Let’s Put a Smile on That Face

When Heath Ledger first put on the makeup of the Joker for 2008’s The Dark Knight it was as if he had undergone a complete transformation; he was no longer an actor in a blockbuster film but had become the diabolical terror of Gotham City. Since the film debuted, and particularly since Ledger was posthumously awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, people have gotten tattoos of the character in droves. Randy Engelhard, a Freshly Inked cover artist, is responsible for the realistic portrait above.

Today’s Inked Tattoo of the Day is just one of the many amazing and realistic tattoos Engelhard has done while establishing a reputation for being one of the best in the game. The German born artist owns multiple shops in his home country where the tattoo scene is absolutely thriving.

“The people look for good work and they also pay the money for good artwork,” Engelhard explains. “I think in the US it’s more like you have to find your clients in a big area. It’s not as easy as in Germany where you have a big market there.”

Engelhard’s work is known far and wide thanks to the many years he spend on the convention circuit doing so many different ones that he can’t even remember how many he’s attended. When you consider all of his experience it is quite a compliment when he says that London is his favorite.

“London is kind of like a champions’ league,” Engelhard says. “There’s every style of tattooing, all the high level styles there. It’s like a good competition because you know everybody there is really, really good.”

You can check out the entire interview with Engelhard, and look through his many realistic portraits like this one of the Joker, on his Freshly Inked page here. If you like what you’ve seen with Engelhard’s tattoos marvel at the work of his mentor, Boris, at this link.