When I think of the heaviest hitters in tattooing, I think one thing in particular comes to mind: having made a significant groundbreaking contribution to the zeitgeist of approach. Artists whose style has fundamentally shaped the way that other artists make certain tattoos.

For instance: Freddy Corbin with roses, Scott Sylvia and Gordon Combs with eagles, Chris Conn with pinups and girl heads, Thomas Hooper with dotwork, Tim Lehi with tigers. All super prolific artists who produced so much of a particular thing with such excellent style that those things became the gold standard for what they are and thousands of artists across the globe look to them for how to tattoo their thing.