In fact, the dozens of people were getting ink permanently needled into the skin of various body parts. The non-medical procedure was the main event at the second annual Salt Lake City International Tattoo Convention.

And though the majority of the 67 tattoo booths at the Salt Palace were manned by artists from Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, New York and other states, a noticeable international ink ilk was in attendance.

Tattoo artists from France, Peru, Switzerland, England, Germany and Japan also wielded the needle to produce fresh flesh art at the three-day convention.

As hundreds of mostly young men and women in jeans and T-shirts wandered from booth to booth listening to the punk rock music and trying to decide what new piece of body art to buy, Tokyo tattoo artist Horizaru used his fingers to measure Ian Apperson's left calf for his new rooster tattoo.

Apperson, who already has an unfinished dragon on his back and a raven on his shoulder, was getting the rooster because it represents his girlfriend Christian's Chinese Zodiac sign, he said.

Apperson chose Horizaru (whose name loosely translates to "tattoo monkey," according to his assistant) because he has always loved the Japanese style of tattooing.

"I just like the lines and the balance of their designs," he said.

Japanese tattoos are traditionally large and often tell a story or legend, Horizaru's assistant Yoichi Takeishi said. The brightly colored tats usually include an animal or a character that is somewhat scary and humorous, too.

"I think Japanese like very strong characters, but some cute," Takeishi explained in halting English. "Our ancestors like beautiful colors. Japanese also like contrast."

Around the corner from Horizaru Tattoo, German tattoo artist Christian Elchenauer paper-sketched a fairy with wings and wild hair for Clearfield resident Kathy Youman. If she liked his design, she could pay the asking price of $200 to have it embedded on her left shoulder.

As Elchenauer sketched, his partner Tom Keseneyer explained that their style of tattooing is a European-American mix, though he admits the tattoo "scene" has become so popular most styles overlap each other.

"You take from Japan, wow. You take from Hawaii, wow," Keseneyer said wide-eyed. "You mix it."

Youman said she chose Elchenauer to create her tattoo after viewing his work on the tattoo convention's Web site.

"I liked his colors and designs," she said.

In addition to performing his craft, another perk of being an international tattoo artist, Elchenauer said, is making new friends.

"I like meeting people and other tattoo artists and meeting a nation," he said.

London tattoo artist Lal Hardy has made six trips across the pond to the States, but this was his first trip to Utah.

Since 1979, he has been the owner of New Wave Tattoo.

"Americans really led the way in tattoo relations that started in the late '70s," he explained, referring to the art's newfound popularity.

"Britain has always been two or three years behind America as far as style."

Hardy said he prefers the Japanese style of tattooing but will work in any style.

"I like to do Japanese-style and wildlife," he said. "But I like to be a jack of all trades and a master of none."

Hardy has a dragon on his back, a pit bull on his leg and "Tip," his dog's name, tattooed on his stomach.

In parting, Hardy quipped, "The only difference between tattooed people and non-tattooed people is that tattooed people don't care if you're not tattooed."

jbergreen@sltrib.com

More ink today

The Salt Lake City International Tattoo Convention continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the Salt Palace.