50th birthday, but soon wanted a full suit that covered her entire body.
Now Charlotte wants to use her personal rebranding as a way to promote not only the beauty and history of tattoos, but also to help people improve their self-esteem.
Other people with heavy tattoos
Julia Gnuse
Julia Gnuse once held the world record for being the most tattooed woman. A rare skin condition that leaves her with scars has caused her to have nearly her entire body inked.
Rick Genest
Rick Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, was one of the most tattooed people before his death in 2019. With living skeletons tattooed all over his body, he worked as an actor and model, and even appeared in Lady Gaga’s music video for the song “Born This Way.”
Prepare for your career as a tattoo artist with our Artist Accelerator Program
Learning the ins and outs of tattooing is an important step in your journey, but it can also be a real reminder of just how difficult tattooing can be. Without the proper knowledge, it’s impossible to level up your skills and become a professional tattoo artist.
But it can be hard to find the easy-to-understand information you need to make progress, and with so much information available online, it can be hard to avoid picking up bad habits from inaccurate or outdated sources.
This is one of the biggest struggles a new tattoo artist faces, and it takes years to break bad habits, which is why many talented artists give up on their goal of becoming a tattoo artist.
That’s why aspiring artists are learning tattooing through structured courses in the Artist Accelerator program. Students learn every step of the tattooing process from professional artists who have the experience and advice they need to hone their skills and create amazing tattoos.
With Artist Accelerator, you don’t have to waste time searching for the wrong information – you get the clear, easy-to-follow lessons you need to improve fast, plus support and personalized feedback from professional artists in our online Mastermind group.
Over 2,500 students have already completed this course, many of whom have opened their own studios. If you want to join us and quickly learn the skills you need to start tattooing full time…
For more information on the Artist Accelerator program, click here.
